Rockets at critical juncture By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Back when a billion people in China couldn't care less -- not to mention the thousands among the fickle local fan base -- the Rockets didn't have to, either. Not really, anyway. Not like they should now. Then, they were young, physically gifted and insulated from the critical eye of the masses, offered a blanket benefit of the doubt like Shania Twain lip-syncing at the Super Bowl. They were NBA eye candy, so who cared about the details? The Rockets looked good and moved well, so wins and losses were no big deal, and expectations were like Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley's NBA careers -- in the infant stages. But in this season of ups and downs, the Rockets are learning the sweet comforts of youth and relative anonymity have disappeared. The best thing about Yao Ming's arrival, Francis and Mobley entering the primes of their careers, and the eyes of much of the world focusing on Houston is also the worst thing. Such is the beauty and the curse of increased expectations. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is being second-guessed more than ever with every lackluster effort the Rockets turn in. Francis and Mobley's leadership qualities are under more scrutiny with every low-assist, high-turnover performance that shows up in the box score. Playoff hopes are more than a dream. And with every slip in the standings, there is cause for anguish among a growing number of local -- and international -- fans passionate about this team. We'll know more in three weeks just how much truth is in all the criticism and how much hand-wringing is well-deserved. The Rockets open what likely will be a season-defining stretch of 11 games tonight, facing the 34-9 Mavericks at Compaq Center. After tonight come dates with Minnesota (home and away), Sacramento (home), Utah (home and away on back-to-back nights), the Lakers (away), Phoenix (away) and Dallas again (home), with games against Cleveland (away) and Miami (home) mixed in for "breathers." All but one of the upcoming Western Conference opponents in the stretch, which will be sandwiched around the All-Star break, are ahead of the Rockets in the playoff race. The lone exception is the Lakers, which is the last team the currently No. 8-seeded Rockets should hope to see in the rearview mirror. A year ago, such a stretch would have been viewed as just another learning experience for the young Rockets. It would have been asking too much to expect a winning record against such NBA beasts. But with making the playoffs the Rockets' stated goal and Yao becoming the apparent missing ingredient toward achieving that goal, the learning curve has been skewed. Francis is in his fourth season, Mobley his fifth. They're not babies anymore. Yao often has experienced unreal demands considering his unique path and baptism into the NBA world, but the reality is he is talented enough and big enough to make a difference. This is the stretch of games that will lay the foundation for the rest of the season. More significantly, people will watch. And care. Now is the time to dust off your favorite cliché or sports metaphor, the one last used with this team circa 1995. Gut-check time. Make-or-break. Bigger than Dallas. By any name, the Rockets must revert to the teeth-to-the-floor style that carried them to victories in eight of 10 games from late December to the unforgettable win over the Lakers on Jan. 17. If not, they can say goodbye to the playoffs and hello to legitimate questions about their makeup and moxie. The Rockets' schedule was tailor-made for a big early start to this season. This team could develop -- should have, really -- a winning style around Yao, Francis and Mobley. But just as the Rockets looked legitimately in the playoff mix, a four-game losing streak dropped them to eighth place in the Western Conference. Now, a brutal 11-game stretch against mostly contenders is dead ahead, and another tough stretch looms in the final month of the season. To look at the conference standings today is to see no way the Rockets can make the playoffs without re-establishing themselves in the next 11 games. Seven wins, minimum, would guarantee an entertaining race to the playoffs. After all, having the Lakers nipping at your heels is no way to make a living as the No. 8 seed, considering the Rockets are the West's only current playoff-positioned team without a winning record within the conference (13-13). Just putting on a good show won't cut it anymore for a team that millions of Chinese and thousands of locals care deeply about and want to see in the playoffs. It's time to put aside the eye candy and give the demanding masses something they can sink their teeth into.
Man, you got to it before me. Where else would he be able to find out that "a growing number of local -- and international -- fans..." would be groaning about Rudy T's decisions, Francis and Mobley's turnovers, etc.??? I know that Jonathan Feigen reads the site. Lopez HAS to be reading it. He could say that local fans are complaining just by listening to talk radio, but international???
I agree that out of those 11, they need to win at least 7. They have at least win at home and against Miami and Cleveland.
please tell me the schedule gets easier after that. this has been a ridiculous stretch. we were talking about "the next 5 games" 2 weeks ago, then we still had detroit and then two road games ahead and now we have that brutal 11 games stretch with only two teams worse than us in the stretch. that's like a 19 games stretch of hell. it has to get easier in the next 28. if we come out 6-5 i'll be quite happy. i don't understand why we have to win 7. even giving us the two easy games, that leaves going 5-4 against teams currently better than us, that shouldn't just be expected. plus 6-5 would put us at 30-24, which should set us up well for the last 28, which i repeat better be easier.
I'm afraid the sideline story by Michael Murphy was ill-timed to say the least. Lopez' story was a good read, but Murphy's story probably will light a fire under the Mavericks, which is no help for the Rockets.
I bet the Sportscenter guys come here too. Or else how would they have caught Steve's blunders of not passing to wide open Yao?
The bolded parts are what told me he *has* to be lurking here often. There is no way this article could be construed as anything else. Anyway, This is indeed the part of the schedule that should be make or break time. Do the Rockets get it? I think we find out real soon. On the good side...the Rockets seem to do better against good teams(excepting the 4 game disaster film).. I dont have the stats to back it up, but I seem to recall that the stats from before the Laker game showed that the Rox have a better winning percentage against good teams than they do against the bad ones .. Is this a good thing for the upcoming stretch? I still have faith, so Im gonna predict that they step up and take care of business to remain in the playoff chase.. Here's to hoping I'm right....cheers to all of you and to my boys...Go Rockets!
Bravo Mr. Lopez. Way to have some juevos and say what no one else in the local media could. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... - carefull, don't say it too loud..................(the problem might be with Rudy)
He said it, but he did not do it with enough energy. The problem is with Yao not getting the ball enough, and our PG being unable to run a team properly. DD
The Rockets need 7 of 11 for two reasons. First is the confidence factor which is currently on shakey ground. Second (and more importantly), 6-5 is basically .500 ball. If the Rockets play .500 ball and the Faker$ play .600 ball (6-4) for the second half of the season, the Faker$ are the 8th seed and the Rocks go to the Lottery. Also, IMHO if we can't go 7-4 (against mostly playoff caliber teams) we are a sure 1st round ("we were just glad to be here") exit.
