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Chronic: "The excuses," Adelman declared, "are over with."

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Rockets34Legend, Feb 8, 2008.

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  1. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Member

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    If it's been posted, please lock it up.

    http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2008/02/thanks_philly_how_the_rockets.html

    Thanks Philly. How the Rockets turned it all around.

    Just one sentence.

    It slipped from Rick Adelman's mouth and jumped from the page.

    One sentence that said everything.

    "The excuses," Adelman declared, "are over with." That was his message to the Rockets on Wednesday and their mission on Thursday

    "The excuses are over with."

    That is the change in the Rockets, and the key to Rockets 92, Cavaliers 77 on Thursday.

    In the place of the excuses, or explanations if you prefer, there is determination.

    It's not about anything but them, not about the opponent, the venue even the rotation of the day.

    It is all about how they play.

    Since the night they let go so completely against the 76ers, collapsing in the fourth quarter, they have been a far more determined team, even if you can believe it, while playing before the jewelry rattlers in Toyota Center. (Was that TNT halftime not long enough to make it back in time to check out the second half? Was that 30-second head start to the parking garage really worth it?)

    Since that fourth quarter collapse, and Yao Ming's Michael Ray Richardson moment declaring that the ship was sinking, the Rockets have won 9 of 10 games, losing only to the Jazz on the night Yao Ming was out with an upper respiratory infection. Since falling short in Boston Jan. 2, they are 14-3, with the second-best record in the NBA in 2008.

    Facing the high-speed Warriors, they hit before they could be hit. Going against the surging, fourth-quarter marvels in Portland, they owned the final minutes. Against the Spurs, in the first game after the Philadelphia debacle, when the Rockets could not shoot at all in the final minutes, they battled for boards and loose balls and found a way to win.

    Even Thursday, when they spent the first half unable to find a shot they couldn't miss, they were determined to find a way.

    That's what changed.

    Some of that can be seen in the productive hustle of Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Shane Battier.

    Some people are willing to hustle, to do anything needed really, but never see the chance until it is gone. Others will hit the floor or go for the rebound, but never quite get there. Those guys and Chuck Hayes will do the extra effort things and come up with the ball or tap the rebound or in Battier's and Hayes' case, find extra ways to help defensively.

    That sort of thing has spread, too. Tracy McGrady has hit the deck lately and played Thursday with an upper respiratory infection that Dr. Jim Muntz called "horrible, horrible." (Jim won the night's Bill Walton sound-alike contest with that one.) Bonzi Wells was active, not only on the boards, but even looking for deflections and steals on a double-double night. Rafer Alston has given as much as consistently in the Rockets run as he ever has, averaging 12.6 points and 8.2 assists in the five-game winning streak. Scola even had his first NBA dunk.

    This is what has to become habit. Determination is one of the most valuable traits a team can have. It cannot just be for when LeBron and TNT are in town. It has to be there Saturday against the Hawks and all those high-flying athletes coming in after beating the Lakers. It has to be there in the days leading to the break, when minds wander to vacations. It has to become the way a team plays.

    One sentence.

    "The excuses are over with."

    Replace excuses with determination and the Rockets might be something, after all.

    So Adelman offered another declaration.

    "I liked the way we approached this game," he said. "I really think if we can do that, we can make some noise."
     
    #1 Rockets34Legend, Feb 8, 2008
  2. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Young and hungry versus older and satisfied.

    The young are infecting the old........

    GOOD !!

    DD
     
    #2 DaDakota, Feb 8, 2008
  3. underoverup

    underoverup Member

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    that's what i like to hear!!

    rockets are starting to get it and roll with it !! WOOT :cool:
     
    #3 underoverup, Feb 8, 2008
  4. poprocks

    poprocks Member

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    Hopefully T-Mac doesn't infect Landry Scola and Brooks with that cough.
     
    #4 poprocks, Feb 8, 2008
  5. rofflesaurus

    rofflesaurus Member

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    adelman's obviously referring to t-mac's "depth perception" excuse :D
     
    #5 rofflesaurus, Feb 8, 2008
  6. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    Dont get too giddy about the 14 and 4 records. In that stretch, only impressive wins were over SA and GS, both at home. I am happy we are still in the playoff picture, but has the season turned around, I dont know. We need to score more. Lately we have been scoring mid 80s low 90s, that's not going to cut it against NO, PHO, DAL and the Lakers.
     
    #6 YallMean, Feb 8, 2008
  7. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Member

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    I realize there is a big :D but I would expect a bit more from the likes of you.

    :p
     
    #7 BucMan55, Feb 8, 2008
  8. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Member

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    Road win over a team at the time ahead of us in the race at Portland, big win last night against Cleveland(both of those double digit margins) dont count??

    Early on in the season we had crappy losses against Miami, Toronto, Philly, etc. Oh, and Chicago just beat GSW last night. Nothing is absolute in the NBA, so you take the wins when you can get them. Against whoever is put in front of you.

    Rockets are 5-3 against above .500 teams during this stretch.

    Rockets are averaging 96.9 ppg in the month of January.
     
    #8 BucMan55, Feb 8, 2008
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2008
  9. solid

    solid Member

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    The Rockets have broken my heart so many times in the last few years, I am very cautious, but I am feeling slight tinges of optimism. Not much, just a little. This bunch can just as easy go into a 20 game losing streak, I trust nothing but results. TMac coming to play from the hospital was gutsy, a kind of a statement. Keep it going. Still thinking we need another piece or two.
     
    #9 solid, Feb 8, 2008
  10. jump shooter

    jump shooter Member

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    Agree. Need to upgrade the PG position.
     
    #10 jump shooter, Feb 8, 2008
  11. doublebogey

    doublebogey Member

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    No. Adelman was talking about our home court record. He said at first the Rockets lost to the Spurs, Lakers, etc, that are good teams. But when the Rockets lost to the Sixers at home, they get no excuse anymore.
     
    #11 doublebogey, Feb 8, 2008
  12. BrownBeast99

    BrownBeast99 Member

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    Exactly, they beat SA and GS at home, which is more impressive than if they beat them on the road because they have been on a roll on the road and average at home. lol. jk. GS on the road is hell especially for the rockets.
     
    #12 BrownBeast99, Feb 8, 2008
  13. Dave_78

    Dave_78 Member

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    I guess Adelman didn't speak to Tmac before he said "the excuses are over" or he would have been informed that the excuses are forever.
     
    #13 Dave_78, Feb 8, 2008
  14. yobod

    yobod Member

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    Ok, I'm all for keeping things in perspective, but come on. SA, and GS, along with PORTLAND (one of the best home teams in the NBA) on the road, and Minnesota (who had just beaten PHX and GS, and lost to BOS by 1) on the road were mighty impressive as well. Not to mention that come-from-behind win in Seattle on the second night of a home-and-home. The corner has been turned, it's just a matter of going straight now and not taking a U-Turn.
     
    #14 yobod, Feb 8, 2008
  15. OGKashMoney

    OGKashMoney Member

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    I absolutely agree. You can't just look at the records of the teams we are playing. You have to also look at how those teams are playing when we faced them.

    Many of those were on hot streaks when we beat them. The Minnesota game was especially impressive for me because of the monster night Al Jefferson was having. If that was in December, this Rocket squad would have found a way to blow that game in the 4th. So I definitely see an improvement in the team's play and in their focus.
     
    #15 OGKashMoney, Feb 8, 2008
  16. AntiSonic

    AntiSonic Member

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    if the excuses are over with, does that mean we can fire him when the Rockets roll over like b****es in the first round again?
     
    #16 AntiSonic, Feb 8, 2008
  17. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    true fan are we?


    why don't you join the suns board or the jazz.
     
    #17 Tfor3, Feb 8, 2008
  18. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Member

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    Coulda been using some of this no nonsense approach
    back when the Rox were dropping games to Grizzlies and Sixers
     
    #18 Shroopy2, Feb 9, 2008
  19. D-rock

    D-rock Member

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    Maybe its time to bring in more "hungry players" before the old infect the young. Maybe before the trade deadline?
     
    #19 D-rock, Feb 9, 2008
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