Chronicle columnist states, "This team is going to be retooled no matter what".

Juctice was announced as the editor of the Chronicle sports section around a month ago.

He's written some interesting editorials since then. The most interesting one was the one he wrote in support of the UofH hire less than a week after he wrote an editorial denouncing the decision to hire Penders. He explained how and why he changed his mind.

I'm glad UofH went to the trouble, and Justice showed himself big enough to correct himself less than two weeks after his promotion (I think).

Clutch and half this bbs agree with him here, and I doubt very seriously he would have run this without a long dscussion with Feigen.

If he's wrong the Rocket's organization can pubically correct him, but it's more likely Feigen's heard things.

And I think this is carefully worded: we're going to get another power forward and a guard, but it doesn't say Stevie's not the franchise anymore and it doesn't say Cato's leaving. And MoT's not easily going to be moved.

If anything he avoided adding fuel to the fire. He just went to practice and probably asked Feigen afterward what the hell was going on.

I expect us to win Friday, and we could take this series to seven games. But even if we do the handwriting's on the wall and the entire NBA knows it. It's just sad.

 

I do not want to end up like the Bulls/ Clippers.-Lots of talent that never gets developed here.... Eternal rebuild.

No Doubt Van Gundy -Balki wants Steve Francis gone. If there is an economically viable way to get talent and get rid of Steve. I think Les Alexander will support this- only my opinion. At this point I think Mr. Alexander has more respect for Van Gundy -Balki than CD. He will let VG build his team if it does not break the bank. CD either accepts a much lessend role - only to analyze deals to conform to Collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap. CD becomes an analyst that no one listens to- and he eventually gets his contract bought out at anegotiated price a la Rudy.

 

If all that happens then Les Alexander will be well on his way to Mcmullenville via Bud Adams Ln.

 

from Indian Summer Giver:

Yeah, only with two rings. Brilliant analogy to back your well-known opinions which in the past I have understood.

 

It will still be premature for me to trade any of our roster for the reason that for JVG's first year, Rockets is playoff bound second, both our guards and sm forwards work well with Yao, since he is the center piece. If there will be a trade that will happen off season, i would say the power forwards needs to go!

Taylor is under size to be the ultimate defender and rebounder.
Cato has the size and has ability to rebound, but does not have an offense and not a good defender.

If retool is the agenda in off season, I really think that the PF has to be beef up with al around talent. But WHO??

 

And yet the guy who ACTUALLY COVERS THE TEAM says different (from Jonathan Feigen's Q&A on the Chron.com site):

Question: Don't you think that it's the inability of Steve Francis and Cutino Mobley to pass the ball to Yao Ming when Yao was in strong low post position that caused Yao's poor performance in the second half of Game 2? I have an impression that the only Rocket players who are consistently looking for Yao in the low post are Jimmy Jackson and Mark Jackson. What do you think?

Allan in Pittsburgh

Answer: I think on the list of Rockets problems in Game 2, the guards passes to Yao Ming fell somewhere behind their shoes were too tight.

Yao got the ball more than enough. He usually dropped it, and when he picked it up, he did far too little with it. It's amazing. Steve Francis had one of his most complete offensive games but he is still to blame. Three days and untold hours of watching tape later, Jeff Van Gundy was still raving about Francis' offensive decision-making. The Rockets fell apart defensively. A good defensive team was awful in the second half. That includes Francis and especially Cuttino Mobley (who really did play well defensively in Game 1). But Yao getting the ball too little had nothing to do with the cause of the loss.

Q: Several reader questions ponder what role the Rockets might play in the Kobe Bryant sweepstakes this summer. And the answer is ...

A: The Rockets have no money. Kobe Bryant is not coming here for the mid-level exception. The Lakers are not sending the Rockets an early Christmas present by agreeing to a sign-and-trade using the Rockets $6.9 million trade exception.

But to combine your question with several others, the Rockets will be over the cap, but do have the trade exception left from the Glen Rice deal to Utah. They can offer free agents nearly $2 million more than teams offering the mid-level exception, as long as a team losing that free agent anyway is willing to work with them.

As for what to do with that money, I disagree with the suggestion that the top priority is a traditional point guard. A guard that can play the point would be useful, particularly if he can play both guard positions or best of all, play shooting guard like a point.

I think the Rockets can keep Steve Francis at the point. First, he's not a shooting guard. He is not a catch and shoot guy, and the same things he would have to improve on to be a better point, he would have to improve to be a great shooting guard. Leave him at the point, but surround him with better decision-makers so he is not the sole trigger of the Rockets offense.

The top priority is for a power forward that can be a great rebounder and defender and make open shots that are left open when playing with Yao Ming and Francis. Maurice Taylor's one-on-one talents are valuable off the bench, but a luxury as a starter. The power in power forward will be the top off-season priority and a key to the future are Yao becomes more of a consistent force. The next priority -- sorry point guard lobbyists -- might be for a traditional small forward or shooting guard. Jim Jackson is that sort of shooting guard but has had to play huge minutes at small forward. Get a long athlete to play the three and Jackson could play the two.

As for trading Steve, as so many have suggested, it seems like an unlikely solution. I don't believe it would help to trade him for a pile of solid, but unspectacular players. Trading All Stars rarely works financially, and in this case would be trading his frustrating question marks and shortcomings for another star's. It could work, but it would be rolling heavy dice. Since Francis does mix well with Yao -- a big man like Yao keeps big men from helping too much on a penetrating guard -- the Rockets might want to build around Yao and Francis for one more season before giving up on the plan.

Getting back to the suggestion that they simply need a pass-first point guard: It would be nice if the Rockets were simply a Kevin Ollie away from championship contenders. But they're not and they know it.

Q: Do you agree the Rockets players talk too much in and after the games? Everyone talks about the efforts, teams, blah blah, after losing. Nobody stands up and takes responsibilities. Be a man. Also, I don't think players clearly know their roles in the team. They all feel like big shots and big talkers. The team needs to find better role players next year. What do you think?

Mma in Shanghai, China

A: I couldn't disagree with you more. The Rockets have role players. And they do take responsibility for their failings. I can think of many games I went in the lockerroom thinking I would be highly critical in my game story, only to have the Rockets be so critical of themselves they hardly left any room. They point out their individual and collective mistakes. Roles are very clear.

The time they talk too much is during the game.They are on the officials so often they are at best tuned out, and at worst offensive to officials with good memories. When a Rockets player misses a shot and then blames the official, now that's talking too much.

The rest of the time, they are pretty stand-up team.

 

Jeff, I don't disagree with any of Feigen's responses here. But he is the beat writer and there's much-needed enthusiasm that needs to come with this playoff appearance where much of the Rocket's fan base is repulsed by the play they see on the court.

I get home to Houston about 10 times a year and hear the Rockets get trashed by people I know who know the game and have followed them forever.

Gene Peterson, whom I mostly listen to during games, voices disgust with this team in ways uncomparable to many lackluster ones over the last 20+ years even if we do win.

I agree with what Feigen says here. What he doesn't say is we're not likely to get much for SF in any terms of relative value.

What he also doesn't say is MoT, Cat and Cato won't bring us much to bring in these smart and hopefully talented players and we could well be a lottery team again unless Yao does becomes dominant next year. Because we are that mediocre.

There is nothing I can see in Feigen's Q & A that does dismiss Clutch's arguments, or mine or many others.

That's there are no contradictory comments between Feigen's Q & A and the "baseball" writer's editorial tells me much.

Team beat-writers tread a thin line and Feigen does it very well, but this Q & A doesn't equate with refuting a former Blinebury or Fowler editorial (now semi-retired contibuting editorialists). It's balance without misinformation. Take from it what you will.

 

Feigan's and Jeff's comments are well founded. What is omitted is the apparent desire of Francis to play elsewhere, and the seeming willingness to be obliged.

He could logically bring in Brand, and the PF answer.

BBarry could logically come in, and offer a PG answer.

Doing something positive with Mo and/or Cato will require more, however. My hope for Mo is Ainge in Boston. He's reportedly a Mo devotee. Cap relief from a Mo trade for Pierce (and crap)? It's not my money, but I would listen.

There will be changes. Significant, 'splash'y changes. I believe that to be 99 and 44/100% certain. This team is not good enough to ensure a return to the playoffs with the likelihood of improved Suns and Blazers teams. The addition of Shinn's Hornets to the West. Seattle's assets scream for greater success. And no one looks poised to fall out of the Top 8, either.

 

When has Steve Francis ever indicated he wanted to play elsewhere???

 

Just to respond to a part of your well thought-out post, I agree that the negativity towards the Rockets isn't limited to just a couple of Chron writers and the "Steve haters" in here. It's a pretty widespread view, even at the national level. You see stuff about it on ESPN and other experts and such. And in addition to Gene Peterson, I have never heard so much negativity from Calvin and Bill about the play on the court. At times they seem to insult the players. So I don't think people should dismiss the article as if it is something no one could agree with.

 

Mr. Justice is trying to make his mark here in Houston. What better way than to write something that takes a strong opinion about a topic. It's about readership and standing out, not about reason and logic. Reason and logic - that's boring.

I've actually been really soured by the Chronicle in the last year or so by the tilt their articles have been leaning - really disturbing to me. I wonder how much the sports op-ed writers have been influenced by whatever direction the paper's management has been taking.

 

Let's just start with his body language.

 

Example.

I've seen frustration, but I think that's more at himself than anything else.

 

OK, fine.

BTW - as I have often said, I am all for the guy. I don't want him gone. I just believe it is inevitable, as inevitable as Horry hitting a big 3 in the playoffs.

 

With the treatment he gets here who can blame him? i for one hope e stays a rocket along long time.

 

weak, weak ...

 

You know the Houston media has long been considered soft compared to the northeast or Chicago. Somebody voices their opinion and now everyone jumps on him…Should Justice stick to baseball? Probably. But you have to admit he makes an interesting point…I mean do you really think this team, as is, can ever win a championship? I seriously doubt it. For some reason the people on this board have a fascination with Brent Barry…trust me he is not going to put this team over the top. You keep this team together next year and maybe they win 50 games but they still lose in the 1st rd to the kings, mavs, spurs, lakers, wolves, grizz or even an improved blazer team…

I don’t know if you need to blow it up but changes need to be made…

 

I would like to say that this Article fits the same mind set that Feigen had when we were talking almost two years ago about the Draft of Yao Ming and how he would/would not fit in with the Guard Oriented Team. Obviously Feigan doesn't buy into the fact that JVG is moving the Team towards a Center Oriented Team and our Team consists of mainly one on one players, who can not move without the ball and do not fit this new direction. We can hold out one more season if thats what Management decides but I consider we have wasted Yao Mings time for two seasons why do this to him for another.
We need three players a Starting Playmaker Point Guard, a taller Small Forward [posibly Mo. T ]and
a Real POWER Forward. JJ would move to Shooting Guard. Steve Francis is a great one on one player but he isn't a Point Guard and he isn't a Shooting Guard.How will he fit in the new direction? Only Management knows.

 

Is this not the same newspaper that put "Choke City" as their front page headline(or was that the post?)? We have awful news coverage/opinion in our only paper. We have done better than I personally thought we would through the first two away games against the team most thought would steamroll to a fourth championship(yikes....my grammer sucks). Well.....that was just my rant....................

 

very weak