Courtside observations

I scored some courtside seats for the Phoenix game. I even had a VIP pass and so got to enter through the PRESS ENTRANCE. Quite an experience. It sucks they lost, but oh well.

Rudy used such unconventional lineups that sometimes I had to shake my head: What the hell is this guy doing? But I think I know why, or I can guess.

Of course Mo was out, so KT started. This is a big hole in the lineup already. Sometimes Bullard had to D up on Gugliotta, and ya'll saw the painful results. At least Mo could have provided points and a presence.

Shandon's foot is bothering him. He sat nearby and winced as he removed and replaced one of his shoes. Maybe that's why he didn't play in the fourth. Of course I might be reading too much into that quick glimpse I caught. But with Shandon out, Rudy went to those funky-ass lineups, with Moochie and Steve and either Cat or Kenny. The former lineup is too small and the latter just didn't get the job done; players didn't adjust well to their roles and so Kidd just kept popping it up while the Rockets scrambled. I would hope that Rudy would have played Shandon otherwise.

Moochie is awesome. He has intensity and the crowd loves him. The little guy has no fear.

Tsakalidis was extremely frustrated playing against Hakeem and even taunted him late in the game when Dream hit the floor in a losing fight for the ball. Elie patted Tsakalidis a couple times as if to say, "I played with him a few years; you ain't gonna get a call against this guy."

I hate to mention this, but someone else posted another thread saying maybe Rudy knows this season is a lost cause and is just kinda juggling lineups and getting some clock for guys he knows will be on the team. That seems a fair assessment. Again, I could be wrong, but I didn't get the sense of a team scratching and clawing for the playoffs. Of course, they would have won if they could. But they didn't have much of a chance.

I was at the game with my brother-in-law who knows Matt Bullard (he also knows Coop: looks like she got a new hairdo, but I digress). I got to shake Bull's hand; during the game, Matt even laughed in our direction from the bench because he knew we weren't even in the great seats someone had given us, but had scammed courtside chairs (and were lucky when someone didn't show up for them). My bro-in-law and Matt have plans to go fishing after the season. Matt basically told him that they would go in April (i.e., he isn't counting on the playoffs). So don't take too seriously these quotes from Matt and others about "WHEN we make the playoffs." I'm not saying they're tanking, but the team seems to understand its chances of making the postseason pretty well.

And oh yes, Cato. Piece of crap Cato. In warmups he was lethargically shooting (and even making) three-pointers. During the game he sat at the end of the bench with a detached expression. No wonder. He never got in the game. Folks, I hope I can assume a trade has already been broached and will be consummated in the off-season. He KNEW he would get no clock in this game, and if we really wanted to make the playoffs we would use every able body, (especially with Mo out and Shandon possibly ailing), wouldn't we? I don't think Cato was sick or injured; he looked OK. God, I hope Rudy's just afraid of Cato getting hurt and that CD has already lined up a suitor for him.

This brings me back to the idea that the team might be looking ahead to next season. I wouldn't doubt it. Hell, Bull played center sometimes: Cato and Los never played at all. So I don't see them in the Rockets' future. If we had to trade Los to get rid of Cato, too, then do it, by God.

OK, I've rambled enough. Time for sleep. Man, I love the Rockets. Don't get too down on them for this performance. The team has really made incredible strides, i.e., this year has been a big step in the right direction. And Next Season is the right direction.

I don't know if that came out well; it's late. Signing off.

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[This message has been edited by ROXTXIA (edited March 30, 2001).]

 

There were some things I deleted in the opener because overwriting is a sin. These things aren't important, but here goes:

I saw Carlos "backstage" after the game. I was in a lounge, big TV, plush chairs. There was a special on the TV about Destiny's Child. I was standing on my tongue, watching Beyonce on the TV, when Los opened the door and yelled at one of the kids in the lounge, "Come on! Come on, let's go!"

"No way, you're gonna kill me."

"I ain't gonna touch you, now come on."

The kid was very slow putting on his shoes. When he reached the door, Los clamped his neck in one huge paw (mock-aggressively) and steered him out. Turns out the kid is Cat's 9 year-old brother. I didn't know he had such a young brother. The kid's arrival must have been a surprise for the parents, 16 years after Cat was born. Cat also has a sister, so the whole family must be in town.

I want some credit for not killing someone last night. Some Phoenix fan was whoopin' and hollerin' right behind me. He must have gotten tickets from a friend. I wanted to find out who was the friend so that I could kill them both. But I reminded myself this is only basketball. WOO-HOO!, JASON, ALL RIGHT! Auuuggh!

The Rockets Power Dancers are SMALL. I mean, sure, I'm 6'2", but most of them are 5'2"-ish, a few are 5'5"-ish. Tiny! But hot. Five of them were seated in front of me and paying attention to the game was sometimes difficult.

Steve pouts. Man, when he left the game in the first after picking up his 2nd foul, he just sat and brooded and didn't join the team huddle. Easy to forget he's so young, but you could see it from time to time.

Steve and Hakeem have a great rapport. They were talking and laughing with each other on the bench. Unfortunately, the game was getting out of reach at that time, further reinforcing my speculation about how seriously the team views the playoffs.

I want to see the team in the postseason. Don't know if it's gonna happen.

In any case, that's about all. As I said, nothing too important.

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