Let me say this first, even as a vocal Barkley detractor I am saddened by his injury. The fans and (more importantly) he deserves better. That being said, the season must go on. The Rockets and Rudy have three choices. 1. Wallow in self-pity We know what Rudy is made of from an adversity and competitive standpoint, but with Hakeem and Charles out this will be our first real opportunity to see what these players are made of. Wallowing is the easy way out. On its face, tanking the season has its advantages. A higher draft pick might put the Rockets near the top again in talent. Shrinking from adversity however can become a bad habit. 2. Panic Certainly, when you look at the post situation it has to scare you. Particularly until Massenburg comes back, this collection of posts could have the least amount of game experience in the NBA. Some GMs would bite the bullet and overpay for an established veteran. On the one hand, that shows the players that management isn't ready to tank it, but it also can hurt the future of the team if it isn't well thought through. 3. Find a way through it This is what teams do if they have the heart of a champion. In the Rockets case it isn't only the effort that needs to be there. The coaching staff needs to rethink their gameplan as well. The Rockets could come out and play the same way they always have, play hard, and come in a respectable second on a nightly basis. Or, they could make some radical changes and create some momentum until Dream returns. Personally, this is where I see the Orlando Magic at. They know they have less talent than anyone else and they know they are lottery bound. Their record doesn't reflect it though. When everyone expects you to lose you can take some risks. The Rockets can now approach things the same way. If they take some risks and lose then that is what the outcome would have probably been anyway. On the other hand, if the risks pay off they could be the surprise of the league. ------------------ Rockets When? Rockets When?
Absolutely, these guys will rally! And Hakeem is coming back. Let's just play hard out of pride. Some good things can happen. It can still be a successful season if we progress, even if we don't make the playoffs. I wanted us to gel and go far this year for Barkley's sake - to become a dark horse team and get him his ring. Without him, I don't think we have a chance of that realistically. So the pressure is off. While saddened that Barkley's career is ended, I can still enjoy watching the Rockets. Let's support them and watch them progress. We miss you already, Chuck. SaluteCharles = bballfanatic
