One thing I have to say is if Tmac does return he can't use the excuse that he didn't have enough talent around him. This team has plenty of talent and most of all heart.
So...two things are possible if Mac plays for the Rox next year (which I don't think will happen). Does he begin to play with as much heart as the rest of the squad, or does the team take on his lakadasical attitude? The article says that players take the attitude of their leader. Is Mac still a leader? Or has that shifted to Yao/Ron/Battier? I agree with you though rockbox. He won't be able to use the 'talent' excuse again.
Bad, fluff-piece article. I don't believe that the Alston/pre-Artest Rockets lacked the resiliency, self-respect, and heart that this current team has. I think we saw this same character a year ago when they reeled off 22 straight wins despite injuries (and despite TMac's reputation for not having heart) to cement their place in the playoffs. The best thing about this team is that they have the same character as last year's team, but with more talent.
Great article, and obviously something great to build on. Perhaps this season is much like the '93 season loss to the Sonics. They proved to themselves then that they could win. Came out roaring the next season with a 15 game win streak. I'm proud of the Rockets . . . yet again. Always have been, always will be. Fight hard, fight strong, give your best and the results are an after thought.
+1. Nice imagery and appeal to ethos, but wholly inaccurate. Let's try and not act like this is the first Rockets team that has shown resilience. While it makes for a great storyline, it's intellectually dishonest. The Rockets showed just as much mettle last year during The Streak, and in fact I would argue that even dating back through the Francis-Mobley era, one thing that each and every one of those teams has had in common was that they played their collective asses off. The only difference was that those teams were pretty dumb and not very good while this one finally has some talent. But hey, who am I to interrupt a good circle jerk? Revisionism is always fun.
The difference is, people were not watching the streak outside of Houston last year. Sure, they heard about the wins and maybe caught a highlight here and there, but they didn't watch the games. The nice thing about playing the Lakers is that the entire NBA universe is watching our games right now. That's why the national guys are just now realizing what we've known for some time.
I thought the Rockets fans already knew this, o. Last year's team won 22 in a row, 2nd longest in league history, mainly without Yao. They went into playoff, almost beat the Jazz if not for Alston's injury; o. The team always had a decent winning percentage without Yao; o. The team couldn't win without TMac prior to this season, but that's not an issue anymore this season.
I think Battier becoming a true vocal leader + seeing Ron's intensity game in and game out have helped the younger players play the same. (Much like Billup's swagger and defense rubbing off on other Denver players) I'm ready to see what this team can do with a full team (meaning Yao + another player purchased with Tmac's contract). I don't mind saying wait for next year this time, but hell this year isn't over yet, I'm hoping to see these young players grow up and find a way to beat the lakers .
What you knew is not the fact! If you follow the Rockets the entire last season, you should know the following 1) Last year, Rockets had a horrible start after a 6:1 record. 2) T-Mac did not play hard and then got injured again when the Rockets were struggling 3) Yao carried this team out of the swamp and got a 5-win stream and then the first 12 wins of the 22-win streak. Please don't separate Yao from this 22-win streak. This streak starts from Yao's effort. 4) So it has been proved FROM LAST SEASON not prior to this season that the team COULD win without T-Mac
