FACTS: 1) McGrady will continue to have back spasms. 2) The Rockets don't have the capacity to execute the current strategy so much better that we will become a winning team without McGrady. 3) Without changing, the Rockets will continue to lose without McGrady. After what we have seen so far this season, the Rockets would consider themselves EXTREMELY lucky to find themselves in the playoffs in the next couple years with McGrady fully healthy. The Rockets need to plan for the most likely scenario, which is that they will make it as a low seed in the playoffs with a gimpy McGrady. Rather than play game after game as if McGrady is our only hope to win it all, the Rockets need to play and practice with the intention of playing as well as possible without McGrady. Instead of whining about Mike James any more, here is what they need to do: 1) Play Bonzi Wells no matter what. Get him into game shape as fast as possible, and integrate him into the offense. Bonzi is the most talented offensive player on the team outside of Yao and McGrady and gives us the best opportunity to win without McGrady in the playoffs. 2) Change the game plan when McGrady is out. If we don't find something that give us a fighting chance without McGrady, then we should start rebuilding tomorrow. 3) Abandon all hope with Alston. He will never be a championship caliber rotation player, much less starter. He hurts the offense with or without McGrady on the floor due to his poor shooting, and he brings nothing to the table that helps us win without McGrady as a point guard. He will never help us in the playoffs. 4) Start Head, and play Spanoulis, JL3, and Snyder as much as possible because these are the players that have not proven themselves already to be useless like Alston. Two and maybe three of them will have to be in the playoff rotation. 5) Test Novak because he has valueable skills that might be a benefit during the playoffs. We are going to need as many options as possible to matchup against Duncan, Nowitski, etc during the playoffs, even if it is small minutes as a specialist.
great post! pretty much agree with all the points. Losing three close games in the early season is ok, but the sad fact is this team is not a contender.
Sorry Doc, but assitant coach Gundy won't bother listening to prevailing common sense. If he hasn't changed in over 10 years, he won't change now.
I wouldn't go ALL out like that but I definitely think that, considering the schedule and how difficult it would be to win any games without that 16M chunk of salary that is so essential to this team, we should do these things: 1) Get Wells into shape, and integrated into the plays. Run some post-up plays for him as well. 2) Give V-Span as many minutes as Rafer. When it comes to scoring, let him go to the basket. We need more penetration on this team. 3) Let Novak play, he usually looks lost on the plays. Not too much, just enough for him to get a hang of how to play with the team. 4) Tell Battier we need more scoring from him. Just simply tell him to shoot more. He seems to have lost his confidence in putting up 15pts consistently, something he can do and has done in his career. 5) Let Chuck play till he fouls out. Improve his stamina, and learn from fouling out each time. I would definitely not let Lucas play. He will be inconsequential to this team as the season goes on. I wouldn't let Novak take Juwan or hayes' minutes. Those two are playing good ball and Novak isn't. Just enough to learn slowly. Definitely put a hard leash on Alston. Everytime he starts shooting too much or turning the ball over, yank him. He needs to wear a leash for a short period of time to remember that he needs to be efficient in his role. Don't ever change the game plan. What use is it giving these guys experience if the game plan will be different when the games count? Allow them to find their niche in THIS gameplan.
Wow, don't you guys think you're overreacting? Are you seriously considering abandoning the season already? I'm not sure what games you watched these last two nights, but this is a really good basketball team. The Lakers are a good team this year and the reason they won is because the best basketball player in the NBA dug deep for the win. To say JVG was outcoached is just ridiculous. I think at this point it's just blind hatred for JVG.. maybe because he doesn't say the right things .. his baldness .. shape of his head, whatever. We had 24 turnovers (players fault).. despite that the game was still ours to win if not for some insanely clutch Kobe shots. Losing sucks, but the last few games gives me hope for the second half of the season. 1.) Yao Ming is getting used to playing through fatigue, it'll help us in playoffs. (assuming he doesn't play this many minutes EVERY night) 2.) Yao Ming is getting used to being our go to guy. 3.) Yao Ming is becoming our clutch player at the end of games. (another option when McGrady returns) 4.) We have Yao Ming. 5.) Even if McGrady doesn't return for a while, the team will learn to close out games better. Luther Head is gaining confidence every day, it's only his second year. 7.) Our defense is still VERY good, it's nice to have that to fall back on. 8.) Bonzi Wells is getting experience playing with the team. Of course there's always some potential setbacks. 1.) Bonzi Wells will continue being a black hole on offense, resulting in bad shots and turnovers. Let's also hope he stays in control of his emotions (on a sliding Bonzi scale of course) 2.) Rafer Alston gets even worse at the point. It would be nice to get a veteran pass first point guard who can take care of the ball, but let's face it.. there aren't too many of those around. We're stuck with him for the rest of the season. I just hope JVG will ream him hard enough after this game to get him back in line .. and that he's man enough to take criticism and improve instead of rolling up into a fetal position and crying himself to sleep. 3.) McGrady's back. Overall.. I'm expecting a strong finish to the rest of the season.
People need to look at the big picture. Yes the three losses have hurt, but we are still 14-9. I know 9 of those are against the East, but a win is a win. Also you can not say this team is not competetive. Two losses without Tmac are to the Lakers who are very solid this year and surely a playoff team, and both games we had a chance. The other was to GS who will contend for a playoff spot and needed a 30 footer with 1 second left to beat us. Last year when the Rox played without Tmac they didnt know how to do anything. This year they know what to do, just havent been able to close out games. Seriously, if Davis misses that last three I dont think the panic would be as strong. We all knew Tmac was not going to play 82 games. I was hoping he played about 70. So far he has only missed 3 games and should return soon. Biggest thing is Yao needs to know that he should shoot 30 times a game whether Tmac plays or not. As for Rafer, i have always tried to defend him. But his play as of late has been pretty horrendous. Every three he takes I cringe cuz if he misses its a wasted possession, if he makes it, I know he will start jacking up more. He does need to take them when Yao kicks it out sometimes, but it is the random spot up three with 18 seconds left on the shot clock that drives me crazy.
Not bad. But a few things should be added for balance... Wells on court means there is a high probablity that Luther Head isn't or Luther Head is at PG. Both have consequences. The less likely scenario of Bonzi on the court with LHead means Battier or Hayes is on the bench. Biting my tongue to not look backwards, let's remember that Wells will very likely be an Unrestricted FA next summer. And if his one year experiment is successful, it will require all of next years' MLE to keep him. What is there to change when the overwhelming skill set of the team is perimeter spot up shooting? Nothing about this can be changed quickly on a team with few trade assets and that will "break even" if next summers' MLE is entirely used on Wells. IOW, the Rockets are not in much of a position to rebuild. (Still biting my tongue...). I abandoned all hope for Rafer Alston on October 4th, 2005. But as bad as I think he is, turning the reins over to either JLIII or VSpan is not...I repeat not something Van Gundy is going to do as long as he feels he can keep his job without taking a huge risk on rookies. In many ways, I see his point. VSpan commits fouls, commits TO's, and doesn't have much of an NBA shooting touch. JLIII is undersized and his primary asset is speed. Can Hayes, Howard, Battier, Wells, and Luther Head keep up with him in transition? IMHO, no. I'd love it if JLIII could prove he had the ability to be an NBA starting PG...but the rest of the roster would need major tweaking for him to be effective. Assuming you are talking no McGrady...start Luther Head where? Seriously. Think about it. If it's PG...Luther has a quickness disadvantage and suspect handles. If it's SG...you've got Alston or handed the PG duties to JLIII. Another undersized player. I suppose you could play Luther and VSpan and not declare either a "PG"...but if I were defending that, I'd put my quicker player on Luther and my taller player on Spanoulis. The quicker player can sag the paint and still have time to rotate back top Luther. Further, Luther at SG means Wells is not on the floor or is at SF...which means Battier is not on the floor or is at PF. That's why I posed the question. I guess what you are proposing is sort of roll the dice and see who steps up...but that's not a likely scenario given a recent trip to the Lottery and what has been invested in "Win Now". Still biting my tongue...David Lee (29th in '05), Kyle Lowry, Jordan Farmar, Maurice Ager...sorry...I won't slip again...someone in the background just asked me if I'd like a draft pick with those intangibles... Valuable skills...no...let's get this right...valuable skill...as in singular not plural. And you want him on the floor in the playoffs vs Duncan and Dirk?!?! Assuming this roster can get to the 2nd round of the playoffs, how about we start Novak off with Robert Horry before we move him up to the All Stars? OK? And I ask...Novak does what exactly that Scott Padgett does not do? Did I mention the Rockets' IMHO have too many standstill spot up shoooters?
it's like doc read my mind! why are we in "win now" mode? because of JVG's contract and tmac's back? for the rockets to be a contender with tmac on the roster, they have to be able to STILL be a contender with tmac NOT playing. that kind of team is hard to assemble with salary cap rules. depending on how this season goes, i would think SERIOUSLY about changing the coach, and moving tmac for whatever we can get at this point.
How are we not in "WIN NOW" mode? Because we damn sure are not in rebuilding mode. Bonzi will get more minutes with the more games he plays. Rafer keeps his spot because sadly, there isn't anybody else better to run it. VSPAN is a TO machine that can't shoot a lick, and Head is better at the 2 rather than running the point. Stop the panic attacks! Its still early, we have a good record and theres plenty of time left in the season. I think a lot of you guys are over reacting...as yall do after every lost.
