Kid is averaging 20 points per game on 50% shooting and some goober is trying to fool himself by saying he thought he would be better at 21. Now when the Rockets get knocked out again in round 1...what then? Continue fooling yourselfes that 111 are good enough?
Got to make the playoffs first before we start talking. With the top 6-7 essentially locked in the west, you are all fighting for one playoff spot. About being knocked out of the first round... it is all circumstantial. People harp on Kobe not being able to get past the first round... but has anyone considered who they were playing the last 2 years? The freaking Suns, who are considered considered to be contenders. Jordan and Hakeem had to endure years of losing before they got a good team... so are they effectively losers too because they didn't have the right people around them? Likewise, we played Dallas, Utah, and LA in their prime, while we either were too young and inexperienced, had a much older team, or just didn't have any role players at all - yet we managed to force 7 games out of 2 of those 3 matchups.
Okay, listen, lets keep this in perspective. Yes, the grizzlies are young and they haven't won a playoff game. Sure, but the teams the grizzlies lost to were phoenix, san antonio and dallas. It wasn't like they were the favorites in any of those series. As far as the Rockets are concerned, I am still not sold that they can even get out of the first round this year with Rafer Alston as your point guard. What are u going to do against parker or nash or terry?
We most likely won't play either of those guys in the first round since they will get a higher seeding than us. I'm dreading to play against the Jazz again, but its an obstacle we must overcome to the promised land.
I think the thing we have to remember is this - at the end of the day, the Rockets' window for success isn't all that large. I'd say (IMO) that the window is four years from today at best. Given that time frame, I'll take Shane Battier. Rudy Gay is doing quite well in Memphis, and I'm happy for him. But when you consider the following: a) The Rockets were never going to keep Rudy Gay. The target if the pick was kept would have been Thabo Sefolosha instead; b) Battier does what the Rockets ask him to: take charges, hustle, take the toughest defensive assignment most nights, get his points in the flow of the offense and make heady plays; then there isn't too much to dispute. I've heard this trade called a win-win for both sides, and I'll have to agree. Both players make their teams better. But for the folks who are pissed about the trade, they are working with flawed logic, b/c Rudy Gay, from all accounts was never going to have been a Rocket. And for MemphisX: Your sig last year was proven wrong...and I hope that your prognostication skills stay dead on!
Perspective? The Memphis Grizzlies are stuck in a no-man's land of being the wrong conference with just enough talent to try and hope Pau Gasol, Darko Milicic and Rudy Gay can mesh. Good luck with that. The only hope for the Grizzlies was to parlay their tank season into one of the top two picks. Instead, they got an undersized point guard who can't shoot. You already got two of those. Enjoy mediocrity for the next 10 years. As for the Rockets, Rafer Alston won't be playing 40+ minutes this year. Teams have won titles platooning at the point guard position. Do the names Sam Cassel, Kenny Smith, BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr and Avery Johnson ring a bell? The Rockets should be able to get production out of Mike James, Rafer Alston, Steve Francis and Brooks, or trade for point guard who can do the job. The assets are there. The Rockets still have to prove it in May, but at least they'll have a shot. They have talent and should get better as they learn Adelman's system. The Grizzlies should be so lucky to be in the same position.
Dude, you're a doofus. The Rox will not get bounced out of the first round this year, BOOK IT! BTW, Kid spells it Kidd. Bla ... bla ... bla. I will check in in about 20 games to find out how many games Gay has won for you. LOL! Too bad, sour grapes about your less than stellar prediction. The Grizz are really the gristles because you have some FAT on that team that needs to be trimmed off. Please go on and tell us how the Rox will implode into the abyss and how the j*zz will suddenly spurt up to the top. Oh but that's right Iavaroni doesn't advocate defense. Good luck, you'll need it! This year doesn't look good for your Grizz and the next one and the next one after that don't look much better.
If you want perspective, I think even Atlanta should be able to win ONE game in twelve tries against those aformentioned teams. For Memphis to have zero playoff game wins(not series wins) is pretty ridiculous. Heck, even Stevie managed to get us a win in a playoff series against the Shaq/Kobe Lakers.
B, I love the "things-will-always-be-this-way" mentality. You make this assumptions with the rockets, as if Rudy Gay would have been shipped out without any empirical evidence. Grizzlies in the wrong conference? I could say the same thing about the rockets. They are good enough to make the playoffs, but that's about it. Just being realistic. You guys have no backcourt at all.
Gay certainly will never be a Bron. But trading Gay for Battier imo is comparable to Dallas trading a young undeveloped Josh Howard to us for Chuck Hayes, in the name of "Hayes' defense complements Dirk" ...
The analogy is flawed on several levels. If Shane is Chuck, then you are vastly underestimating Battier's importance to this team. He is not a defensive complement, he is our best defender period. He's the guy we put on Kobe and the guy I trust the most shooting from the perimeter. He would not produce the scoring numbers he does without our star tandem attracting so much defensive attention, but the hustle and persistence he brings would net him steals and rebounds on any team. He is the glue guy to our Rockets, the guy we KNOW we can count on to hit the floor and run the floor.
I have the utmost respect for you. You have conducted yourself with class on this forum. I expect We Rocket fans are really proud of having a team playing this well out of the gate. Please excuse our enthusiasm. Ignore the rude posters here. I expect we will have a hard time with Memphis tonite. It is all about matchups and Mike Miller will hurt us as usual. Memphis has talent and if the new coach can get acclimated they will be successful.
Well we shall see what it looks like after tonight. I picked the Rockets to win it all last year but after watching the playoffs, I think your best matchup is San Antinio. Foe some odd reason you guts play them well. I don't think you can beat the other top teams (phx, Mavs, Utah, Nugs) in a series. So if the Rockets do not finish with one of the top 2 records in the West it will be another 1st round bounce.
the rockets play san antonio well because of yao is an equalizer to duncan, but now hopefully with bonzi, james, and scola, the rockets match up better with some other wc teams.
I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be nervous going into a series with Phoenix or Dallas, but Utah doesn't scare me in the least bit. They barely beat us last year and we are FAR superior this year. I think with a single additional scorer we'd have easily beat them - now we have Mike James and Bonzi Wells. Not to mention, they couldn't have beat us without Derek Fisher last year and he's gone. Ronnie Brewer has been playing well, but we still have to see how well he plays in the playoffs.
