This is why I couldn't get excited about this season. It sounded good in theory but theories go by the wayside very easily. Reality is all that matters. I didn't think Mike James was any real answer at PG. When Rafer was touted to be the best of our PG's to start, coming out of training camp, I had this terrible sinking feeling... and it isn't turning out to be just a nightmare that we're going to wake up from anytime soon. The only addition that I thought might be a bright spot is Scola. I'm willing to see if he can adapt and grow into a serviceable NBA player. But MAINLY -- for several years now I've felt there is no leader... (from the coach on down) yada, yada, yada. Oh, and there is the bonehead factor... yada, yada, yada. How many times over the last few seasons have the Rockets gotten double digit leads on "good" teams only to lose? And lose series? Don't kill the messenger. Deal with the message. This monkey will be on T-mac and Yao's back (since it's really THEIR team) until they throw it off. We all just watch it on TV and suffer the mistakes.
Dallas was playing small -- Dirk was the only big. It was a terrible defensive matchup for Yao, and frankly I don't think he should have even been in the game. They (predictably) went to the high pick and roll on two straight possessions. Yao's inability to contain Harris's penetration cost us 6 straight points. With Chuck in there instead, that likely wouldn't have happened. Just watch it again, if you can stomach it.
Stats don't lie. He's got over 60% winning. James has a better value than Juwan. The guy is a FIBA league MVP and an elite player in Europe. True. The reason is he loves putting pressure on himself and eat his words all the time. He's a loser. All he does on the court is score but with no clear plan how to close out a game with a win. The biggest clown in the league. Make him score in the first few Qquarters, make him hot but double team him or front him in teh last minutes to disrupt the offense forcing the ball to unwarmed-up players to shoot.
Good post Will! Those people who rate your thread low are haters and jealous that you an original 1999er. The legendary ones who's blood is red as his #34 jersey. A real Rockets fan who knows that the Rockets are a team that are not for the weak of heart. Those who see the truth and who are not blinded by today's cry baby and we deserve this generation of so called 'fans'. Let them fall off this ship and try to swim for shore. We'll make it to the land of glory because we know how the journey to it starts and ends. Will, keep it real. always. haters, step off!
I knew that the tinman had no heart in his chest. But what I did not know, is that he has a will in his throat.
all 1999ers are holy beings IROC it. even yourself, we disagree on Mount Olympus sometimes, but we know more than these mere mortals.
I know dude... I'm just failing at making a funny. Long live the 99ers! I still think a couple of the points are a little strong. Scola = rookie James = more value than Juwan (but those points I read elsewhere, before I typed so I won't take credit for them) It is a good thread to wake us up to the possible reality that maybe the Rockets of 07-08 are not a .750 or better team... At least not right now they are not. I sure hope we can start another 6-1 type run, and then not repeat any 5 game skids, season long. As for needing a leader.... man I miss Dream.
Man this is a good team and NEW team, so we're just learning. Scola and James are still excellent additions (Mike James is a regular now on FCP on Sirius NBA Radio ie..the old Kenny Smith show). I think Yao is getting there as a leader. Not his fault on the Devin Harris layups. Us losing to Dallas might suck cause it was at home and a rival, but the positives are that we were whipping them, we need to fix some things up, but this is not the same team that lost to Mavs by 30pts in game 7. That's the most important part. we'll be fine, anyone who watches a FULL NBA Season knows that its still to early to worry about anything.
The Rockets are who we thought they were! <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cDAq5tyfk9E&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cDAq5tyfk9E&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
That's great stuff man. At the beginning of the season I looked at our schedule and thought "if we make it out of February at .500 we'll be OK. We started off looking hot do to playing some teams that were not ready for prime time and then got a dose of reality. Call me the eternal optimist but things are about where I expected at this point in the season. If only we had kept Mike James instead of getting Rafer we would not have wasted Yao and T-macs prime years and we would have two or three championships by now. That's all for tonight... Cheers Will, Brock
P.S. The best consolation for tonight were the few moments where our little 6' 5" Chucky Hayes made Dirk his German Biatch. That was worth a L. Dallas is a prime example of a team that knows how to finish games. We can learn a lot from both of the games we have played against them this season and hopefully take those lessons into the post season. The eternal optimist, Brock
This IS tough. It's tough, though, to consider that maybe we're not as good as we thought we were. Maybe. I love Will and every post of his is a must-read and he might be spot-on here. But I can't completely jump off just yet. But it doesn't look good at this point if we are thinking championship. Worse yet, if this is as good as it gets, I don't know if our main core has what it takes to win a title. And yes, by our main core I mean Tracy and Yao. Furthermore, trading McGrady in the future would be very difficult, and as much as I hate to say it, trading Yao will NEVER happen. I don't hate that possibility because I hate Yao, I hate it because I love the Rockets. And even if the Rockets had a trade on the board that undoubtedly made the Rockets better by trading Yao, I don't think this organization has the balls to pull the trigger. And yes, I realize that trade talk involving Yao & McGrady is a silly notion at the present, I'm just thinking out loud. Sorry, I'm done rambling.
Bah, after over 20 years of watching the Rockets, I can honestly say that this team, after this loss has left me totally unconnected to them. I'm not going to wait another 10 years for another team to be rebuilt after people finally realize McGrady is a talented loser and waste the emotion I have thinking this team could do something special...because they can't. I'm tired of watching this team choke and tired of the organization always playing the 'it's our time' card. BS. We're the same team as last year, probably worse. I hate this group of losers and am not waiting around until I'm 50 and desparately hope we can get another group of young millionaires that claim 'they're all about winning'. The Rockets AREN'T that good and won't win a championship with this bunch of scrubs...ah, now I know why Tinman holds on to the past so tightly b/c it'll probably be the only title Houston will get in our lifetimes.
