The best thing is they are developing a habit of winning. That's very important for a young team on the rise like the Rockets. I'm looking forward to an exciting season. ------------------ Moses begat Sampson, Sampson begat Hakeem, And Hakeem led us to the promised land
This team looks ready to blow up and live large! ------------------ Sometimes you gotta do the next best thing!
I'm jazzed too - but remember it's just the preseason. I would trade every preseason win for starting the real season out 1 and 0. ------------------
Man, just reading everybody's posts on a topic gets me pumped up.. 4 wins in a row,, that's not bad, it is the preaseason and all but success brings success. We're off to a great start and if the team keeps it's focus right, look out NBA.. it's going to be a VERY interesting year. ------------------ against all odds
Is Collier left handed? He dropped a sweet lefty hook on Dale Davis. Shocked the hell out of me! That first quarter was a stinker but the second half was SOLID. A very entertaining game. Looks like they're really going to play defense this season! ------------------ "Somebody DO something out there." -Bill Walton
can you say #1 seed? ...we're going to shock the world baby.. ------------------ "Man, it's cool. I'm going to be president. That's Wicked." -George W. Bush, SNL
Francis3 said: ___________________________________________ Well , Im going to bash him all year long. I bashed Bryce Drew last year and this year Im picking on Collier. I hate Collier so much, when he shots it looks like he is trying to break the glass. He shoots the ball so hard, it looks nasty. _____________________________________________ Well F3 I can see your basketball IQ didn't go up with your post count over the summer. I'm not a Collier fan either but to say you hate him is just to funny. here's a novel idea ,why dont you direct all that hate towards members of other teams ? Collier is a Rocket like it or not so you might as well be behind him and hope for the best. ------------------
I for one am very encouraged - last night we shot about 43%, Portland around 46%, and we still got a W. I know, preseason, no matter, but I just have to comment on the D I've seen the past 5 games: Portland and Seattle both put their frontlines out, and they both lost. SA's frontcourt beat ours hands down, but ours gave us enough hustle to pull a W (thanx to our backcourt) Player thoughts... Shandon Anderson (he deserves his own '). The Man. Steve - I'm very pleased here: he seems to be taking better care of the ball (less TOs), as well as being unselfish - I see lotsa assists coming... (and more than a few long alley-oops to Cat/Shandon) Cat - Slowly but surely... Scoring will become even more consistent. Defense is improving. Walt - not completely cold. Hot v. Seattle, negated Pippen's #s last night... I'm satisfied. Cato - Slowly but surely... At least he's not b****ing at the refs all the time - only half the time now... He can still block and defend. Overall, the team seems to have retained the chemistry they found in the last 12-15 games they played last season. I was afraid they'd take a few regular games to find it again. This makes it so much easier, picking it up in preseason... I'm particularly impressed by the fact that the Rox won 2 games (against "elite" teams) with Shandon and Mo out. Injuries still scare the crap outta me, but not as much as they did before... This is a playoff team. Probably a low seed, and maybe an early exit, but this is definitely a playoff-calibre team. Make no mistake about that. ------------------ [This message has been edited by treeman (edited October 20, 2000).]
The Rockets are definately a playoff team. I can see them going as high as the fourth seed. The Houston-Portland game was sooo encouraging. Has anyone mentioned that this game would not have been even close, if the Rox were making their freethrows. I mean, think about it. We had 3 starters out, we shot a p!$$-poor 43% from the field and only 60% for the freethrow line (normally, I think were are around 75-77% FT shooting team) and we still get the win. Truely amazing. Backcourt 2000 (Stevie, Shandon & Cat) will take this league by storm. BTW, how does Francis get doubled and tripled teamed every time he touches the ball and still manages to get 20+ points per game. Simply incredible. ------------------ "...Do you hear 'em? They're everywhere!!! AAAHHH!!!" That's what the other teams will be saying after being shellshocked by Steve Francis and Co.
Yea baby!!!!!!! We are back!! It's gonna be an exciting season!! I'm glad to see that rudy is letting the starters gel in the preseason. It's the first time in a while we've really started clicking early. It's gonna be sweet!!!!!!! The Dreamer ------------------ TheDreamer `,=OÞ
I wouldn't go so far as to think the Rockets will be a highly seeded playoff team. There is significant optimism based upon the level of play during the preseason. However, as we all know, teams will go through series of hot streaks and down times throughout the Association's season. I do believe, though, that the Rockets will suprise many of the higher eschilon teams this year. This Rockets team reminds me somewhat of the Sacramento Kings team with their run-and-gun attitude. The only exception is that Steve Francis is significantly better than Jason Williams. Barring any major injuries (ala Death Stick Sean Bradley or Razor Elbows Malone), the Rockets should enter the playoffs somewhere between the 5th and 8th seeds. But granted, there are still 82 regular season games to be played. Now is a great time to be a Rockets fan. The future looks extremely bright and with the old guard of superstars in the NBA preparing to retire, we will see new players step up and it looks like the Rockets might have two or three of the new superstars. === Dan Langhi for Prez! ------------------
OOHHHHH...man that was cool. The Cat is just outta control...he's just crazy out there! I love it. Uh, hey how bout the boring slow Rudy ball? Let's fire the coach! He he. I definately see a 4-5 match up up come playoffs. Boy, am I ready for Rocketball ! ANd Carlos Rogers, has he gotten focused or what ? I think his tenacity and go get ti attitude is rubbing off on Cato..this is a VERY good thing. ------------------
The Rockets are doing awesome so far!!! I know it is the preseason but we have played really solid D and great team ball. Did any of yall like Stais Boseman's job in teh Seatlle game? He was playing awesome D. ------------------ SJSLAX82 Visit my site <a href="http://sjslax82.homestead.com/index.html">Blast Off</a>
Man...that game was awesome. I thought we were down and out for sure with all the players out of the lineup, especially onc e we got down by 15, but then Steve and Cat took the game over. I was also VERY impressed with Cato. He was everywhere! Los did just what he always does...that is when he is not hurt. He can bring that game night in... night out if he can resist the injury bug. Of course one of the reasons he is often injured is because he hussles everywhere. He got poked in the eye for it last night. Great showing from the whole club! ------------------
SHORT TAKES: Great game to be a Rocket fan. Whole team hung in when offense was lousy. Cato played great. Will he bring this game to the regular season consistently? Hope so. Cat & Steve were fantastic in the 2nd half. Moochie makes very good decisions and is making it very difficult to keep him out of the game. Walt's shooting was off, but gawd, did he have two awful passes to Hakeem. KT showed good offensive footwork in getting his shot off against Wallace, and I feel, basically neutralized him. Bull had a stinko game. Hakeem had great energy until he got hurt. Collier showed a couple of good offensive moves. Langhi D'd up Scottie once very well. LONG TAKES: Much was made over the off season about what trades the Rocks had to make to be a contender. Much was made about what type of people we had to draft to improve the team. The idea that a year of playing together and jelling could really make a difference without personnel moves was roundly ridiculed and dismissed. In last night's game, the team that roared from behind and made the plays in the clutch was last years' team minus Shandon. ------------------
This team in my opinion can dominate at home but I want to know if their gonna be able to win on the road becuase last year that was their big downfall, their road record, with the exception of a good road trip at the end of the season. IF the rocks can win at home the way i know they can win at home and just play .500 ball on the road there is no doubt in my mind they will make the playoffs. ------------------
hey rox ran, its LIVIN LARGE AND IN CHARGE as alwayz peace to the middle east fellas ------------------ Lookin at a 75 year old man in a thong: NASTY Lookin at Shaq hit free throws: "O SH**!"
