Add the t-mac of last year or the year before to that and i think we'd be unstoppable i think thats what they mean. Now it's up in the air.
Apologize... 8-3 Wins (San Antonio, Atlanta, Utah, @Boston (!), Miami, Denver, Utah, Dallas) Losses (@Denver, @Atlanta, LA Lakers)
I guess we are just use to Tmac being our number 1 option... he has been with the team for a long time... so I guess for me it will take time to get use to a non Tmac led team....
What are Tmac's career playoff stats, including FG%, etc. Does his FG% go up? Even if he plays great, individually, there is no way to gauge how his play effects his teammates' play without going back and watching all that tape, unless one remembers. So, is it a case that the team played poorly with a great Tmac, or that he didn't play with the team, thus, no one could adjust to the Tmac-'It's on Me' offense? All I remember from the last two series vs. the Jazz is Tmac taking a lot of jump shots in elimination games. What it boils down to is, a) one guy can't win it for you, and, b) a good team with a few stars can advance when they play good team basketball - for example, all the teams that beat the Rockets in the playoffs the last several years.
Ok, well if you want to be pretty optimistic read what I have to say. Well, the Artest pickup is proving to be gold, Mcgrady going down for the year(not officially) may not hurt us as bad as you would think. Though Mcgrady puts up huge numbers in the playoffs, he takes alot of shots. Now you replace Mcgrady with Artest who is the better shooter, better defender and is way more efficient. Leaves shots to be taken by other shooters on our team who are open or leaving the rest for Yao which would be ideal. This team is starting to show the chemistry it showed during the 05 season where players are starting to play above their head. The good thing is our players now are far more talented than the Jon Barrys and the Bob Suras on the 05 squad. Look for Scolas production to sky rocket and look for our pg's to actually make the other teams pg play defense. We have been playing well and are missing Landry who is a big part of our team. Playing team ball is how this team can win it all. Look at past teams like the Pistons or the Spurs teams. Team ball and defense is how its done. This team can beat anybody if they pass the ball around. We have defenders to contain the Kobe's and Lebron's as much as they can be contained. We have pg's who are as quick as any in the league. You cant write this team off. Just because they dont have Mcgrady doesnt mean they cant do something special. It takes 12 guys playing as hard as a Chuck Hayes or a Luis Scola and nothing is impossible.
well being a Toronto Fan when Tmac was in his rookie year... I guess its kinda sad to see the possible end of his career... I mean all the negatives aside... Tmac did give some good memories over the years
Haha, the fact that this thread has three stars only proves my point further. How DARE I create a reasonably logical, optimistic thread about this team!
i think we definintey have a shot to go all the way...I feel we can take the Lakers too...if Artest and Battier take turns clamping down on Kobe and our other players step up, I think we can take the Lakers too... if we get past the 1st round, this team will be VERY CONFIDENT and can take anybody
not saying we can for sure beat the lakers in a 7-game series, but no reason to fear them either. it's not a terrible match-up for us. the only concern, if it happens, is the ref issue since they're probably gonna be the #1 seed which could bring a lot of favoritism when it comes down to officiating.
Agreed, I have been saying this team without Tmac is better than the one that won 22 games in a row last year. We basically replaced Tmac with Artest and Rafer with Brooks.....both change the team but make it better overall. I am jazzed, I think the team is right behind Clevland, Boston, Lakers, and Spurs in contender status..... And if things break our way...who knows. DD
Sorry for the confusion. I meant the records are moot right now in the sense that just because those aforementioned teams have a far better record than the Rockets, that is not a factor in determining that they are necessarily better (or ahead) than the Rockets in contender status.
So I ask again, what makes those teams necessarily ahead of the Rockets? I think the Rockets are better than all of them. The lakers are tough solely because of the Kobe Factor.
i really dont care what the national media thinks or what anyone else thinks about the rockets...I do care what the Rockets organization thinks and I sure hope the trade they made for Alston really was to better this team now rather than throwing in the towel and planning to rebuild... I think we have an excellent chance at going deep in the playoffs...i'm not so sure we will win a championship but of course that is the goal always....i'm rooting for this team to go all the way but i'll be realistic about it as well.
The fact that they already have an identity and thus are focused on playing together, while the Rockets are still getting that chemistry together. We shall see, these next 2 games will tell a lot. DD
