If the Rockets don't make any changes, can they get into playoff next season?

Not if they continue to go in two different directions at the same time!

 

the players have to become better.
that mean bball iq
its not that this team is a bad team
We have seen them play well at times
So they have to play like that most of the time

 

No. They don't play as a team. If they had a stat, dribbles per game, the Rockets would have twice as much as any other team. The Rockets need to do like the movie Hoosiers - 4 passes before shooting. When I was a kid, they teach you to pass the ball rather than dribble. You get much easier shots off a pass.

 

they may make the play off simply Yao Ming will improve, and player play together a little longer will execute better,......
but if they don't make any changes, they will never be a championship type team....
I am looking for the championship, not just getting into the playoffs.
too many teams can make playoffs in NBA, not like the baseball, only 8 teams make playoffs.
frankly, the team has not been in the play off since Steve and Mobley in the houston.
IT IS TIME TO MAKE SOME MAJOY CHANGES.
GUYS LIKE STEVE, MARBURY, MOBLEY, (SCORING GUARDS ONLY ) TAKE TEAM BARELY INTO PLAYOFFS,
JASON KIDS A PLAY MAKER TAKE THE TEAM TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, WITH KOBY SCORING A BUNCH, LAKER KEEP LOSING GAMES. THEY WIN WHEN SHAG IS BACK AND HEALTHY.
KOBY IS BETTER THAN THOSE OTHER GUARDS.
ORLANDO IS THE SAME WITH TRACY MCGRADY, BARELY MAKE PLAYOFFS, UNTIL THEY HAVE A BIG MAN DOMINATE INSIDE, THEY WILL NOT A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER. THEY ARE LUCKY IN THE EAST, THEY WILL NEVER MAKE IT IN THE WEST.

 

So the real question that we need to answer is what changes should be made in order to better this team for next year and for the future? This doesn't necessarily have to be a player transaction or a personel move, but something that lights a fire under this talented but drastically underachieving team.

Remember at the beginning of this season all the talk was about how the Rockets finally have all the pieces to the puzzle in place, they just need to work together and gel for a while? How much of that is still true? Isn't a young team supposed to grow and improve throughout the season? Pushing for the final Western playoff spot would have really shown me how resiliant and strong this team is and how long they have come this year, but with the last two horrible outings against Portland and our archrival Jazz, it kind of steers me the other way. Instead of improvement, I think the Rockets might have regressed. They looked like a team after the all star break but somehow that all came unraveled with constant poor showings and blowouts. Seriously, putting up an average of 69 points in the last two games is not an indication that this team is willing to put forth maximum effort and desire to attain an easily achievable last playoff spot over the Suns.

So how much does this regression have to do with Rudy's absence? Is it the coaching staff that really needs to be evaluated this offseason, or what? What will it take to get these players to start making open shots, passing effectively, and playing this game with an above average IQ? I'm stumped!

Like mentioned above.....Mobley and Francis have never made the playoffs. That core has never taken us to the playoffs in 4 years. Are they in or nearing their so called "primes?" If so, when will their talents start to equal 10 more wins a season and an annual playoff birth? I can't put this all on their shoulders but it's time for them to showcase their talent in the playoffs.

So what does this team need to start winning more, and gaining the respect an upper echelon team deserves; a rebounding, physical, presence at the 4, a new head coach, a new owner, a bigger fan base and more support, the opening of a new arena, a trade with Mobley involving another shooting guard, a switch of positions for Stevie, a deadeye from downtown, a little more time to grow as a team, or what? I, as I am sure every Rocket fan, am open to suggestions.

My frustration has boiled over. It seemed like yesterday that I was so overjoyed with optimism for this team, only to have it come crashing down. If only I could challenge the Rockets to silence my frustration by somehow, miraculously, finding that last playoff spot, even though the odds are a longshot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but it looks like it's time for just another long and arduous offseason. Thank you Rox!

 

NO, and I'll tell you why...

Yao Ming is not your "in your face" kind of basketball player. His potential is limited ONLY by how well or how poorly his COACH utilizes him.

i.e. Yao Ming is the perfect SYSTEM player

Unfortunately, the Rox are not shaping up to be a disciplined system oriented team. They instead favor the ragtag, uptempo, play-it-by-ear, impromptu gameplay, regardless of who the opponent is. And this, given their current roster is their undoing. For the Rox to succeed they need to implement a tried and true SYSTEM. Perhaps RudyT's motion offense could've worked, had it not been for Yao's late arrival to the States. But no matter what, the Rox NEED to sit down and work out their offense on PAPER.

Moreover, Coach Mean is NOT the guy for the job. If RudyT can not return to his coaching position for reasons of health, I say let's call Jeff VanGundy. Today's team under Coach Mean is not gettin' the message. They are lost, confused, unmotivated, fearful, and uninspired. Nothing breeds confidence and inspiration than a working FRAMEWORK. Often, we fans, beat ourselves up with all the minutia, but in reality, it's the bigger picture, i.e. THE SYSTEM and the PLAYBOOK, that is really what is holding us back. Not the players. Not the talent. We have all that already. But we need a system.

If that system requires us to shed some players in favor of more system players, then I'm all for it. Right now, I strongly suspect that we're missing just those types of players on our roster.



theSAGE

 

FIRST PRIORITY = get a REAL COACH! why can't shaq retire soon.. so that Phil Jackson can coach the rockets!!

 

no team play = no playoff

 

It's amazing that for all the ISO play the Rockets showcase, they don't have a single player who steps up when things are grimmest and says, "Gimme the damn ball. I'm not letting us lose this one!"

Great teams all have a guy like that. Who do we have? Mo Taylor? Ha ha ha ha.

 

NO because they will continue to ISO. Warriors and Sonics will pass them next year!

 

Yao Ming isnt perfect at any thing yet..Hes still learning, but he does have potential to be great ..not perfect.
Compared to other great centers in their ROOKIE seasons..in a multitude of "systems"... Yao pales. Here are a few:
player points per game rebounds
Chamberlain 37.6 27
Abdul Jabbar 28.8 14.5
David Robinson 24.3 12
ShaQ O neal 23.4 13.9
Yao Ming 13.5 8.2
If Yao is ever going to get to the level of play posted by the above and many others..he will have to improve his"in your face play". Otherwise he will continue to be out played, out hustled, out rebounded and outscored by second line players like Ostertag, Doleac and others...as he was, at times, during his rookie season.
Ive been fortunate enough to see all of the above guys play and I think Yao has the potential to play at their level...when he becomes more aggressive.

 

No changes - no improvement.

There is a case which can be made that ...

1) The current coaching staff is unable, unwilling or unknowing on how to implement an effective offense...

and/or

2) The current personnel are unable, unwilling or unknowing on how to make good decisions within an offense they have been taught.


IMHO, if either of the above statements are even only partially true, the mere passage of time ("experience") is not a guarantee of player improvement.

 

SageHare6, I totally agree. You are right on target. Very perceptive and insightful post. Structure, Discipline, System! The playoff teams have it, the Rockets don't. You have to have an All World Player to overcome the impromptu brand of basketball that the Rockets play. A "Wilt" or a "Magic" might be able to take this group to the first round, but probably not further. As currently configured, the Rocket's are going nowhere.

 

It's be the exact same team...No discipline, no team effort, no one trusting one another...

We would probably run the ball through Yao more, but I doubt it...