What I love about this team is that the ceiling is still so damn high (and only getting higher as they continue to compete in this series). Look at Dallas?... if they don't win it all now, how are they going to get better in the future? They're not allofasudden gonna become a good defensive team.... Same w/ Sacramento... Same w/ the Lakers You can just see each of our players taking something new from each game in this series, and thus learning from it. I know a lot of you will say, "But why didn't they learn in the regular season... or why hasn't Steve improved in 4 years???" Well, unfortunately (for us), Steve needed to be in the playoffs to see what this league is all about. Steve needed to see that not only are his dumb TO's and whining to the ref bad... they get magnified 50X in the playoffs, and you'll never be a winner till you get that taken care of. In many ways, the regular season masks a lot of problems, simply because there is so much bad competition in the NBA. In the playoffs... you can't hide from your problems. You either improve the following year, or there is really no point in playing anymore. Yao will improve naturally... he already knows that he's tired, and he knows he'll do everything to make sure that he won't feel this way next year. Mobely knows that he CAN make a difference by playing defense, and that when his shot is not on, he CAN take over a game by taking it to the hoop. And Steve knows that he CAN still take over a game... esp. a meaningful game... but for that to happen, he has to take care of the ball, and he must hit his jumper. We've seen that improvemnet this series. The only thing left to add to the equation is experience and confidence... and those are growing with each and every playoff minute this team plays...
Summer Song - great thread capturing how so many of us feel about this team. Like so many of you I cannot be more proud of this team. It reminds me of the story I've heard before of two well known composers in the past listening to a young and very talented opera diva singing an aria beautifully. The first marvelled at how talented the singer was as she sung a beautifully tragic score. The 2nd paused and then replied, she will be truly magnificent when she's passed through her own personal trials that help her really sing such arias from her own heart. We are watching the growing of a caliber team as they are being tested and being transformed in the crucible. The dross is being burned off and what will remain is the gold. Reminds me a little of the heartbreaking loss in game 7 to the Sonics in the 93 season before we went on to our first championship.
Its finally good to hear something positive said about this team. What they lack in talent they make up in pure emotion and hustle. A few too many mistakes were made by this team, but they left everything on that Toyota Center Floor and I couldnt be any prouder of this team. Being this is their first time in the playoffs together, they've been playing tremendous basketball and you can start to see them gelling and gaining playoff experience. This series is by far the most enjoyable series to watch in the entire playoffs. It's only 3-1, and I believe in my rockets
It's been a great couple weeks to be a Rockets fan. It seems that most of the nation is on our side, since everyone but Southern California wants the hated Lakers to lose. I think the spotlight has really let the Rockets shine.
hopefully you realize that if we can adjust enough to match up with the lakers most other teams should shiver when they play us. No one can hold or match up with the one two of shaq and kobe, if we can figure them out, slowly and steadily we will figure other teams out. And its not like our team is getting old or slow, instead we are getting better with each other and more experianced.
I agree with 99% of what has been said already here.... SO instead of singing wiht the choir.. Ill just kick back and bask in the positivity and good will. Proud of my Rockets....
I'm prouder when they won game 3. I think Rox did a fantastic job up til the over time when we turned the ball over and let Kobe get his shot. Lakers are good but they are really beatable. I will be prouder when we win the next 3 games. If you guys think that's it for the Rox, you are absolutely wrong. Because Rox is going to bounce back and execute better and win the next 3 games. I'm not overly optimistic, because I saw a up and coming young Rox team going to kick the old and tired lakers butts. Lakers are actually really vulnerable and we will have to take advantage. If it was the Lakers several years ago, Rox would have been swept by now. Now it's a Lakers with two losers on the bandwagon, and a declining Shaq. We only need to take care of Kobe Bryant. With the talents we have, we can contend next year. Go Rox.
wow this is the best thread i've read in like 2 years. i went with 4 other guys to the game this afternoon and we were rowdy the entire time till we left and not one of us said a word the whole way home. it was dissapointing only in that these guys played their asses off and were so so close to being up 3-1 on whom many consider the title favorites. a couple things- steve is bringing it. 3 straight controlled games on the biggest stage of his life. i can't possibly trade him now especially when i think a true 4 is what we're really needing not a pg. nachbar looks really strong. his defense is atleast 100 times better than i could have expected and he looks pretty fearless. i think with playing time next year he'll show why we drafted him at 15.
I agree Nick. It seems that the confidense is growing. Today, for the first time in a couple of years I saw Steve Francis through down a HUGE dunk and celebrate with his arms in the air and hands by his head. I can't remember when the last time I saw this was. It shows that he believes that he can take over games again. I love this thread. This thread is #1! So nice to be in here.....hmmmm okay...guess that is enough space wasted. I love my Rockets! Go R-O-C-K-E-T-S !!!
I agree. SF and Yao look more and more comfortable with each other everygame. I think adding more quality players to surround Yao and SF would improve us more than if we got rid of SF. We definitely need to add more depth to our bench. MoT has been great and Boki seems like he can come off and give us some energy points. Other than those 2, our bench is basically nothing.
Exactly, our bench is nothing. We have NO depth. It would be nice to beable to move Cat back to the back up 2 spot, and SF as the starting 2, and get a decent pg etc. after losing Cato's and Spoons, and MJ's contracts. I don't know....our bench would have that spark again with Cat on it.
We've seen JVG put the ball in Steve's hand these playoffs and he has led this team to 4 good games. We even saw JVG show some emotion and cheer on SF. The question is: Do you think SF has maybe convinced JVG that they can work and that a Yao/SF can work? I'm convinced that its going to come down to JVG on whether SF stays or not. I hope we keep Steve, he has played unbelievable lately and is leading this team to good games. Even though we're down 3-1, I believe this team has already learned A LOT on how to win.
I agree that these guys have played their hearts out in this series. I really wish we could have been the ones up 3-1! I would like to see them come out like men possessed for Game 5 -- you know kind of a "Terminator" demeanor. I would love to see a slash and burn game, because mentally the Lakers can be tweaked. Don't forget 2 of the "Hall of Famers" haven't won championships. I think they are susceptible to doubts. Doubts don't go away completely until you do win big. The monkey on the back deal.
This team is EXCELLENT I am more than happy with them Could some one please Pass me some FOOL'S GOLD CAUSE I'M BUYING IT ALL BABY!!! Rocket River WHERE IS THAT D*MN COWBELL!!!1
I couldn't agree more. It's gonna hurt at first, but that makes the winning that much sweeter. Look back 11yrs ago when we lost to Seattle, that hurt SOOOO bad. The next season though.... (btw I still HATE Sam Perkins) The Rockets know they have the talent to beat any team, they better show it next season. I'd still love to see them stretch this series to 6 or 7 games. Hell we could still win...
