i voted for option 5. i think it is good if we make the play offs but we are still verry young, and it is not a shame if we do not make it, We will make the play offs soon. lets hope this year, but if not, then we'l have a few more years
Had to go with option #3 1) We Play in The "WEST" 2) Steve Francis - Leader comming back from a headache filled season(missed alot of games). But has made good progress over the second half of the season. 3) Cuttino Mobley - Game is about the same but has had to make a big adjustment to the new zone defense and the new offense were you are required to pass to the open man and let the Big man touch it sometime during the play(looking for alot of improvement from him next year in these areas if he is going to stay). 4) Yao Ming - ROOKIE...... started off slow, came on like gang busters should win The ROY hands down(my opinion) but has of late slammed into The WALL as had every other Rookie before him no shame here. 5) Eddie Griffin - Still a kid, first year starter seemed to have had his ups and downs during the year....actually more like Defense was up and offense was way down. He had a strong preseason just didn't seem to carry over into the regular season ...looking for alot more from him next year. 6) James Posey - New guy....started in the middle of the season, had to learn both the new offense Rudy was teaching and the ISO offense that Stevie and Cuttino were running on the floor...seems to have found his grove now should only be better next year. 7) Maurice Taylor - Comming back from a Big injury...spent most of the season trying to play himself back into shape(from the bench) seems to have found a role for himself and excepted it. Should have a better start to finish year next season. 8) Glen Rice - Rockets only true experienced player....who was also trying to play himself back into shape from a Big injury plus I think his gas tank is running on low..meaning his best years may have already passed he is more of a Eddie Jones to the Rockets now...but his leadership in the Locker room probably helped them get this far. He has been the one guy to call people out when it needed to be done. Most likely won't be back next year.... 9) Moochie - Has been a non facter this season.. very disappointed in his play overall.... he needs to really focus this off season and A) Work on his game B) Figure out once and for all how he wants to wear his hair so he can spend more time at shoot around. Alot of work needs to be done hear if he is comming back. 10) Cato - I like the new Cato....can he bring this for a whole season? Big question for next year.. 11) Rudy T - Seemed like he struggled to find his rotations and then struggled even more to get his team to buy into his system ...and finally when it seems like they might be able to turn the corner......BAM! The Coach out during the stretch run!!! 12) Everybody else - pretty much non factors 13) I'll say again for effect...... We Play in The "WEST" Missing the playoff while dissapointing ...would not be the true measure of this TEAM at this point... I think all things considered they deserve another year to put everthing into perspective. Next year no excuses! Playoffs or let the heads Roll.
I picked option #2. It has seemed like an eternity since the Rockets have made the playoffs, although if they do get in this season, it is going to be ugly (and will always be that way unless the style of this team changes). I'm sorry but Steve Francis is in his, what 4th season? Yet he still does not know what it is like to be in a playoff game. However, he is still learning to play the point guard position! Well, I hate to be a negative nelly here, but if he can't figure out what to do at the 1 after 4 seasons of the NBA, I don't see why he will magically figure it out now. To be a great 1, you have to have the instincts to play it. And when I see Francis play, I don't see PG instincts. Compound this with the fact that we have a rookie center who has pretty much played basketball non-stop since last June and has definitely hit a rookie wall, have a guard who is basically a carbon copy of Francis but less talented and even dumber (if that is possible), a coach that is more worried with hurting feelings than yanking guys for dumb plays and now has a serious illness, and several overpaid role players in Cato, Rice, Mo, and Mooch, and you can see why it is hard for me to get excited about watching Rockets games. Yes, I am going to the last home game to see Smeg, Jeff, his wife, Mango, Puedlfor, DVauthrin, Raven, and others. And yes, it has always been a dream for me to see the Rockets play live and in person. But damn why couldn't I have seen a team that understands how to play basketball, like the ones from 7 to 10 years ago? The Rockets NEVER should have resigned Francis to his max deal UNTIL they found out for sure that he didn't want to play the 2 spot. Now, they have a guy who is good but makes a sh!tload of money and other teams will never feel that they can give us comparable value for him thanks to his contract. Maybe one day, he and Mobley "will get it", but sadly, I don't think it will happen because you are born with basketball sense and it is something you don't just go out and acquire. And basketball sense is something lacking on this team. To me, nothing is more disappointing than to see players not grow in their development of all facets in the game...physical, mental, and emotional. And I don't EVEN want to get started on the coaching of this team and how no one, except Larry Smith (apparently), wants to hurt anybody's iddy biddy widdle feelings(well, except for Nachbar). So, I guess that is it. I'm sure I will be called a "hata" despite my realist feelings, but that is okay. If everyone was like me, the world would be a dull place.
We have the talent we should be in. We have a top 4 point guard, a SG who is in the top half of the league (compared to other SGs), a forward (Griff) who was a lottery pick which we gave up alot for, a PF (Mo T) who is paid like a top tier PF and a center (Ming) who is arguably already a top 5 player at his position. THrow on top a backup center who is payed like a star, Moochie who is payed very well, Rice ditto and Posey who was a nice player for Denver last year. IMO if this is not a playoff team them Les should go fire himslef for overpaying for so many players (Mo-T, Rice, Cato, Moochie, Griff) to go along with a nice nucleus (Ming, Franchise, Cat). I know we're youg but we have teh talnet to be a 5-6 seed. Being out of the playoffs should mean someone (GM) losign a job or bringing in a whole new coaching staff (which won't happen unless Rudy decides to leave).
I voted for #2--mainly because the bottom end playoff Western comp is weaker than a few years ago. I know Freak disagree's, but IMO there is no excuse for us to be behind the Suns. Francis and Mobley have a ton more around them than Marbury and Marion do, and the Suns have been plagued with injuries and gone into a major nose dive--it should reflect a major failure of Steve, Rudy and to lesser degree's Mobley and Yao (yes he has awal stretches on offense and more disturbingly and less understandably, defense) to not get the 8th spot. Considering this year in the West probably only 2-3 games over 500 would likely get the Rockets in the playoff--it doesn't take a major season achievement to secure it based on total number of wins either. Also, we certainly have more talent than the Jazz too--but it is a little more forgivable because the Jazz are a veteran lead team and have for a long time had a coach who is used to getting the most regular season wins possible out of what he has talentwise. Piling up regular season wins has never been the Rockets or Rudy's forte. Still, you look at the amazingly bad (for NBA teams anyway) C and SG positions with the Jazz and you have to wonder a little how they could be better than us. To me below the 8th spot is a very bad sign for Francis/Rudy's leadership (I still consider this a Rudy caoched team) and a major disappointment. Securing the 8th spot and a single playoff game win in the first round is a reasonable expectation. Anything better than that, at this point that would be 2+ playoff wins because the 7th spot is completely unrealistic, is gravy.
