While I agree that Rudy is not much of a guard-oriented coach, bringing in Jermaine O'neal would do little for the Rockets unless he was added to the current team, rather than replacing such important players. O'neal can barely guide the Pacers to a playoff spot in the east. What could he do for the Rockets?
Man, this is hilarious. I remember when the "I Hate The Low Post Offense" threads were filling up the board, now we want it back???
Guard oriented teams rarely win. We need Eddie to turn into a post player, or the Rockets will be eighth seed fodder for years.
ZRB rules!! Man, I wonder if I should just stop posting. Everything I think has already been said. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to post without thinking.
Projected Starting Lineup Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Glen Rice Maurice Taylor Kelvin Cato Projected Bench Kenny Thomas Moochie Norris Oscar Torres Walt Williams Eddie Griffin Kevin Willis Terrence Morris Projected Injured Reserve Dan Langhi Jason Collier Tierre Brown I bolded the ones that have had serious injuries. I italicized all the players who started for us. This isn't Rockets Science, to paraphrase, "Its the Injuries, stupid".
Puedlfor- i'm printing out your post to put on my desk. its a classic i, of course, agree 100% way to make your point
Can anyone document that the "injury-plagued" Rocket season was worse than other NBA teams? Francis' health issues have been devastating to our record. One chorus laments that our team's starting forward tandem (Rice and MoT) were out for the year while another chorus wails about their mediocrity-- and I think some posters are singing in both choruses! Cato has missed very few games. Willis has been buried on the bench. Was Oscar Torres deported? EG had a dozen or so great games two months ago.. Collier, Langhi, and Brown are hardlly responsible for our horrendous record. Why no mid-season signings? Thomas Hamilton was waiting by his phone...
You might check out the Mavs before you make that quote again. It was 96-97 season when they traded Jason Kidd to pheonix. Monster Mash was soon traded to Miami and they turned around and traded their entire starting line up that included Sam Cassell and Jim Jackson to New Jersey. Out of all of that trading they still have Finley and Bradley. During that off season they sent one of their draft choices to pheonix for Steve Nash and used another to draft Dirk. The team was severely critisized (even by Don Nelson) for trading Jason Kidd but as we all know it worked out very well for them. Finley, Nash and Dirk are make up the core of one of the better teams in the NBA. Having said all that I still beleive that what this team really needs is to get healthy and play together. It is not time to clean house just yet.
It is 2001-2002 season, five seasons later but the Dirk, Finley and Nash were all picked up during their house cleaning. The 97-98 season was Dirk and Nash's first with the Mav's as they were aquired in the off season. That year was also Finley's first full season. The Mavs first turned the corner during the 99-2000 season which was Dirk and Nash's 3rd season and Finley's 3rd full season with the team. Last year was their 4th full season together and they won 50 plus games and one play off series. This year is their 5th full season together and they are once again going to win 50 plus games and they are battling for the 2nd sead in the play offs. So are you trying to make the point that they had an unsuccesfull house cleaning because it took the team 3 years to start seeing some success and 4 years to win 50 plus games? If that is the point you are trying to make then you are nuts.
Tell that to the Bulls. giddyup: I was wondering about the injuries as compared to other teams as well. It is hard to find any real stat on that. I'm going to do some looking because it is bugging me.
Don't you make the point here for the other side of the argument though? The Rockets have already done their house cleaning. We just did it on the fly in the tail end of a championship attempt. We have picked up Francis. We have picked up Griffin. It is gonna take these guys 3-4 years to win 50+ games and if the whole season is shot because of injuries, it might take longer. If Franchise's migraines are figured out and stopped in the offseason, everyone is generally healthy next year and then we don't win 45 or more games, I think you break the team up and try again, maybe. But not right now. Not with many of the pieces in place. Despite their many flaws, Francis/Mobley/Griffin is a core that many many teams would love to have in place. Francis/Mobley/Griffin, who has a better or comparable core than that for the next 5 years? Dallas - Dirk, Finley, Nash LAL - Shaq, Kobe, the ball boy NJ - Martin, Kittles, Kidd Memphis - Gasol, Battier, draft pick (either Williams or Ming) LAC - Miles, QRichardson, Brand (but they're the clips!) Sac - Webber, Bibby, Stojakovic There are a few teams with superstars (SA, Phi, Orl) but no help. I think we are really in pretty good shape over the next 5 years, especially if we get lotto lucky.
Actually, this is Dirk's 4th season. Nelson was the one that traded Cassell for Bradley? His best move was getting Dirk for Tractor Traylor from the bucks. Granted, I didn't know much about Dirk, but i really didn't think much of Traylor.
I think we can all agree on this board of these six facts: 1. the offense is stagnant right now 2. the defense is inconconsistent 3. we have minimal depth 4. we have no post prescence 5. Stevie turns the ball over too much (almost a 1:1 ratio) 6. EG needs to learn a low post move or two this list is pretty thick. it could be explained through three reasons: 1) major injuries 2) coaching 3) talent (or lack of appropriate) Whatever the reason of the facts, this is why we are not in the playoffs. Look at the teams that are in the playoffs and most can refute these six factoids. We have to address these 6 areas to move up anywhere in the seedings in the future. And, yes, injuries cannot continue to be an excuse...injuries do happen and you can have bad luck, but why do they happen consistently to the rocks: older players, lack of training, not thorough in your player assessments before signing or drafting? what is it? Address the 6 through players coming back from injuries, finding a post prescence of some sort, become more motion offense driven, play intense for the entire game, let EG play down low more, tell Steve to quit driving into no-man's land with three defenders, sign a veteran free agent to play D and rebound, draft an athletic shooter...pick up a three somewhere and this team is in the playoffs
