OK, finally I see that a lot of people around here are kind of getting their wish (albeit in a very unfortunate way) by having Rudy T out of the picture for a while. Now, granted, Larry Smith is not the seasoned NBA coach we might like to replace Rudy, but I just want to use this moment to illustrate something. We still have all the same players. And, the team is just about as good as it was with Rudy coaching. Now, you might expect the team to rally around Rudy and suddenly start whooping everyone's behind. I mean, most people on this board feel like this team has all the talent to be a contender this year and that the only problem has been the coach. Let's all do a little reality check right now. This team is a MARGINAL playoff team at best. The players do not have the experience or the discipline to stay focused in a game plan. I don't care WHO is coaching this team. Let's look at the Lakers as an example. They have the best coach in the league, and everyone thinks that Phil is the one who turned it all around. That is not true at all. They loaded their team with veteran, experienced players like Shaq, Horry, Rick Fox, Brian Shaw, and others over the years. They went to the playoffs every year for 4 years in a row before they even got to the Finals. Now, sure, it took Phil Jackson to get them over the hump. But, they already had the PLAYERS and the EXPERIENCE in those players to make it work. You could take any coach and have them coach this team and I GUARANTEE you that the Rockets would still be sitting at right around the 8th spot. The players are just not developed enough yet. Our only bonafide veteran is Glen Rice. In fact, I would wager that with the team we have right now, being in the 8th spot in the West is probably OVER achieving, not under achieving. Come back to me in 3 years and if the Rockets are still not making the playoffs, I'll agree with you that it is the coach. Otherwise, sit back and give the Rockets time to develop and, in the meantime, have some darned FUN with the games for a change. Relax a little. Enjoy these times for what they are. We are still rebuilding whether you want to believe it or not.
