It's hard to criticize them for doing this, especially knowing that they have tried the alternative repeatedly in the past and failed. Even the more successful franchises that have tried this approach (notably San Antonio) always seem to go through frustrating midseason pains as a result -- fans unleashing inordinate amounts of hate at bench players like Bonner, a small pile of losses to seemingly inferior opponents and the obligatory "maybe the Spurs really do suck this year after all". These guys may not have had the playoff success the Spurs have, but they're still veterans, and they know what it takes. They know when it counts. And if there's any one person that knows how important it is to go full throttle come April, and what it will take to eventually get it done then, it is Tracy McGrady. It's going to take patience, and it's not going to be an easy road. It's going to be tough watching healthier rivals run off impressive win streaks and wondering if this season is going to end in the same painful way the past few have. And to be honest, we know this team still has a long way to go before it can get over that hump. But at the very least, a different approach has to be worth it this time. Patience is the most difficult of virtues for a sports fan to attain. And Rockets fans are going to need an extraordinary dose of it this year, but I still believe it will be worth it in the end.
The absolute truth, and the undoing of this team's playoff success. I still say Magic was right. If this team wins the NBA championship, I will be the most shocked person on this planet, and, if most of you would be totally honest, you would be there with me. Forget, when they will all be healthy playing together, you know that is not going to happen. I watch because this bunch is currently the "Rockets," but that is the only reason. This team has no inner soul, no burning passion, no flame of intensity. It is like they begin every game with the attitude of "what is the least I can do to get through this thing and get on the bus." It is like Joe Barry Carroll is still on the sidelines. Most nights they bore me to tears.
As long as they get their act together after allstar break, and string some wins in March and April just to be ready for the playoff, I don't give a flying fxxk whether they take some nights off right now. We got three proven stars with a company of vet players. I am not too worried. We can pull a Miami of 2006, just watch.
Haha... I wish. Too bad none of our stars will get near the amount of referee favoritism like Wade. Plus they were in the East and got to face a bunch of chokers AKA the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. We're probably stuck with the Celtics if we're lucky enough to escape the West.
Bottom line: the Celtics and the Lakers have better records than the Rockets because they're better, period. If the Rockets come up against either of those teams in a seven round series they're going to lose. All I'm hoping for this season is to finally get out of the first round. I don't have a lot of hope for anything beyond that.
Right now they are better, but who knows what will happen over the next 20 some weeks. As long as we dont play the lakers in the first round, I think we will have a good chance of beating them (assuming we make it to the 2nd or 3rd round). I really think 1 playoff series win will spark something in the team and help us throughout the rest of the playoffs (think/hope). What it is going to come down to is keeping everyone healthy and get good practice as a team. If we can play like a team at the end of the season, the sky is the limit.
Man, T-Mac is an idiot. He doesn't know that everyone reads what he says. Setting a bullseye for the rest of your team while you're sipping a mai-tai at home is really smart....
In other words if the Lakers play like they're playing now and the Rockets play like they're playing now...the Rockets will get their butts kicked. If you're a Rockets fan you've got to pray that something changes and that the team catches fire. If you're a Lakers fan you're pretty happy with the way things look now.
Except that the playoffs are in May. What about this team tells you that their play WON'T change and that they WON'T catch fire? All evidence from the last few years suggest they will. By that time there won't be a single team in the NBA that Houston can't beat in a 7 game series.
Predictable that you would deliver that one. It's not really related to my last post though. You're saying we won't even catch fire like we did the last few years, which boosted us into to the playoffs. That's against history. We will go on another roll this year. The only question is who's going to be healthy by May. How did they get into the playoffs in the first place? They caught on fire.
So the Rockets get into the playoffs. So what? Can they get past the first round? Maybe, depending on their seed and who they match up against. There's no way that getting out of the first round is a lock given the Rockets' current play and the improvements in the Western conference. Can they make a deep run? Probably not.
I don't call that injuries, they are excuses. Same as the mysteries back excuses in the last few seasons.
Getting tossed in the first round of the playoffs for this team would constitute an utter failure. DD
It is hard to believe that a team ranked near the bottom in offensive efficiency would have a decent chance in the playoffs; miracles do happen, but it would take one to get this team past the first round given how they've played to date.
Any players in the NBA league must play with heart and intensity at any game. The NBA is a professional league with the world's best standard and no games are easy. Once you go easy, you lose irrespective of how many star players on your team. If the Rox players do not realize this simple fact, they will remain as playoff first-round losers.
