Hey Clutch, I ask this with all do respect, but would you tank your website this year in hopes for a new adminstrator, who may (or may not), take this website to a new and higher level next year? I have mixed feelings about this whole debate, but I still can't see professionals - in any profession - aspiring to lose. And it seems like a fluke to me that we won this game anyway. The best players we put on the floor were all scrubs. I'll be glad when this debate is all over and we have an outstanding new draft pick. It is time to just think positive now.
Whatever! Perhaps i'm idiotic and clueless, but I would never be in any profession to lose. Period. But I think its time to move forward. This has to be one of the most disheartenging seasons in the annals of NBA history. Just think positive and move on.
he wasn't saying Clutch should "tank" so we could get someone better to run the site, he was asking (i think) if Clutch (as an analogy to a pro baller) would purposely suck just so someone purportedly better could have his job next year. and like a professional basketball player, of course he wouldn't. of course none of that takes away from the fact i wanted us to lose at all costs coming down the stretch.
The thing is, even if JVG and players don't work for Rockets any more, they still need to work in other NBA team, right? And as a team owner, would you happily take a employee that takes his own interest over the team's best interest? This case, more win at this moment will be good (maybe) for JVG or the players, but certainly bad for the team. Employee don't know how to think and act for the best interest of the organization is not a good employee, anywhere.
How does one take people who are inheritanly so extemely competitve - the only way they could get to be the one of the extremley few who make the NBA - and ask them to lose, to be a 'team player' by losing? It seems absurd. T*ick the organization! As an NBA player or coach, i would think my best performance trumps the need for a future draft pick. If those aren't the players you have on your team, they need to go. I feel defensive, i won't post anymore.
Right, and my point was that Karl wasn't tanking the game...he's only trying to position his team for the best place in the playoffs...and that being lost as you pointed out...he's resting his starters. He'd be crazy to play his key players in a meaningless game to risk injury when the playoffs are next. As for Houston...these guys are playing their last games of the season. Guys like Howard and Co. deserve to be on the floor - because it's what they want. Winning still means something even when greater aspirations are over. To a player, there is no meaningless game...and coaches like JVG who respect the game and believe in winning can't do anything else. We should commend the players and coaches for doing the right thing in being sportsman and trying to win. We should love the Rockets more for being a classy organization that will try to be a contender WITHOUT being a poor sport. When you have guys with integrity like Yao Ming on the team, what sort of example do you want to set? What kind of example does it set when you tank games? It's disrepectful to the game. How will JVG teach players to respect the game and emphazize how important it is to win...if the players think back about the time he got them to lose? I'm sorry, I'm totally glad the Rockets try to win each and every game. When they start tanking, I will be less of a fan. Part of what I love about this organization is a level of class they exude. No malcontents...no one who reflects poorly on the community. I want the Rockets to be a champion, but not a tarnished one.
This is a joke right? Losing a few games costs us the shiny image of a championship. I'm sorry but I find it funny. The season is over, the remaining games aren't meaningfule. It's like saying dumping someone after she becomes a lesbian is disrespectful to love. We aren't taking any advantage of anybody by tanking, and it's not disrespectful to the game of basketball because tanking meaningless games is not disrespectful, OK? Games without prizes aren't real games. They are garbage games, like that played in the street. Losing garbage games is not a big deal. How can you guys sit there and still treats these meaningless games as if it's something of importance. It's just basketball practice with nothing to play for right now in my view. If games without prizes should be treated with seriousness, imagine what happens when there's no medals in the Olympics, or no trophy after the NBA finals. Before lumping us as fake fans(happened in another thread), you guys are ridiculous to say the least.
all is not lost - if Minny wins its last game at home against the Grizz, then there will be a 4-way tie for 7th-worst record, i think b/w us, Minny, GSW, & Seattle. what if we kept the 7th pick, and traded Stro for Roy and a 2nd rounder? then we could theoretically get Shelden Williams [reasonable IQ] to replace Stro, Roy to be our 2, and two 2nd-rounders that could either amount to shooters, or could be dealt in a trade. It looks rather interesting..
The contradictions in these two paragraphs are downright hysterical. Why is it that when you have a playoff spot locked up, it's OK to bench all your starters and play the bench? Doesn't winning still mean something even when greater aspirations are over? Doesn't Carmelo Anthony deserve to be out there in the 4th because that's what he wants? Shouldn't the organization be trying to win each and every game? Should they tarnish any potential championship(s) by not putting their best foot forward in every single game? Lets take a look at the similarities between the two franchises at the moment: This game is meaningless? Check. No playoff standing left to gain? Check. Should be focusing on what's "next"? Check. Shouldn't risk an injury to a star player? BIG FAT TOO-LATE-NOW CHECK. I tire of explaining it to people who continue to think fans are saying JVG should be preaching losing to the players on the floor, but the Rockets should not be "tanking" games in the literal sense (even with as much as I care about the 'L' for draft purposes). They should be playing for next year, developing young players. Rather than putting some of these young guys in the cockpit for the first time to get them some critical logged flight time, we're content to have them watch, even though this opportunity will not come around again since all games after tonight instantly return to being important and meaningful. Playing veteran starters heavy minutes at this stage in a win-at-all-costs mode is counter-productive to this franchise in so many ways. And NewYorker, I already know that you believe that what we're requesting here that the Rockets do is not "tanking" because we're not requesting anything that George Karl isn't already doing -- which you clearly defend as "not tanking". Denver is doing what is best for their organization by focusing on the only thing that matters to them next -- the playoffs. The Rockets should be doing the absolute same for the only thing they have left -- next season.
It's very simple for JVG. Give the heavy minutes to the youngsters Swift, Lampe, Hayes, Boguns and Head. How difficult is that. I heard Bullard the other night talking about the rockets upcoming draft and how their lottery pick is going to have to come in and help immediately. Then Gollum goes on and milks Howard and the rest of the veterans to win the game. Denver had their scrubs finishing the game. I can already envision the rumors for the next few months about the rockets trying to trade up and get a top 7 pick in this draft. That win just cost the rocket franchise valuable assets.
Well, I'll be at the game tonight, and as usual, I hope they win. No...Not at the expense of someone getting hurt, or the expense of playing someone who shouldn't play for too many minutes (if at all), or even at the expense of not getting some younger guys an opportunity for experience and to grow some (though haven't all of them had more opportunity for that this year than we'd have liked?). I never wanted them to lose every game for a ping pong ball, and am always glad to get a W over an L. WHOEVER is on the court, coaches, players, freakin' waterboy.... I want them doing their best to help the team win. If it doesn't shake out, it doesn't. I wish we had always been this way, but as others have pointed out, we have tanked in the past (was it '83 or '84 or both?) . I'm not proud of that. I wish other teams would do this, but as some of us have pointed out, some teams try to lose. It would be nice if there were no rewards in the NBA for last place (does this not seem to be the core of the problem?), and instead perhaps a system to prevent teams from short-changing those that support the NBA, because it's good entertainment, just to gain some advantage later as set forth by the system itself. But, for parity's sake, this is the hand we're dealt. I understand it, I just wish there were a way to keep the parity and prevent the ... (starting to hate this generality) tanking. I'm done with this thread. It's time. I look for the rockets to win tonight. Will I be mad if it's the 'scrubs' that get that W? No. Will I be mad if the scrubs play and lose? No. Will I be mad if the teams hurts itself trying to get that W? Probably. Regardless, I want the W. Go ahead, laugh, scream... whatever. GO ROCKETS!
Yes it is!! I give it 9 on the idioticracy scale and rate it a perfect 10 on cluelessness This cat must be a dallas, lakers or another team fan! R u serious You dont ask a professional to lose but u can imply it.
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking Clutch. Totally contradicting yourself New Yorker. Every team in the playoffs is resting all of their stars for the better of the team...Our playoffs are next year and we need to improve our positioning...And these people who say we need to preserve the integrity of the game by trying to win is BS....every other team is tanking to move up and we should be good sports and try to win??!!! If we keep making decisions on sportsmanship we will be a last place team for ever...Hey NewYorker if its all about sportsmanship, we should go out and build our team with Good Character players only who Want to win regardless of talent...we should go out and sign every Ryan Bowen out there so we can be a team you can be proud of....This isn't the freakin YMCA...its the NBA and its about improving your team so you can go out and win Championships...not get an honorable mention ribbon that says "At least you tried, thats all that matters". These games are more pointless than preseason..at least preseason you are getting ready for the season....these games MEAN NOTHING...TANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN IT!!!!!
