I am absolutely stunned at the fact that we are 5 years removed from the playoffs and are currently struggling with major cap problems. This is failed corporate strategy and someone should be held accountable if we cannot improve this team by training camp, because it gets worse next year when Steve's contract kicks in....Rice coming off will not help that much because of this. The west is improving every day and the possibility exists that we cannot even resign a guy that is considered the 3rd or 4th best in our starting lineup and add a tier 3 player like Piakowtski! Now, 6 million per year is steep for Posey, but we are orginally struggling with his first reported number at 4 million...... It is really unbelievable considering. Now, I am not surprised that we may not match 6 million per for Posey. That is not my concern, my concern is over the fact that we are 5 years removed from the playoffs, Francis's contract has not even kicked in, we have no backup 2 at this point, our 3 spot in in dissaray and we have no money.... We still have about a month or so to go before most viable free agents are gone, but panic is setting in for certain.... Let's pray for a trade or Les makes extra money on a real estate deal to pay luxury taxes...maybe Toyota can kick in some.
umm.... FOUR years removed from the playoffs by my count, but good try anyway. Why start a thread on the Subject of like 5495894 threads already? If you remember at the begining of last year everyone was talking about how talented the roster was, Alexander even said it might of been the most talented group ever. Give some hope to the new coaching staff in hope they can bring out the best in these guys (by working their asses off) mouch was pretty good 2 years ago, that just didnt magicly disappear, and taylor was really good before he got hurt. And with all that inconsistency they still only finished one team out of the playoffs. have a little hope, if u remember all the changes they did 4 years ago after their last playoff run didnt exactly work out that great.
Jeff Van Gundy's Knicks was known for its defense, preparation, and ability to overachieve. If you make all our players' potential and grow static, then we are 5 years removed. I think it's very crucial for the Rockets to dominate the East like they did a couple of seasons ago in order for us to secure one of the last 3 spots, but I don't think we're as hopeless as you put it.
Most of the board shares your concern -- and dismay -- regarding the Rockets players / payroll dilemma. Our only hope is to trade Cato for another but less costly backup center and guard / forward with a short-term contract. Unfortunately, we will be back at square one next year trying to draft a quality replacement guard. Fortunately, that is easier than drafting a quality big man. I just hope we are not in the lottery because our chances of catching lightning in a bottle again (the #1 pick) are slim. Also, we should be -- we need to be -- in the playoffs.
B apologies for offending your sense of exact playoff run counts, it is semantics. reality: it has been 4 years 2 months and 9 days since our last playoff game! As far as your optimism goes, I am with ya on the hopes. But, let's face some realities: currently, we have no 3 and backup 2! I know there is a plan, but for a new era in Houston, our caps are not just this year's problem, it is long term unless moves are made in the short term. This is not going to help our cause when Minnesota has just dramatically improved their team, as iothers in the West are doing. BTW: who cares about all the talk. actions speak louder. 9th is the same at last. yes, we can win games, look at the Wolves for that, but can you excel beyond. Ming adds a new dimension, depth gets you past the first round--see Wolves history for this. And, rather than just respond and get critical about thread history, feel free to contribute beyond chastizing others.
MONTGO (I am absolutely stunned at the fact that we are 5 years removed from the playoffs and are currently struggling with major cap problems. This is failed corporate strategy and someone should be held accountable ) It seems like they held RUDY accountable.
People act like the Rockets were 20 games under-.500 and need a deal to even have a chance. The Rockets were a winning team last year and missed the playoffs by a game. Besides, I wouldn't want to re-sign Posey to a deal worth 6 million a year, even if we didn't have cap issues.
Exactly. The people b****ing about not signing Posey are the same people b****ing about our cap situation. How did we get in this situation in the first place? We shouldn't worry about what the lakers or spurs do during the offseason. We should worry about the suns, jazz, warriors and sonics do. They are the teams we'll be competing for a playoff spot with. So far, I haven't seen any "big splash" moves by any of those teams.
Exactly. Lets give the team a chance. Don't bother going out and signing up others who aren't going to guarantee us anything. Posey for 6 million is just as bad as Cato, Taylor, and Moochie's contracts. I like Posey, but I was 50/50 on signing him when we thought it was for 4 million.
After 4 years in the lottery, I'm afraid that hope is in short supply around here. I'm not as disturbed as other folks about the current state of affairs with the Rockets. Anyone remember the 1970s? One mediocre team after another YECH! The reality is that it will take a couple of years for the team to work itself out of salary cap hell. We should be prepared for one possibly two more years with no playoffs. If this puts the team on a solid footing down the road then it's a small price to pay. I certainly don't want to be sitting here in 2008 looking at yet another train wreck. Just remember...It can always be worse. Look at Dallas. They have a real shot at winning the championship. All they need is a center. They have $14 million tied up in LaFrenz, Bradley & Ecshmeyer, they are far over the salary cap, have signed no free agents to upgrade their roster and every team they will compete against for the title in the West has made moves to improve while they have stood still. You folks should hear all of the gloom and doom being sprewed on the radio talk shows up here. There is a very real fear that they have missed their chance at a ring and that they have no one to blame but themselves.
the salary cap issues are a result of rudy and cd's rush to change the dynamics of the team after the change of guard (hakeem to francis). they got "aroused" when they saw cato block kemp 12 times in a preseason game, liked mo taylor's loyalty to the team when he was a patient free agent (probably b/c of the laid back effects of the weed he was smoking), awarded moochie with a big contract so he can get his hair done every day while ignoring the fact that he dribbles in circles, and mobley was the best one on one player in the league. mind you, this is after their stage of adding our white drones: maloney, price, and drew. those two were fixated on how to build the team around certain strengths. unfortunately, in rudy's simplistic mind that means one on one isoloation, whether that be in the post or the on the perimter. i think les learned his lesson, and will have a more hands on approach from here on out. as we have seen from recent rocket moves (coach, stadium, uniforms), les now realizes he must put a good product out for the houstonians and capitalize on this fresh start. hopefully his wife will stop the crap of "animals have rights too" shirts on the power dancers.
I just think there is more optimism out there then is reality. I watched all 82 games last year,(half of them at compaq) and by the end of the season I was absolutely disgusted with the rockets. Les needs to realize that he is digging himself a hole. He picked up a good coach in the offseason, but that will not solve our problems. Anyone who watched all the games last year knows there MUST be a shakeup in the roster. And that does not mean let posey go and sign Pike. My personal opinion is that without a move this offseason we will be forced to watch games and become even more frustrated with this team. Seattle will be much better with a full year of having ray allen. Phoenix will have two of its 3 stars hitting their prime, and as much as a headcase as the trailblazers are they will beat us out for a spot as well. This is looking bad for us. It is obvious that this team does not know how to play together. I will always be a rockets fan, but I will not give them any of my hard earned money if they are fine with being in the middle to the bottom of the western confrence. We don't stand a chance.
Rudy was hold accountable. That is why he was fired. CD should also be held accountable for those bad deals we signed to Mochie, MT, and Cato.
Where do I start? How do you know that a new coach won't solve the Rockets problems? We haven't played one game under him yet? Personally, I think a new coach WILL solve many of our problems. You say that teams like the sonics, suns and blazers will be better. None of those teams have made any big moves. If they will be better simply because of another year playing together, then why can't the same be said of the Rockets? You say the team doesn't know how to play together, don't you think a new coach may change that? We can make all the moves we want, we'll still be in the middle to the bottom of the West this year because the West if very good. This team is not a finished product. We have a new coach and new center. I think we'll be ready to make a serious move in another year or 2....with or without Posey. THE SKY IS NOT FALLING Relax.
ima, brent, pimp, and persia all have it right on... how can we be overly optimistic about prospects when the past 4 years have been a no playoff sighting. I am not saying doomsday is upon us, but let's face it....we have no manuevarbility for the reasons stated already and we are in a major jam with no shooting...so how do we move on.... action item for CD or whoever may replace him: make a move that is seemingly a downgrade, but gives us room to navigate long term....something that would unload some weight and give this team a severly lacking consistent shooter at the 2 and or 3 otherwise, we will not move much more up the standings with out it. Oh, we may get hot and we may make the playoffs, but that is it.... paint the picture on hope all you want, but reality is the theme here gents. I am a diehard season ticket holder for 10 years and Hope is hoping you get the 4th seed versus to 5th so you can face Seattle versus the Lakers...that is hope...hope is not about hoping that EG plays better, Stevie plays better, our defense dramatically improves, Boki comes shooting 40% from the Arc, Taylor does not get hurt, Moochie can actually defend....this has been the past 4 years of hoping...that is too much... this team can get over the edge with a consistent shooting game....we do not have any of it.....we need it....now...
I'll admit...this whole financial issue has really taken me by surprise. I mean, I knew we weren't in great shape, but not in such bad shape that we can't even use our midlevel exception to sign someone. Hell, we can't field a full starting line-up. The main culprit is Glen Rice. What would have been the harm in letting Shandon Anderson go for nothing? After all, that was what he was worth.
that was my reason for starting the topic DC...I am totally shocked and I think I am pretty well in touch with this team and there challenges...I had no idea this was such an issue until recently...I know a lot of people too who are just as shocked...in fact, we talk Rocket's ball all summer and we never discussed the cap issues until recently.... wow... we are looking at a having a 3 spot with an unproven rookie (btw; nice job Rudy on letting Boki sit all year so we can guess how he might play) and an injury prone veteran who cannot defend and move at the 3!!!!!! nice planning on everyone's part...good corporate strategy sessions must have occurred at the top....
Never being able to get free agents to come play for you for less money than they're worth, ever again.
Funny, as of right this minute I count those as "0.5 for 3." The stadium will eventually become a solid plus, but not yet. The best most people can say about the logo is "its better than the last one" (the PJ's and the smiling Rockets were 100% Les' choices), and JVG...let's just say a lot of people have a "wait and see" attitude.
Let me see, we finish a game behind the Suns, yet their players hitting their primes make them better, our players hitting their primes mean we don't ahve a chance!? My god we almost made the freaking playoffs last year, people act like we finished 10 games out or something. We weren't in the middle of the West we were 9th, improved coaching should make the team better. <b>how can we be overly optimistic about prospects when the past 4 years have been a no playoff sighting. I am not saying doomsday is upon us, but let's face it....we have no manuevarbility for the reasons stated already and we are in a major jam with no shooting...so how do we move on.... </b> No playoffs in sight? A few years ago we won the most games of anybody not to make the playoffs, last year we missed the playoffs by about a game. How is that not being close to the playoffs? The problem is people wanted the Rockets to sign a big time free agent, but they didn't so suddenly the Rockets are one of the worst teams in the league, no better then Golden State, Phoenix, Seattle, etc. Phoenix does nothing, they'll get better. Golden State does nothing, they get better. The Clippers practically lose their starting line-up people think they'll get better. Other then adding Daniels Seattle gets better doing nothing. But the Rockets do nothing and people say they get worse. How logical is that!? The best team in the West not to make the playoffs and we're going to get worse. Ok. I guarantee the Rockets get to the playoffs this year.
