Only Reason We Came Close to the Playoffs

Thats funny, I would say Steve is the reason we didn't make the playoffs. He puts up numbers but not wins. His problem is obvious, he can't (or won't) defend anyone. Guys like Mobley, Posey, Yao, and Cato are the ones who are contributing on both ends of the floor (Cato on offense only by his knack for getting free around the basket). We need to trade Steve for a real PG and a defensive minded power forward. If we could get Arenas or Parker in a S&T and pick up a PJ Brown or Ratliff type, this team could really go places.

 

What Games have you been watching? I think it was sheer luck that the Rockets won 50% this year. Considering all the foul ups of a Team going in two different directions at once, guided by a Coach that let the same old mistakes go on and on, game to game to game, never correcting any of them.The Team was so badly coached and prepared that you could say that every player was abused and misused so badly that no one benifited from this befuddled 80 games. Even if the same team was brought back it will be like starting the 02/03 season again. The big question concerning Francis:- is he willing to put winning before his personal stats, will he do this for Four Quarters of 82 Games. Will he obay the Coach at every command ( no street ball).If the answer is yes then keep him!

 

I don't think its sheer luck we won 50%, it was pure talent. I don't disagree that the Rockets didn't play as a team every night. It's hard when one of your main piece wasn't there during the offseason or training camp, or have ever played in this system. Wait until next when some synergy happens. Steve Francis does put winning over all else, he wouldn't compromise his game as much as he did if that wasn't true. He was the reason we came close, without him we would be lucky to win 20 games, no argument there. But he didn't play up to the capability he's able to, or we would be in the playoffs.

 

Don't get too pessimitic - individually, you can't possibly question the talent the Rockets have. Les Alexander made some crazy outlandish statement before the season started about how this was a better group of players than the Rocekts had ever had or something like that, and while everyone knew he was being crazy and everyone said no way, in the back of your mind, you were thinking, well he could be right?

As for the coaching, you are right on track with that. And sadly it started on day one. The very first game, after an extensive week off to end the preseason, rest, and prepare, the Rockets went up to Indiana and played like crap. I guess it happens sometimes. But, they managed to play like crap everytime when they had extra time to prepare. These symptoms were replicated in the games, where it seemed just as likely that they ended up with a 24 second violation following a timeout as a good play. Substitution patterns were questionable, implementing useful systems were non-existent, and the regressed in a number of areas over the season, most importantly, defense.

Steve is a brilliant talent. But he doesn't best direct his ability to make him the best player he can be. Lack of defensive focus, too many turnovers, not enough consistent leadership - Steve only thinks he knows what it means to be a leader - it's more than coming out and saying its your (the players) fault, or that Rudy is your man - we know it's your fault, we'd respect you if you had done something about it other than point out the obvious.

Once you get to the top in this league, it behooves you to stay there and not relenquish your grasp, because as all the bottomfeeders well know, it is tough to move up in that group (this isn't the NFL - with rare exceptions). It's odd - or is it - that the Rockets downfall coincides perfectly with Steve's being on this team - yet he is "The Franchise"?? I'm worried the Rockets will continue their path into playoff obscurity. But at leaast I have new uniforms/arena to look forward to.

 

Have YOU been watching the games?

The reason we went in a tail spin at the end of the season was because Francis "tried to get others involved". This killed the way he usually plays and thus killed the flow of the offense. Had he continued with his original style of play, we wouldnt be having this discussion right now.

 

In a way I agree with that. The offense changed so much when Francis changed his game as much as he could in order to be "more" of a pg. I was trying to get others involved first, instead of going for the points himself. He changed so much, it showed when he would bring the ball down the floor and pass to another player almost immediatly, like Yao.

The problem with the rocks is not that they were not runnning an offense and having open guys, it was that they couldn't shoot worth a crap.

 

During the championship years, Hakeem was surrounded by a bunch of role players--except Drexler for the second one. The reason the Rockets won those championships is because, in addition to Hakeem's consistently brilliant play, someone always seemed to step up.

The same concept is resposible for the difference between last year and this year. In addition to Steve's play (sometimes great, sometimes good, sometimes ghastly), other players have stepped up at various times.

One reason we didn't make the playoffs is that Steve hasn't develped into a player who can carry his team by shear determination, like Hakeem did or KG and Tim Duncan do now. He has occasionally done so in games, but not consistently enough yet.

On the other hand, the role players haven't consistently stepped up either. They need someone to step up each game, although it doesn't have to be the same guy every game. They need to do a better job scheduling who is going to be on one night and off the next.

 

Is Sam Perkins still in the league? If he is, we need to trade Yao for him and a draftpick.

Yao just clogs things up too much in the low blocks. We need a center with 3pt range so we can drag opposing centers away from the basket. 52 wins? H*ll, if we could have Sam (or even Mehmet Okur from the Pistons) and Eddie nailin' 'em from the 3 pt arc, Steve's athleticism would get him to the rim so often I'd say 60 wins.

I mean...can you imagine Steve just goin' 1 on 3 instead of 1 on 4 or 5? The Rox may never lose a game.

 

They never played Team Basketball , this is the main problem! Not on Defence nor on Offence, the players are so selfish that helping a mate on defence or on Offence is out of the question ! WE need Players that put the Team FIRST before their own personal Stats!