Resetting Expectations: Not Ready for Prime Time

Great point, glynch. Last year we begged Steve and Cat to do everything in their power to grab us an occasional win. Now this year, they're supposed to rein it in, even when they're not getting support?

Let's bite our tongues and let the kids learn. See what new players the off-season brings, get Eddie another summer in the weight room, and hope that Yao gets some rest.

That having been said, if these guys aren't soaring by the halfway point NEXT season, heads should roll, with Yao's head being the only untouchable.

 

There is another part of our game that we are ignoring. That is DEFENSE.

What I cannot understand is why are the Cavs open when we are not double-teaming? Obviously, somebody does not like to play defense

 

I think this team needs a lot of change. Personally, I think the biggest change needs to be made in the coaching department. Once again, Rudy is my favourite coach, and I am forever greatful for the 2 rings we got while he was coach. But this team needs a different style of coaching. Someone who will smack the laziness right out of you if you decide to coast. Eric Musselman was a nice catch for Golden State. Pat Riley's style of coaching is very suitable too.


But, we've discussed this, and I've been convinced that it would be silly to have a coaching change in the middle of the season. Getting sweeped in the playoffs may actually be what this team needs, so we don't want to miss out on that.


I'm hoping that, somehow, at the deadline, we acquire a draft pick. Then in the offseason, imagine what a rebuilding team would be willing to give up for a $10M expiring contract and a draft pick? How enticing would Glen Rice (10M capspace), Eddie Griffin (potential star, 21yrs old), and a draft pick be to the Clippers?

For this season, we'll learn along the way. But this season sia test, and anyone outside of Steve and Yao to not "fit in" with the team, should be gone. I hope to see some re-tooling through trades to improve our personnel's attitudes in the offseason.

 

Great post, Dallas Rocket. I'd actually been lowering my expectations the past couple weeks but hadn't taken the time to write a post about it as good as yours.

You know, throughout much of December and January I'd look at the Western Conference standings the wrong way. I'd think, "Hey we're only a couple games behind the Number Four seed (usually Minnesota or Utah). We can make that up no problem, and then we're looking at a first round matchup with Portland, who I know we can take. And if we get really hot, we're only a handful of games behind San Antonio for the number Three seed!" Then I'd get really excited.

Since the back-to-back Detroit and Chicago losses, I realized I was looking at the standings all wrong. (Especially when you start scoreboard watching and seeing teams like Phoenix take care of business against scrub teams.) The real way to look at it is -- Holy Crap, we're only a couple games up on the Lakers, the Suns and T-Wolves don't show any signs of slowing down, and Seatlle's not out of this thing. So I'm looking at the teams below us just hoping that we hold on and make the damn playoffs.

Huge swing in change of expectations. But it also prevents me from hoping we make a drastic change via trade or coaching move MIDSEASON because we're not ready to do serious damage in the playoffs anyway.

If we miss the playoffs, the season -- in my opinion -- is a disaster. (We don't even have a draft pick to ease the blow of missing the playoffs yet again.) In that scenario, I'd be real interested in drastic moves in the offseason. Real interested.

But it's a real possibility for all the reasons Dallas Rocket mentioned.

It just amazes me how full of themselves our so-called leaders are. They really think they're an elite caliber team that shouldn't even be lowered to having to play teams like the Clippers, Bulls, and Cavaliers. But here's the newsflash -- until we beat those teams with regularity, we're not a hell of a lot better than them.

When Mobley tells the Chronicle, "we have a lot of growing up to do" I don't even believe him anymore.

 

Lots of good posts in this thread, but this was my favorite. This is the season in a nutshell. It's to be expected.

 

Many good posts in here.

I just wish the Rockets would have the guts to make a move now (if there is a good move to make). But I feel Les and CD might let it ride until the off-season.

Rudy's laissez-faire coaching style does not work for this group of knuckleheads (Steve and Cat). Sometimes a coach needs to pimp-slap his players and get them to understand that you have to bring it every night, against every team.

Thing is, have these players changed much? Anyone remember the last time we were in the playoffs? Against the Lakers? (I know, I know, I've started to develop Alzheimer's since then, too.) I remember Barkley on the block, looking for the pass from Cuttino, then sadly shaking his head as Cuttino DIDN'T EVEN LOOK FOR HIM and committed a turnover (or took a bad shot, I can't remember).

Has that changed?

Barkley would say that Steve and Cat never even wanted to listen to his advice, that they acted as if they didn't need help.

Has that changed?

I'd be willing to make a move now (Rudy won't go anywhere until the summer, if then), if we made the RIGHT move; I don't really think we need to worry about team chemistry.

 

I see your point but it is the experience we need. This year, we make the first round and maybe next year we can get to the conference finals. I think its hard to jump to the conference finals with no previous playoff experience.

I think the Dallas comparison is a bit unfair because they have obvioulsy killed us. But what if we were able to get the 7th seed or Sacramento overcame Dallas for the 1st seed? We have had some success against Sac (2-1) and we should be able to provide them a well fought battle. So my point is that once we make it, anything can happen..

 

I agree with you that it would be better to make the playoffs so that our guys can experience the level of play in the post-season. With that said, the Rockets would take just as bad of a beating from Sacramento as they would from Dallas. (I think that the Kings will go all the way this year.) The Rockets would need to capture the 6th or even the 5th seed to have any hope in the first round. But it would be nice to watch the Rockets play in May . . .

 

I don't think we should lower expectations. There is no way with our starting 5 and depth we should not make the playoffs. Now I agree we are young and Yao is rookie--but consider this:

Phx has a rookie PF (younger than Griffin and Yao in fact) and who exactly is that teams starting SG and C now? Maybe Joe Johnson and they dug up Scot Williams to play C? They also give regular time to the likes of Casey Jacobsen, Dan Langhi and/or Jake Voskal--to give you an idea of their bench quality.

Utah? Well they have Calbert Chaney as a starting SG and who knows who is there C now? There (not so) formidable bench includes the likes of Deshawn Stevenson and Scott Padgett getting regular minutes.

Heck Cato, would be starting for either of those teams--let alone Francis, Mobley, Posey & Yao if they played for them.

In sum, the only way we should not beat out those teams is lack of focus, intensity, chemistry, etc. I don't think it should be simply chaulked up to youth or some holes in the line-up--because there are teams with much bigger holes in their starting line-up and depth (and with similar youth in Phx case at least) who will have made it. Those teams should be a referent points and it should reflect very poor on Rudy, Francis and Mobley--in that order, if we can't even get a 7th or 8th spot. If we don't make the playoffs major shake ups are in order IMO, and it should start with either Rudy or Francis.

 

Desert Scar,

Only problem is that Calbert Cheaney has more basketball IQ than our whole team excluding Yao Ming.

We're talented, but we're BOUND to be inconsistent. Right now, no healthy player on our entire team is 30 years old. Is it sounding better now? NO 30 YEAR OLDS. Rice is on the injured list btw, and we were more consistent with him on the team.


This team needs to grow, but also needs an injection of veterans replacing the expendable players like MoT, Moochie, and maybe (MAYBE) Mobley.

 

Support players aren't as important as your team leaders. The difference for Phoenix is Marbury is more experienced and smarter than Francis. This is his SEVENTH season. If Francis were in his 7th year, and we were in Phoenix's position, THEN there would be a problem. They also have Marion who is putting up close to 22 and 10. That is huge.

Again, picking out lesser role players. It doesn't matter. Besides I believe Harpring is the starter. The key is Malone and Stockton. Those are the guys running the team. The Rockets' leader(s) is too inexperienced and just not good enough right now to lead a team to the playoffs in the West. I could just as easily say the Rockets have the likes of Eddie Griffin and Terrence Morris getting regular minutes as well.

 

Jerry Sloan has never coached a team that wasn't led by hall-of-famers. He would probably quit before having to coach a team like the Rockets. Either that or he'd hit a ref and get suspended. Flip Saunders? He currently has a top 5 player and pretty good support players (Joe Smith, Gary Trent, Sczcerbiak, Nesterovic, Kendall Gill, etc) and his record isn't much better than the Rockets', and 2-2 head-to-head. What have either of those two guys done that's so great?

 

Freak, you bring up some good points. But the fact neither Portland nor the Jazz have allstars and we have two first teamers (though Yao should really be 2nd team) you would think we would have the edge in key leaders.

I just think it is a really bad sign (long term) if Marbury is showing more leadership than Steve Francis. Francis is by no means a rookie, is the same age, and has as much organized BB experience even if a few less total years in the NBA. Besides, it isn't like Marbury is as great of leader on the court as say Kidd or Payton. I guess I could see it as a positive that Marbury went from a very poor performing team the last 2 years with major concerns about his comittment to make his team better to looking like a relatively solid team guy. They same could be said of Bibby pre/post his Sac days.

Still, depsite knowledge of Marbury/Bibby's improvment as a team player, and knowing full well Francis has a higher talent ceiling than either, I can't shake my feeling that Francis is going to be another Vince Carter (great individual talent, who is fully aware of his individual talent, and who doesn't address the weaknesses he does have nor really raise his team) rather than a Jason Kidd or Kobe Bryant. I am really leaning that trading him for just under supertstar status players (supreme role players) to surround Yao (Miller, Brand) is the course we should go if he can't lead a reasonable group of talent around him to the playoffs.

I think the 2nd half of the season should be used as a major litmus test for Francis and Rudy--especially if Yao keeps up 14-8-2 most every night and we still are not winning. If Yao is doing that and Mobley is getting 17, Francis and Rudy have noone to fault but there own if they can't lead us the playoffs. This is Francis and Rudy's team, the buck stops there.

 

TheFreak,


Rudy T's only good seasons are with Hall of Famer Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon.

It's not easy winning with a HOF. Why didn't the Lakers win before Phil Jackson? Surely, they were even a betetr team before that. Why couldn't the Pistons win with more talent, than with Carlisle?

You need Hall of Famers to win. No team has won an NBA championship without Hall of Famers, 99% of the time, TWO Hall of Famers.

 

The Rockets probably shouldn't have ANY all-stars. Francis should not be on the team. Marbury is having a better year -- Payton, Marbury, Nash -- they should all be all-stars. Ming is probably the 2nd-best center in the West, but that's not saying much. What's that saying...the best-smelling piece of ****? If the fans don't vote these guys in, I don't see them both getting in.

I don't see why it's a bad sign. Marbury is a seasoned vet, Francis isn't. They played the same amount of college ball, and Marbury's been in the league 3 more years than SF. They're very similar players IMO. Marbury's a better passer, Francis a better rebounder, but other than that they're similar.

I don't know why you think Francis has a higher ceiling than Marbury. I think that is a big problem that people are having-- they think Francis is better than he really is. Bottom line is he's an explosive small guard with a lot of athletic ability. I guess my response to that to this point is....so?

I disagree. Just because Francis and Mobley can put up nice stats doesn't mean they're good enough to win right now, at least not better than they are currently. 26-22 really isn't that bad anyway. They're in a tough conference. They'd probably have homecourt for the first round in the East.

 

Here are some snippets you guys might find interesting, didn't know where else to post them. Not big enough for its own thread:

"The humiliated Rockets have dropped two in a row after beating powerful Sacramento by 16. They are the only team with a record (26-22) currently above .500 that has been defeated by Cleveland. "

-- Cleveland Paper



"We have to get this game, so after Thursday it'll be pretty good," Shaquille O'Neal said. "I can go down to All-Star Weekend and then come back and get ready to make history."

-- Shaquille O'Neal

 

Maybe so. Just like Sloan. Although I'd call 45-37 two years ago a good season.

The Lakers did win before Phil Jackson. They just won more after he got there. A better team before Phil? Huh?

The Pistons are a bunch of role players that overachieve and play unselfishly. They take teams by surprise. The Rockets have a better chance of winning a championship than they do, however. Not to mention they're in the East.

Agreed. What are we arguing about again?