Ric Bucher on why nobody wants to play for Rockets

Ric Bucher is a hack.

He is the McHale of coaches aka a scrub.

 

sensible post. unfortunately there will be people who still try to defend this kind of talk and blame the media or something. anyone who's worked on a project (school, work, etc.) should understand that there has to be some kind of effect on morale even if the words are true. You might know that your lab partners are smarter than you, but you don't need to hear them say it to you.

"yeah I'm the smart on on the team, he just turns the bunson burner on and off. I could replace him with a rock and it wouldn't make a difference".

obviously Harden didnt compare everyone else to a rock, but thats the way it came out. He's young and hasnt led a playoff team before, so just accept it was a stupid thing to say and I think he's learned from it to not say it again. It's just unfortunate he said it in the offseason because if he said it during the season, it would all be forgotten after a few games. As it is, it's gonna be hanging over the team for a few months.

 

dude, not one single person is arguing whether the words are true or not. I havent seen one person who is arguing the words are false. it's a strawman's argument.

its called respect. do you want your co-worker to go on national tv and tell everyone that you're not that important and if you got fired tomorrow, it wouldn't matter? it may or may not be true, but you wouldn't take offense to the fact that the words were publicized?

 

Hot take is HOT.

 

Hey, there's a pretty good precedent for a superteam that acquires a controversial superstar, fails to live up to expectations in the first season and gets unilaterally shelled by the media as if they were the biggest failure in human history.


Let em hate. Means we're getting to them.

I do enjoy the fact that Bucher has manufactured a long history of Harden-Howard failure and leaguewide disdain for them out of one season and one offseason. Which big-name free agent signed with Buch's Warriors this offseason again? Ah yes, Shaun Livingston. Rockets could never score a star like that.

 

Who gives a 5h1t...??? How he interviews after a game would only matter if it had an effect on the game and it doesn't. Good thing the dude doesn't have a speech impediment because you people would lose your minds.

 

I doubt it, I think he found redemption in Toronto and wanted to go against what people thought he should do.

Melo and Lebron wanted to be home and Bosh turned down Houston the first time around when he could have been the only start player.

Ariza had no problem coming to Houston. There is a hand full of superstars in the league and we just went through some. Houston isn't the most attractive city either when it comes to attracting people who like movie stars That is much more of an issue than Dwight and Harden.

Morey did well considering we didn't have a top 5 pick since Yao. Best Center and best 2. Add the side pieces and move on.

 

Bucher was obviously stating his opinion and not being a reporter.

Nothing wrong with what Harden and Howard said.Wanna play for the Rockets then you need to fit in with Harden and Howard. I imagine most players in the NBA would love to play for the Rockets right now. Ariza was happy to take less than he could have to play here. Morey will nab the pieces we need.

 

It's a lot of stars who have houses in Houston. Texas is considered a "football state" and that may be the turn off to a lot of big time NBA players. NBA basketball isn't even as popular as high school football here. Howard is the only big time NBA player that came to Texas in his prime as a free agent that was not traded here going back to the 80's.

I grew up in both Texas and NYC and my NYC peps still have the perception that everyone rides horses and ware cowboy boots down here (not saying there's nothing wrong with that) but that may not be appealing to players that didn't grow up in this state.

 

Neither Dwight Howard or James Harden are even in the same stratosphere as a player as LeBron. That comparison is unfair to Dwight and Harden. And clearly LeBron is one of the most unselfish superstars in the game, he cherishes his teammates cause he knows that he's going to need them. That's what leaders do, they galvanize the troops and put them in positions to shine. They make them feel valuable, not tear them down and treat them as if they are less than them.

 

Not trying to start a post war here but there have been examples of leaders who have made their teammates feel like **** either publicly or privately. Top off my head: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

 

Bosh and Melo didn't sign here because they would've lost millions of dollars. All that "I wanna play where I can win" stuff goes by the wayside when someone drives a dump truck full of money to your house. Maybe the others players have beef with Howard and Harden but it's not the primary reason star players didn't sign here this offseason.

 

Why is no one writing these articles about the Lakers they have come up empty handed in the last two off-seasons?

 

First dork Elvis trashes Jeremy Lin and Parsons, and then your best players follow suit. I'm leaning more to the side of Houston just being this kind of organization.

It starts from the top and trickles down to the bottom and now we're here.

 

exactly my point

 

You really believe that professional, world class athletes with shrewd agents will believe media hype? That they will hear a quote from two stars that was borderline demeaning and hold it as a grudge for years? And that holding that grudge is more important than a chance at winning and getting more money?

In a vacuum, if there are two stars just as talented as Harden and Howard, and a team has exactly the same money to offer, you still think a FA will choose their destination based on a media perception of "negative stars"? You don't think NBA City, Tax laws, close to home, etc would impact that more?

I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. NBA players are privy to way more than you or I will ever know. Claiming that a single comment will change the landscape of FA for the Rockets is just way too out there for me.

 

You do realize that you're not discussing anything factual. It's all assumption and pretense.

 

Kobe and MJ earned the right to call out their teammates. Privately, you can think or say what you want, but publicly, have a little more tact. Especially when you're diminishing your own teammates.the very teammates you need to help you WIN.

That's just not SMART.

 

Anyone else tired of people comparing this situation to regular jobs, school projects, high school teams and all this crap that isn't remotely the same?

 

Just you, but that's why stamina is worth building.