Rick sends Von to the locker room (UPDATE: Adelman says issue settled)

This is where having so many vets on the team helps. One of them (probably Artest) needs to have a long talk to him and make him apologize to Adelman and the team, and he can redeem himself the next game.

 

For those that don't know, Von has had baggage for a long time:

• Despite some success that year, he was suspended for two games early in the season and benched frequently later.
• During a workout with the Phoenix Suns, Wafer reportedly was frustrated by the physical play from Jan Jagla, and responded by laying an intentional elbow to Jagla's nose, then walked off the court and ended the workout at that point.

 

When I was 13 I got mad at my mom for not washing a pair of pants that I was supposed to wear that day. I made a smartass comment to her like "Why didnt you wash my pants?! You always forget half my clothes!" She slapped the hell out of me and told me "Little boy, you better remember who I am and who you are." Von.......know your role man.

Von probably caught up in the moment and adrenaline was running...he needs to keep his mouth shut and know his role.

Talking sh.. during the Playoffs...you just dont do it.

 

I wonder if Artest can mentor Wafer. He seems to be a recovering head case and maybe Artest can provide some guidance to Wafer on how to not waste years of your NBA career.

 

No, we need to get Vernon Maxwell out of jail to mentor Von Wafer. They both went to Florida universities and they have the same temperment. Mad Max can show Von Wafer where he is headed and the consequences of irrational behavior.

 

Being explained on 1560 a.m. Wafer threw a water bottle... but not in the direction of anyone in particular.

I seriously hope Von apologizes to Coach Adelman and makes it right for himself.

 

Could have sworn I read Adelman's lips after Artest was ejected. Thought I saw him mouth, "Now I wish I had Wafer to put in there." Wafer was probably out of line, but watching that 3rd quarter and Rockets get away from what they had had success doing in the 2nd, I would have questioned it as well. Von overstepped the line, but Adelman made some coaching mistakes, too. Hopefully, this will be rectified and Von will help lead the Rockets to the Championship.

Surprised how many people now "hate" Von Wafer, want to kick him off the team and end his NBA career. We would be NOWHERE this season without him. He stepped in and filled in for Mcgrady when no one expected it. Without him, we don't even have a shooting guard .

 

Let's not make this bigger than it is.

I'll bet money that Adelman and/or Morey have already brought Von in, talked it over, settled him down, and have plans to play him his normal minutes on Friday. Stuff like this happens with young players. It's a big deal for one game. It's not a series-changer or a career-killer.

 

dang von, we could really use him, but seriously von take your anger out on the
court

 

I agree, rocket fans are so soon to switch on i hate von wagon, dude seriously without him, we couldn't win that many games or even get out of the second round. Game2, when lowry was taking usually von shots, we could have maybe won, if i dare said.

We need to be over this, this is the playoff, we need to use our anger agaisnt the laker not on each other.

 

Feigen comments on his blog:

[rquoter]


In a game with five technical fouls, two ejections and one flagrant, Von Wafer lost his head first.

He stomped around and threw a water bottle when he was taken out of the game. He likely said too much, too. Rick Adelman banished him to the locker room.

The Rockets know that Wafer can be that way and won't make it into more than that. If someone else had a tantrum it would be an indication of a real problem. With Wafer, it is just a part of his extremely intense, emotional makeup.

You can't do that stuff at this level, and especially in the playoffs when everything has to be about the team. It's the kind of thing high school kids have to learn. NBA players are supposed to be way beyond that. Wafer is still working on it, but the Rockets also know, it is just about the emotions of the moment. Expect a pretty quick heart-to-heart and Wafer back at practice this afternoon.
[/rquoter]

 

At least take it out on Sasha

 

This is a resilient team that has always responded to adversity with a vengeance. Wafer will be alright.

 

Yeah, he is everyone's hero and everyone wants his hair cut and then something like this happens and no one wants anything to do with him...no body even knows what really happened...just need to stop speculating and just wait until we actually hear the facts...

 

Dude, that was a childish response. This has nothing to do with me, it is about commenting on the Rockets. I don't need to get over myself, you need to read the posts and stick to them instead of trying to figure me out.

But to make my "pointless" point more to you:

and:

Now, while I will agree that Von 100% needs to apologize for losing his head and cool, if this is what RA banished him to the locker room for in such a heated playoff game, what need is there for refs to eject players like Ron Artest, just give him time to get to the bench and RA will do it for you.

Seriously, Von was wrong, but two wrongs don't make a right. Unless someone can show or get evidence that Von cursed out or threatened RA, RA overreacted no matter how cool, calm, collected and a players' coach he is. This shows that he must have been building up a resentment to Von, for whatever the reason justified or not. I doubt that he will ever kick another player out of the game for throwing a water bottle in no specific direction unless he really doesn't like that player anyway.

Yes, Von was wrong, but it's not like he hit the coach or told him he was going to kick his ass if he didn't get back into the game, at least this is not what is being projected at the moment.

RA is a human being just like everyone else and that's why coaches get technical fouls sometimes also...THEY OVER REACT JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SOMETIMES.

We could have used Von later in that game just like we could have used Artest after he was ejected. Everyone that assumes we were going to lose no matter what are just wussies that didn't think the Rockets had a chance anyway...not the best fans in my book anyway.

At this point, without more info, I expect an apology from Von to his team and especially RA for losing his cool, but I also expect one from RA to Morey, the team and the fans for over reacting....although I very seriously doubt that will happen.

 

Von was being unprofessional, not helping much on the court, and being a distraction on the bench. It wasn't the time for the Rockets to start melting down. I think Adelman had enough, because Von has exhibited this behavior before. A coach can't allow his players to throw tantrums whenever they're pulled from the game.

 

I love Rick Adelman

 

After taking a look at the game again, it started when Von had to hold Kobe. Rick took him out because his defense obviously < Battier. He gave up a foul and KB was going to destroy him.

Later, after he committed a foul on Vujachick, RA took him out. Von clearly fouled him.

So basically, I already know the argument. Von was scoring, and felt he could contribute on the offensive end. RA was more defensive minded, and got tired of Von's sub par defensive.

 

Yes Adelman made mistakes, can't believe he kept playing Luis in the third quarter and brought back Landry with only 2 or so minutes left in the third and we were down 10 by then! I have felt that Landry never gets as many minutes as he truly deserves from Adelman ESPECIALLY when he is playing well.

I will go out on a limb here and give my very hypothetical explanation why.

If you listen to Adelman, he always paises Landry with caveats such as he needs to be inconsistent and gives more effort, which I always found very puzzling coz to me Landry is one of the most consistent player in the rockets team and is all effort! might be shocking news to some. So I always thought that along with not giving him more minutes when he deserved it, something was wrong between the two. After what happened with Wafer last night, who is very close to Landry, I am not almost certain that there is something up with these three's professional relationship. Again, this is all my made up theory

 

Thanks for pointing out exactly what I am saying in bold. The act alone did not deserve to have a player sent to the locker room and end the game for him. Do you think RA would have done that if Yao, Shane or Ron threw a water bottle to the floor or complained? I know that they probably wouldn't, but in the right moment anything can happen..that's why players get tossed by refs for whatever reason. Who would have thought that Rafer would b****-slapped House and spin the head band on his head? LOL

RA should have handled that after the game, as forcefully as he wanted to. Doing it on national tv was not the best way to handle it for an experienced coach to me. RA should have gotten a technical for over reacting just like Ron did for Kobe's elbow. Sure Kobe's elbow was the first wrong, the refs missing it was the second wrong, the refs calling a foul on Ron was the third wrong, but it was Ron taking up for himself by complaining that got him ejected. Think about it. Von was wrong, but there are way to many RA apologists on this board IMO.