Rocket frustration

I'm frustrated.

It looks like we need several things on this team and it is impossible to get them.

1. Another big man that can hit the 15 footer to play with Yao. Someone like Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace. Without giving up Cato or MoT, who would be the second team big men.

2. A running, passing point guard to add to our Francis, Mobley, Piatkowski backcourt. Someone like Jameer Nelson, Earl Boykins, or Earl Watson........or Charlie Ward.

3. A small forward who can defend like JJ and shoot like Pike. Someone like, Jimmy Jackson hitting his jumper, or Nachbar defending like JJ..............or Caron Butler.

4. A dominating Yao who can catch the ball without fumbling, bumbling it and can box out so the point guard doesn't have to rebound, and can rebound the ball without tipping, tipping, tipping, tipping, tipping, batting it.

5. An organized fast break play taught by a coach that understands fast break basketball and how to implement it.


I'd like to see us add these pieces in the offseason without giving up Mobley and Cato but it is gonna be impossible. If we had a big man rotation of Yao, Thomas/Wallace, Cato, and MoT, we would have the best and deepest C-PF combo in the NBA. And if we had a backcourt of Steve, Cat, Pike, and Ward/Nelson, we would have one of the top backcourts in the NBA.

But Steve and Cat's play this season (specifically Steve) has left CD and JVG in a quandry. Steve is supposed to be the franchise cornerstone. But Mobley has outplayed him in every aspect of the game up until now. So, it makes it difficult to move Mobley, the Rockets best player right now and then have to continue worrying about whether Steve is ever gonna get it.

And Cato is Van Gundy's type of player, but he has zero offensive skills, and it is hurting our offense(which I am wondering if Van Gundy knows how to spell O-F-F-E-N-S-E). It is clear to me that Cato needs to come off the bench.

The problem here is that what MoT gives us in offense, he gives up in defense. We just don't have a starting 4 who can stick the jumper and defend. We have a backup 4 and a backup 5 starting at the 4. Very good backups I might add, probably the best backup 4 and 5 in the league. If they were playing their role as backups, they would both prosper, Cato shutting down the lane and MoT hitting the 15-18 footer and the jump hook against the other teams backups. We need a starting 4 to add to the 3 bigs we have. And I don't see any way of acquiring one unless we break up the backcourt. And I don't see how we are gonna break up the backcourt until we figure who to get rid of.....Cat or Steve.

So, I think we are stuck with this bunch, short of a Kurt Thomas for John Amechi, Nachbar, and Moochie type trade, which I don't think any team is gonna do. Wait a minute Scott Layden is still running the Knicks. Give him a call CD! Ahhhhh, frustration.

Which brings us to the small forward. WHen is JJ gonna start shooting? Would Adrian Griffin be an upgrade at the 3? We know he can defend. Can he shoot? I've seen enough of Piatkowski at the 3 to know that he can't guard anybody at the 3. It's a mismatch. So, when are we gonna see Adrian in action? Yo Adrian! We love you Adrian! But not for long if you can't shoot the 3.

What is the solution? I think CD and JVG are still trying to figure it out. I wouldn't be surprised if we went to the trade deadline without a trade, because they don't know what to do. Between Eddie Griffin and the hassle of contracts we have on the books, we are in a spot. I'd say we'd better root for this bunch to get it together otherwise we run the risk of giving up more talent than we get back because we are looking at a quick fix.

I'm very frustrated.

I know one thing. I understand why the attendance is down at Toyota Center even though our record is above .500. This team is the New York Knicks Southern Style. I was all for hiring Van Gundy. I really felt that he would improve our defense considerably which he has. But I didn't think our offense would take such a step backwards. At this point, we would be more productive running the ISO bologna we ran last year. No, I don't want to see the ISO come back. But I don't want to watch this mess either. It's like our players look to see where the opponent is standing or where the opponent is going to and then they decide to dribble to the same spot. How much of that is the rules changes with the zone defenses? How much of it is just bad offensive basketball? It can't just be the defensive rules. Look at the Mavs and Kings amongst others. They still light it up, playing team basketball. Our fastbreak is nonexistant. I haven't seen a fastbreak all year. Just the mini fastbreaks that you get off steals or bad passes when the ball is already near centercourt. But I doubt there has been a fastbreak run by this team all year where the ball is rebounded after a missed shot by the opposing team and the outlet pass is thrown to a sprinting wing man who in turn throws the pass to the point running up the middle of the floor who in turns drives the lane, splits the defense and either shoots a layup or dishes to a wide open trailer. Whose fault is that? JVG says he tells them to run. Does he tell them how to run, where to run, etc? Or does he just windmill his arms and yell, "RUN!"?

I'm extremely frustrated.


Now, that I've got that off my chest, I'm sure we will blow out the Lakers on Christmas Day. Still, something tells me that Shaq's stat line is gonna be something like, 37 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocked shots, and 5 assists, while Yao scores 8 points on 3 for 13 shooting, and plays 20 minutes with foul trouble. We may see Ford and Amechi in this game with the hack-a-Shaq defense. Steve will probably get kicked out with 2 technicals for hacking Kobe on the wrist as Kobe shoots from the time line and then protesting the call. Cato shooting 15 foot airballs and bricks. MoT trying to post up Shaq and Karl. Moochie trying to take Payton off the dribble, his head bobbing left and right while his body desparately struggles to follow his head motion. And Yao fumbling, fumbling, fumbling, fumbling, bumbling. JJ hoisting up 3 after 3 after 3 after 3, clang after clang after clang after clang after clang. Francis trying to help Yao box out Shaq and Karl while Payton sprints to the other end. Hate to say it but I see a major Laker blowout coming.

I hope I'm wrong. Please let me be wrong.


Very frustrated.