As I look at our young team, the problem that immediately jumps to my mind is a lack of toughness in the frontcourt. Sure Mo can score, Kenny has a nice variety of skills, Cato blocks shots and runs the floor well, Dream (if healthy) can do a little of everything, and Wizard and Langhi can shoot lights out at times. But where is that garbage player - the one who looks mostly to rebound and defend the other team's best backcourt player? Where is the guy who plays physical every night, bumping the other team's players just enough that they hesitate to drive into the paint? My point is, the Rockets need a player like this. At the beginning of the summer, I was hoping the Rockets would target a PF who, while perhaps limited offensely, did the "dirty" work and maybe even played a little dirty. Players like Oakley or Rodman in their peaks and like B. Grant, Jerome Williams, Kurt Thomas, and Bo Outlaw today. I think every team needs a player like this in the frontcourt in order to prevent other teams from feeling too confident about driving the lane. It's one thing for the opposing team to think "I might get blocked" and it's another when they think "I might get decapitated." I've heard that we have a "garbage" player in Shandon Anderson and I don't totally disagree. However, Shandon's position at SG pretty much disallows him any opportunity to affect the players he isn't guarding from driving. Nor do the current NBA rules on defense allow him to rough up his own man in the same way an interior defender can rough up his opponent. Simply put, Shandon does not fullfull this role. Without a tough, physical frontcourt player, I just can't see the Rockets making the playoffs. So what can the Rockets do. Is there any "thug" still out there who we can get? I know Pig Miller is not a permanent answer but doesn't he meet this need better than any Rocket? Should we try to make a "get whatever we can" trade for Rogers just to keep Pig in our lineup? I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks . . . ------------------
We need Jerome Williams. He is the answer to all our problems. ------------------ My dream job is to be a Houston Rockets towel-boy.
Kurt Thomas ------------------ Francis out top, 9 seconds on the clock, he gives a no look pass to Cuttino Mobley, 4 seconds left, Mobley passes to an open Langhi in the corner with 1 second left! Langhi at the buzzer.......YES!!! How Sweet It Is!!
the rocks at this stage has more important issues to deal with than a front court thug. chemistry...Hakeem...arena...i do agree that at this stage we don't have a thug in the paint. however, the West is all about a wide-open style and the rocks have the personnel to adapt, survive and thrive. ------------------ I am in mean mood to be Hakeem good
How about Malik Rose? He've always been a very solid backup for the twin towers in SA... I think he could complement Mo, Cato, and KT pretty well at the front court. If the Spurs are desperate enough for outside shooting by mid-season, the Wizard can probably be sent there for Rose and a little more... what's your take guys? He will never start for us, but he'll give us a good board guy on the bench. ------------------ Louisville Rockets my ass
Jones, while I agree that the arena is important, that isn't anything the Rockets players or coaches can control. And let's be real, Olajuwon isn't an issue anymore. The most anyone should expect of him is to provide some veteran experience and advice to the young players. IMHO, the need for a frontcourt "thug" is the MOST important issue facing the Rockets. Every other Western Conference team has an All-star quality frontcourt player. While Mo, Cato, and Kenny are talented, I can't see them containing these players (or cancelling them out throught their own offense). Thus, the opposing team's frontcourt will run wild and it will take inhuman efforts on the part of our guards NIGHTLY to make up for this deficit. I don't think that is realistic, and therefore I can't see the Rockets being consistently competitive unless they get a defensive "thug" in the 4 or 5 spot. By the way, the best teams in the West are far from being open court teams. SA, LA and Utah are primarily half court teams, and Portland is mostly half court now too. The fact of the matter is the conference has changed and the Rockets are not equipped to compete with these teams right now. ------------------
Wasn't the reverse supposed to be true back in the mid-90's? Most of the teams were guard-oriented teams while we had one of the weakest back-courts in the league. Just because every other team in the West is trying do what we did back then doesn't mean that we will not be competitive. All these teams got this way because there was no answer for Olajuwon. George Karl was the only coach who figured out how to beat us with a small, tough lineup. Now that everyone in the West is trying to answer Shaq, here we are taking the Seattle route. All we need now is that Seattle defense. ------------------ RocketFuel is dead!
Rudy's strategy is that the recent rules changes favor a guard-oriented offense. Penetrating guards will either be fouled, get a layup or have an open man, perhaps a Taylor who is spreading the floor, hitting the open jumper. If opposing 4's drop down in the lane to cut off Francis/Mobley/Norris/Anderson, then Taylor/Collier/Langhi would be open. If they don't double down on the penetrating guard, then we should get a layup or the opposing guard will be forced to foul from behind to stop the layup. Sounds reasonable. Last year Thomas and Rogers couldn't hit jack from outside. With Collier and Langhi, the results should improve. Of course, Collier and Langhi will need time to adjust to the NBA game. ------------------ "There's 1,000 different things we're looking at, but there's not a lot of things there." -- Rudy T., apparently after taking a hit of acid.
George.........urrrhhhummm sorry I mean Tyronne Washington????? ------------------ Miggidy Markell says: 1. Eastcoast is da sh*t 2. Rockets rule 3. Hip/Hop is dope 4. Buy the new Ruff Ryders album! Miggidy Markell is watching Stay STRAPPED & WATCH ya back or be Assimilated.
I am not concerned about the Rockets scoring. I am concerned about the other teams scoring on the Rockets. Back in the early-90s, the Rockets had one of the best defensive 2-guards at the time (Mad Max) to contain the other teams guards. If they managed to get by him, Olajuwon almost always made sure their shots were swatted right back in their face. That team was deAnd isn't calling Maxwell, Drexler, Elie, K Smith and Sam Cassel one of the worst backcourts a bit harsh? They were just as competitive at the time as Stockton/Hornacek or Payton/Hawkins or Van Exel/Jones. By the way, how many championships did Seattle win? Seems to me before 96 they bombed out early pretty consistently. Are you sure we want to model our team after them? The team we most resemble is the Pistons of the late 80s/early 90s. Why did they succeed? Because their backcourt players (Laimbeer, Rodman and others) were always knocking the snot out of the other teams' backcourt (and frontcourt) players. They weren't called the Bad Boys for nothing. If we are to succeed as an open court team, we have to STOP THE OTHER TEAM FROM SCORING. Starting a fast break depends on making a defensive stop. Otherwise we will be bringing the ball up half court style the majority of the time. And we cannot win that way. ------------------
You are correct in that Seattle never won the finals. But they could have, at our expense. I've always felt very fortunate that we never faced them in the playoffs in 94 and 95. It could have been a bad scene for us. As for thug-ball, it never won the Knicks a trophy. While the Bulls were beating up the physical East they never had to do it with thuggery. On the most part, they used finesse, speed and intimidation. Even Bad boy Rodman resorted to mostly mind games. Besides, it's not our style to have a villian on our team. We've never been about intentionally roughing up other players. The last thing we need is another Karl Malone. Do you want to be a fan of the team that every other team thinks is dirty? Can you imagine us being the new Utah Jazz of the league? Shudder to think. I'd rather stick with the classy family-like vibe that we have going now. ------------------ RocketFuel is dead!
ST, I'm not sure a "thug" is what we need. An enforcer yes, "thug" no. Larry Smith was an enforcer, OT was an enforcer. That's what we need. Someone who will enforce the "NO DRIVE IN THE PAINT" rule. Thugs create headaches for the team. Look at Mase. Can't get along with anyone because he's constantly trying to punk his own teammates thus the reason he's been traded so many times. As far as having a "thug", we had one in Vernon Maxwell. Max himmed up every guard in the league including Mr. Jordan. All that did was SA doen't have that type of personality. What he does have is a Mario Elie, JYD type attitude and that should suffice. I really would like to see the Rocks get a player who can be phiscally intimidating but also a great teammate like Antonio Davis(not that it'll happen). I just don't want them picking up any player who could possibly become a cancer with such a young team and destroy the team unity CD and Rudy have tried to create. ------------------
ST, I'm not sure a "thug" is what we need. An enforcer yes, "thug" no. Larry Smith was an enforcer, OT was an enforcer. That's what we need. Someone who will enforce the "NO DRIVE IN THE PAINT" rule. Thugs create headaches for the team. Look at Mase. Can't get along with anyone because he's constantly trying to punk his own teammates thus the reason he's been traded so many times. As far as having a "thug", we had one in Vernon Maxwell. Max himmed up every guard in the league including Mr. Jordan. All that did was get him fined and eventually replaced and released. SA doen't have that type of personality. What he does have is a Mario Elie, JYD type attitude and that should suffice. I really would like to see the Rocks get a player who can be phiscally intimidating but also a great teammate like Antonio Davis(not that it'll happen). I just don't want them picking up any player who could possibly become a cancer with such a young team and destroy the team unity CD and Rudy have tried to create. ------------------
Right now, the Rockets primarily need big men who move well without the ball, consistantly hit the 12-18 foot jump shot, and even hit an occasional 3 (Collier). We need big men who play well away from the basket, so the lanes are open for Stevie, SA, and Cat. There just aren't that many NBA tough guys who can be an enforcer and fulfill the needs of the Rockets. ------------------
TB3, you just described Bill Laimbeer, the most hated man in NBA history. Great rebounder too. It's too bad he's retired. (I'm sure I'll get ripped for that) The Rockets could use some toughness down low. John Thomas is available cheap and can play PF and some C. He is very physical, if unpolished. ------------------
Michael Cage ------------------ "Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight
I am anti-thug. I would go for a hardnosed defender, but i don't want a Rodman. I am actually interested to see how Syeve and Mo gel. ------------------ As the wise Ewok philosopher, Logray, once said, "yub yub"
