I have never seen an organization that has been able to rebuild the team faster and keep competitive for so long. I remember for the past several years the Rockets have opted not to rebuild, and instead chose to get top free agents to keep themselves in contention. However, when they do finally decide to take the rebuilding route, they do it in 2 years. Actually it may have been one year, because they nearly made the playoffs last year. Most seasons 45 wins will earn you a playoff spot. Look at the teams that are still trying to rebuild from their glory days. Look at the Celtics. Look how long it took the Mavs and Sixers to regain respectability. We are lucky to be in Houston. This whole thing is really cool to watch eventhough we are still not going to contend for a title this year. Remember when the Rockets were FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF FODDER in the late eighties and early ninieties? They had Hakeem and OT. Then they slowly aquired guys like Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, Mario Elie, Matt Bullard, Carl Herrera, drafted Robert Horry, and Sam Cassell. It was just the perfect set of complimentary players to Hakeem reaching his prime. Over the years the team formed chemistry, and gelled into a championship squad. I believe that we are on a similar path. We have Steve Francis, our new superstar and we are building around him. Drafting the right players (Mobley, KT, Griffin), making the necessary trades to fill the holes (Rice), getting those great role players out of nowhere (Moochie) and constructing the kind of chemistry that helps teams win titles. Obviously this is not happening overnight, but you can really see the vision that Rudy and CD have put together. The great core of young players who are fearless and on any given night can shock the best teams. The best part about it is that the core of players we have are not even in their prime and you can see the talent all of them have. It is very exciting to be a Rockets fan right now, because the team is evolving to the next level. Makes you wonder what the Rockets will be cooking up when the team's new crib is open. Hmmm...
Yup...with the exception of Cato, the Rockets have done very good job. The jury is (appropriately so) out on Griff, but assuming he pans out and Mo keeps improving you could have a nice little trio to build on for 6-10 years. Just don't turn into the Heat. I don't understand how Zo never managed to go anywhere...and they won't admit the horse is dead. Riley is still beating it.
In the early '90s, the Lakers under Jerry West only missed the playoffs for 1 season while rebuilding after Magic Johnson's retirement. And they got back to the playoffs without signing any major free agents or acquiring any outside draft picks. Of their own draft picks, the highest was #10 overall (Eddie Jones). The rest of their lineup was built through non-lottery picks. But then, that's why West is regarded as the best GM ever. What the Rockets have done in getting Francis, Griffin, Mobley et al. ain't too shabby.
I absolutely agree. Even more if you consider that the two years that we missed the playoffs we were actually planning to be in the playoffs. The first of those two years we signed Shandon and traded for Francis with the thought that we still had a chance to make it for Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. Even Dream added that he felt at that time they were the most talented rocket team he's been with. Unforunitely both were sidelined to serious injuries within the early half of the season. As you stated the second we missed by a game, a game! Your right on that most teams go through rebuilding starting from the bottom of the league while we were able to stay at the middle of the pack and rebuild in a short timespan. Rudy T and CD are one of the the all time best!
Kinda makes one thing that GMs around the league are overpaid? Rudy and CD are doing fine in this offseason. In hindsight, there's probably not much more they could have done by now. Hakeem wanted to leave. He was gone before negotiations started. Shandon wanted too much $, and a bigger role. He's good, but he earned neither. Matt will be sorely missed. I still am not clear on why we lost him (was it really a roster spot? why couldn't we just put him on IR?) Rice will make his impact known in game 1 preseason.
"I have never seen an organization that has been able to rebuild the team faster and keep competitive for so long. " The Lakers have done a better job. They were one of the best 3 teams in the 80's (along with the Celtics and Pistons) and was constantly a competitve team since then and again are the best team in the NBA. Taking nothing away from the Rockets, but Jerry West has done a better job fielding a championship caliber team more often than any other franchise over the last 20 years.
You got to give LA props for using their locale (Hollywood, Southern Coast, big city), as well as their eye for talent. Yet, looking what the city of Houston has to offer compared to L.A., I think RudyT & CD did an awesome job.
I think we should look at this rebuilding as changing the face of the team and winning a championship. I believe that the Lakers did it in 88 and 2000, that would be 12 years to rebuild and get back to the championship. That means the Rockets have until 2006 to win a championship to break that record. Plus, they will be the first team to every have done it with the same coach, and I figure the only team that will ever do it with the same coach.
