Let's say next year, the Rockets are healthy, with Glen Rice, and Mo T back. Also, let's assume that we draft a contributor like Caron Butler, and then some mid 1st round stiff big man. Does this influx of "new" players evoke change in our offensive scheme? I say "new" since Mo and Rice were both out all year for the most part... The injury bug is a very valid excuse, and maybe the key reason for this poor season. However, I think that Rudy still could have done a better coaching job, with us winning close to 35 games or so. People like to point out that Francis was hurt for those 25 or so games. Obviously that's true, and the Rockets record was like 2-24 or something like that. Nonetheless, in games with Francis, we were still under .500. Back to my point... Will next year FINALLY be the year that Rudy actually puts his coaching skills, or the lackthereof, up to task? It seems like even when we were down by 20 points in games, we would STILL stick to the lousy basics that got us into the big hole to begin with. Perhaps this poor season will serve as a wake-up call for Rudy? What is the feasibility of adding some motion to the offense? Will this take too long to develop? Can we work on executing backpicks away from the ball? Or perhaps some backdoor cuts? Or screens to open up a shooter like Rice? I don't think we will be much better than .500 next year if we don't scrap this basic offense. It does not work in the NBA, much less the Western Conf, when you rely on smaller perimeter players to open things up inside and outside. The way to play is inside-out, if you do use the Rudy T philsophy of take what the defense gives you. When you rely on 3 guards to play this role, the defense doesn't really give up too much.
funny those plays got us down by 20 but also brought us back to victory sometimes Maybe it's *how* we run them . . with intensity vs lackadaisical Rocket River
Kidrock say something that makes me think you know what you are talking about. Cause otherwise it just sounds like another rant from someone who can't stand Rudy. Which is quite alright, but if that's the case then just say it. It's my recollection you didn't care for the Rice acquisition and you think KT is better than Mo... So why would you expect us to be any better next year. And even if they pick up a player lot Butler. the only real thing he is going to bring to this team next year is promise... promise for better things to come. In the beginning of the year I had high hopes for this team... I thought Rice was a good acquisition and Mo t was going to have a good year and Mobley and Francis were only going get better and Langhi and Collier were going to finally contribute. Well almost none of that panned out ( except for Mobley improving)and the fact is even if we didn't suffer through all the injuries we would have been hard pressed to make the playoffs. That being said I do believe we will be better next year and we will probably make the Playoffs but we probably won't make it pass the first round. But I am okay with that because I still feel we are getting better and headed in the right direction. I think Griffin will be better next year and we are going to have some new faces and we are going to play better. Just for the record I am not a "Rudy can do no wrong" kind of fan. I am a Rocket fan. And what is of utmost importance to me is that the Rockets win... and if there is another coach that would help this team win more than I am all for it but you will have to prove it to me... cause I just don't see it. What I do see is the rockets are making steps to improve. It was along season but I think Rudy is doing a good job and we will continue to get better
I think it was Bobby Knight who said "Everybody wants to play on a national championship team. Nobody wants to go to the gym the next day and practice", or something like that. I think that is the Rocket players in a nutshell. They want to play, they are gym rats and they play through injuries. they want to be on the floor. What they don't do is the unfun stuff, like play defense, work on free throws and buckle down all 48 minutes. Fancy passes are fun, block outs are not. Stealing the ball is fun, staying in front of the man you rotated to is not. Amazing dunks are fun, running back on an opponents fast break is not. Shooting is fun, ball movement is not, being part of a big comeback is fun, playing solid ball to stay out of the hole is not. Do you get my drift? The Rockets like to play basketball, not work at it. As a whole theyare young and enthusiastic. They have not gotten to the point where it is there profession. I fear they spend more time picking out matching headbands then they do studying their opponents defensive stratagies. When John Elway retired, somebody asked him if he "couldn't face another season." He retoreted something like, " the season is not the problem, it is the getting ready for the season that I can't face." Do our players show that type of dedication to their profession? And finally back on topic, what is Rudy's role in that. On one of the last games, I was watching on the dish and had the other teams announcers. We had the ball with about 10-15 seconds to go. Francis ws at the top of the key killing time. The announcers commented and the tv showed Rudy waving and saying lets get started, but Francis basically dribbled out the clock and we ended up taking a forced shot. The point being I don't think Rudy is coaching pound, pound, pound. By the way - game winning shot as the buzzer goes off - big fun. I am a Rudy fan. I think he could have done a better job than he did this past year. On the other hand he is used to mature players, perhaps turning adolesents into men is not one of his best skills. Perhaps maturity can not be taught, only learned. Maybe Rudy knows this, and is coaching accordingly. Maybe, maybe, maybe. My feeling on Rudy is he has done a lot for us. A whole lot. As far as I am concerned, he can stay as long as he liks. No matter what he does in the future, his past accomplishments have earned him that.
How many of you believe that a coach who wins two consecutive championships deserves to be allowed to keep his job literally for as long as he wants, regardless of how his teams perform? Unless you believe that, there is some point at which, after years and years of mediocrity, we're all willing to say, "Thanks for the memories, but we need somebody who can make this team work." We've all got a number. I'm not sure what my number is. But we're getting close to it.
It's quite the opposite actually. I loved the Glen Rice deal, and I think that Mo is better than KT, assuming he can recover from his injury.
Give me some examples on why you feel that way. What steps have we made to improve? I can't "prove" that Rudy isn't the right coach, until we bring in a new coach. Unfortunately, I don't have control over who coaches the Rockets. Why are we going to play better? By virtue of the fact that we couldn't be any worse than we were last year?
Will, I clearly accept your premise. However, Don Nelson was washed up and could not communicate with todays players, (maybe that is why he likes foriegn players), and he is doing fine now. Lenny Wilkens, who is like the all time winningest coach, or something pretty high, was a lousy coach when Toronto missed the play offs this year. Oops, maybe he can still coach. My feeling is that with only a few exceptions, the coach will not make that much diference. Some examples of coachs who can singly handedly make a difference are Pat Riley and Chuck Daily. Wait, without the horses, neither of those guys regained their glory. My point is Rudy is certainly a competent coach. There may be a better match for our current group, but there may not be. I feel that change for change sake is a step back. There are certainly exceptions, but most of the playoff teams have had stability in management. I'll conced Phil JAckson at LA, but that was a fairly unique situation. Additionally LA did have stability in the gm and owner area. By the way, I don't know what "clutch crew" means, but somebody here is doing a great job. Ps do you have enough pull to get a spell checker?
Will, I don't know exactly what that number is either. but I know this: the coach who won the two titles deserves AT LEAST one year where his team is not: a) relying on an old, used-up, has-been center with deteriorating skills or b) plagued by injuries if somebody can name me a team who has had the number of games missed by expected contributors [not to mention the games Francis played with a migraine] that the Rockets had and who won a significant amount more games than the Rockets did. . . I'll start a campaign to hire that team's coach right now. but I'm doubting anyone can find that coach. and don't just rattle off some "oh, well team ______ had a bunch of injuries that one time". . . I want to see specific Games Missed Due to Injury numbers, and I think the team should have won enough games to qualify for the playoffs in order for it to qualify as a significant amount more of games. anyone? I'm a Rudy fan. if he can get just one year--ONE--and then the team performs as badly as it did this year. . . then, I'll be ready to start hearing people calling for his head. but he deserves at least one healthy year. no question.
in support of Pat's point. . . I could be mistaken, but wasn't Byron Scott the coach of the Nets last year. well, they sucked last year. they missed the playoffs entirely. lo and behold, they got Jason Kidd, and now they're the top seed in the East. did Byron Scott become that much better a coach?
