Some of you people are the biggest WUSSIES I have ever encountered!! What the hell is wrong with asking a coach who is on his way to the lottery for the FOURTH STRAIGHT FRIKKIN YEAR..if he can't get us at least to the number 8th seed out of 14..that he should consider stepping down??? The problem with Houston in general, is there is too many damn HOMERS..! If the Rockets weren't even in contention for that last playoff spots..much more of you would be jumping on the bandwagon. The difference between you and US..who feels like Rudy has lost control of this team and only THEIR desire to get into the playoffs is what is keeping this dream alive..is we see the writing on the wall!!! Rudy needs to step down..if you don't like people saying it, writing it, yelling it, whatever..THAT'S TOO DAMN BAD!!
#1, 2 3, 4, 5 and so on -- you cannot fire 12 players (or 14). You can fire the coach. In Rox case you just may not have a choice. You get paid for winning -- now. Not a decade ago. In Atlanta's case they should start by firing their GM (after he off loads some viable players for some of our less viable ones).
xiki, I think my #5 is probably the most important. Many people just assume that if we don't win (for however many years) it must be the coach's problem. I am not so sure about that. It is a lot harder to pinpoint "this coach is better than that coach" than saying "this player is better than that player." There is very little pattern you can find in history that which coach makes which team better or worse. The winning teams always have great players. The teams that have a lot of talents but can't win almost always have one of two problems: (1) no clear superstar/leader on the team; or (2) selfish players with no chemistry. The only "bad" coaches are those who piss off his players and lose their loyalty. Other than that, I don't see any team win or lose because of the coach. Like I said long ago, the coach's job is kinda like the President's: (1) No matter what he does, some people are not happy; and (2) People are attributing too much credit or blame on the man. P.S. Yes, you can't fire the whole team. That's why to many people, firing the coach is the easy way to fix things. The truth is, it's probably a better long term strategy to overhaul the team than to fire the coach. (I'm not saying that coaches should never be fired. Look at my 3rd paragraphy above.)
Yes, but -- and the but is this team is not playing like one of the greatest teams ever assembled. The players individually and collectively are not the greatest etc but you just cannot realistically off them all. So, start with a new approach. The new approach might or might not be better, but it is the method which will be employed if the vacation starts in April.
Yes, yes and yes. However, Utah is declining and I think they will continue that path and be somewhat of a basement team. Before Shaq, Kobe and Phil, L.A. was on a five year slump, so was Boston. Portland and Indiana will probably never win a Finals. I agree that Rudy might not be the coach for this team and S.F. and Cat play some very immature basketball (S.F. doesn't run a play until 8 secs. left on the clock - why can't they get the most basic of problems fixed??), BUT the Rox are STILL maintaining an upwards and smooth timeline to the top. Like I said, they broke the team down, rebuilt it and ARE getting better. I've seen some good basketball out of them lately WHEN they play team ball. But my main point is this, even if they played like you and I want them to play, they wouldn't overtake the top 5 teams in the west this year or maybe next. That's why I say this team and this coach get one more year after this. Maybe by then they will have worked things out.
You have to consider that 2 years ago, there was no zone defense so Cat and Francis could drive the lane at will. Also the post game was more important because no one could double until someone got the ball. I have no doubt that if there was no zone defense we would be a top 5 seed this season. People would not be able to sag on Yao and he would have a easier time getting the ball deep in the paint. Also, there are few players in this league that can cover our guards one on one.
No the problem is that their are too many stupid posters, like you, who don't know **** about basketball and some how think you have more knowledge and understanding of the game and could do a better job than one of the best NBA coaches in the game. As far as homers go I am a rocket fan and this is a rocket site and if you are not a Rocket fan than get the f*!K out of here!
"At this point, if you make a mistake in October, you shouldn't be making the same mistake in March," Jordan said. "You have to have some growth. You've got to have some persistence and understanding for the game to make a change. And if we have too many players making the same mistakes in March as they made in October, that's going to make it very difficult (to make the playoffs)." - Michael Jordan on his second year foward, Kwame Brown. During one dead ball during Sunday's loss against the Knicks, Jordan was reminding Brown where he should be on defense. LOL. I guess MJ can say that NOW, after he's about done with his career. How many years did it take for him to pass out of a double/triple team instead of bowling into them for an offensive foul...some people still remember the young MJ. Too bad he doesn't.
From the vantage point of those critiquing Rudy your point is invalidated by the following: 1) Every other team had to face the change to the zone. Rudy knew it was coming and the response was Glen Rice and no MLE signing in summer '01 and Boki who never gets playing time and no MLE signing in 'summer '02. This could demonstrate a lack of flexibilty and/or creativity. 2) The Western Conference is and has been far superior to the Eastern Conference in low post play...the PF position primarily. The WC has continued to dominate the EC in spite of the zone. Your analysis of the impact of the zone is perhaps overinflated. Nothing personal, but the institution of the NBA zone as an excuse for the Rockets being just over a .500 team sounds weak to me.
Ditto Gater!! (Except I think you meant your last post as a response to those who are "defending" Rudy..)
As much as i love what he has done for the team, its time for him to leave. Hes too caught up in isolation basketball and needs to come up with a better offense. When you have a great motion offense it is alot harder for a team to double down on Yao. it sometimes looks like he is just relying on steve and cuttino to make a outsanding play for him. You have to realize the talent you have and set a offense around that, not just keep the same system you have had all along. I think we should let him finish out the season and barring any suprise in what they do in the playoffs, he should be let go in the offseason. Im gonna go out on a limb and even say who i think should be the replacement. it should be Jeff Van gundy. He would emphasis the importance of Defense but he is one of the best X's and O'x guys in the business.It would not be a problem getting him here because he would love to work with Yao and Steve.
theyre a just over .500 team because this is preactically the first year a lot of them play together and we are the second youngest team in the nba. God help us we actually take time to mature. Get off rudys back.
The Rockets two most important players, before the season at least, are in their 4th year together. Cato has been around for a long time. Taylor, although injured all of last year, is in his third year with Houston. In either case, your point that as they play together more they should get better is invalidated by the fact that as the season went on, they actually seemed to get worse, in both fundamental play and win-loss. Second, I don't know where the second youngest team in the league stat is from or if it's still valid. Indiana, I recall, is younger than us. The Clippers have to be younger (granted, they suck). Our status as one of the younger teams in the league is accurate, but slowly becoming not so as the team continues to fail to improve. The age argument had been brought up comparing the Rockets to S.A. (who with Duncan at 26 and Parker / Ginobilli looking to be major pieces of the puzzle in the future look poised to be dominant for years) recently. Age is a very poor excuse.
"The Rockets two most important players" have changed from Francis-Mobley to Francis-Yao. This is exactly why this team is still in transition.
UTweezer - I reject your assertion that I "stole" the name. When I originally submitted my "nickname" for registration on the board there was no indication that someone else was also using the RRU name. Apparently, my version (Rockets-R-Us) was slightly different that the other version you mentioned. Shortly after I became aware of this fact, I volunteered to change my nickname on the board if the other RRU felt it was necessary. Also, I have not seen the other guy/gal posting on the board for many months. I would still be willing to change the name if the other, more senior poster came back and asked me to do so. If you're in touch with that person, please feel free to convey that message. Thanks, RRU
I love Rudy!---I am not to sure about the roots of this organization! We need a new owner! Someone give me a billion dollars. I will hire Calvin and Bill as assistants! I promise!
