Very good post, but I would differ a bit on these final 2 assessments. To make a play-off run, you need some solid vets. Certainly the older legs can hurt you a lot on D, unless you have one of the top team-based defenses which JVG has. What is hurting us more on D right now is still the main prob for the season: injuries. We have guys playing extended minutes that have been playing w/ us a short time. Other teams can limit the minutes of their defensive stoppers when we don't have TMac...etc etc As for 'b', there was a lot of talk about JVG's stubbornness last season, until all of the pieces fell into place at the end of the season and the offense heated-up. You'd think that would have some effect on people's perceptions...whatever. I for one have been amazed at what JVG has been able to do with players that other teams did not even want warming their bench. We've lost many game w/ them, but we weren't expected to win them...yet we were competitive in most. Still, JVG may have some stubbornness oin some areas, but I just don't see it here. All that said, I'll repeat...good overall analysis. I appreciate your clear thinking.
With a healthy TMac and Yao, the Rockets winning percentage would be good for the 3rd best in the West, 4th in the NBA. If everyone else involved in the organization sucks as badly as all the haters say, from CD to JVG to the role players, then how could that be? Maybe the reason the team looks so bad this year is that we are depending on players that would not even crack the roster if everyone was healthy to play big minutes. No team could weather the injuries we have had. Period.
