I agree. Who knows how much better we could have been with a bonafide PG who's aggressive and can create off the dribble. I really hope Vspan can grow into that role.
Yes, I somewhat agree with you here, I just think that the position of PG is one of the most valuable. And if the Rockets had a good one they would be contenders.....thus my point about them not being that far off... DD
i thought they were a contender...isnt that what you've said before? but they would have gotten past the first round, i think, and it seems you agree. Which could only mean that you believe it was a talent issue, not a coaching. i knew you would admit it sooner or later but let me pose another question...if rasheed wallace was PF, would the rockets be a contender?
They are much more than just a point guard away. What you are missing is that this team has absolutely no heart. That's what sets the Spurs apart into a class of their own. I'm not the least bit impressed by 52 wins in an injury plagued season. The Spurs with Parker, Popavich (a great motivator who develops his young talent), and heart would have still won 60.
No, no no, I have contended all year that they were not a contender yet which is why I wanted other players developed to find out if they might move the overall team more towards contendership. I have always said it was a talent issue, but I also believe that some potential answers to that talent issue were rookies or veterans on the Rockets bench, which makes it completely a coaching issue. Better, but still not a contender, IMO. DD
My counter to that arguement is that getting a great or even good (significantly better than Rafer) PG is fairly difficult and unlikely at this point without giving up something that will create a new weakness, which in turn makes us far off. Unless we can get a significant upgrade via the draft or free agency we are unlikely to do so via trade because we have next to no assets beyond Yao and TMac. Because we are drafting late and we have little salary cap room we are extremely limited in our options. So I agree that IF we had a great PG we wouldn't be far off, but at the same time I think we are along ways from obtaining that PG.
Hah, That is what I said....no heart.....and still to this day.....well, the playoff results bore it out, didn't it. Yao is getting there, but this team needs leadership in the worst way, a take no prisoners, take charge personality on the floor. DD
Yes, that is true, but we do have some pieces that are somewhat interchangeable. For instance, Battier and Tmac play the same position pretty much, why not trade Battier? I like how he plays, but if it can net the team a good PF or PG, then away he goes. DD
We haven't changed a thing since the end of the season other than the coach, yet now we're only a PG away even though we haven't seen what the new coach can do, how he'll use the existing players, how he'll use the players that weren't used much last season, and how the players will fit in and react to the new coach. Can't wait for this season to start to see what the battlecry will be...
Give me a break. It's not about heart, it's about lack of talent. "Lack of heart" is such a cliche thats thrown around these days. You're not going to win when the Shane Battiers and Rafer Alstons are your key role players and Juwan Howard is your off the bench spark. If you are expecting Tmac and Yao to be Kobe and Shaq it's never going to happen.
not as much of a conteder as with a better pg? my point is that the weakest position for the rockets is pf by a long shot. what about a SG thrown into the mix..say manu?
Fair enough, but honestly D.o.D, even though I did not like JVG and think he was part of the problem, I believe that Rafer was the biggest problem by a long shot. DD
Manu would be interesting, for sure, then you could slide Tmac to the SF position. But much like Raweed, I still think it would leave the team short. Look, I am not saying PF is a strength, it clearly isn't, I just think you can get by with an average PF, but really need a quality PG. DD
How in the world did the playoff results bore it out? This team had more heart than any Rockets team I've ever seen - '95 included. Don't confuse lack of heart with lack of talent.
You're still not getting it. You have a new coach, a new offense, a new defense, and that's not getting into the player changes that may or may not come about, yet you say we're only a good PG away. Why weren't we just a PG away while JVG was here? It's not a JVG vs. anyone question - it's an "I'm trying to understand how you come to your conclusion now that the variables are greater" question.
