The Rockets have not beaten a team, with a winning record.

i do. they had a winnin record

 

That's what I thought. I think this no wins thing was done after those teams we beat went back to 500 or below.

 

in these next few games we have a tough schedule... we will beat these teams.... just watch and see... they will surely beat sa and sea

 

Geez, at least when I criticize Francis, it's after he has a poor performance. He played a solid game against the Warriors. He knew his shot was off, so he got everyone else involved. Then, he made a couple of key buckets late to keep the Rockets ahead.

I'll have to stick by my original prediction of the Rockets missing the playoffs, though. I'm sure well have about fifty "trade Francis" threads around late March and early April...

 

Wahhh Wahhh
Do you want me to call a freaking WAAHMBULANCE?!?!?!?!

 

You actually think the Rockets will beat Seattle? They lost to them in Houston. Rudy T has a mental block against Seattle.

 

I think there could be a better possibility for the Rockets to win. Jerome James will not play and he killed the Rockets last game. Also, the whole Seattle team seemed to be clicking that night. This may not happend twice, hopefully. Also, Yao is beginning to break lose and he should do well, especially since Jerome won't play.

Now I don't think it will be an easy victory, if a victory at all. But I do think that they have a good shot at winning.

 

At 8-6, the Rockets have a better record than the 9-7 Sonics.

I just wanted to point that out.

 

We will probably make the playoffs.

What troubles me is, we won 45 games 2 yrs ago, right? So, granted, MoT and Steve missed much of last year, but, other than that...

A lot more experience and playing time for Mooch and KT.

Another year of experience for Mobley.

A definitely improved and more inspired Cato this year.

A year of experience for Griffin.

The addition of sharp-shooting Rice.

The number one draft pick who already plays better than most centers in the league.

Having said all that, why does this team not seem any better than the 45 win Rockets of 2 years ago?

 

Blinded by the light. Try on a pair of sunglasses maybe you can see better.

 

I want to point this out. Check back in about 6 games

 

Wow, you're a real fan, aren't you.

I can't be bothered with this trash anymore.

 

yo jerry,
you like being a dick head, or is it involuntary?

 

Do you want to give me the lotto numbers now.

Blatz

 

This is absolutely silly.

It's absolutely astonishing that we're 2 games above .500 right now. We're basically a brand new team. So much that Rudy doesn't know his rotation yet. Let's analyze it.

Our rotation consists of Yao Ming, Kelvin Cato, Griffin, KT, MoT, Rice, Hawkins, Mobley, Francis, and Moochie.

That's 10 players in our main rotation. Yao Ming, Mo T, and Hawkins DIDN'T play for the Rockets last season. They were not with the team. KT is trying (although unsuccesfully) to play a new position. Francis missed 20+ games last year, and when he played, couldn't hear with one ear, and felt like someone was hammering his head. Rice missed 60+ games, and when he played, was playing injured, and was unfamiliar with the team because he missed most of training camp and preseason anyway. So you can say his teammates are still getting used to him. That leaves Cato, Griffin, Mobley and Moochie. Griffin is 20 years old. He'd be (I think) a Junior in college. This guy still has to work hard to become a starter, so he's a bench player that hasn't played much with our regular rotation. Mobley has been out for the past few games, and will be for another 2 or 3 I think, so he's out of the picture. When he played this season, it was in pain, so Hawkins was our starting 2-guard. Moochie. Well, he's serving no real purpose. He has one good game all season, and honestly, I think, if not for the billboards, he'd be long gone.



So you see, we haven't found ourselves yet. As I've said before, NO team in the league will improve during the course of the seaosn as much as we will. We have so much room for improvement. There's so much adjusting, rehabbing, getting comfortable, stuff like that to do...It's still early. So even if we come out of this road trip 8-8, it will be excellent, because we'll be at .500 after one fo the toughest stretches of the season.

Regardless, we're going to come out 9-7, and you guys will complain because "Sonics didn't have James" or "Sacramento didn't have Turkoglu"....

It will never be enough, will it? So let's just wait for playoff time, and then let's point fingers.

Bookmark this page. If we don't make the playoffs, come back, and shove it all in my face. I volunteer myself into that list.

 

I don't want to deal with this thing on the relative merits of our record thus far due to our inexperience, players not being availabe, ect...Those are just excuses, and many of the teams we have played could make the same or different but no less valid ones...( and in fact some with more, as I will point out)...

I do want to point out a few things about the statistical analysis this is based on...

1) Portland sits at 7-7...meaning that their record not including our win ( which is the point,, right, to measure our relative strength against how teams have done against other opponents) is 7-6 ; above .500.

2) The fact that we have played such a low number of games against top teams makes any conclusions drawn from this limited sample virtually statistically insignificant. Adding to this the fact that we have lost 2 of those games by 1 point, and it fails as a measurable.

3) I do agree that if this plays out over significant number of games, it would be not only dissapointing, but downright scary. Add to that the fact that of the 7 sub. 500 teams we have faced/beaten, we have faced 2 ( Toronto and the Lakers) without their top players, and it would be alarming were it to continue. It will not, however.

 

Very nice post Sane. I cant speak about others on this BBS, because as they say, opinions are like....well, we all know the saying. I will always follow the Rockets no matter what they do. I have been a huge fan since moving to Houston in 1979 from Michigan & continue to support & follow them even though I now live in the D/FW area. Only reason I got DirecTv was so that I could watch all of their games.

Sure, who doesnt get disappointed when they dont play up to their full capabilities. However, that doesnt mean they suck IMO just because they didnt win this game or that game or havent made the playoffs in the last few years or so. They are a team on the rise & will have some growing pains on the way.

Will they make the playoffs? I dont know the answer to that question. Would I like them to make the playoffs? Yes, I would. On the other hand, I wont be ranting & raving if they dont get in or calling out this player that player to be moved/traded etc,etc.

Yes, I bleed Rocket Red & they are a big part of my down/social life. However, I dont make them such a big part of my life that I lose focus on what is really happening in the overall grand scheme of things. It is just a game after all.

Now, with that being said, what did we really expect after the first 14 games? To be 14-0 or 7-7? Lets be realistic here, I had them down with an 8-6 record @ this point & even though I want them to win every game, I do have them marked down to lose the next 3 games. So by the time when they have played their last game for 2002 I have them with a record of 19-11 with them finishing out the season between 48-50 wins overall. I actually have them @ 49-33 which is not a huge improvement over a couple of years ago, but hopefully good enough to slide into the playoffs.

Well, I am done here. Guess I will go back into my lurking mode now.

 

You don't try to predict whether a team would make the playoffs until after the all-star break.

 

we have a better record than sea.... it took the spurs a game winner to beat grizz!! hahaa! i forgot to add that we are better than sixers and hornets...

 

yea