It pains me to say it, but 3 times the Rockets have had a shot at respectability, and get them closer to the playoffs, and in all three instances they choked. Portland, double digit lead late...lost. Dallas, double digit lead late...lost. Phoenix, double digit lead late...lost. See a pattern here? The truth of the matter is that this team is still young and does not understand what it takes to win close games against quality, playoff bound opponents. One of the biggest reasons we will not make it, is Rudy's insistance of giving the ball to Mobley at crunch time. IMHO it is time to trade Mobley, he is far too eratic, and is hindering Francis' development. Think of it this way, all of the great players had the ability to create a shot for THEMSELVES or their TEAMATES at crunch time. Cat can create for himself, but does NOT have the ability to pass to his teamates. Cat would force up a bad shot before he passed it to someone else. Look at Jason Kidd last night...he passed to Googs..and bingo....a made bucket. I would not mind Cuttino taking the shot, if it was created by Steve for him, if he got a wide open look off someone else's creativity, but to have Cat be the sole responsibilty for wins and losses is contrary to team development. Think how much better Mo would play if he got the ball for the last shot, or Shandon, or Hakeem, etc..etc...Good teams share the ball at crunch, average teams do not. The problem with the Rockets is that in crunch time they rely on the player with the least court savvy on the entire team. As for Basketball smarts, Francis is smart, KT is smart, Shandon Anderson is VERY smart, Hakeem is smart, Collier is smart, Rogers is smart, Langhi is smart, Bullard is smart, Moochie is smart...Cato is...Well.....Tall. You get my point, it is time to get the ball to Steve in the clutch, if the play is not there for him, at least he has the ability to pass out to an open teamate. I wish we were going to the playoffs, but all I see is a very young team, that is just not yet ready. DaDakota ------------------ Go Jazz * http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011403.html
To be fair to the Rockets: They were screwed by the refs. While the refs aren't the only people to blame, they still did play a part in our loss. And the same thing happened with the Dallas game. http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011758.html ------------------ PrEsident of The Danforth Langhford FAN CLUB... He IS our future All-Star Small Forward
While I do not think the season is over, and there is still a good shot at the playoffs, i agree about a few points. These guys are young and do not quite know how to fnish a team off. Francisshould definitely have the ball at the end. Mobes is a great 1 on 1 player, but i think Francis is better and, as you said, is a much much better playmaker. It seems that when he has been allowed to take over at the end in the past, good things have come from it. Even if he messes up, Francis has a higher probability of learning from it. I do not think Cat should be traded. He is a great complement and should be treated as such. Rudy shouldn't be blamed too much, though, for this particular game because Cat had the best 4th of any other Rocket.... ------------------ Whitey will pay.
Great, now the negative posts are flying. We're not a playoff team, trade Mobley he's a cancer, nevermind the fact that we're WAY ahead of schedule here! It's funny, threads like this, THESE are the only people who feel this way. The team, though upset, are just getting ready for the next game, not looking to dump key players after every loss. Mobley fits this team fine. It was a tough loss, that's all. ------------------ Rocks2001 in disguise. . .
If the Rockets trade Mobley it's a good chance Francis wont be here when he becomes a free agent. The Rockets are good enough to be a playoff team(8th seed), but they are not an elite team that can contend for the title. They can't close out the better teams because they are young and lack experience. If they can make the playoffs then that will help them a lot for next year in terms of. ------------------
RocksMillenium et al, I want to clarify, I would not GIVE Mobley away, but I just don't see him developing the necessary smarts to be a key component in a championship team. I proposed a Mobley for Jamison trade last night in chat, that is what I am talking about. I don't even mind if we KEEP Cat, only if we quit giving him the ball exclusively in the crunch. For every late layup against NY, we have to endure about 10 failures from him. I love his heart, and his willingness to take the shot, but his brain is NON-EXISTANT. For the Rockets to make it to the next level they have to play as a team. Mobley does not do this, Francis does. Give the ball to Francis in crunch, he will lead the team to victory far more often. DaDakota ------------------ Go Jazz * http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011403.html
Well Francis is the PG, he shouldn't have a problem getting the ball. To blame this loss on Mobley isn't right, because NOBODY on the team was hitting shots down the stretch except for Mobley's hot streak. It's funny, we get on the Lakers fans, and Portland fans for being "fair weather" fans, but I don't see those guys begging to trade guys after every loss. I would bet that the Clipper, and Grizzlies, and even Boston would KILL to have a rebuilt team playing above .500 basketball after only their 2nd year of rebuilding. People are complaining and wanting guys gone, like we're a championship contender. ------------------ Rocks2001 in disguise. . .
Dadakota, I agree. This is exactly what I've been saying all along. Yes Mobley has come through in the clutch a few times, but for the most part he's failed. He doesn't care if the whole other team is defending him, he's throwing it up no matter what. It was good to see him get on a hot streak in the 4th, but when he stopped hitting, it was time to go to someone else, Steve in particular. I know I sound like a broken record but Steve needs to ASSERT himself more. If it means stepping on some toes, in particularly his best bud Mobley, then so be it. Friendship aside, it has to be about winning right now. ------------------
I don't think this loss is a good enough barameter that our playres are too young or not mature enough. I think the Rockets players proved that they are real playoff team when they came back in the previous 3 games and have won 14 of the last 18. The mark of a good playoff team is to win almost all games that you are suppose to win and a keep the other games close with a win here an there. We cannot expect the players to win so many games in a row. Unfortunately if Rudy T would wake up during the game and realize that you have a backup guard playing the best point guard in the league and a slow shooting forward playing a power forward this game was ours. I think Rudy T is one of the best motivators in the league as a coach but some of his descions for personel in games just plain cost us. I think this is the first year that we have been in a situation where Rudy T has made this many mistakes on personel desicsions in the 4th quarter. If we had an assistant coach that tells Rudy when to change players in the 4th quarter we would easily have won at least 5 more games this year. Hopefully all this is just a prelude to see who will play in crunch time when we finally make the playoffs. . ------------------ Tennessee is a suburb of Houston. Go Oilers....
RocksMillenium is completely right - we are WAAAAAY ahead of schedule. At the beginning of the season, I would have been super-happy with a .500 season because everyone knew the West would be nasty... and while the Rockets have had their troubles, they are actually on their way to a possible 45 win season. Only a short time after starting a season with 10 losses (or so, I forget), they've rebuilt this year and come back really strong. Don't trade Mobley - the guy is for real. Remember, Jordan didn't grow into the dominant threat for a couple of years. Hakeem didn't develop as a passer out of the post for a few years. Mobley deserves credit for having game. Franchise should be the one directing the team down the stretch and creating for everyone else unless Mobley learns to pass out of the double team. Inside-out is one of the few truly effective sets in today's NBA. There MUST be a reason Stevie has gotten the name "Franchise", right? I get the feeling he's sort of important... In the NBA, you either suck, hang around, or dominate. The Rockets were supposed to suck this year, and I think we're now in the middle category. In a year or two (or an acquisition or two, hehe), we'll be ready to whoop some booty.
Ahead of WHAT schedule exactly? I want to win now darnit. Yes, I see improvement, but how much of that is due to a resergence in Hakeem, who is leaving after this year? I want to start to see some maturity darnit, I think Steve is starting too, but Mobley has shown me NOTHING in 3 years....he is the same loose cannon now, that he was as a rookie. I would rather have a big player...like a Jamison who can compliment Francis. As for Francis leaving if we trade Mobley, not if we start winning more often. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
Portland, double digit lead late...lost. Dallas, double digit lead late...lost. Phoenix, double digit lead late...lost. See a pattern here? I DEFINITELY see a pattern. It must be Cat's fault. No other possible explanation. Oh, and Rudy's fault too for playing Cat. Cat and Rudy suck.
I AM NOT BLAMING CUTTINO !!!! All I am saying is that he is not the sort of complimentary player that we need for Francis to reach his peak potential. As long as Cuttino is given the ball late in games, the Rockets will be mediocre at best. Francis is the ONLY player on the Rockets who is capable of being that GO TO guy late in games. If you guys don't like the truth, well so be it. It hurts sometimes. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
Rockets sure do have what is takes to get to the playoffs, that is why we have a superior record than Minn and the Suns since Dream gave us the lift. We are better. It is just whether or not we can make up the ground. But indeed, we are a better team. You are singing a different tune if one of Mobes last three don't rim out and Mo's put back doesn't rim out. Even with that, Marion's crap shot from his hip for a the tie just plain sucked. Walt did get his arm ripped down; it is very very clear on tape. Mobley had a finger roll for the win, what more do you want DaDakota. Dream wasn't in to stop their run. Oh that's it, we don't have what it takes with Dream out.
"Francis is the ONLY player on the Rockets who is capable of being that GO TO guy late in games." And if Francis fouls out or gets hurt, then we just give up. Conceding a game is preferable to giving Cat the ball at the end.
HeyP I 'm with you Also, I would like to see Francis with the ball more. . . . But not having Dream hurt The Refs hurt more I don't give a d*mn about 'great teams over come refs crap' BECAUSE THE GREAT BULLS *NEVER* HAD THE REFS AGAINST THEM . . . NEVER maybe a call or two but not like last night Rocket River ------------------
So does this mean every team that loses on its 4th game in 5 nights, on the road, without its starting center, to a team with a better record is not ready for the playoffs, or just the Rockets? 1st off, the Rockets are 3-1 since Hakeem went out. 2nd, they finished 14 games under .500 last year. They're currently 6 games above .500 this year. What more would you like them to accomplish? Are you aware that this is their first full season of rebuilding? ------------------ "****!" --Kenny Thomas
And DaDakota, this is pure bull in summarizing last night's game. Mobley had a major mismatch. Francis did not. The team is developing a system to destroy double teams and to use high picks. The team's development is very much part of giving the ball to Mobley, because he is their best player at helping the team beat double teams. Francis is just now excelling at using the high pick better. That is great. Francis and the team are also excelling at running more complicated plays, but not the type you should consider crunch-time threats when the D steps it up. Mobley looks to me like he relaxes everyone in the last 2 minutes, because they know what will happen against the high pick, and they can focus on their weakside roles. You may want Francis to have the ball, but you are going to get the same play run (24 high) and Mobley still runs that better in crunch time. What is your point about "team development" if Rudy is going to call the same play for Francis? Mobley had a mismatch last night, and two beautiful last minute looks. The last minute is crunch time defense, and he got two excellent looks. How can you deny that and use this game to further some contrived notion that Mobley should just be a weak-side option and nothing more. God I'm glad Rudy just shakes his head at those notions.
