The injuries tonight are exactly what this team needed to compete. Not because we are a better team without him, but because it finally slaps the hell out of everyone and gets them into underdog mode. When AB then Kevin Martin went out tonight this team dug in deep and began competing. This is nothing new to this team. The Rockets of the past few seasons have always been praised as resilient, mentally tough, tenacious underdogs and for that reason have been loved by the media. Enter this season where we have one of the deepest teams in the league, Yao returns and things are starting to look up for us. All of a sudden they have a full squad together and are expected to do big things. Then we see the 0-5 start and everyone wonders why. The reason is that this is a team that thrives when they are pinned against the wall and counted out. It is the teams personality whether it was given to them by Rick or just formed by the bad fortune they have had to overcome. We can only hope when Brooks comes back and the team is at full strength again, this attitude sticks and they learn how to keep up that fire, urgency and refusal to give up that was present in the second half of tonights game, for the rest of the season.
I don't know if it's the underdog mentality or just the fact that Courtney Lee and Ishmael are a better defensive duo than Brooks and Martin. The fact is Ishmael led us with crucial plays down the stretch, and Battier became Mr. Tangibles all of a sudden. We showed fight tonight. I'd much rather have a grind out game like tonight than a game where we trade jumpshot after jumpshot.
Yeah don't worry, if you lose 5 games in a row in the middle of the season no one would make a big deal out of it.
I don't know if its the "underdog mentality" or what. Thats just what I used to describe it. What it was was a lack of intensity and execution that has been missing. Of course this is my opinion but that attitude as a tough never quit team was absent these first few games IMO. It showed up in the second half tonight.
There is no hope for this team when Yao had to play 24mins and not even play back to back game. Do you even know how many back to back games are there in the schedule?? Ridiculous.
Yao did not play tonight and we took the Spurs to overtime in San Antonio without our top two leading scorers for half the game. This team sometimes plays better as a unit without Yao. There is plenty of hope if the Rockets show up ready to play every game, with or without Yao. Attitude is much more important than Yao.
I agree with you. And like he said, this is prove Brooks doesn't have the ability to make his teammates better and putting them in spots for them to succeed, something Smith most of the time tonight.
Nope, Yao is your man. You ride him to the top. Last year's team didn't even make it to the playoffs, so even if they showed up, they ain't going nowhere. If this team can't ride Yao to the top, then game over. Time to cut him loose and rebuilt.
It was going thru my head all this week that the only way to change the rotation is for someone to get hurt. I dont wish that upon nobody but is the only way stubborn aelman( without D) will understand he has some players that deserve playing time.
