When Yao-TMac got 54 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists in 77 minutes in a losing effort, you have to be worried. For all the talks about Yao-TMac geling, how much more from them do you expect to get? 3 more rebounds? two more assists? The rest of the team is just too bad. In their 163 minutes, they scored 42 points, grabed 22 rebounds, and dished out 14 assists. And for the rebuilding theory, except Yao and TMac, which player on this current roster will surely still be with this team after two-years? Talking about Yao-TMac ajusting for their new teammate, I guarantee you this two will have a bunch of new teammates next year, too. This Rockets team have two fatal weakness. Offensively, no reliable third option. JJ is a old spot-up shooter now. Mo is a defense liability. Defensively, no defensive PF. Your offense is too dependant on Yao to let him in foul trouble. But without a defensive PF, you can't afford to let Yao play more passively in the paint. Taling about trade, on the current roster except Yao and TMac, who has enough trade value to bring us a third option offensive player or a defensive PF?
If CD wants to build a team for the future, why does him find so many old players? They are going to retire in 2 years.
Yup. Two man teams never work. What is JVG thinking? What did Magic/Kareem, Hakeem/Clyde, Kobe/Shaq, Duncan/Robinson, Moses/Dr.J, Bird/McHale ever do?
I got to disagree on a couple of those....Magic/Kareem had James Worthy, Byron Scott, and a rotating cast of solid players, and Bird/McHale were part of the best starting five of the 80's.
But who is to say that Yao/TMac wont eventually be surrounded by a strong supporting cast. Thats my whole point. Its not like if we dont win this year that Yao/Tmac careers are over. Teams evolve over the course of several years to win titles, not over 13 games. Give this duo a chance before you claim that it won't work. I expect nothing less from lanqiu1 though.
2 superstars doesn't guarantee anything. It's only meant to raise the odds. The history of the NBA strongly suggests that an unbalanced team with superstars and role players work better than a balanced team. 13 Rockets games with a 6-7 record doesn't change that. Do we need better role players around Yao/T-Mac? Of course. But we were strapped with some terrible contracts that it's been hard to get quality help. This should get better as years go by, assuming Dawson doesn't do something stupid like he did with Taylor or Moochie.
This is why the most important thing this season is getting Yao signed long term at the end of the season. We must realize we are building around these 2 players. No way we have the supporting cast this year to contend. We need to get into the playoffs somehow, for the confidence, experience and the positive influence of resigning Yao.
Next year we hand a very good PG or PF the MLE. And sometime between now and then we use the trade exception and/or Howard or MoT to get the other piece. A year from now, we will have a very good starting 5, plus a first round draft pick if it has not been traded, not to mention the vets exception. The year after that, we upgrade our bench. I look for the Rockets to be the team to beat in 2006.
Personally, I see tons of positives in this first group of games. I think T-mac and Yao and becoming what we all expected. So far we have been in every game and could easily have a much better record. I would still say give this team more time. If this team were getting blown out every nite then I would be a lot more worried but right now, it’s early in the season and I don’t see anything that is unfixable.
Exactly. We have not been blown out and have been ahead in the fourth quarter in every game that I can remember. We just need to learn how to close games and most importantly, how to score down the stretch (if we had more than one point in the last three minutes last night, we might have beat Sacramento). I agree that we need to give this team more time to gel (which it appears they already are), to get Sura back, and to figure out what the go-to plays are down the stretch. We are still in good shape, it will only take one 5-6 game winning streak to put us in the pack with most of the other teams in the WC. EDIT: We have also arguably had the toughest schedule in the league to start the season, I think we have played more games than any other team and nine of our 13 games have been against last year's playoff teams.
The most important thing is that Yao and TMac feel comfortable playing with each other. They are getting along nicely in every game. Ideally I hope that they can average 51-53 points between them at the peak (27 TMac, 26 Yao). Our role players suck, but we can get better ones down the road. BTW, start Lue over Ward. I like his play out there.
I think it is just that JVG's defenisive tactics have not come together yet with this "new" team. If the defense could bunker down like last year consistently we would be fine. If I am right, this must be driving JVG completely nuts.
Man, you need talent to play defense, too. Rockets may be the slowest team in the league now. Mo is not capable of playing defense like Cato does. Charlie Ward, even in his younger years, is not as atheletic as SF. TMac maybe slightly better than Cat. But not much. TMac is more gifted, but Cat can be more focused on defense.
Dude, have you watched the last couple of games? T-Mac has made some great defensive plays, I have been really impressed with his D so far. Aside for a couple of time last nite where he lost his man, he played very strong D last nite and for the last couple of games.
These guys are getting it done. We have two 20 point scorers each night who can both get their own shot. How awesome is that. The only problem so far is that neither Yao or T-Mac have been able to finish the game strong and make clutch baskets consitently. But we know they can. So why worry. And like was said, we are in every game. There is nothing wrong with that.
Totally agree, the 4th quarter has been our worst enemy so far. Once these players learn how to close out games late, we will be a very dangerous team. I think we have made process during the 2 wins at the Clip joint and the Rose Garden. Last nite, they were only a few shots away from a win. They need to build on that in upcoming games.
It's already been brought up that T-Mac could be one the best defensive players in the league but right now he's not. He has all the tools but he only does it in spurts. That's been the knock on him and at times he's been really bad. But he has been doing better and hopefully he can continue to. Just don't know how much that will take away from his offence. We saw how SF3 made made steps to improving his D last year, we can only hope the same with TMAC.
What's up with Yao's lack of assists the past 2 games? Isn't he supposed to be one of the best passing big men in the game? He's been pretty weak in that category of late (0 assists in the past 2 games). My hope is that it's just a matter of Yao getting accustomed to having the offense truly run through him and growing into the role of being a dominant big man that's got him thinking to shoot more. But over time, this whole team will be pretty dangerous. I like the potential I'm seeing, and with the promising play of Barrett last night, and even Boki, I think we've got a great future as soon as this season. I just wish I lived in Houston so I could go to more games.
You hit the nail on the head. I'm ecstatic the way we are playing right now this early in the season. It takes a team some time together to learn how to close out teams, it just does not happen overnight. If the rockets can stay healthy talk to me after 30 more games.
