Watching this game tonight made me realize one thing: I am a Rockets fan. That's the only reason I would be watching this crappy game otherwise. Why was it so crappy? You tell me. If you do tell me, you'll probably agree that the play calling and the team effort didn't exist. We might as well all go down to the Fonde Rec Center and root for the shirts against the skins tomorrow if this is the kind of ball we like. Well, what I mean is this is unorganized feces. Talent everywhere, team nowhere. Maybe I'm assuming too much after one game, but we all might as well be Portland fans. What I am proposing here is that my hero, Rudy Tomjanovich, is not the best coach for this particular team. Somebody needs to come in and say "Hey, if you don't want to run my goddam plays, then I'll have Jason Collier step in and run them for you." The Rockets played '01-'02 ball all the way tonight. I'm tired of that ****. Play some team ball guys, because you have one of the deepest teams around. If Rudy can't make these guys do this, then someone needs to go...and that someone who would be easiest to replace would be Rudy. I need a coach to come in who can shove some maturity in these street-ballers hard heads. Someone who can assert respect for plays amongst the "players." I've been making every excuse in the book for my lifelong heroes, but if tonight's effort keeps up, my patience will wear thinner than that of the bandwagon fans that sold out the Compaq Center for years...only to abandon the team until the team got its **** straight. Help me out y'all....tell me how I'm wrong.
I can't. You are too right. The last time I have seen NBA basketball that is this disorganized...Don Chaney was coach. The game was against the Pistons and I was at the game in The Summit...the next day Charlie Thomas published a public apology for the team's performance.
Talent everywhere, one of the deepest teams in the league? This team played with a 9 man rotation and one low post threat who happened to have a bad game. I think this is why people are overreacting. People are thinking this is the deep and talented Rockets team of the preseason when it's not. This team is banged up right now. What was Rudy supposed to do. That's what I don't get, on one hand people are like "stop using injuries as an excuse, and this team should do better" then when people talk about injuries they say "bullcrap this is a deep team forget injuries!". This is NOT a deep team RIGHT NOW. When your only players off the bench are Hawkins, Collier, and inexperienced rookies from another country in Ming and Nachbar this IS NOT a deep and talented team. When Mo, KT, T-Mo, and Rice return THEN it's a deep and talented team.
No. Rudy just needs reenforcement from the Rockets ownership... Les and CD need to talk to the players and remind them that RUDY is in charge!!!! Rudy's too nice to say this himself. CD/Les needs to chew some player butt! No more slacking defense! No more ball hogging!
If Rudy is too nice to say that then he doesn't need to keep the job. I love Rudy as much as the next guy...but sometimes the coach loses the ability to relate to the players. Even Tom Landry had to step down at some point.
David, this reinforces my whole point here...I'm more worried that Rudy can't remind the players himself that HE is in charge. He is too nice...you are right, that's what worries me. Forget Les and CD, Rudy should be doing the enforcer job...or at least leave it to Larry Smith...But David, don't take this the wrong way...I respect every one of your posts for their infinite value (why do you think I'm responding to this one?), it's just that I want to ask you for your opinion on this particular topic.
I hope that doesn't happen. The good thing is that Rudy will get a lot of pressure this year to produce. And, as you know, the crap rolls down hill... I used to love it when Rudy will get into Cassell and Horry's face during games when they would get smart-aleck with Rudy. Rudy would put them in their place! They would sulk and get mad at Rudy, but so what? It motivated them and created results! Rudy was in charge!!! And the players knew it.
Okay...I agree he was in charge...but that was with the '93 team...this is a whole different one in 2002. Can he still assert himself? Help me out here David
Oh, I said "No" because I hope that this doesn't happen (fired). Sometimes this happens at my office. The employees need a wake-up call! ***Your job is not safe!!!*** It really has an affect! Competition increases! The good news is that when Rudy has the power, he's very effective. Rudy is like that kid brother that is too nice that gets beatup in the school yard. Some times you just want to shake him and say, "Wake up!!! Stop being such a nice-guy!" He neess to realize that sometimes players need butt chewings! There was no reason for the lack of defense/hustle tonight.
I agree with Dallas' post. People can complain about Steve and Cat ballhogging and not playing D, but in the end RT has to be accountable. How many seasons can we go through this bullsh!t of his teams being undisciplined, lazy, and flat out dumb. If RT is in fact telling them all the right things and urging them to pass the ball and close out on shooters and they don't respond, then he must either bench them or trade them. One thing is certain, if we have to hear the same lame excuses from RT all season long that we've been hearing for the past 6 seasons, I'll go crazy. "We're young, we're injured, we don't get to practice, we're tired, we're still learning. Last time I checked the Pacers were missing their starting backcourt and are a younger overall team. How pathetic that Isiah Thomas of all coaches managed to outcoach RT.
