If we're not gonna win, we might as well make the best of it. Put Mobley on the IR too so he can sit 5 games out. We have no hope but to play with our reserves. Knowing Rudy, I think this will be the line-up if Mobley doesn't play: Norris Rice Wizard KT Cato Personally, I think we should go with Willis at the PF spot to add some punch to the bench, and so we'd be playing a BIG line-up. I think Willis and Cato can play better than Pollard and Divac if Francis is not playing. I'd take KT over Funderburke and Jabbari Smith. Hopefully, we'll see Eddie Griffin get some PT and do great. This is what it's come down to: Pass the ball, and we'll win at a .400 os so clip. otherwise, I wouldn't rule out a .000 percentage during this stretch of games. Some bright spots: - We'll have to go big, so EG will play more. - Norris hasn't played very well, so maybe he'll snap out of this and re-thrive as a backup when Francis is back. - Francis and Mobley will rest and learn from their mistakes. - Rice will get into a groove. - More shots for everyone, so that Steve will realize it's okay to pass the ball to anyone other than Cat.
Just as long as we have Norris , Torres and Morris on the floor at the same time . Maybe The Kings will underestimate us , They are a .500 team on the road . BUT If Cuttino doesnt play We are screwed
we are not in the lottery again look steve was our best player, i know that, but this is glen rices time to step up now and mooch can do a good job starting, plus we get a glut of eastern teams this month i think it hurts but i dont think lottery is in our future, as guys who have struggled will step up with more playing time I may be wrong, but this yrs goal is about getting there, next yr with a more mature griffin and taylor back we can become contenders Im a diehard rockets fan and while it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel we have guys who can be big players and keep us afloat and i think we will be ok and still be a playoff team.
OK man this isnt Summer League, u dont just bench all ur starters because one of them is out.....you expect all other starters to step up a little and carry the extra weight. Granted they cannot fill Francis' shoes....and we will hurt badly without him.....but we can and will still win games......not as easily, but we will.....as long as we stay at or around .500 until he comes back we are fine.....we cannot dig another whole for him to lift us out of like last season. what ya think
well.......this hurts, ouch...I think we need to keep the sunglasses off and see the sunshine, but the sunshine isn't shining so bright these days...maybe I should succumb to the bleak, coldness of the deerstand and take my frustrations out, but I digress....One thing I certainly believe is that there can always be a positive in a negative (infact, I coined the pharse...)...Sometimes you gotta look hard enough but it is there....The creme rises to the top and so we don't have Francis for a month or two....big deal?!?....well, maybe it is a big deal, but we will see the other side of the moon by this...what I mean is we will see how significant or insignificant Moochie, Brown, Torres....the rest of the team really is....If we see good things we never imagined before...it is good. same thing if we see bad things....How so? Because We, Rudy, media, etc. will see the strengths behind Steve and of course it can strengthen the team effectiveness for the short future as well as long-term future. It's a good thing, but not a good thing.
Okay, let's get this straight..We DIDN'T make the playoffs last year WITH a healthy Steve, Mo, and Dream playing very well in the second half....and y'all (!?) think that we'll make it this year without them, because of Glen Rice and EG!?!? Ok, I'm very excited about EG getting some PT,but Glen Rice!?!? If Rice is the answer, we're asking the wrong questions....There IS a bright side, several, in fact, but the playoffs!?!? Not that I can see... Up-Side: * EG, T-Mo getting much needed PT. * Maybe Rice will find his shot, so he can at least contribute in ONE way when we get healthy. * Rudy's always been at his best when faced with adversity * With 2 picks ( am I right about this?) we'll be able to go after a big guy in the draft. * Stevie can watch and learn rather than play and learn... But I REALLY don't think we're playing in the post-season, unless some of these injuries aren't as bad as expected...
Dude, you love the rockets way too much we are a 500 team now and you expect them to stay that way without their best player. No way they beat the Knicks and Pacers on the road and bucks at home without steve and i doubt they could even take Miami. I'll give you Cleveland, Wiz and Bulls, so that's 3 and 10 and on a 5 game losing streak if Steve comes back after 4 weeks and record of 10-17. sorry Smeg
Sorry to interrupt, but twhat makes you so sure we're gonna beat the Wizards? It would be great if we could go 4-9. I dind't realize our schedule is so tough. RocketFan4ever, It is impossible for us to stay at .500 till Steve gets back. That's out of the question. I didn't bench all the starters, just one, KT. I did this so that we can take a chance on our 3-pt shooters getting on a hot streak. I'd rather see Walt going 6 of 10 than Kenny, because you know for Walt, half of those are 3's. We're gonna have to ride our luck, and play very very intelligently.
Agreed, although I have always thought that Damon would have been the wiser choice. I think three guys who are really going to have to step it up are Mooch, Rice, and Eddie Griffin. We will also need even larger contributions from Mobley, Willis, and Thomas. Rice will have to be a consistent 15 point-per-game guy for us to stay away from Chicago/Memphis levels. Mooch will be nowhere near the scoring and rebounding threat that Francis is, but can come somewhat close to matching Francis in ball distribution. Griffin cannot be asked of too much, but I think we can depend on him for more than the 4.5 ppg and 3.1 rpg he is currently putting up. Mobley will of course be the go-to guy(Althought he was already considered the go-to guy by some), and will be counted on for more than 20 points a game, he will also have to step up defensive intensity, to show leadership. My prediction from now until January 3rd-7-11
Nothing positive comes from an injury to your franchise player other than more time for other players. He is the last player we needed hurt because the offense is he and he is the offense. We can't start whinning now, look at Denver and Sac. They lost an all star double-double player and they're playing pretty good. The other guys need to suck it up and play ball. Rudy can either play Rice and Williams and move Mobley to the point or Torres Mobley backcourt, or Moochie Mobley backcourt. Either way guys need to step up and play. Maybe now they want come out so lax and dig themselves a hole early on.
sane - if it makes you feel any better, those 13 games are a relatively easy schedule in todays nba. francis picked a good 13 to miss (if there is such a thing). so many solid/great teams. in those 13 you get the average knicks, crap bulls, crap wiz, crap cavs, average pacers, crap heat, and average blazers. not bad.
