I wouldn't mind taking. It's not like we are going to have to waste 5 years rebuilding like Kings or Knicks. Taking would give us a very good player, add him to a nice core of veterans and we are back in contention the year after. How much of you guys wouldn't say they prefer getting Kevin Durant on this squad, at the expense of tanking, rather than getting nothing but the 8th seed and loosing in the first round? I, and I bet the entire franchise, would rather get KD/Hakeem/you name it.
Playoffs or bust! I have no problem rooting for a Star-less team, especially if the coach is Rick Adelman. We have a good group of players, a chance Yao returns, and Tracy is talking about returning early and coming back to "superstar" status. Either how(if Tracy makes it or not), he will play out his contract or preferably be traded for other piece of the puzzle. This team has alot of fight and Rick knows how to use the tools he's given, so I don't see this team laying down or Rick being on the wrong side of .500. I believe things will come together and Rick will win "Coach of the Year". It's much to early to crawl in your hole. This is the time you fight, fight fight! If you don't believe in yourself, do you expect anyone one to believe in you?
How's that statement different from outright tanking? Morey: We like Shane and all, but we also want to look at some young kids. That's why we've started Chase Budinger in place of Shane. And see how he fares. Sure, he may suck now, and we've lost 10 in a row because the kid can't guard his own shadow. But we would like to use the rest of the season to see what he can do. I mean, he just might develop into Larry Bird. I don't want to give up on him too soon.
So we are now playing "What if" games? Why not that Chase was better than Larry Bird then? I mean they are both imaginary statements. DD
I think people are and will continue to underestimate the Rockets this season. I will say that the Rockets CAN be a playoff team w/o Mcgrady and Yao.. AND CAN succeed in the playoffs if Mcgrady comes back 80%. Scola, Brooks, Battier, and Ariza are solid pieces. They are intelligent players who would be great oil to any engine. If Tmac comes back, we will have a great team, but not one which I believe can win the championship. We can still have success in the playoffs. Also, we have pieces that could possibly help that we have not seen yet, so don't be so quick to consider 'tanking' just yet. Give these guys a chance. We are, after all, the only city that should be might be doing this.
No. It's not a "What if" game. It's the type of stuff GM says all the time when his team is tanking. It's the reason why David Robinson was not suiting up to play when he was perfectly healthy. It's how Cleveland had Ricky Davis jack up 30 shots every game under the guise of developing him. The day when Morey says stuff like that about our young players is the day he truly gives up on the season.
I think you're greatly over exaggerating it.. You're not thinking about the Western Conference... What seed do you see us getting? Somewhere in the top 5? Probably not... which means we wont have homecourt.. will probably playing an elite team... how do you rate for success with that? I mean I understand where you're coming from... but unless we get a high seed.. we can't even get out of the first round with this team even if we have an 80% Mac. This is the Western Conference.. we have the Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, Mavs, Blazers.. so many teams that are still better than us.. some miles better... so just tell me.. how do you see us winning a 7 game series without an interior presence or even an interior defensive presence?
If the Rox have a losing record around March they should definitely think about tanking. Doc Rivers of the C's didn't put his best team on the floor in the latter part of the season in what seemed to be an effort to get the best chance to get Greg Oden that season, it didn't happen despite having a better chance than Portland to get the number 1 pick. They wound up drafting Jeff Green at 5, who they turned into Ray Allen and the rest is history. Maybe something like that could happen this year with the Rox.
Need to tank. What you say makes no sense. You're saying trade tmac at the deadline to a playoff team for a star? That doesn't make any sense, cause tmac's in the last year of his contract, and why would a team in the playoffs trade a star for him? That would just decrease their chances in the playoffs.
Heart baby! Heart! Bring'em on! The Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, Mavs, Blazers... You don't know what you got until you step into the ring. "It's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit!"-Rocky Balboa...
Winning a 7 game series would be the easy part. The hard part would be actually making the playoffs and getting to that point. It's easy to say "Hey, we took the champs to 7 games without Yao and Tmac!". And technically that's true. But we sure as hell didn't win 53 games and earn a #5 seed without them.
Games are still won on the court and not on paper. ( line up ) Chances are greater to win more games with stars are in the roster but there is always a possibility of winning without them and for the much games with some many other factors like team chemistry and much luck. Getting to the playoff is indeed like climbing mount Everest which is difficult but it could be done.
Of course.. but you can't keep relying on heart to win... there comes that point when talent takes over.. Game 7.. 2nd round last year... that says it all.. All you can do is hope... but I'm talking about actually having a chance to win and not just relying on heart.
Wow, some fan, pretty much saying we have no chance to win. What YOU fail to realize is that this team has talent, enough talent to win and be winners. What he is saying about heart is not the only thing they are going to rely on, they can't, which you've stated. They are going to rely on hustle, ball movement, smart heady playmaking, defense, motion, teamwork! All that is going to come out and show that this team has enough to not be a bottome feeder in the league and prove you and those dumbass sports columnists wrong. Get it!
LOL, what's with the "we" crap - we have no input in this. The rockets players can choose to "tank" by, I guess not playing hard despite their contractual and ethical obligations. I find it unlikely however. The Rockets management can choose to "tank" by moving valuable veterans for younger pieces. Either way, the team is most likely lotto bound, and frankly I don't really care much for a "moral victory" with a team that claws its way to the 8th seed and then does a first round flameout. Yawn.
I am a fan... but I'm talking about living in REALITY... Do you really see this team advancing to the 2nd round? I mean you tell me... without talent... (which I have yet to see, I mean STAR talent) you can't win.. it catches up to you.. no matter how much you hustle, play hard.. do all that stuff... now.. if a player becomes a star this season or becomes an upcoming star (lets say for example Aaron Brooks)... that might help yeah... but to this point right now TODAY.. do you really see this team as its constructed TODAY making the 2nd round with a bottom seed? We'd have to have some luck... and also some injuries on the other side...
