Where is the heart?

I do think it applies because we're right there. It's anybody's game for the taking, if we have either Yao or TMac both games could turn out differently. Not that I'm whining, I'm very happy for the grit that Rockets showed so far without their top players and still remain competitive, I was very impressed.

 

It all comes from your best player. TMAc. they follow his lead.

 

why not?
when you're up 13 in the 3rd qtr and your best player is on fire, why can't you up the lead to 20 and pour it on like we did at home?

we will need that killer insinct in the playoffs if we play phoenix or dallas

 

I hate to pile on Rafer again (just kidding) but we were up 13 and had a fast break. Rafer tried a stupid trick shot and missed. Dallas got the rebound and drilled a 3 and then another 3. Maybe would have been different if we convert and go up 15. Probably not; just a thought.

 

I agree
this IMO is a 60 win Team
but
I don't care about the Regular Season
THIS IS A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Rocket River
Getting to the 2nd round is just settling

 

I know I've seen Tmac become more inspired when he sees other players playing well and into it. He enjoys it when other guys are playing well. We need him.

Yao, when is he coming back?

And I liked what someone said about Bonzi, that he seems like an expressive person. They do show him on TV talking with Snyder and Mutombo frequently.

Rafer always plays his heart out, and he's into it.

I don't agree about Head going nuts in this offense. I think he's just fine with it, and he's playing very well. He plays hard, but he's more actions than words.

Mutombo can always pump everyone up! Wooo

 

passion....

 

Dakota I usually agree with the basic thrust of most of your posts, though you may be overating V Span a bit, but not this one.Eexcept for the last game, the guys just played their hearts out since Yao went down.

 

Because Mavs and Suns are capable of scoring 15 points in a row in 3 minutes. You can't apply killer instinct when you're the underdog. You need focus and compusure when things aren't going your way.

 

yes those are the key elements, but you need to be a dominant force already to claim that you have a killer instinct. If Memphis beat the Spurs by 40 points, you can't say that the Grizzlies have a killer instinct. They were most probably simply luckier at that time.

We've been beating the teams that we are supposed to beat this year and some of them by huge winning margins. Now, that's killer instinct. We didn't have this in the last two years. But when we play against better teams, we struggle on consistency particulary on our offense. That, partly due to leadership I think.

 

How did all of a sudden we become the underdog? We have beaten the mavs earlier, beat SA, LA, Utah, Clev, Mia....we have proven that we can compete with the elite teams which renders us elite as well.

And please don't compare us to memphis..not even close...that just proves you have no basis for this particular argument.

Those teams are capable of putting up 15 quick....what about SA, Lakers, and bulls? remember these teams that we blew huge leads against?

Leadership is part of that killer instinct...when the other team makes a run, good teams withstand it and come back strong....the problem we have is that our pg likes to throw up crap of a pick and roll early in the shot clock and allow the other team to fast break.

 

Sometimes we let it slip. That's usually mental mistakes, lack of excecution, and loss of momentum.

Agreed though we have to keep a lead when we have it late in games or at least stifle the other teams run.

T-Mac, before last season and his injuries, used to be that guy, or am I mistaken? He used to be our closer, the one we would throw it to late in games and he'd make it happen. The one who'd put his foot on the opponents throat, EVEN if it didn't look like he was doing it. He used to hit dagger after dagger, he would drive it hard to hole and with that athleticism, you couldn't stop him.

After last season, he lost all of that. He doesn't want to drive to the hole hard anymore because of his back. Even when he does go to the hoop nowadays, sometimes it's so weak he gets bullied off his path to the bucket.

I just hope he brings it in the playoffs. Those strong, quick drives to the bucket. Relentlessly attacking the basket (Shawn Bradley can ESPECIALLY attest to that).

Here's to hoping T-Mac can throw it back to 04-05 come playoff time.

 

Do you realize that the Rockets were missing the most dominant center in the NBA? I find it completely insane that anyone can be made at the Rockets for losing to two of the elite teams in the league without their best player? Hasn't Dallas won like 34 of their last 38 games? The Suns are on pace for over 60 wins.

And DaDakota- I think it's crazy to question the Rockets heart and killer instinct right now. No heart? I remember when Yao went down a good amount of people here were just hoping for the Rockets to hover around .500 until he came back. Some people said that the Rockets were lottery bound. I think winning 9 of 10 without a player that was possibly one of the top3 candidates for MVP at the time shows tremendous heart.

Killer instinct? How the heck can you insult the Rockets for this? Killer instinct doesn't mean **** if you don't have the talent. Let's face it. TMac isn't the same. He can't elevate or drive to the hoop like he used to. Dikembe's an old man playing his ass off and Rafer Alston, Juwan Howard, and Shane Battier are all role players. How the hell could anyone be pissed at the Rockets for losing 3 straight to 3 good teams? 2 of them being elite teams. The Rockets were totally outmatched against the Mavs and Suns. I am proud of them for even staying in the game.

It's a same how people here jump on bandwagons. Whenever the Rockets lose you'd think it was the end of the world. The fact is that without Yao the Rockets can not be an elite team and it's ridiculous to expect that. I think the Rockets are one of the team's in the league that could win it all, but only if Yao and TMac are playing. Without Yao the Rockets would get crushed in the first round to any of the elite teams of the West.

Killer instinct doesn't get you anything if you don't have the talent to back it up. I was a decent high school player and was known for hitting clutch shots and some would say I had a killer instinct. Maybe I do but if I was put in with 2 minutes left in an NBA game killer instinct would not work.

The Rockets have tremendous heart to stay on pace for 50 wins without Yao and let's just wait to say if they have killer instinct until Yao is back and Yao and Mac have time to develop chemistry. Killer instinct can only help you reach your full potential and without Yao the Rockets do not have the potential that great teams like Dallas and the Suns have.

 

You think I'm comparing Rockets to Memphis? You are completely out of line here. If we play against the top 2 teams in the league, that makes us the underdog, even with Yao on the floor.