The Rockets are not a good basketball team. That makes me a sad panda.
by grungedave on Nov 30, 2010 2:28 PM CST
in Random Commentary
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PrintIn watching the Rockets completely fall apart in the third quarter last night, I realized one thing. Okay, I realized a lot of things, but one thing in particular: the Rockets simply are not a good basketball team, and the addition of Yao Ming (if that ever happens) will not make much of a difference.
Rick Adelman is to be commended for many things as a head coach, but his rotations this year are not one of them. He leaves Chuck Hayes on the court too long. He yanks Courtney Lee just when Lee seems to have a clue what to do. He has shown nothing but disdain for the talents of Jordan Hill. He can't figure out what to do with Luis Scola's total destruction of the league -- so he instead refuses to call any plays for Luis for 10+ possessions at a time.
Then again, as much as I want to poke fun at Coach Sleepy... I'm not sure there's anything he could really do. The Rockets are not losing because of coaching. Not even Phil Jackson's magic hippie tricks could get Chuck Hayes to grow 6" or for Yao's feet to magically heal. Or Courtney Lee to make a freakin' free throw against the Spurs. Then again...
The Rockets just are not an elite team. They lack a go-to player (though I contend that any team with Scola and Speed Racer does not need a "go to" player for offense). They definitely lack a player with a killer instinct. They have no defensive identity. The supposed "Adelman offense" has been a monumental failure so far this year, even with the additions of Brad Miller, Kevin Martin and Courtney Lee.
Yes, we could blame injuries... but every team deals with injuries. It sucks that Manu Ginobili is a Cortland Finnegan-esque player and his actions directly attributed to ABZ's ankle injury. It also sucks that Yao Ming has Bill Walton's feet. Nonetheless, there is still enough talent on this team to win 55 games. There is. I just do not see much of a singular mindset to go out and win games. The Rockets have been technically "in" all but two games in the fourth quarter this year. They just find ways to lose. Repeatedly. This is bothersome.
It also makes me a sad panda.
I wish I had something witty to offer. I wish the Rockets gave me hope. Alas, I don't and they do not.
Please. Someone... anyone... give me a reason for optimism. I beg of you.
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At some point in the season, everything will click.
Hopefully it happens before we’re completely eliminated from getting into the playoffs.
by basketball is cool on Nov 30, 2010 2:47 PM CST reply actions
Only good news
is that the upcoming schedule gives the Rockets a chance. Only 4 really tough games in December…Lakers, Thunder, Bulls and Heat. The rest are all games the Rockets could and should win in my opinion. Pistons, Bucks, Cavs, Warriors, Clippers, Wizards, Raptors, Grizzlies twice and Kings twice. Couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. Let’s hope they grab it.
by twinkilling0303 on Nov 30, 2010 3:01 PM CST reply actions
concern
they’ve already lost to the Wizards and Raptors (badly) and the Warriors handled them easily in Golden State. Defensive minded teams like Detroit and Milwaukee traditionally give the Rockets fits, too.
though I hope you are right.
I know how you feel...
I had such high hopes for this year, considering what they were able to do last year. I thought with the addition of Miller, Lee, and Yao (even for 24 mins) would surely put us above 50 wins. I’m not sure what I can tell you to make you feel better except maybe that the schedule in December isn’t all that bad. There is also those NY picks although the way the Knicks have been playing I’m not sure they will pan out to be what we hope them to be.
I have no clue why Hayes was in the game in the 3rd quarter
Hill gave them such a spark in the first half. It was definitely troubling to see Hayes stay on the floor for so long in the second half…
here's why that doesn't necessarily make me happy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2VLEGtRuz4
Blake Griffin is a franchise player of the type we are now lacking
Our scrubs are better than everyone elses's scrubs
Seriously, find a way to play JT. This dude has some mad skills.
If you're a fan of basketball, watch a movie called Sonicsgate. It's free, just google it.
Actually, I do place blame....
I place blame on Adelman. Basketball is a game of control and momentum, and one of the five players from the Rockets can score at any given time. It’s about setting the team up for success. I keep hearing about this “Adelman Offense” and I can’t quite figure out what it is…is it too many extra passes as the shot clock winds down? Is it a one pass (or sometimes no pass) and Lowry jacks one up? It just seems like there isn’t ever really a “plan” and we’re watching 5 individual players, or did I just figure out what the Adelman Offense is? I think they should always cruise down court with the intention of dumping it to Scola for an easy bucket and Plan B is a dish to KMart for a trey or Lowry and set him up with a strong pick-and-roll. Plan C is that at least 3 red jerseys (or white for home games) should be in the paint boxing out and crashing boards for the (most likely) rebound. Plan D is hustle your butt back if Rockets don’t grab the rebound.
Here’s my optimism that I offer you, though it’s an assumption: your spouse and in-laws are not Lakers fans. Mine are, and it’s embarrassing, and I’m not looking forward to tomorrow’s game either.
I'm afraid I have no optimism for you.
Even Yao said that, if you keep saying “it’s a long season, we’ve got time,” the next thing you know the season is over. I was getting seriously concerned from the outset, because “just one game” said often enough means a lost season… and that’s what we’re getting right now.
By the numbers:
We’re 5-12, 17 games into an 82 game season. We’re over 20% done with the season, and the good guys have won a whopping 29% of their games. This is not going to get it done.
There are 65 games left. To have a 50-win season, the Rockets can only lose 20 more games. Who here thinks the Rockets can go 45-20 (nearly 70% ball) the rest of the way?
Sure, it’s possible. Anything’s possible. Probable? Um, no. Not with this team. Everything you said is right on the money. For this level of failure from a team that just two years ago nearly went to the Western Conference Finals, there have to be shortcomings everywhere: the front office, coaching, will, talent, and health. Failures in all of these areas have given us a 5-12 team where we could have reasonably expected to have a 10-7, maybe 11-6 team. (11-6 at this point would be a pace that would net the Rockets 55 wins.)
Like most of us, I have no idea how to fix it. The breakage seems so widespread I’m not entirely convinced it can be fixed. We’re on pace for a 24-win season; I would not be at all surprised if we eke out a 34-48 season for the third time, managing yet another mediocre lottery pick. This team, lately, even fails at failing. Just as well; by all accounts, this coming draft is one of the weakest yet.
Group hug
"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"- Dirty Harry
by KD1 on Nov 30, 2010 6:12 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
I got your back Dave
It really is that we are just a bad road team (2-10) which is to be expected of young teams that haven’t played together for too long (cue the constant roster changes)
But at home is a different story, we were able to beat the Warriors and the Thunder. Plus, our home losses have been to fairly good teams (like Denver and NO) , that close one against the Bulls (were Rose went off) and if Nash hadn’t played that game (like he was supposed to) we would’ve beat the Suns.
I’m not ready to call us a bad basetball team, but this month coming up will make or break our team. Get back to me in January
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Nov 30, 2010 6:44 PM CST reply actions
Reasons for optimism
1.) Breasts.
2.) See 1.
3.) Handle 1.
Three reasons for optimism, sir.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
here's optimism...
maybe we are intentionally failing the season.
maybe Yao and Aaron aren’t as hurt as we are being told.
Maybe we are trying to get No. 1 pick to land a potential “star” player—by which i mean a go-to guy.
ROCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dudes with expiring contracts:
Yao
Jeffries
Battier
Hayes
AB
ADELMANN!!!
We can think of this season as a reboot, ridding us of all illusions that we have a serviceable team, and we can have a new start. I know it will take years to reload but at least we can start.
Can the fans have expiring contracts?
Seriously, the whiny-ness is getting out of hand. One year in which we may not be a 50 win team where we were expected to and everyone wants to rip it all apart. Y’all are almost as bad as Boston fans and their sense of entitlement.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
truthfully...I would only take back Yao and AB for sure...and maybe hayes or battier
ohh and Adelman of course
ROCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're deluded if you don't think we need a major overhaul to compete in today's NBA
and that includes the coaching.
by RoxBeliever on Nov 30, 2010 11:52 PM CST up reply actions
And you're presumptuous
if you think that’s what I was saying.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
Well...
Didnt have a 50 win team last year. Dont have one this year and the fact that no team in the city can seem to muster up a winning record doesnt help. Many saw, and placed a lot of hope in the Rockets this season. Texans arent likely to make the playoffs and the Astros are not even close to winning the Division, so who else can the city turn to? My question to you is, do you have faith that this team AS IS can make it anywhere in the playoffs? This year, next year, or whenever?
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 1, 2010 12:56 AM CST up reply actions
I was vocal in the offseason that the team was fine
before the Ariza trade and I maintain that given no more roster tweakage and some health, we could be ok. My gripe the entire time has been that Morey won’t just leave the damn thing alone. If anyone enjoys cooking they know what I’m talking about. You can’t just keep adding to a recipe, adjusting it, mixing your combinations, because eventually you can take something as simple as a steak and turn it into shit when all you needed was salt and pepper. Morey has taken a steak, sauteed it, blended it, added cream to lighten it, seasoned it, tossed in a couple extra spices for good measure, and then whipped it to lighten it further. All you wind up making at that point is dog shit and I wanted a rib eye.
Also, you’re asking who the city can turn to? Imagine cities like Seattle who have no relevant teams and lose their basketball team. How about the city of Buffalo who has a football team that’s piss poor, might move to Canada, and an NHL team that is full of choke artists. It’s unfair to say it but CLEVELAND. How about Detroit? You have old glory days and a decent NHL team but they live in a hell hole, their basketball team sucks, and the Lions are a joke.
As it stands, my issue is that this team needs to be together and left alone to see what it’s worth or what it can do. With our GM that won’t happen. I’ve said it for quite some time, stability breeds quality, when’s the last time the Rockets have had a stable roster season? Exactly. As for “Who does the city turn to?” How about they turn to themselves, grow some stones, and swallow a shit team or three for the year. Not everyone is privileged to win a majority of their games.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
by BD34 on Dec 1, 2010 6:45 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Ain't no steak out there
You better look again. That ain’t no steak. That is just hamburger. And you aren’t going to turn it into a steak either. The trouble is the roster. The players are just not quite good enough … with the exceptios of Scola and Martin. Brooks, Battier and Chuck Wagon are second string players at best on 80% of the teams in the NBA. Even Scola would not be a starter on almost half of them. These guys are all good basketball players .. sure, they are NBA players so they are all good. They just are not NBA good. Yao, when healthy, is a top 5 type player at the most important position in the game. He could make a big differece if he could just get healthy and play.
I disagree
Brooks is a top tier point guard in this league, not quite a star but I think he could make it. Battier isn’t called on to be the best SF in the game. ChuckWagon shouldn’t be starting if it weren’t for injuries, and at the end of the day, if you’re saying Scola wouldn’t start on half of the teams in the NBA, I don’t know what teams you’re looking at but a PF at 20 and (almost) 10 is something that is highly prized in the NBA.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
Top Tier?
You are wrong. Brooks is not a top tier. He is good, like all NBA players, but he is not a top tier PG. In fact, he is lower 20%. At this time, the PG position is probably the strongest it has ever been in history. There are 10-15 that are borderline brilliant .. and Brooks isn’t one of those for sure. And whether you call on Battier to be the best SF or not, it would make no difference. He isn’t. He is down in the lower half … maybe lower 25%. Scola would not start ahead of Duncan, Pau, Love, Lee, Griffin, Nowitski, West, Bosh and Josh Smith for sure. That is 9 teams. It would be closer with Wallace, Boozer, Murphy, Brand, Blatche, Turkoglu, Green, Milsap, etc. I did say almost half … so if maybe 10 teams is almost half then Scola would not start on almost half. There are at least 25 PGs better than Brooks. There are 9 or 10 PFs better than Scola (and he is the best player the Rockets have). There are probably 8-9 SGs better than Martin. There are maybe 20 SFs better than Battier. And probably 25-30 C’s better than Chuck Wagon. That is the problem with the Rockets. It isn’t Adleman.
You need to back up your PG claims
rather than baselessly throw stuff out there man. I say Brooks is top tier and we’ve had three people try to come up with 10 ahead of him and we’ve struggled. You say 25 and offer 0. With Scola, there are 30 teams in the league, half would be 15, you offered ten and assert that as 50%. Your math is off bad. Also, it’s laughable you would lump Scola in there with Turkey Glue, Green, and Murphy.
So, again, I implore you, if Brooks isn’t a top flite/top tier point guard as I allege, rebut it with 15 point guards better than him.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
We must use these assets
to blow this fuckin team up! I blow a gasket every time my heart is broken by the rockets. This is a shame of a start and it is literally going 2 take another 22 game win streak to get us to recover. There is no one remotely close the McGrady of that season to carry us on that run and this balanced team shit aint gettin the fuckin job done jack! I am going against my principles of patience and saying we should blow this shit up.
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
breathe in.......breathe out
fingers crossed that dec will be better
Blow up and start over
Time to stop worrying about the market in China. Yao cannot play. I don’t give a crap about selling trinkets to the Chinese fans. As long as the Rockets are fixated on building a team around a player who simply cannot play, there is no hope. I am sorry Yao doesn’t have bad feet. I feel for him. But if a guy cannot play, he cannot play. Tough luck. There are a bunch of us who cannot play NBA ball. Yao has a few million bucks to pay the bills so he doesn’t need a job.
Rockets are a good.....they just got outplayed a bit in 12 games..... :-)
by inquisitiveman on Nov 30, 2010 10:06 PM CST reply actions
you can say the same about every team with a losing record
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
Both pictures on the sidebar of the home screen
Are of players that are currently not active on the Houston Rockets.
Aw,
by basketball is cool on Nov 30, 2010 10:29 PM CST reply actions
I hate you guys (not really, but)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F1VzJWU0lM
If you're a fan of basketball, watch a movie called Sonicsgate. It's free, just google it.
random question
Just thinking out loud, here, but would anybody present in these parts do this trade, assuming the inclusion of draft pick(s) going to Houston, as well?
and, obviously
this trade would only be in play if the Rockets winning percentage remains approximately where it is by the deadline.
by Alan Smithee on Dec 1, 2010 12:03 AM CST up reply actions
So trade
Our primary scorer and our primary defender (Cue the chorus of z0mg battier sux!!!!) for less scoring, less defense, another point guard (That we don’t need) and a mouthy shooting guard nowhere near the quality we give up and a streaky SF that we don’t need. We could do much better and Dallas would fleece Houston in that trade.
I'm always right, this isn't conjecture, merely statement of fact.
Your trade thing doesn't show up, so don't know which players u mentioned
Anyway, I wouldn’t mind trading Martin in a deal to get Iggy…seriously
by inquisitiveman on Dec 1, 2010 10:15 AM CST up reply actions
maybe they will beat the Lakers
They haven’t lost to a same team twice yet.
55 games
There is still enough talent on this team to win 55 games. Yes, maybe in two seasons. How can you win 55 games with so many relatively weak players? If you were to rank the Rockets are each position versus the rest of the NBA, you won’t see much to cheer about:
PG — There are probably 20 PGs better than Brooks.
SG — Ok, Martin is above average but only slightly. He can score and draw fouls.
SF — Battier just cannot or will not score. At least 15 SFs are better than him.
PF — Ok … Scola is pretty good. I figure maybe only 10 PFs better than Scola.
C - I don’t even know who the C is for the Rockets. Hill? Chuck? Miller? None of those is amoung the top 20 centers. Yao -- a healthy Yao — is a top 2 C but we have not had a healthy Yao for a long time.
It isn’t Adleman’s fault. He cannot Brooks has always been tiny. Yao’s feet were not caused by Adleman. Battier couldn’t shoot a long time before Adleman coached him. Give Adleman some good players and he will give you 55 wins but NOBODY is going to give you 50 wins with the current Rocket players.
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