[SBNation] Houston Runs Towards Legitimacy

This team has gone WAY beyond my expectations... even following the acquisition of James Harden.

Not only that, but we are hella fun to watch now. Didn't think I would be saying this until a couple years down the road, but it is a GREAT time to be a Rockets fan.

Forget about where we land in the draft, I wanna see this team compete in the playoffs. We all remember the great playoff run we had with AB, RonRon, and crew... I see potential for the same kind of run this year.

 

You guys don't understand how badly I crave being able to watch this young Rox team every night they play.

This is that young, run & gun team we've all been wanting to see when Tracy and Yao went down.

Please Comcast, DirecTV, someone please help me get the opportunity to watch my young Rockets night in night out! Please!!!!

 

This is definitely a pretty exciting team to watch and it pisses me off that I can't see all their games, It's definitely exciting like the 08/09 season!

 

Anyway we can get a petition going to pressure Les into cutting a deal?

 

I love it! Great find, durvasa, and an excellent take by the author. I've been trying hard not to get too excited about the team, easily the youngest in the league, and I can't help it. We aren't supposed to be this good, yet we are. Greg Anthony on NBAtv called Harden a superstar last night, after the win, of course. Too much. Just before the Harden trade, who dreamed that we'd have a guy of that caliber this season? Luck has found us again.

The Rockets are back.

 

Someone needs to post gifs or a vid compiling all of the delfino reactions after he scores. Might be just a fun as the WB squad of barry and sura after they made 3's

 

http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/

basketball jones podcast episode 903# talking lots of rockets.

 

Maybe they will be able to run in the playoffs.

 

So suddenlly everyone is in K.McHale bandwagon. lol!! Good, because he is one of the best coaches in the league and this season proves that. If Morey could make one more trade for an allstar player, I think we would be set for the play-offs.

 

Good read! but they left out the beast of a backup point guard Toney Douglas.

Real Talk.

 

The great thing about this Rockets team is that they are so young with so much potential. Compared to most of the youngest teams in the past, the Rockets far exceeded expectations. Morey did a great job by being patient, got rid of the core from last year's team and slowly built this team from ground up.

Now that I think about it, I am incredibly grateful that all the players Morey was trying to acquire before, Melo, Bosh, Gasol, Amare, and Howard were all unsuccessful and that Harden was the one successful acquisition and the right fit for this team. Harden is the perfect star for Houston. Its amazing how all the other pieces fit so well.

Most of us questioned Morey about signing Carlos Delfino at the beginning of the season saying that he's too old and that he would only take up playing time from the youngster but none of us would ever imagine how well he fits in with this team. That his veteran leadership helps the youngsters on this team and he leads our 2nd unit. Carlos plays a big vital role for the Rockets and even guys like Toney Douglas is also very important to this team also.

I'm happy that Les was patient with Morey and gave him time to rebuild this team the right way instead of just finding quick fix solution.

 

Man I'm fired up! I could almost start running myself around the room...

 

Long time reader of the forums but a first time poster. Just wanted to say that this is the most fun Rockets team I have watched, maybe ever. The pace, the aggressiveness, and the camaraderie of the team give me a lot of hope for this season and the future. The fact that we are contending for a playoff spot is amazing to me given how young we are. We may not get very far in the playoffs given our style of play and the fact that the elite teams in the West (OKC, SAS) are more than happy to grind out games in the half court, but damn are we fun to watch.

Also, I had my reservations about McHale and Sampson, and sometimes it seems we are succeeding in spite of both of them, but they also deserve some credit for adopting and pushing for our break neck pace. Credit where it's due, as they say.

My personal notes on most of the important Rockets this year:

James Harden-- Absolutely Fear the Beard. He never stops attacking and getting to the line. All those free points he's getting make him so much more efficient than a lot of other 2 guards in this league. Fearless and maybe the best Euro-step in basketball.

Jeremy Lin-- I was pissed when we let Goran Dragic walk, he does everything that Lin does but arguably better. At least that's what I thought when we first got Lin and through the first 10 games or so of this year. But he has steadily improved and shown real chemistry with Harden on the Lin-Harden PnR plays we are starting to run. He is still a sieve on defense but he has enormous potential to grow. I'm starting to believe in him a little.

Omer Asik-- My favorite Rockets player this year, hands down. He is our everything on defense and gobbles down the boards like he's freaking starving. These days he is way less goofy on the offensive end than he was at the beginning of the year. There's no more plays where he's blocked himself at the rim (anyone remember those old Sprite commercials?). I'd vote for him as the Most Improved Player in a heartbeat.

Chandler Parsons-- Morey keeps hitting on these late 1st rounders and 2nd rounders. Parsons seems like he's capable of doing everything on the basketball court and has flashed a way better drive and finish game than I ever thought he had in college. Just gotta hope he stays healthy.

Morris/PPat-- Maybe less flashy and therefor less attention than our other guys, but solid nonetheless. It's a shame that either one or both have to go if we want to upgrade the team. They could develop into solid starters for the right team.

Carlos Delfino-- Had to add a comment on him. He has the green light, for me at least, whenever the Rockets cross half court. Keep chuckin' Los!

 

Yeah, it helps Rockets!

 

I haven't seen a team grow this fast in some time. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Rockets teams, behind the '95 championship year, the '04-05 Rockets (McGrady, Yao and the WPBS) and the 22 win streak Rockets with Dikembe ("The critics can kiss my black ass!")

They are playing together, enjoy each other's company on and off the court and look like they are truly having fun. Then again, if you've been scoring 120 a night, you are going to have a lot of fun, I suppose. Any way you slice it, the future looks bright for this team.

 

man you forgot toney douglas? where we would be now without his timely 3s , D and hustle?:grin:

 

I think the most important factor is the style of Harden's game, not only he is a prolific scorer, but the way he get his points,e.g., 10+ at FT line, and his willingness to pass the ball and the ability to get it to the right person at the right spot.

 

Toney's been great for us off the bench, I'm just a bigger fan of the other guys listed.

 

Crips! i spend all day getting ready to hook up another innertubes stream of the 2012-2013 playoff bound Rockets! Not in my wildest dreams !

Good Gawd Go Baby Rockets !