Picture this 2003 lineup in a game: Steve Cat Griffin Mo Willis/other I can think of more than a few situations where that lineup would come in handy. I can also see where a lineup of : Mooch Steve Cat Griffin Mo could come in handy. And maybe: Steve Cat Torres Mo Cato/Willis might be useful at times. Also, I can see where: Steve Cat Griffin Thomas Mo could be used. There are any number of combinations we might have with a healthy roster (someone do the permutation, I'm too lazy). Right now we're stuck with: Mooch a hobbled Cat Walt at best, or Torres since EG isn't ready Thomas Cato or a tired Willis so you see the problem. our best players are injured and the team is disorganised, and disillusioned because of it. This has got to be as low as it can get for this team... We can only go up from here. Or maybe when Steve gets back, then we can go up. But you get the picture.
Treeman. And guess what? Willis and Williams are in the last year of their contracts. This could give us some wiggle room for free agency. Also like you said, Taylor coming back strong. A seasoned Eddie Griffin. And a Lottery pick we normally woudn't desereve and wala!....were a jiggling babyee!
I'm still not signed on for that lottery pick, ROCKETBOOSTER, although it's looking more likely every game. But goddammit, the season ain't over yet. With Steve and Cuttino healthy - as I fully expect them to be by the All Star break - this season shouldn't be a total loss. We won't have the record we expected, and we might not make the playoffs, but... Everyone's got to admit that we hit one helluva speed bump.
There will not be anymore big FA signings guys, we're at a place where we have just enough to give Stevie the MAX. If you guys are thinking Duncan, then you have to think about giving them Griffin. Because it has to be a trade, and it has to be a damn good player. Griffin and Cato to replace Duncan and Robinson, then they can become a guard oriented team with Daniels and Parker. That's not the point. Who says we're a decent team when healthy? We're much better than decent. We (would) kick ass. Think about it. Rice is the FOURTH option on offense. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that that is an INCREDIBLY high scoring offense. No matter how much Rice has slipped, he can still shoot. He can play. He's a veteran. Haven't you heard he's been helping Willis out with project Cato? It's working well, and a whole year of Rice and Willis' guidance, and Cato will be AT LEAST an average C. AT THE VERY LEAST. Think about this. Now that zones are allowed, offense is more important than man-to-man defense. Once Rudy has finished playing with the zone, we will be a very good defensive team simply due to the quickness/speed our players have (except Glen Rice). Mo Taylor was a succesful number one option on the Clippers. He averaged 20+ppg. Now, he's the 4th option, and he shoots 50%. Francis and Mobley form arguably the best backcourt in the league. We would've been a 5th seed or so this year if we had everyone healthy. Rice will be healthy. You just can't expect him to play 30 minutes a night to get into shape, and be the 1st option. Not anymore, and that's why he's injured. Our bench is one of the best in the league. When it's all said and done, when healthy, we will remain an excelent team. Rhis is Francis' 3rd season. Everyone knows that a PG needs 3 years under his belt to finally get the whole picture. Is there anyone that can effectively defend Mobley without letting Francis blow up? In 2 years, Griffin will make us forget Duncan is an FA. If Griffin adds one more inch, and some more lbs to his frame, then we have our C of the future. If not, Rudy is simply gonna play Mo Taylor at SF when Rice retires. Can you name 5 teams that have a 4th option better than Glen Rice? In the starting line-up? I can name lots of teams that would rather have Cato for the amount that THEIR C makes.
I don't know how somebody who calls themself Sane can post something that is just absolutely insane. Here's the facts: Rice can't shoot. He's averaging around 30%. He's injured again, which means that once he's healthy we have to wait another month and a half for "his legs to come back" (they're not going to come back). Another fact, this is an INCREDIBLY low scoring offense. Have you watched the games?? The Rockets shoot below 40% every game! They average below 90 ppg! Every game! Face it, this team is not nearly as good on the court as it is on paper, and right now the paper is gettin' ugly too. For everybody going on about the lottery pick that is gonna pull us together, forget it. This team has had 3 high lottery picks (and at least two very succesful drafts) for the past 3 seasons, plus plenty of cap room, and it still hasn't happened. Rudy and Dawson have committed the money in the wrong places. Look at all the info PolarBear has posted about it. He's right. You have to get rid of a LOT of players. That's called rebuilding.
Smashingworth you and others like you represent all that it wrong with Houston as a sports town. You are a band wagoner. You go to the games and support the team, when it is the cool thing to do. People would probably walk out on a movie like "Rocky III" because he lost the title and you do not support losers. Rudy T and CD are the only reason that people like you can use the term "clutch city". What you and all the other so called Houston fans need to do is continue with your negative and impatient ways so that one day all franchises decide to leave Houston, that way I won't have to listen to a bunch of impatient children such as your selves cry all the time.
I think we need to add to this collective talent..it is evident this collective talent won't get the job done this year...We have good players that are keepers such as Steve, Cuttino, Griffin, among a few others...we need to #1 do our best. #2 draft the best way...also the maturation of the team should help, as well as when everyone gets healthy.
Francis3, maybe I should report your post to a moderator? Clutch hasn't been too happy with the cussing on the board, so maybe I should tell him what it means? Anyways Smashingworth, you're clearly what I like to call one of those boxscore people. It's obvious. I told you myself that Rice can't be the 1st option on offense, and that's exactly what he's been recently. When you're a 4th option, you get lots more open looks, and the game gets much easier. No one forgets how to shoot, you should know that. He's just not in the right shape yet, and I wouldn't be surprised if the injury is taking longer because he wants to get back in shape, rather than play into shape. Smashingworth, take your stats wherever you want. Say whatever you want. If stats meant anything, then Philadelphia wouldn't have made the finals last year, and they wouldn't have gone 5-o with Allen Iverson shooting barely 30% from the field. Rice bring s a post up game to our team. He passes well from the post, and he will soon 3-pt accuracy to that. When you sit and look at the boxscore, you're never gonna understand what's going on. You're forgetting that scores are lower than last season becuase of the zones. This team can average better than 95ppg with zone defrenses. Not a lot of teams can say that. What makes you so sure Rice won't get his ;egs back? Just because you wanna make a point doesn't mean you have to bend everything in your direction. You want the facts? We lost 4 starters. We havenb't had a fully healthy team al season, and we just came out of our toughest stretch of games, barring Washington and the Bulls. Those loses may be tough, but we didn't have our starters, and the Bulls are better than us without them. That's a fact. If it were up to you, we'd be rebuilding after every losing streak. I bet you wouldn't be saying these things if we has Larry Hughes, or Rafer Alston or something. It's not just about "Rockets are losing, the players must suck". There are other things involved.
Sane, I said are you on drugs you p***y cat. ( I think thats what I said) Anyways lets talk about ur BS Rice Talk. Rice bring s a post up game to our team. He passes well from the post, and he will soon 3-pt accuracy to that. Very nice joke. Rice cant pass at all from the post. I dont know what game you have seen, he is very slow on passing out of there because they surround him. His post game is good when he has players he should be taking advantage over. But does he get the ball alot? No. And he doesnt show as if he wants to be on the court. He is lazy. Dont go to that one NY game where he had a good game and think that he can do this and that. What makes you so sure Rice won't get his ;egs back? What makes you so sure he will? Rice lovers on the BBS excuse the whole year is that hes still in pre season, his legs are not in it. Now the lazy ass is injured again and will take him another 20 or so games to get back to healthy. So basically when its game #60, you guys will still say hes in pre season and he will be a threat once hes healthy. Rice is not what the Rockets thought he was. He is everything that the Knicks said about. I thought he was a good addition, but i was wrong.
