Let me start by saying that I am hoping against hope that we make it to the playoffs. As improbable as it is, it is stil possible. Now, say we don't make it this year. What things do you take from this season to make you pumped for next year. I expect this summer to be quite painful. Every year it's the same thing during the off-season: A complete and total lack of news, therefore driving all cc-ites into an agonizing, empty sense of loss, not knowing what is going on with the Rocks. The BBS will slow to a crawl and the hangout forum will be the only forum with consistant activity. People will read news sites from every country all over the world looking for anything news-related to the Rockets. This is the time of the year that all CC BBS junkies fear. This is when it is damn near impossible to get your 'fix'. What I will take from this season to get me through the summer is: 1) Steve and Cuttino are the bomb. They will stake claims to being the best guard duo in the NBA. 2) We beat all of the so-called experts predictions as for what our record would be this year. They all said we'd have another losing season. 3) Knowing that we would have made the playoffs had we won some earlier games that we had no business losing. Our guys now know just how crucial it is to show up for every game, because they are all meaningful. 4) Hakeem is a warrior. He knew all along. Apparently many of us did not. If the man wants to play until he is 50 then we let him. He knows his limitations and as long as he feels he can contribute then we let him. Keep in mind that he is due for an injury-free season. I don't want him on another team when that happens! 5) There is hope to get Webber. 6) Even without Webber, our staff will find the right person/people to add to the team to make them better. Rudy and Carrol hardly ever let us down in their evaluation of talent/potential. 7) We are one year closer to playing in our new building. 8) We are one year closer to getting new unis. 9) We ended some pretty bad losing streaks to Utah, San Antonio, Orlando, and New York. 10) We will make the playoffs next year and we will make it pass the first round. What are you taking from this season that will make this off-season an excruciating experience. November seems soooo far away. [This message has been edited by SpaceCity (edited April 03, 2001).]
1) Knowing that Steve will be an All-Star next season and that Cuttino could be too. 2) Knowing that there's a chance to sign Webber. 3) Knowing how I'm going to go nuts if we sign Webber! 4) Knowing that our team will be more experienced and should make better decisions on the court. 5) Knowing that we have a team with potentail unlike the Bulls and Grizzlies. All things to smile about! ------------------ "...just because a clever person can complicate the discussion about the truth doesn't necessarily mean he or she is making any progress in finding it."
I think the biggest thing to take from this season is that Cuttino and Steve has allowed the whole team into their little clique. Early in the season, I don't think they respected the other players. It was "Steve and Me" and the other players. I don't know if it was Dream's b****ing or if Steve and Cat realized that they weren't going to score a combined 100 points each every night. Fortunately, I see more teamwork on the floor now. I also think Mobley has gotten under control a bit. I hope they don't revert to these ridiculous habits next year. ------------------ Respect Hakeem's legacy. A championship in the hand is worth two in the bush!!
Playoffs or not, it's been a great season for the Rockets. We just started rebuilding last year, and we already have a winning record! I think too many of us here forget that the franchise has transitioned very quickly. There are so many teams that have losing records year after year or like the T-Wolves basically stay in the same rut every year. The next step, from good team to elite team, is even more difficult, but unlike so many teams that have improved this year (the Mavs spring to mind) we are going to have cap space. With the speed that the team has gone from bad to good, you can only feel positive about the future of this team. ------------------ "Someday I'd like to do something really meaningful with my life. Like burn Stockton to the ground!" - Henry Rollins
With minor tweaking we can be be the second best team in our division [exception of the spurs] At worst 4th best in the west Major tweaking [WEBBER] we could be #1 Steve, Cuttino, Taylor, Moochie, Collier IMO a solid group of 2 and 1/2 stars and 2 very good bench players Hakeem a Star 'LOS and KT - are improving and progressing Shan - great defense - will improve IMO If we stay the same we are at worse a 6th seed If we get rid of cato we become a 5th seed [addition through subtraction] Players on the Bubble are: Bullard, Walt, Langhi, Shan And Players that need to be else where: Cato pg - Francis and Moochie WE ARE SET HERE SG - MOBELY and SHAN We are strong here [If shan leaves . . .LANGHI? good three guard rotation] SF - OUR MOST PRESSING NEED Walt, Bullard should not be starting next year . . . honestly I would start Langhi before either of them PF - Taylor, KT, Los - HONESTLY if we don't get webber. . .I won't cry these three are d*mn good [anything to get LOS into the rotation C - hakeem, Collier - SECOND PRESSING NEED need a strong backup for hakeem and to pass the torch too. Collier is a career VERY GOOD BACKUP Rocket River next year will be a GOOD YEAR barring injuries CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF. . . INJURIES IS WHAT KILLED US THIS YEAR ------------------
Even If we Dont finish with a winning record , this season has been a huge step in the right direction .Even though the chemistry has been ruffled at times , Cuttino and Francis has improved , Dream showed up to play . Cato , Walt , KT , Moochie , Bull , and Shandon have been an average bench . One more year and we should be back on top with the elites . ------------------ "Eat your kids, play with your dinner and join the chat" - Dr of Dunk gives a public sevice announcement at the request of Mike Tyson .
With a lineup of Francis, Mobley, Shandon, Webber, and Hakeem, I think the Rockets could be better than the Spurs next year. That lineup would be the most talented in the west outside of the Portland Trailgeezers. They would have to get Webber though, and I don't see it. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan.
Rocket Rich NYC (did I get the username right?) posted comments about the unlikely possibility of getting Webber. Anything could happen. But assuming we don't... We'll have 2 or 3 draft picks (approximately #12-13 for the 1st [unless we luck out] and #20-#24 for the 2nd and 3rd). Hell, #24 could pan out to be Morris; that's the kind of draft we're looking at. We could have a shot at Marc Jackson who said good things about the team (of course, he could be playing us, but which team has a better future, Rox or Warriors?) So I say get him. We could try to move up in the draft, too. I'd love to revisit the idea of sending Cato and Walt and our 3 picks for Elton Brand, thus freeing cap-space (or trading for Van Horn or Reef to trade for Brand). The last ideas aren't exactly probables but the idea is we don't have to get Webber to kick ass (but it would be nice). ------------------
1-Steve Francis, Moochie Norris 2-Cuttino Mobley, Dan Langhi 3-Draft (possibly Battier or Jefferson) 4-Chris Webber (or Maurice Taylor), Kenny Thomas 5-Hakeem Olajuwon, Jason Collier ____________________________________________ Can you say FINALSBOUND!?!?!? ------------------ Chris Webber at the July 28, 2001 3:00 PM news conference when he announces where he will go: "It seemed tough, but with guidance from Steve Francis, I learned my true destiny. That destiny is to play for the Houston Rockets, to bring them back to championship glory. One big man is all they need, and I believe I can fill that void. Thanks to the loyal fans in Sacramento, but Houston, Texas is where I belong."
Maybe some of you are afraid to respond because you think that by replying you are giving up? Not the case. You can still believe and respond to this post. It won't jinx us! ------------------
Come on, people. You know you want to let it out. Here is the place to do it. This is where you find the positives that will get you through the offseason. ------------------
Here's a positive... We're one year closer to Cato's contract ending. Only 6 more to go, ------------------ "I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather...Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."
1. Cuttino Mobley has shown that he is an all star caliber player. I don't see how the coaches are not selecting the guy as a backup. 2. We have learned who should be given the ball in crunchtime, and it is not Steve Francis. He just seems to play better earlier in the game. 3. When he was healthy, Jason Collier looked like a solid backup, great trade on draft day Rudy. 4. A dominant inside presence can be combined with the outside game of the guards to great effect. 5. When no one is b****ing about their role in the offense, we win more games. 6. Mo Taylor is great in the first quarter, maybe he shold get some touches in the other three. 7. Cat has shown that he is not just a 1-on-1 player, but he can run a great pnr as well. 8. Walt Williams cannot play offense consistantly, and consistantly cannot play defense. It is about time to send him on his way. 9. Cato only plays when he personally has something at stake. Fine him 1/82 of his salary for any game in which he does not get 10 combined boards/blocks. Pay him double if he can get 20, no more than his contracted salary of course(salary cap rules and all). 10. When healthy and happy, this team as is can beat any team in the league. ------------------ Hike up your skirt a little more, and show the world to me. [This message has been edited by Hydra (edited April 04, 2001).]
I am encouraged by the play of the Rockets this year. I want to make that clear from the outset. However, if you remember such past up-and-coming teams like the Denver Nuggets (the Mutombo and current McDyess versions), the Charlotte Hornets of the Zo era and even the twin towers era Rockets, success is not guranteed. I think this off-season will be critical. I think the Rockets brass will have to invest their free-agent money wisely so as not to have another Cato drain on the cap. I think their move to get Collier in the first round (there was no reason they couldn't get him the second round and I am waiting on Langhi) and take on another guranteed-money first rounder from Milwuakee was a mistake. I hope the Rockets can package their picks to move higher, or draft more intelligently. Rudy puts a lot of emphasis on shooting and perhaps the new rule changes will make this even more imperative, but the Rockets have yet to draft (or at least keep) a player in the front-line who can rebound and make stops. Rudy should stop focusing on finding a player who stop Shaq, or Duncan and find one who can handle the Donyell Marshalls and Shawn Marions of the world. I don't think Marc Jackson is the answer in the front line. Rather than overpay for someone like Jackson, the Rockets should draft well and go after either of the Davis power forwards who will be available if Webber goes elsewhere. Finally, I think it remains to be seen if this team's second half showing wasn't merely a mediocre team getting hot. I don't see Cuttino has an all-star player on a Championship level team. He has passion, one-on-one skills and guts, but he is closer to Jerry Stackhouse than Joe Dumars. The latter is the kind of player the Rockets need to tandem with Francis if a Championship quality team is going develop here again. For the sake of the Rockets, I think Mobley will have to be more of a role akin to an Eddie Johnson, Vinnie from the Pistons: a gunnner off the bench that can provide spark. -Elvis! ------------------
Mobley is not returning to the bench. ------------------ Hike up your skirt a little more, and show the world to me.
Gotta bring this one back. Now that the season is officially over, tell us what you will take from this seaon to get you through the agony of the offseason. ------------------
