I've been frustrated like most fans watching the Rockets this season. I can't remember being this excited about a Rockets team since our failed Barkley/Pippen expirement (I apologize to everyone who's lunch I just ruined bringing that up). I'm also a basketball fan and have watched league pass for a long time. I took notice of a situation that really hit home when our wheels starting coming off. I watched Denver excel, and the once NBA Champion Detroit Pistons bicker and struggle to find an identity. There are two obvious pieces in this, Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson. I'm not down on Yao like a lot of the board is. He is what he is. One of the best centers in the NBA, with flaws. Most players have them. He will never be a vocal guy or an all out aggressive player. That's who he is. The sooner many accept that the better off they will be. Iverson reminds me a lot of Artest. When he's on the court, you get 100% of energy and hustle. He's a guy who leaves it all on the floor. The problem is that's where it ends. he doesn't do what's neccessary off the court to lead a team. it's followed him from team to team and it's always been the same. Ron being Ron has always been a funny joke until it happens to your team. What is really frustating is he could be our Billups. See Billups isn't quite as talented as Ron is, but he's a leader on and off the court. It's no coincidence that Denver can still win without Carmelo (and Carmelo is playing defense and bought into the system) even JR Smith is coming around. He commands respect. TMac......yeah. Where do you start? He's a guy who has no problem being vocal and is the only way this team wins a ring (no matter how much we want to believe otherwise it's the truth), but has yet to look in the mirror. He'll tell anyone who wants to listen he cares, but we all know what we've seen. My point is hopefully the alarm clock has sounded for these two. This is it for TMac really, the Green Mile. If he doesn't come back in two weeks and play hard ,as well as sustain it, it's over. 2010 here we come. His career will be marred by all of this. Hopefully, Ron got a good view of that team that lost to the Lakers on Tuesday. That team left everything on the court and busted their ass's the entire game. I'm not going to criticize any of them. I know Rafer missed free throws, Brooks played terrible, Yao made a mistake, ect.....read all of that. Those guys wanted to win. They care. Even though we lost, I would rather watch those guys for the rest of the season and let TMac and Ron enjoy their vacations, then have to watch these two dip in and out of the lineup. Every day TMac comes to rehab, the first thing he should do is watch Von Wafer highlights from that game. Every day Ron sits out, he should watch highlights of Kobe's 4th quarter. Sorry for the rant
A great bench that consists of great talent such as Luther head, Loren woods, Ryan Bowen, and other high-calibur players.
Good post. You have to fail to succeed. I guess the Rockets just failed, I believe they will come back and be the team everybody expects them to be and get far in the playoffs. Rockets went through worst things, this situation is just painful and frustrating because fans want healthy season. Oh that health...
If we're including health in "luck", I think you have to move luck up a couple spots. Hell, it might be at the top for the Rockets.
To be a championship team, you can't have someone who is a quitter, plays with low energy, and blames others for their own shortcomings be the team captain and leader.
what i see is needed to win a ring: talent --most important thing coaching (though i feel thibs not doc should have been COY last year--and a lot of times good coaching requires talent) players really just need to have defined roles and it falls on coaching to do that and proper game planning health --all the talent in the world means squat if they cant play see:houston rockets Effort -- some nights your shot can be off but there is never a night where your effort can be off, you control that and effort usually what separates the great players and teams from the good ones Luck --hey sometimes a ball bounces your way (horry's three vs kings), a player is injured on the other team, a non-call mental toughness --performing in the crunch when its an elimination game or hostile environment being able to focus at the task at hand regardless of the crowd, refs etc
An NBA championship team consists of HOF-level talent...Garnet, Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, Dream, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Zeke, Dr J, etc...who buy into a good (and balanced) coaching philosophy for the era they are playing in and lead by example. The player needs to be first into the gym and the last to leave. The player needs to know when to apply tough love to a teammate and be willing to share the ball, the praise, and the glory. And full responsibility when there's failure. Add some luck and role players with a variety of skills and you've got a shot.
A championship team has a clearly defined No 1. player that comes to play every night. The Rockets don't have that.
