Rockets Discussion Thread

[DrLudicrous]

Training camp started today and they'll play their first preseason game on the 10th. We've got a good team and should make the playoffs if McGrady and Yao can stay healthy. Adding Battier and Wells will help us a lot.

Returning Players:
Yao Ming
Tracy McGrady
Juwon Howard
Dikembe Mutombo
Rafer Alston
Luther Head
Bob Sura
Ryan Bowen

New Players:
Shane Battier
Bonzi Wells
John Lucas III
Vassilis Spanoulis
Steve Novak
Casey Jacobson
Scott Padgett
Kelenna Azubuike
Kirk Snyder
Matt Haryasz

I think that's all of them. At least two of the new guys will be cut before the season starts.

[anderson]

New Players:

...

Matt HaryaszHuh-huh, huh-huh, huh-huh. You said haryasz.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Butt-headprofile.jpg/120px-Butt-headprofile.jpg

Anyway, I recall that Haryasz came to Houston a couple years ago with Stanford. I don't recall much about his play, but the crowd had some fun with chants.

[Dre00]

This team isn't built for making the playoffs, it's built for challenging Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix for supremacy in the West. The only way that happens is if McGrady's back is healthy and both Yao and McGrady have career years. Wells and Battier help to close the gap between the Rockets and the elite teams but there was a pretty substantial gap to begin with.

[DrLudicrous]

This team isn't built for making the playoffs, it's built for challenging Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix for supremacy in the West. The only way that happens is if McGrady's back is healthy and both Yao and McGrady have career years.

How are those two things different? They seem to go hand in hand to me.

Yao was looking great at the end of last year, I think he was averaging about 25 ppg and 10+ rebounds. If we have that and a healthy McGrady I like our chances.

Wells and Battier help to close the gap between the Rockets and the elite teams but there was a pretty substantial gap to begin with.

The talent gap is pretty big, Dallas has done a good job of getting young players and also have an owner who is willing to spend absurd amounts of money on other players. And Phoenix has a good system built around Nash were the most average players end up looking like superstars. The Spurs are solid but I think Duncan is starting to slow down and Parker isn't playing as well as he had in the past.


My biggest hope for the upcoming season is that Ryan Bowen doesn't play. Ever.

[mabeuf]

having trouble keeping myself from writing an essay right now.

quick thoughts: cut azubuike, haryasz and lucas III (who also is not a new player, he played with the team for two 10 day contracts last season), bring Lior Eliyahu over from Israel start training him now.

[DrLudicrous]

having trouble keeping myself from writing an essay right now.

quick thoughts: cut azubuike, haryasz and lucas III (who also is not a new player, he played with the team for two 10 day contracts last season), bring Lior Eliyahu over from Israel start training him now.

My criteria for new player was somebody that wasn't under contract at the end of last season.

[mabeuf]

My criteria for new player was somebody that wasn't under contract at the end of last season.

roger, im just indicated he has a leg up in training camp. van gundy loves playbooks and X's and O's Lucas has already experienced that so he has a huge advantage over players trying to make the team that may not be very smart or basketball savy....... COUGH Stromile COUGH

[nobius]

I'm going to the preseason game against the Bucks tonight. It'll be the first Rockets game I've seen since they were in the Summit!

[Blu N Houston]

I don't know about y'all but the Rockets have me somewhat excited about the upcomming season, if they can stay healthy ...the sky is the limit. :D

[DrLudicrous]

I don't know about y'all but the Rockets have me somewhat excited about the upcomming season, if they can stay healthy ...the sky is the limit. :D

They've looked good during the preseason, their outside shooting and depth are drastically better than last year. Battier has really impressed me so far, I knew he was a solid player before but watching him regularly has really raised my opinion of him. And we still haven't even seen Wells yet, hopefully he's had good reasons to miss all of the preseason games and isn't just being a headcase, if he's willing to put in some effort he can really help the team.

Kelenna Azubuike and Matt Haryasz have already been cut and two more players still need to be cut by the start of the season. Bowen and Sura are the obvious choices but both are injured and there are rules about cutting injured players so they may end up making the team.

[DrLudicrous]

The final cuts have been made, Ryan Bowen and Casey Jaconbson are gone.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApC11.7_NWI9aGzasUk7asp.0bYF?slug=rocketsmoves&prov=st&type=lgns

As of now the roster is:
Yao Ming
Shane Battier
Tracy McGrady
Bonzi Wells
Rafer Alston

Luther Head
Chuck Hayes
Kirk Snyder
Vassilis Spanoulis
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Novak
Juwon Howard
Scott Padgett
John Lucas III
Bob Sura

[CeltTexan]

As one of the biggest, most die hard and loyal Rocket fans you will ever meet....I don't sweat a thing until after the All-Star Break. I learned that little tip o' wisdom back in the '91-'92 season. Let the guys sort out their game, see if injuries pop up, watch our defensive effort from opening night on and then see how the Coach adjusts this all for a better 2nd half.

Then there is April and we'll see where we are at for a playoff run.

I still wish OT would come back thru the doors and fill that power forward spot. A man can dream can't he.

[nobius]

Rockets looking good thus far.

[DrLudicrous]

Rockets looking good thus far.

You just had to jinx us, huh?

Tonight aside they have been playing well, I think it's very possible to end up as one of the top 4 seeds and have home court for a playoff round.

[Blu N Houston]

:mad: If only the Rockets could learn to hold a lead!
YAO is tha man. Head is the best 6th man in the West currently.
The sky is the limit with this team...
BTW..Bonzi, Who?:D

[El Naranja]

If only the Rockets could learn to hold a lead!
YAO is tha man. Head is the best 6th man in the West currently.
The sky is the limit with this team...
BTW..Bonzi, Who?

Conversation I overheard between Bonzi and Coach:

Bonzi: Uh, Coach, got a sec?
Coach: Sure, what's up?
B: I can't play today...
C: Why the hell not!?
B: A cat stepped on my pinky toe and it hurts....
C: *too stunned to reply*
B: Thanks for understanding Coach
C: %#&*%^@#$*&%^@#$*%^

:cool:

[nobius]

Went to the game tonight. TMac got a concussion :( but the team really shut Cleveland down and held on to a lead for once.

One question: WTF is this defensive 3-second rule that results in a technical? The Rockets had several of those in the game and I always missed the reason for the call.

[zolafan]

when they legalized the zone a couple yrs ago, they added this defensive 3-second rule, to keep a team from just camping out a Shaq or a Yao under the hoop, as you might if you were playing a college 2-3 zone or something. And they also changed it from the old "illegal defense" warning, then technical on the second call to an immediate technical on the first call.

[DrLudicrous]

Apparently throwing parties every night your team is in town isn't the best idea.

http://www.topdawgent.com/flyers/lebrontrend.jpg
http://713vip.com/emailblast/office_07/images/main.jpg
http://www.indmix.biz/images/Samples/hushonline.jpg

And to add to what zolafan said about the defensive 3 second rule, basically a defender can't be in the paint for more than 3 seconds unless they are actively guarding an opponent.

[nobius]

Ahhhh so this takes the place of illegal D. Is the rule anywhere in the paint or just inside that new mini-arc?