Inspired by the other forums, I decided to create a similar thread so there will be some more discussion going on in here (its becoming quite dead). Alright, so even though this season has pretty much been one to forget, nevertheless lets assess how each player individually did and how much they contributed to the team. I'm going to factor in injuries as well. Rafer Alston- After a lackluster start followed by injury woes which caused him to play a total of sixty three games, Alston has come along nicely. At the end of the season, he actually looked like he knew some plays out on the court and distributed the ball fairly well. However, Alston's defense has not really improved over the course of the season, which really is a big problem considering it leads to the other team penetrating and drawing fouls on Yao. In addition, although his trigger happy three point style seems to be toned down a bit, that's still a problem considering he really has not been shooting the ball well either. Instead, in my opinion, Alston should have been driving the ball to the hoop more frequently. Grade: C- Keith Bogans- Acquired on February 9, 2006, Bogans has been one of the key players that stepped it up when both our stars were out. Unfortunately, he's not the player that is effective at doing that. Let me clarify, Bogans really is not a good offensive player. Better than Bowen (not really a complement), Bogans' game is limited to driving it to the basket in hopes it goes in (which usually it doesn't because he can't finish well) as well as a jumpshot here and there (which he's not really good at). However, when there was a superstar to lean on, Bogans has done a decent job and has played his role very nicely. He's defended his man pretty well and played very tough for the team (something that was lost after the Sura injury). Grade: B Ryan Bowen- After trashing Dirk in the playoffs last year, Bowen's had a bad season this year. Don't get me wrong, Bowen still does the whole hustle thing and defends his man pretty well, but in my opinion, he's actually been hurting this team, A LOT. Everyone here knows he can't make a jumper to save his life. Everyone in the NBA (probably) knows he can't make a jumper to save his life too. Thus, that was really exploited throughout the season where teams just completely blanketed McGrady or Yao. When they kicked it back out to him, he subsequently just clangs it off the rim. In a way, his hustle/defense and offensive liabilities really cancel out but nonetheless, it really makes me wonder if I was 6-8, whether or not I can make the NBA. He just makes me question why he's playing basketball- he can't shoot, he's not really a good dribbler, has decent hops, and has below average athleticism. Does hustle really make up for that much? Grade: C- Rick Brunson- This guy we got from free agent got some playing time here and there, but not enough for me to really grade what he did. Besides, he's going to be gone in the offseason anyways. Grade: Incomplete Richie Frahm- Good three point shooter, he just was a bit tentative taking those shots he should have been taking. On paper, he would have been a great guy to have on the team because of the wide open looks he'd be getting, but unfortunately, he just didn't pan out that way. Plus, he wasn't given that much minutes either (although he was given more minutes toward the seasons end). Grade: Incomplete Chuck Hayes- Truly one of the bright spots of the season. He is one of the most efficient players ever (in my mind) and has done a great job of cleaning up the boards for us. In addition, when Hayes was given minutes, he's done a good job of doing everything for us from scoring points, to rebounding, to hustling, and then to stealing. The undrafted undersized powerforward from Kentucky really has given the Rockets and the fans something to talk about. The problem? Van Gundy has given him minimal minutes and has limited him to garbage time, even when we couldn't make the playoffs (WTF?). Simply put, when given the minutes, he has been great, but rarely is he given a lot of minutes. Really gets a lot of a people scratching their heads in the end. Grade: A+ Luther Head- When the injuries started piling up, Head completely astounded us when he dropped a couple of twenty point games. He started to completely bury other teams in threes (although even this didn't get us winning) which gave us some hope that perhaps he'd be the third option on the team for us. Instead, sometime after the all star break, he started to slow down and it turned out he's really a streak shooter. Some nights he'd light it up while others he'd be ice cold. Towards the end of the season however, it was more of the latter. In addition, his other weaknesses were exposed. Head showed that he's not really a great dribbler, and therefore isn't too good at driving into the lane despite his quickness. However, Head has proven to be a good defender and a nice rookie. Perhaps he can be the Eddie House type player for us once things settle down and we have a legit starting lineup.Grade: B+ Juwan Howard- First of all, props to him for recovering from all the injuries that plagued him last season capped off with the heart problem. This season however, Howard's proven to be mediocre. He's really been exposed as a volume scorer where he needs a bunch of touches to score and also that he's not really a great rebounder (which we all knew). Howard's done his job fairly well but the problem is, thats not really enough. His shot is pretty streaky and his defense comes and goes at times. Plus, his plays at times got people wondering if he was better than Swift at all (which is an insult itself). Grade: C Tracy McGrady- (Impossible is Nothing)man simply just couldn't take off this season. After a sluggish start, where he missed a bunch of games after the opener, then put up mediocre shooting numbers, then subsequently got injured again, this really has been a nightmare for both McGrady and the fans. Then, just when things started clicking for him and the team, McGrady gets injured again, in which we lost all the games. Don't forget about the whole thing with a personal problem either. Don't really know what to say really about his performances (or lack of). Certainly, he played well in a lot of them, but on the other hand, he missed about thirty some games as well as playing mediocre in the rest. Grade: C Dikembe Mutombo- After last season where he was one of the best backup centers in the league, Mutombo's age reared its head out again. Like many of the other players, he missed a bunch of games due to injuries. Still, when he has played, Mutombo had many strong and effective performances at the center position. At age 40 (?) he still brings his best to the court every night as well as providing the team with a solid defensive presence in the paint. What most scared about however is where his basketball career lies in his future plans. I'd still like for a couple more seasons where Mount Mutombo can wag the old finger. Grade: B- Bob Sura- Ugh, the basketball gods hate us. Grade: Incomplete Stromile Swift- After acquiring him in the offseason, Swift has proven to be a disappointment. Averaging lows in points and rebounds since his rookie season, this really hasn't been a great acquisition at all. He hasn't been the good frontcourt mate to Yao that he was projected to be and nor has he even made significant contributions to the team. In my eyes, Swift has been quite cancerous to the team (not showing up the practices) since he really hasn't been doing much for the team given his overpaid contract. In addition, into the middle of the season, pretty much everyone figured out he didn't understand Van Gundy's defensive system or plays. Quite frankly, to steal Stephen A. Smith's soundbite, he looked lost out there. In addition, his game hasn't really improved at all since last season nor has he been converting on open jumpers (which people said he could make) he's been given throughout the season. Grade: F David Wesley- Another player to come off a sluggish start, Wesley truly looked horrible out there. He couldn't convert on open jumpers since he couldn't find his shot and in addition, his defense for once in his career looked very suspect. However, around the time that the star players were first injured, Wesley's game started to come around and he played some admirable games where he led the team, living up to his title as captain. In addition, even when some of the players starting coming back, Wesley delivered some nice games playing his role nicely- finally making some of the open threes he's been bricking all season. However, it doesn't take a genius to tell his game has dropped off quite a bit from last year. Kind of disappointed me in the beginning of the season too. Grade: C+ Yao Ming- Quite the up and down season for Yao. He played similar to last year in the beginning of the year, then of course, had that nasty foot injury/infection around the middle of the season. Finally, after he came back as we all know, Yao Ming completely ripped apart the competition. Not only was he absolutely killing the defenses around him, but he also became more agressive to the basket. It really looked like no one could stop him out there where he dropped a bunch of 30-40 point games as well as a bunch of games with 12 rebounds ish. Those types of games led him to raise his season average to a solid 22/10. His type of play at the end of the season really opened a lot of people's eyes who were doubting him before. Plus, it gives all of us Rockets fans hope that perhaps he'll continue to tear it up for the rest of his career as well, rounding out the outside inside duo that him and McGrady make up. Grade: A- Finally, I'd like to comment grading. If you do grade, make sure you grade on them individually, and not as a team. For an example, Hayes got an A+ because he exceeded all expectations and not because he was better than Yao in the season.
Rafer Alston- Alston didn't really bring the scoring and assists we needed. Maybe it was due to the fact that we were injured, but didn't bring that spark we needed. Grade: C Keith Bogans- Acquired on February 9, 2006, Bogans has easily been the best season aquisition we had this season. Grade: B+ Ryan Bowen- Never really did anything at all. hustling and Rebounding has slowed down. He has become a liability Grade: F Rick Brunson- He got some playing time but caused distractions with his coaching desires. Didn't really help the cause and took minutes away from better players Grade: C Richie Frahm- 3 pt expert, but didn't bring that to his game. Didn't really help at all Grade: incomplete/ F Chuck Hayes- No more needed. Bright spot on team Grade: A+ Luther Head- Head instantly became the hope we needed. Even with his slumping late in the season, he hit game winners. He is a keep.Grade: B+ Juwan Howard- Helped but could have been better Grade: B- Tracy McGrady- . Grade: Incomplete Dikembe Mutombo- All I can say is he tried Grade: B- Bob Sura- Ugh, the basketball gods hate us. Grade: Incomplete Stromile Swift- I still believe in him but this season he failed every single exam. Grade: F David Wesley- I gave him a high grade because he provided us alot of scoring when we needed it Grade: B + Yao Ming- Career year. Grade: A
Rafer Alston- The surgery he had at the beginning of the season was part of our sinking into the deep hole, but otherwise, Alston has been a positive force. His shot at times is horrendous, but he has proven to be a passing point guard, and has improved defensively. Still makes bad decisions at times, but with a year of learning the system, should return with a bang next year. Grade: B- Keith Bogans- Personally, I don't like him due to his lack of a jumpshot and his willingness to take one, but he's also been a bright spot this season. Tough perimeter defender and slasher, but won't give you much else. Definitely won't be your starting shooting guard of the future, but would be valuable as seventh or eighth guy off the bench. Grade: B Ryan Bowen- Injuries were pretty much the only reason he got off the bench at all. Bowen hustled like he always does but his lack of talent otherwise makes him unattractive. When he started at small forward, the Rockets were pure trash. Grade: C Rick Brunson- Good veteran presence, knows when to take his shots, not a bad defender. Did an admirable job coming in midseason, but I don't think he'll be around next year. Grade: B- Richie Frahm- All he can do is shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Tries on defense but isn't quick enough, but is otherwise a smart player although needs some help in shot selection. Was a bit too tentative in the offensive setup and the fact that he was a liability on defense limited playing time. Grade: C+ Chuck Hayes- Great acquisition, loveable guy made an impact right off the bat. However, his effort has been questioned by JVG and his play dropped off as the season wore on (you could blame it on the PT), which prevents him from getting anything higher than an A. However, the fact that he was a rookie and new to the system grants him an A-. Grade: A- Luther Head- Got lots of PT due to injuries, but has not been as good as people tout him to be. Not as athletic as he was thought to be, and though he did hit some big shots, his consistency is a big problem. Started out the season as a marksman but his percentages dropped as the season wore on. Could be attributed to Rookie Wall, and Head otherwise has been a bright spot. Grade: B+ Juwan Howard- Stretched the floor out for Yao Ming, and stepped up as number one scorer with both Yao and TMac out. However, isn't the most consistent of players and has proven to be a liability on defense and on the boards. However, I've grown to like his dirty play (dirty elbow on Andrew Bogut, ejection against Raptors), and won't mind seeing him starting again if no better options are found at power forward. Grade: B Tracy McGrady- Leading scorer and undoubted team leader fell short this season due to injuries, but he still carried the team when he was healthy. Wasn't what was expected but still played like an All-Star when healthy. Can't wait for next season when he'll be healthy again. Grade: B- Dikembe Mutombo- Deke showed his age this time around, and looks like he won't be the defensive force he was ever again. Still a solid rebounder but served mainly as a bit player; even when starting, he was getting 10-14 minutes. Most likely won't return. Grade: B- Bob Sura- Looks like he'll retire, though a Grant Hill-ish return would sure be welcome. Grade: Incomplete Stromile Swift- Had some shining moments, but fell way short of expectations. Inconsistency kept him on the bench and his propensity to blow simple plays made Stro a headache to watch. Trade him this summer. Grade: D David Wesley- Started the year off with injuries, but never gave up and later reverted to being the Wesley of last year. Still a premier shooter and effective defensively. Would be great to keep on the team and provide youngsters with some mentorship and some spot minutes off the bench. Grade: B- Yao Ming- Injuries hurt his rating, but Yao had his career year. First 20/10 of his career, and finally somewhat shut up the critics. If he wasn't injured, there's still a chance that we'd still be playing right now. Grade: A-
Rafer Alston: C Keith Bogans: C Ryan Bowen: D+ Rick Brunson: C- Richie Frahm: C Chuck Hayes: A Luther Head: B- Juwan Howard: C Tracy McGrady: C Dikembe Mutombo: C Bob Sura: I Stromile Swift: C David Wesley: C+ Yao Ming: B+ This only players that really stood out to me were Hayes and Yao. Head had a strong start and finish, but he struggled through a good portion of the season.
Rafer Alston: C+, because he was a good point guard that had a lot of assists and he kind of helped us out.. Keith Bogans: C-, not that great of shooter, but ok Ryan Bowen: C+, great hustler, makes great use of his minutes.. good defender, sry offensive player Rick Brunson: I, dont really no him Richie Frahm: I, dont really know him Chuck Hayes: A-, makes great use of minutes, is undersized and still hustles for loose balls, and is a monster on the boards.. luv this guy.. great Luther Head: B+ great rookie.. nice three point touch.. Juwan Howard: B-, nice mid range jumper but lacks defense.. still good to me Tracy McGrady: C, did good when he played but his back messed him up Dikembe Mutombo: C, great defender.. "not in my house" Bob Sura: I Stromile Swift: D-, no consistency, sry but no stro sucks.. no defense, great dunker David Wesley: C+, ok.. good player Yao Ming: A+, injuries held him back.. but when he was back he went crazy.. 26 and 12.. yeah thats good.
Rafer Alston: C+, he was ok but did not standup and take the 3rd scorer role Keith Bogans: C+, hopefully better next year, hesistant to take shots Ryan Bowen: F, time to move on? Rick Brunson: I, useless Richie Frahm: I, dont really know him Chuck Hayes: B+, undersize pf have trouble defending bigger guy from time to time but bright recruit of the season. Luther Head: A- Exceeded expectation Juwan Howard: C+, ok year. Tracy McGrady: C+, did ok Dikembe Mutombo: C, not bad Bob Sura: Incomplete Stromile Swift: F, terrible signing.. get rid of him David Wesley: C-, took him too long to warm up but the time he is fired up we were pretty much out of playoff Yao Ming: A+, All NBA 3rd team, are you jk? To me first or second team and shaq def do not deserve 1st team. Van Gundy: D+ time for a change the game plan is too predictable
Rafer Alston: B- Keith Bogans: C+ Ryan Bowen: D Rick Brunson: C+ Richie Frahm: C Chuck Hayes: A Luther Head: B Juwan Howard: B Tracy McGrady: C Dikembe Mutombo: D Bob Sura: K Stromile Swift: C David Wesley: C Yao Ming: B, played only half season... no A here.
