<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Will the Rockets' leader please raise your hand?</p> Put your arm down, Tracy. You might sprain something.</p> Not you either, Yao. Not after Sammy Dalembert took you to school.</p> The problem with the Rockets has nothing to do with their pair of star players putting up only a dirty dozen points apiece in another ignominious defeat where they trailed a lottery-bound weak sister by 31 points in the third quarter.</p> What's lacking is a collective spine, a growl, a set of claws.</p> What is lacking is a reason why the team logo shouldn't be changed to a lawn chair - so easy to fold.</p> What they need is a voice - or just an on-court presence - that throws open the window and screams out: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"</p> There is raw talent on the roster. Maybe enough make it through a couple of rounds of the playoffs. Or more.</p> But there isn't a leader who can - or is even willing - to pull them out of the ditch and take the burden onto his shoulders.</p> Oh, sure. T-Mac will occasionally give one of those "It's On Me" speeches. And then he'll turn into origami as soon as things get tough again. He is a splendid, wonderful bundle of basketball talent. But he is not a warrior who you'd ever want covering your back. After 10-plus NBA seasons, there is a reason why he has never won a single playoff series. He is a performer, not a player. He is a diva, not a diver. He is kind of star that his teammates will often watch in amazement, but never follow to the next level. And checking out of an embarrassing loss with a turned ankle does nothing to change that.</p> Yao Ming has the height, the weight and the bulk to be one of the dominant centers in the NBA. But he does not have the psychological heft to wrap his arms around the franchise and make it his own. It's part physical. He doesn't possess the powder keg quickness to make explosive moves. He doesn't possess the strong, large hands to control the ball. But it's more mental, perhaps cultural. He does not have the demeanor to literally and figuratively knock down anything that is in his way. See the layups that should be dunks. See how he rarely demands the ball. See how he almost never speaks out unless it is to say he could have, should have done more. Will a collection of American ballplayers follow a Chinese gentleman? So far, not a chance.</p> Who then is the Rockets' leader?</p> Steve Francis returned to Houston with an opportunity. But over the last two games in the absence of the injured Rafer Alston, he did nothing to stake his claim.</p> Shane Battier knows the game, understands the Xs and Os and could write a dissertation on how the Rockets should be playing. But in the locker room, he's not regarded as one of the boys. No street cred.</p> Luis Scola is still finding his way around town. Mike James is busy trying to find the basket.</p> Bonzi Wells? Kirk Snyder? Rafer? Please.</p> The truth is the Rockets' leader for the past four seasons had been Jeff Van Gundy. He was their head coach, their motivator, the stick that always poked at them through the bars of the cage. It was Van Gundy who gave these Rockets the only identity they have had - as snarling, stingy defenders.</p> Thus, when the Rockets lost Van Gundy, they lost more than just the dour personality and the often stultifying offense. They lost the only person in their locker room who could make the adrenaline flow through their veins, who could make them show up and perform like professionals every night.</p> Van Gundy chastised them. He criticized them. But he was also the crutch for what is lacking in the personalities of Yao and T-Mac. Their fatal basketball flaw.</p> The Rockets don't need another offensive philosophy or an extra long practice or another meeting on the plane to work out what's wrong with them.</p> They need a leader.</p> Yao? T-Mac?</p> Clutch the Bear?</p> Applications are being accepted.</div></p> Source: Houston Chronicle Blog</p>
The Rockets have been one of the most disappointing teams on the season and their 11-11 record sums up their inconsistency. The Rockets do have some quality wins on the season, but they haven't been able to take care of the weaker teams in the NBA.</p> These games could come back to haunt them at season's end:</p> Lost @ Memphis Lost @ Miami (no DWade) Lost @ Sacramento Lost @ Philadelphia The team has not adjusted to Adelman's system and their guard play has been an achilles heel for them all season. In Adelman's system guard play is crucial for it to work along with fluid ball movement.</p> Looking at the shot chart in the Philly game the Rockets played two contrasting halves of basketball. In the 1st half they took most of their shots in the paint. In the second half, especially the 3rd quarter they camped on the perimeter. They only had two shots in the paint during the 3rd quarter.</p> The worst part about it was the fact the Rockets 5 starters were dominated by the 76ers starting 5 after halftime.</p> Is it time to end the Yao-TMac experiment?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Will the Rockets' leader please raise your hand?</p> Put your arm down, Tracy. You might sprain something.</p> Not you either, Yao. Not after Sammy Dalembert took you to school.</p> The problem with the Rockets has nothing to do with their pair of star players putting up only a dirty dozen points apiece in another ignominious defeat where they trailed a lottery-bound weak sister by 31 points in the third quarter.</p> What's lacking is a collective spine, a growl, a set of claws.</p> What is lacking is a reason why the team logo shouldn't be changed to a lawn chair - so easy to fold.</p> What they need is a voice - or just an on-court presence - that throws open the window and screams out: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"</p> There is raw talent on the roster. Maybe enough make it through a couple of rounds of the playoffs. Or more.</p> But there isn't a leader who can - or is even willing - to pull them out of the ditch and take the burden onto his shoulders.</p> Oh, sure. T-Mac will occasionally give one of those "It's On Me" speeches. And then he'll turn into origami as soon as things get tough again. He is a splendid, wonderful bundle of basketball talent. But he is not a warrior who you'd ever want covering your back. After 10-plus NBA seasons, there is a reason why he has never won a single playoff series. He is a performer, not a player. He is a diva, not a diver. He is kind of star that his teammates will often watch in amazement, but never follow to the next level. And checking out of an embarrassing loss with a turned ankle does nothing to change that.</p> Yao Ming has the height, the weight and the bulk to be one of the dominant centers in the NBA. But he does not have the psychological heft to wrap his arms around the franchise and make it his own. It's part physical. He doesn't possess the powder keg quickness to make explosive moves. He doesn't possess the strong, large hands to control the ball. But it's more mental, perhaps cultural. He does not have the demeanor to literally and figuratively knock down anything that is in his way. See the layups that should be dunks. See how he rarely demands the ball. See how he almost never speaks out unless it is to say he could have, should have done more. Will a collection of American ballplayers follow a Chinese gentleman? So far, not a chance.</p> Who then is the Rockets' leader?</p> Steve Francis returned to Houston with an opportunity. But over the last two games in the absence of the injured Rafer Alston, he did nothing to stake his claim.</p> Shane Battier knows the game, understands the Xs and Os and could write a dissertation on how the Rockets should be playing. But in the locker room, he's not regarded as one of the boys. No street cred.</p> Luis Scola is still finding his way around town. Mike James is busy trying to find the basket.</p> Bonzi Wells? Kirk Snyder? Rafer? Please.</p> The truth is the Rockets' leader for the past four seasons had been Jeff Van Gundy. He was their head coach, their motivator, the stick that always poked at them through the bars of the cage. It was Van Gundy who gave these Rockets the only identity they have had - as snarling, stingy defenders.</p> Thus, when the Rockets lost Van Gundy, they lost more than just the dour personality and the often stultifying offense. They lost the only person in their locker room who could make the adrenaline flow through their veins, who could make them show up and perform like professionals every night.</p> Van Gundy chastised them. He criticized them. But he was also the crutch for what is lacking in the personalities of Yao and T-Mac. Their fatal basketball flaw.</p> The Rockets don't need another offensive philosophy or an extra long practice or another meeting on the plane to work out what's wrong with them.</p> They need a leader.</p> Yao? T-Mac?</p> Clutch the Bear?</p> Applications are being accepted.</div></p> Source: Houston Chronicle Blog</p> </div></p> Absolutelly 110% true!!!</p>
Put your arm down, Tracy. You might sprain something.</p> </p> ^^^^lol.....seriously though anyone who has played b-ball knows that a tweaked ankle is not that hard to play through...to be honest it feels good playing on it instead of letting it stiffin up.....Tmac is a hoe.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (THE DREAM)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Put your arm down, Tracy. You might sprain something.</p> ^^^^lol.....seriously though anyone who has played b-ball knows that a tweaked ankle is not that hard to play through...to be honest it feels good playing on it instead of letting it stiffin up.....Tmac is a hoe.</p> </div></p> Dream, maybe Tmac's injury is one that you can play on with no worries of damaging it, but not all ankle sprains are like that. My earlier sprains I could get up after 10 seconds and play on and it was fine. I had a bad one that I couldn't play for like 3 months. Another one that I probably shouldn't have played for 1 1/2 months, butafter acouple weeks I was playing on it again,so it probably kept it from healing and it kept swelling up every time. Maybe Tmac's ankle sprain</p>
