well, i think this utah game is back breaker. Gonna watch the rest of the games, with what little hope we have for post season play. Overall though, i think this was a big success of a season. Up and Down, but i expect 5-7 wins more next year. Gonna start watchin the stros more now. great season yall
definetly a good season. we improved over last year, which is ever teams goal. Hopefully we can improve next year. I hope rudy comes back next year healthy and ready to go. The team will have had a full season and offseason to get there act together. I am not giving up on the rockets, but unless the mavs win tonight its is really unlikely that the rockets will sneek into the playoffs ( i think we could have made the playoffs if we had the red and gold uni's )
<font color="blue"> removed . Please watch the language in addition to trying not to bait some Rockets fans here. Thanks-dexter</font>
good season us rocket fans can only hope rudy will be back for next season..the suns had the better team this year and i tip my hat to them
I think it was a good year for the Rockets. They learned alot as a team and they learned how to play with Yao. They did considerably better than I thought they would. Next season I see them in the Playoffs and the year after that, barring any major moves or injuries, I can see them fighting for the championship. Yao has got game, all he needs to do now is develop that and hit the weight room.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">2002-03 Season Recap The Young And Restless by Trevor Mitchell, rockets.com April 21, 2003 - The Houston Rockets ended their exciting yet somewhat disappointing 2002-03 regular season with a 43-39 record, finishing just one game away from qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 1999. After compiling a 28-54 record during a disastrous and injury-plagued 2001-02 campaign the Rockets this season posted a 15-win improvement, the second best turnaround in the league. Even with the improvement, the Rockets had a shot at accomplishing so much more. While many positives can be taken from this year’s campaign, the major disappointment for the Rockets was missing out on the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. Houston battled the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot throughout March and April, but just when the Rockets needed to come through in the end, they failed. In a key mid-April back-to-back set with Portland and Utah, Houston suffered through its two most horrendous shooting nights of the season, combining for only 139 points in the two games. Although the Rockets managed to regroup and close out the season with a three-game winning streak, their fate was sealed when they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn against the Blazers and Jazz. HE SAID IT “We improved, but we’re young also. A lot of the mistakes we made, veteran teams capitalized on them. Next year hopefully those situations won’t happen.” -CUTTINO MOBLEY By finishing the year one game out of the playoffs, Rockets players, coaches and fans will drive themselves crazy this offseason thinking about what could have been. They will all look back to numerous games over the course of the season the Rockets could have or should have won but just like their playoff chase, they were denied in the end. The slow starts, the mental lapses, the lack of urgency, and the loss of their head coach to illness were all major factors in the Rockets being forced to watch the playoffs from their living room sofas. CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR The bottom line is this: Houston simply lost too many close games. The Rockets dropped a total of 13 contests by five points or less with many of the losses coming to inferior teams. The list of non-playoff teams that inflicted defeats on the Rockets is a lengthy one - Cleveland, Washington, the L.A. Clippers (twice), Memphis, Miami, Atlanta, New York (twice), Golden State and Chicago. Wouldn’t the Rockets love to have even one of those games back now? “We improved, but we’re young also,” said Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley. “A lot of the mistakes we made, veteran teams capitalized on them. Next year hopefully those situations won’t happen. We lost a good amount of games with a three-point difference and under, with four or three minutes to go in a game. Right there that tells you that we need to gain some more experience, awareness, and mental toughness.” Steve Francis is determined to lead the Rockets back into the postseason next season. Tony Firriolo/NBAE/Getty Images Based on their current situation, the Rockets plan to look on the bright side of things. Houston knows it has a team that can develop into a contender, but patience is not a strong suit in the NBA. The Rockets realize that if this team is going to stay together, it does not have many more seasons to offer up excuses. Houston has the second-youngest team in the NBA and is a while away from being title contenders, but the Rockets certainly have enough talent to earn a playoff berth. “There was youth at the beginning, but we’re at a point now where it’s time to turn that corner,” said Rockets guard Steve Francis. “The way that we do that is by believing in one another. I still feel that we have a good team and we’re going to continue to play hard.” YAO THE MAN One of the major bright spots for the Rockets this season was the matriculation of their No. 1 overall draft pick, Yao Ming. The 7-6 center endured a rookie season that was unprecedented and delightfully entertaining. After a few weeks of adjusting to the NBA, Yao quieted his critics by the end of November with several excellent outings highlighted by a career-high 30-point, 16-rebound performance against Dallas in a nationally televised affair. His timing couldn't have been better as the rest of the nation, not to mention the world, was able to witness his first NBA breakout game. Shortly thereafter, Yao posted 27 points and 18 rebounds against Tim Duncan, David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs, and the word was officially out - hey, this guy's pretty good. The Rockets center was drawing consistent double teams by mid-December. Yao handled his rookie season with class and dignity despite getting a late start after missing the entire Rockets training camp and several preseason games due to his Chinese national team commitments. At 22 years of age, Yao will only get better and develop into one of the best centers in the NBA. The 7-6 Chinese native will need to get stronger this summer, but there is little doubt he will continue the fine legacy of Rockets centers. A STAR IS BORN HE SAID IT “I know we will make the playoffs next year.” -STEVE FRANCIS Another positive for Houston this season was the play of Francis. While many people criticize the Rockets point guard for selfishness and turnovers, Houston is fortunate to have a player of Francis’ caliber. Stevie Franchise, along with MVP candidate Kevin Garnett were the only two players in the NBA to average over 20 points, six rebounds and six assists per game. If that is not an all-around game, I don’t know what is. Francis finished 18th in the NBA in scoring (21.0 per game) and 12th in assists (6.2). While the Rockets star also ranked second in turnovers per game (3.69), guess who was first? Someone considered to be the purest point guard in the league - New Jersey Nets All-Star Jason Kidd. A few other players who placed in the top 10 in turnovers include All-Stars Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. Playing with a big contract, Francis will always be one of the most highly criticized players, but with his play this season he has become one of the most coveted guards in the NBA. “If someone wants to say that we didn’t win because of me, I’m willing to take that,” said Francis. “True basketball fans know that you can’t depend on one player to win 50 games, but I’m willing to take that burden as the captain and the leader of this team. I’m not ashamed of that at all.” Posey Houston faces a major decision this offseason concerning forward James Posey. Since the Rockets solved their logjam at the power forward position by parting ways with Kenny Thomas in December and acquiring Posey in a three-way trade, they have been rather pleased with the swingman's production. Posey is a free agent this summer and although he would love to be back in Houston, he will at least take at look at what other teams may offer him. The 6-8 Posey was more of a scorer in Denver, but he's fit in well with the Rockets by sacrificing a bit of his offensive game. Whether it’s finishing off a fast break or coming up with a key loose ball, Posey always seems to be everywhere on the court for Houston. The Rockets forward did an exceptional job over the last month of the season, and seemed to be the only player who could find the basket or grab a rebound during Houston’s late season slump. Re-signing Posey to a new deal would be big for Houston. His athleticism and energy at the small forward spot forms a perfect combination with Glen Rice’s shooting ability. FORWARD THINKING The Rockets will also take a deep look at the power forward position. Eddie Griffin and Maurice Taylor split time equally this season with Griffin being the starter and Taylor serving as the closer. Big Mo was able to put together a few high-scoring fourth quarters and showed that he may be an even bigger force next season when he is 100 percent healthy. While Griffin showed flashes of breaking out, the second-year player had a disappointing year. The 6-10 forward, who is filled with potential, did not show any sign of improvement or emotion in his second season. Griffin often seemed uninspired in several games and his scoring average actually dropped slightly to 8.6 ppg from 8.8 ppg last season. The spotlight will be on Eddie Griffin next season. Will the Rockets forward begin fulfilling his vast potential? Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images It will be interesting to see what the Rockets will do with their power forward tandem. Will they be patient with Griffin, start the steady scorer Taylor, or look elsewhere to upgrade the position via a trade or free agency? If the Rockets want to make the playoffs next year they will not only need to get consistency from the starters but also the bench. The Rockets reserves played well in several games this season, but on some occasions the coaching staff lost confidence in the bench. Mobley ranked second in the league in minutes played (41.7 per game), while Francis finished sixth (41.0). Houston needs to regain its confidence in backup guard Moochie Norris to spell minutes for the starting backcourt. If the Rockets choose not to bring in another point or shooting guard, reserve Juaquin Hawkins should be given a chance to get a few minutes backing up Mobley. Kelvin Cato had a great year playing behind Yao. Cato demonstrated a great attitude to his new role and really did make the most of his minutes. The Rockets center remains the most physical member on the team and he should be back in the same capacity next season. PLAYOFFS OR BUST Next season is full of promise for the Rockets, but only if the team can continue its improvement progression. The 15-win improvement this season was nice, but anything short of a postseason berth next season would be considered a complete failure. The NBA is not a patient business, so the Rockets will have to come out and prove their worth in the brutal Western Conference. With Yao now having NBA experience and getting stronger this summer, the 2003-04 NBA season should be the year that Houston returns to postseason play. “It’s going to be a long summer,” said Mobley. “I’m going to try and add 10 pounds of muscle and even do some yoga. My body has to rest a while, but after that I’ll probably be in the gym balling. We all have to do our part to get stronger and better." Francis says that this team has learned from its mistakes. By missing the playoffs by a mere one game, they will pay their penance this offseason. However, if the Rockets work on their consistency, chemistry and maturity, in the words of Francis, “everything will be alright.” Based on his belief in his teammates and coaching staff, Francis ended this rollercoaster year with somewhat of a bold guarantee in his final interview of the season. “I know we will make the playoffs next year," he said. ”I know it’ll be definite." </div> www.nba.com/rockets
