Rockets

With the NBA lockout threatening the upcoming season, what do Rockets fans really have to look forward to this year?

The entire Rockets organization can be currently described as having ‘potential’.

At the top, we still have boy genius, Daryl Morey. While the Rockets have overachieved in the absence of McGrady and/or Yao, a few playoff appearances and a single playoff series win, does not exactly make Morey a legend just yet. He has however, filled the team with a young roster containing multiple lottery picks. He has attempted to upgrade the team, but never at the cost of giant contracts. This last step allows the addition of a big name, but alas, the hole still exists and all we have is the potential.

Next we have the new coach. While Rick Adelman brought the reputation of a fun and creative offense from his days in Sacramento, Kevin McHale brings memories of a sub-par Minnesota team. Granted, McHale wasn’t given much to work with in Minnesota, but as our roster reflects, we are a team without a star. So, if McHale was not given much of a chance in his previous stint as a head coach and being a great player implies he has plenty of basketball knowledge to pass down to the young talent, then we’re left with a coach who has a recognizable name, at least some tricks up his sleeve, and the potential to be a decent coach.

With Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes being the only players I see as having reached their potential, the Rockets roster is filled with players who have the ability to become better. Just like Kyle Lowry’s addition of a 3pt shot, each Rockets player can become more than who they were and continue to contribute in larger ways.

The team is young and low risk. Each player can be swapped out for another and there is room for improvement in all their games offensively and/or defensively. All a Rockets fan can hope for is that a few of these eggs hatch and the potential of a player is truly tapped.

In 2009, the Blake Griffin draft, Hasheem Thabeet was taken #2, Johnny Flynn was taken #6, Jordan Hill was taken #8, and Terrence Williams was taken #11. These are all players who can step up and fill the rolls around our existing structure or even blossom into a mid level star. Kyle Lowry ended the season as one of the top guards, Kevin Martin gets his points no matter what, Louis Scola always holds his own down low, and even Courtney Lee brings tough defense and NBA Finals experience.

This team has the ability to become better and is perhaps a trade, draft pick, or free agent signing away from returning to NBA relevancy. Even with little hopes of reaching the post season, or even having a season at all, Rockets fans can look forward to whatever might grow out of the seed that is planted.

“No Ticket Left Behind” campaign

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/1/11/1245197/nba-decade-of-change-10-ways-to-usher
No. 7: Institute a “No Ticket Left Behind” campaign

With the technology available to us, there should never be an empty seat at an NBA game.  Not one.  I recently asked a high-level NBA executive why unused seats aren’t sold at a substantial discount at the very last minute before games, and he told me that their franchise’s “research” had shown that season ticket holders don’t like it when someone sits next to them for half the price.  As a season ticket holder who never participated in this survey, I don’t buy this for a second and just think that NBA ticket sales offices/marketing people are lazy.  First, on the rare occasion when I can’t give away my seats and have to sell them, I never get face value and am lucky to get half my money back (because those rare occasions mean it’s a game against a bad team).  Second, as a fan I want to sit in a stadium filled-to-the-brim with fans.  It makes the experience better for everyone and improves the home team’s chances of winning, too.  And third, I buy season tickets because I want a guaranteed good seat for big games, games I’m available to attend and playoff games, and I’m willing to pay more for that guarantee.

Here’s how this campaign would work.  If a ticket holder knows he/she can’t attend and is unable to give the tickets to someone else, they should be able to contact the team through an online service and get at least half their money back in the form of applied funds for playoff tickets or next season tickets.  The unused tickets then go into a pool and are priced at a steep discount for fans to purchase at the last minute online or directly at the stadium.  Any upper level tickets not used/sold by the ticket holder should be sold for one dollar just to get asses in the seats.  A campaign like this would not only fill arenas (that NBA teams have to pay labor and utility costs regardless of attendance numbers anyway), but would encourage younger and middle-to-lower class Americans to come to games, fostering more fan enthusiasm for the NBA.  So to my aforementioned NBA executive if he’s reading this: how would this be a bad thing?

I think the NBA would have a real fear about selling less normal priced tickets.  Why would I buy a ticket to a game I wanted to go to if I could get cheap discount tickets later?  The only reason would be as a ‘reservation’.  Since I’m a fan that could attend multiple games, I’d just aim to only go to cheap games.  The system itself is fine and many places now use the FlashSeats concept.  It allows season ticket holders to sell their tickets, but w/o the large discount deflating the market.  I’m okay with this concept.  Just being allowed to purchase a season ticket holder’s tickets is good enough.

Bball finally starts

1. (4) Kobe Bryant

2. (25) Gerald Wallace

3. (32) Brook Lopez

4. (53) Mehmet Okur

5. (60) Emeka Okafor

6. (81) Richard Jefferson

7. (88) Chris Duhon

8. (109) Raymond Felton

9. (116) Mike Miller

10. (137) Grant Hill

11. (144) Kyle Lowry

National TV Schedule

http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/2009/08/2009-10-nba-national-tv-schedule.html

The Rockets, who were one win away from the Western Conference Finals, have zero national TV appearances.

Considering the Rockets have no super star, I wouldn’t put them on National TV either.  I’m just glad I can still watch all the Rockets games because I live in Houston.

We should be able to beat Portland

Game 1 – Sat April 18 Houston at Portland 9:30PM ESPN
Game 2 – Tue April 21 Houston at Portland 9:00PM NBATV
Game 3 – Fri April 24 Portland at Houston 8:30PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 26 Portland at Houston 8:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Houston at Portland
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Portland at Houston
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Houston at Portland

these are the facts

Houston will be seeded:

#2 if Rockets win and Nuggets lose

#3 if Rockets win and Nuggets win OR if Spurs and Blazers lose.

#4 if Rockets lose, Spurs win and Blazers lose OR if Rockets lose, Spurs lose and Blazers win.

#5 if Rockets lose and Spurs and Blazers win.

So many possibilities

Rockets’ doc

https://jasonwu7890795.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/shaq/

Because Rockets players are always hurt I often state that the training staff here in Houston is either really good because they work so much, or really bad because they have players who always get hurt.

It appears we at least have good doctors for after the fact problems:

http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/03/its-operation-shutdown-time-for-stephen-jackson/

going get his toe examined by the Houston Rockets doctor

Stephen Jackson is going to get his toe checked out.  Of course this just might be a timing issue because they just played in Dallas, but it at least says the doc is better than ones in Dallas (last game) and Denver (next game).

Since I like to dog on Utah.  Here is a quote from Carlos Boozer:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-38-352/Dukies-Question-the-President.html

“I said, ‘Reggie, what’s up with President Barack picking the Tar Heels to win the whole thing?”‘ Boozer said. “He said, ‘I know. He stabbed us both in the back on national TV.'”

Stabbing in the back?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1836318

Remember, current Utah Jazz Carlos Boozer is himself a back stabber.  Cleveland decided to release Boozer because they had a verbal agreement that he would resign with them.  They didn’t have to make him an unrestricted free agent, but decided to trust him.  Sadly they didn’t know Boozer was a Utah Jazz at heart.  Of course what team would sign a player who had a verbal agreement with another team?  The Utah Jazz of course.

</end ragging on Jazz>

http://slamonline.com/online/kicks/kick-of-the-day/2009/03/nike-hypermax/

I like these.  Release June 1.  I really enjoy my HyperDunks but they could use a little more cushion…looks like this has more cushion.

Dear Carl Landry

http://www.rockets-buzz.com/?p=627

“I was ringing doorbells like crazy. One person came down and said he was going to call 911. And I saw a cop drive by about 20 minutes after he said that, and I went up to the cop car and they helped me.”

Really? I thought it was 2009 and everybody (at least as young and rich as Carl Landry) has a cell phone? Perhaps he should take some of his NBA money and invest in a cell phone (or twenty).

EDIT:

From the earlier posting I thought Carl was in his car.  “Outrun” could mean either in a car or on foot.  From another post:

“I ran about six blocks. After they fired two shots, one of the guys chased me for about a block. I was able to outrun the shooter and I hid in between a house and a fence.”

http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/03/carl-landry-discusses-the-shooting/

My apologies to Mr. Landry if he left his cell phone in his car after getting SHOT and out running the guy with a bullet wound in the leg.