Danny ChaiI’ve been having this exchange off and on with George and Marshall where I’ve been trash-talking the Suns (too much – I’m a jerk who’s kicking them when they’re way down). But I just want to point out how awesome the Rockets are, because they don’t get enough respect.
When I was Houston for Christmas I was surprised at how everyone there had turned on Tracy McGrady. Not shocked, because I’d soured on him myself, but the sentiment was nearly universal, which surprised me.
Anyway, George gave props to the Rockets for maintaining its status as a mid-playoff team after McGrady went down. Here’s the crazy thing – the Rockets this season have been a far superior team without McGrady. They’re 15-4 since his (latest) injury. That’s a better winning percentage than anyone in the league other than Cleveland and the Lakers. After tonight’s win in San Antonio, they’re 2nd place in the Western Conference. People don’t realize that without McGrady, the Rockets have been an elite team.
It’s interesting how a team changes when a player goes out. Last year, some people thought the Rockets were a better team without Yao. When Yao was around, the team slowed down their offense considerably, which is true. And the majority of their crazy 22-game winning streak happened without Yao in the lineup. But when the playoffs came around, he was sorely missed. I do think the team played better without Yao during the regular season, but his absence made them a worse playoff team, if that makes any sense.
In any case, the Rockets are clearly a better team without McGrady this season. The reason I soured on him was that he played as if he was an elite player but he’s lost his elite skills. Meaning, he had ball hog tendencies, but not the skills to back it up. Furthermore, he’s become a truly horrible defender, a huge liability. The Rockets are better without him because without the ball-hog, they play more as a cohesive team, and they play better defense. In Artest and Battier, they’ve got 2 of the better defenders in the league. Scola is my favorite Rocket, even though he looks like a girl, because he does all the little things. I love watching that. There’s nothing greater than watching a true team, and the Rockets are that. They’ve shown they can play with anyone, and they have everything that makes a good playoff team. I’m excited. Plus their GM is a stat-head geek. Another plus.
I’m also glad Alston is gone. I liked him, but was never a huge believer. He’s another player who played as if he’s better than he actually is. Brooks had been finishing most of the close games this season anyway. Regardless of who they got for him, I think it’s addition by subtraction.
I’m excited especially after tonight because for the past few years, even when they’ve been good, Rockets fans have known in their hearts that they couldn’t play with the very best teams. The Spurs were always one of those teams. But to beat the Spurs in their house without Landry, that’s a good sign. If they beat Utah in Utah on Tuesday, it’s time to get excited.
The Rockets are a legit #2 conference team. 2nd best record. 2nd best point differential. 2nd in conference wins. They deserve more respect.