Kobe Scores 53 in Losing Effort
I figured Kobe Bryant would offer his customary gigantic performance against the Houston Rockets Friday night at Staples Center, but sheesh - 53? Again?
In a far cry from the meeting these two clubs had in December, which the Rockets won 102-77, this one came down to the last overtime possession. And anybody who follows the Lakers' star guard knows that's one too many. One shot is all Bryant needs to make it HIS game, to put that odoriferous stamp on the game ball. Yeah, the one that says, "pullback three against a triple team at the buzzer? No problem."
In that December meeting, Dikembe Mutombo passed Kareem Abdul Jabar on the all-time shots blocked list. It may well have been the team's most complete performance without Yao Ming.
Deke didn't swat at any records this time, but his team managed to do something even more important; get ready for the playoffs.
In that final minute of overtime, that had come on the most improbable yet predictable of Bryant 3-pointers, the Rockets found that something that has ailed them most of the season. That hunger to win, to compete at a championship level, reared itself on more than just a dessert platter. It was the main entree and with less than three weeks left in the season there could not be more opportune news.
The Rockets shot an astonishing, season-high 41 free throws and nailed 36 of them. For a team that has been questioned for its lack of consistent post play and physicality, this is also good news.
If you watched the baskets on either side of the court, you noticed something even larger standing in the paint. Yao Ming, the tallest player in all of basketball at 7'6", finally looked like the undefendable Godzilla he was chalked up to be when he was drafted. Not a single Laker had an answer for Yao's dominance in the low block, except to foul him, where he generally went to the line to calmly drop in two free throws. Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, Smush Parker, Ronny Turiaf, Andrew Bynum - almost all of them fouled out trying to guard the monstrous Ming.
Then again, no Rocket could stop Kobe Bryant, either.
SOME SIDE NOTES ON KOBE
The post above might carry a much more abrasive tone if the Rockets had let another one slip to the flailing Lakers at Staples Center. Thankfully, they dodged the wounding blow that was Kobe Bryant's 53-point performance and limped off the court as the stoic victors.
And even though it almost caused the Rockets to drop a game behind the Utah Jazz (who lost to the Spurs Friday 102-93) in the hunt for the fourth playoff spot and homecourt advantage in the first round, it was a hell of a 53 to watch.
Say what you want about Bryant. Call him the 'n' word, tell him he's a "dirty player," call him "cocky," question his integrity, call him a rapist.
Whatever Kobe's dissenters are screaming at him, it's working. You're seeing one of the greatest offensive forces in modern basketball light a fire under his ass, the same way he seems to do every time things get critical.
One thing you can never question about him is his work ethic. You don't score 53 points against the 2nd best defense in the entire NBA, three weeks from the playoffs, without some of the most ridiculous skills God ever put in a man.
Bryant may never be placed on that platform with Wilt, Kareem and Air Jordan, but that doesn't change the massive impact his career will have on how the game is played in future decades.
While you're sitting in your living room, drinking Bud Light, and stupidly calling Bryant a "cocky [n-----]," he's in the gym crafting ways to prove you're a dumbass.
For Kobe, being a formidable champion with multiple rings is not enough. Being called one of the best players in the current NBA isn't enough, either.
He's wonderful because he never quits inventing motivational tactics. The kind that make his pull back three pointer at the end of regulation against the Rockets on Friday look like ordinary business.
The MVP won't rest in the hands of a player whose team has lost more than 30 games, not this year.
Expect the trophy to fill the cupped hands of Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitzki when this remarkable season ends in mid-April. This probable reality, however, won't stop Bryant from continuing to believe he has a chance. And as long as he believes, God knows how far his Lakers can go.
Some Random Sports Musings
~Yao Ming scored 27 points on 10-19 shooting in the Rockets 91-85 win over the Detroit Pistons. Why did this guy have to fracture his tibia?? If this scoring monster hadn't sidelined himself in December, he would be the knife separating this boring MVP race between Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki.
~Florida-Georgetown in the NCAA title game? I won't bet on it, but it's a guess.
~The Denver Nuggets are still a joke. The punchline has me roaring. Playoffs for AI and Carmelo? Ha, you have a better chance of not finding rats in your local KFC's fryer.
~Astros lost to the Nationals in the preseason today. I was hoping Carlos Lee would be the anchor for an improved offense. It's turning out to be a moldy cheeseburger with sour mayonnaise.
~Since the Phoenix Suns should already be scored in scientific notation, I think Steve Nash should change his first name to Pluto. Who doesn't want to hear play-by-play caller Mike Breen yelling, "and it's Pluto Nash with the dime to lead Shawn Marion to the rack?"
Another Phoenix Rant
In Phoenix's Saturday loss to the Denver Nuggets:
-The Nuggets were 5-14 from the 3-pt line (35%), which is a very low percentage
-The Suns took five charges
These are two of three stats that have people heralding Phoenix as a great defensive team. In this loss, they gave up and lost by how many points?
131-107-Denver wins by 24 points.
Is this what you call defense???!!!!!
Since when is outscoring somebody and outrunning them considered great defense?
I wish Bill Walton, Doug Collins and everyone else on the Phoenix bandwagon could read this post and give a thoughtful response.
I repeat, giving up 131 points in just 48 minutes in a LOSS is defense??!! Phoenix gives up almost 106 points per game, so allowing teams to score a lot is not an anomaly for this team.
Maybe I am from another planet.
Bold Playoff Predictions
With SXSW done and in the books, it's back to NBA obsession and eventually MLB coverage. The season has come down to the final wires and many bottom-rung teams are fighting not to be shorted out in the playoff race. As usual, I have some opinionated opinions about which teams will make the final 16 and which 14 teams will be fishing come April.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 - Dallas Mavericks
2 - San Antonio Spurs (overtakes Phoenix Suns for second place)
3 - Phoenix Suns
4 - Houston Rockets (overtake Utah Jazz)
5 - Utah Jazz
6 - Los Angeles Lakers (overtake Denever Nuggets)
7 - New Orleans Hornets
8 - Golden State Warriors
Will Not Make the Playoffs:
Denver Nuggets - this team will not win enough games for a post season berth until they exhibit some interest in playing consistent halfcourt defense. This milk version of the Phoenix Suns won't win because their only interest is getting the ball back to score. Phoenix won't get to the finals for the same reason.
Sacramento Kings - close, but no cigar. This team's struggles in nearly every statistical category speaks for itself.
Los Angeles Clippers - solid, veteran leadership, but no Chris Paul or Tyson Chandler. The Clippers have been the most dissapointing team this year, following a Cinderella season with one fit for sewage tunnels.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 - Detroit Pistons
2 - Miami Heat
3 - Cleveland Cavaliers
4 - Chicago Bulls
5 - Toronto Raptors
6 - Washington Wizards
7 - New Jersey Nets (remain mediocre enough to hold on)
8 - Indiana Pacers
Will Not Make the Playoffs:
The bottom teams in the East are playing such putrid basketball that its hard to single out three teams who won't make the playoffs. For all I know, New Jersey and Indiana will lose all of their remaining games and New York will submarine its way into the postseason (shudder). Miami (with Dwyane Wade) and Detroit are the only teams in the East who seem to have complete enough franchises to get to the NBA Finals.
Mavs-Heat matchup for a second year in a row? Don't be surprised if it happens.
Saturday--Day 4, SXW
To wrap up my fifth SXSW experience, I think the adjectives blessed and grateful are in order. I was certain I had paid $160 for nothing, that most of the shows I wanted to see would fill up before I could get there and I'd be stuck solely listening to bands I had no interest in. Yet, I got in to every show I had scripted on my schedule and I didn't have to miss any of those all-important first notes. The notes that begin an artist's set, that let fans know the music has arrived. I'm in denial that it's over. In my head, I'm still scurrying down 6th Street, hopping to a once-in-a-lifetime show. In reality, the music has been silenced and post-SXSW life must go on.
My final evening was one of sharo contrast. It would shift from the blood, sweat and volume of Hatebreed to the snug, quiet and cool atmosphere of the Elephant Room, where Eric Hofbauer lightly plucked his own unique take on pop and jazz standards on his electric guitar. From fists in the hot air to mixed drinks in a dark room, I rode the musical wave from one spectrum to the other.
Here's what I witnessed the final night of the festival:
Cute is What We Aim For (free show - Emo's)
Oblige (free show - Spiro's Amphitheater)
Hatebreed ( " " )
Pubcrawlers (BD Riley's Pub)
Eric Hofbauer (Elephant Room)
Second Movement ( " " )
Garland Jeffreys (Antone's)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd w/special guests Hubert Sumlin, Brian Lee and Pinetop Perkins ( " " )
Detroit Cobras (Red Eyed Fly)
The Stooges (Stubbs BBQ)
TOP OF THE POPS:
Again, another tie, folks.
Hatebreed - when I want to be screamed at for 48 minutes, I want to be screamed at. I couldn't think of a better remedy for an abrasive metal craving than this ferocious quintet. After seeing almost every style of music sans metal, I was ready for a sweaty pit and some mosh-eriffic riffs. The crowd went apeshit when Jamey Jasta and crew jumped on stage to begin the defiant anthem "Proven." For the next 45-50 minutes, I was pounded and nearly suffocated, and I cherised every minute of it. The group has shifted its message to one of progress and tolerance, a contrast to what it used to preach. The set ended apropriately with a slashing version of "I Will be Heard." Myself and the rest of the enthralled crowd chanted the song's refrain so loudly, you could have heard it two blocks away on I-35.
The Stooges - Seeing 93-year-old Pinetop Perkins lay his fingers on a keyboard with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band was pretty special, but seeing the ridiculous stage antics of 59-year-old Iggy Pop was a brand in its own class. It isn't often that you get to see a legendary frontman squeal and scream like he's a wounded goat being electrocuted. Iggy hasn't lost any of his lack of good judgement. He fearlessly stage dove three times and eloped the stage like the drugged-circus act he was in the Stooges hey day. Although the band didn't navigate through much of its deep catalog, it did play "I Wanna' be a Dog."
Compared to the pocket playing of Galactic and the computer-sharp execution of most of the bands I observed this past week, the Stooges were pretty sloppy. They don't play that well as a unit, the tempo seemed to hang loosely, like it had downed a few tequila shots, but perhaps that's the charm of these punk legends. Spontaneity and excessive bull-dog-ish energy count for a lot. I also expected to hear more than 40 minutes of music.
TOP OF THE POPS FOR THE WHOLE WEEK:
Tom Morello at the Parish - This wasn't a tough choice. I mean really, how many times in your life will you see the Rage Against the Machine guitarist peforming "Kick out the Jamz" with Wayne Kramer (the guy who wrote the song), Slash, Nuno Bettencourt, Alexi Murdoch and others? How often do Perry Ferrell and Les Claypool just walk on stage and start jamming? How often does such a cast of characters end a set with a ten-minute version of Arlo Gunthrie's "This Land is Your Land?"
Friday--Day 3, SXSW
Great music lurks in every nook and cranny of Austin during SXSW and it's surprising to find how much of it is free. None of the free shows in the 6th Street vacinity interested me in the least, so I headed on to Auditorium Shores for a killer double bill. To witness Ozomatli and Public Enemy free of charge is like a pro bono lunch at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It's like a perfect cut of sirloin just dropped on your plate and the only work you have to do is savor it. So far each night has rendered inspiration in me, a rarity for the four day SXSW music juant. As you'll read below, the combination of New Orleans funk and rap proved to be some of the best musical medicine my soul has received in years. I realized Friday, it really isn't about quantity, but quality. After hustling to nine venues on Wednesday, one short of my record for one evening, I only needed to visit less than six to reach musical nirvana. There were few ugly ducklings Friday night, as I didn't waste my time sitting through uninspired muck or off key shouting.
Ozomatli (free show - Auditorium Shores)
Public Enemy (w/the full lineup " " )
Pistol Valve (Japan Nite - Elysium)
GO!GO!7188 ( " " )
Aesop Rock (Emo's Main Room)
El-P ( " " )
Galactic w/special guests Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab and Boots Riley ( " " )
TOP OF THE POPS:
For the first time this week, it's a three-way tie, folks.
Ozomatli - Rare is the band that can mix Conjunto, Norteno, Salsa, funk, rock, Cumbia, rap and r&b and make it sound like ordinary business. The grammy winning Los Angeles group displays immeasurable creativity, especially when the party that is the band's music hits the live stage. Every member of the nine-person ensemble plays an instrument, including the deuling MC's who take turns as rappers and percussionists. As usual, the LA boys ended their set with a massive conga line. It was a shred of predictability in 50 minutes worth of inspired inventiveness.
Public Enemy - The 20-year strong rap rebels might have stolen more thunder if Flavor Flav hadn't resorted to propping his awful show on VH1, "Flavor of Love." When the self-absorbed, bling-toting rapper began hyping himself and his birthday, I headed for the exit. The first 40 minutes or so was hip-hop dynamite, though. Just hearing Chuck D sprint his way through a gnarly version of the anthem "Don't Believe the Hype" seemed to make trekking to Auditorium Shores worth every dollar of the parking fee.
Galactic and guests - Stanton Moore finds rhythm in pockets you didn't know existed. Is there a better drummer to anchor a rhythm section for three of the most gifted rappers in modern music? If you know the burly man who calls himself Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab from the group Blackalicious, Boots Riley and you know the mudsauce grooves of Galactic, you can picture how off the wall this collaboration was. When all three MC's shared the stage with the funk group, hell was so loose it barely hung by a thread. Hearing that Electric Hammond wail underneath rhymes so fast they should have been in the Daytona 500, was "funk" beyond definition. Shit went down and it never looked up again.
Thursday--Day 2, SXSW
It ocurred to me after waking up at 3:30 in the afternoon that a late night of music, two hours at Kerbey Lane and a fire two blocks from your apartment aren't kind to your circadian rhythm. I had a gaping to-do list and seemed Gung-Ho upon going to sleep about accomplishing every single one. I didn't completely strike out, at least I witnessed some great music, and as you'll read below, some of it was really fucking great. The kind of musical performance that can only be properly described by an adjective preceded by an expletive.
I had my heart set on seeing two bands Thursday evening, so I built my schedule around guaranteeing that I would get into the venues to see them. I only saw four bands, but the last nearly paid for the entire cost of my $160 wristband. Trust me and read on.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. (Stubbs BBQ)
Aqualung ( " ")
Rodrigo y Gabriela (did not perform)
Apostle of the Hustle (" ")
Cary Brothers (The Parish)
Aqualung (The Parish)
Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman) and "others...see below" ( " " )
DISSAPOINTMENT: Rodrigo y Gabriela not performing
In a sharp contrast to Wednesday night, when I flurried to nine different venues in a desperate attempt to make my wristband investment worth it, I stopped in only two on Thursday. It's hard to complain when so much music is at your fingertips, but not seeing the guitar virtuoso duo perform is worthy of a fussing session.
I endured the listenable, but uninspired and arid Aqualung all because I thought showing up to Stubbs a bit early would ensure that I wouldn't be unhappily waiting in line when Rodrigo y Gabriela took the stage. I truly thought seeing this group from Mexico might be on the shortlist for all time great SXSW performances. Unfortunately, after 45 minutes of listening to souless British pop, I got a nasty surprise. The boys in Aqualung didn't seem that enthusiastic about humming through their monotonous fare and I wasn't too ebullient about hearing it. The band executes its style perfectly, but I wouldn't pay to see it or request it on the radio. When the gracious, but stodgy band left the stage, I became curious when Apostle of the Hustle began setting up its gear. I found out five minues after the group began performing that R y G had some Visa issues and
The exact remark from singer Julian Brown was "Yeah, Rodrigo y Gabriela didn't fill out their immigration papers correctly. We wanted to come over here and see them, but we ended up stealing their gig. I Love it!"
I had wanted to see AOTH separately, but not in place of R y G. Luckily, there was heavy compensation on the back end of the evening.
TOP OF THE POPS: Tom Morello (performing with an acoustic guitar as the Nightwatchman) with special guests Nuno Bettencourt, Paul Geary, Perry Ferrell, Slash, Les Claypool, Alexi Murdoch and Wayne Kramer (guitarist for MC5) and others...
Picture all of the above musicians jammin' a fast rock version of Arlo Gunthrie's "This Land is Your Land" in front of a more than capacity crowd that obviously violated the fire code and you get the picture. It was just that kind of a set.
Right after calling a friend to tell him the pending show with Morello would probably be interesting, Ferrell, Slash, Bettencourt and others jumped on stage for a raucous, impromptu version of "Mountain Song." Morello strummed three tunes of his own under the guise, The Nightwatchman. Some of the lyrics included, "I hope that God drowns the president if the levies ever break again." His highly-political message was not for the faint-hearted. A few of his musician buddies suggested he examine a possible presidential bid, which he playfully shrugged off.
The real dynamite, though, was Morello assembling the cast of misfit rockers on stage for a rollicking cover of Arlo Gunthrie's "This Land is Your Land." Morello said he wanted the crowd to hear the words Gunthrie wrote that "your third grade teacher didn't want you to hear." He said the song is often miscontrued as overly patriotic, when it really questions this country's equality standard. Gunthrie had written the song as a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," which he thought was ridiculous. I'm not making any political statement, nor would I cop to subscribing to any of the aforementioned ideas. However, the amped-up, extended version of the song was improvisational freneticism at its best (Ferrell was literally reading the verse he sang from a piece of paper).
At the set's close, Morello thanked the audience and wished us a great rest of the week, but added with an observant shrill, "you're not going to top this shit." My shocked, open mouth agrees. I'm still waiting to wake up somewhere, only to find the whole performance was a dream.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:
Guy (in front of Stubbs BBQ): Is there a line to get in?
Me: No, there's no line at the moment. Who are you here to see?
Guy: I'm playing
If the term 'blonde moment' can be used in a generalized sense, I certainly had one there. Even music gurus end up looking like idiots sometimes. The joke was not just on me, it was sticking its butt in my face, farting and suffocating me.
But hey, with 1000 bands over a week, it's easy to mistake a performing musician for a typical wristband schmuck like myself.
Wednesday--Day 1 of SXSW
When all you have is a measly wristband it's easy to grow accustomed to missing many shows due to absurd, insurmountable lines, and (cough), those damn people who paid a few hundred dollars more than you to get a badge.
To my delight, I had relatively few problems in getting into to all of my venues of choice-nine to be exact. I admit I got more than I bargained for, a lot more. Maybe this concept of mine that I need to pay for the steep cost of my wristband isn't so prepostrous after all.
Each day, I will list all the bands/artists I saw and the venues where they performed. I'll then highlight the finest and the ghastliest in a few short paragraphs. It's easy reading for the short attention span. And let's be honest, who wants to read verbose chunks of text about great music they probably weren't fortunate enough to see in the first place?
WEDNESDAY NIGHT 8 P.M. - 2 A.M.
I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House (Room 710)
The Drugstore Cowboy (Exodous)
Ian McLagan & Bump Band w/ special guest Pete Townshend (Austin Music Hall Ballroom-Austin Music Awards)
The Tex Mex Experience w/Texas Tornados and Sam the Sham ( " " )
Lily Allen (Stubbs BBQ)
Anberlin (Spiro's Amphitheater)
Callisto (Uncle Flirty's Loft)
Vic Thrill (Maggie Mae's)
Iamx (Elysium)
The Bravery (Stubbs BBQ)
BIGGEST SURPRISE: I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House
--It's my belief that sometimes you just have to go out on a limb and see an unkown band with a bizarre or ludicrous name. I knew nothing about this Portland band before they plugged in, only that you couldn't script a sillier or more perplexing name if you were drunk off your ass. I came expecting a group of teenage punk rock kids who smirfed excitedly when they crafted their whacko name. Instead, I found 30 and 40 somethings with real musical talent, who seemed genuinely invested in their product. If you threw Blind Melon and Lynyrd Skynyrd into a haywire blender, this band's music would probably be the outcome. The blues-driven rock the gentlemen cranked certainly didn't reinvent the musical wheel, but at least it kept it rolling. The drummer exhibited some terrific traditional grip and his playing reflected that of a studied jazz musician. His tasteful, yet technically comprehensive playing singlehandedly kept me from leaving the venue. Listening to singer Mike Damron dedicate an acoustical song to "butt-fucking Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps" was a humorous touch.
WORST DRECK OF THE EVENING: The Drugstore Cowboy
I've heard fantastic things about this band from a few folks. I'll probably never trust their musical opinion, ever again. Ever. The group certainly has some talent lying around, but it was hard to pick at through all the off key singing and hyperspeed noise. To put it simply, this band failed my two basic requirements for good music. The instruments mostly didn't sound like musical instruments and a palable groove was difficult to find. And they scheduled this right before Cody ChesnuTT and Saul Williams? I wasn't laughing at this sick joke.
TOP OF THE POPS: Texas Tornados at the Austin Music Awards
While seeing Pete Townshend perform with an Austin group that was mildly famous in the mid-60's was wonderful on the cuff, the actual performance was underwhelming. You could hardly decipher the wail of Pete's guitar over the muted band.
However, seeing Flaco Jimenez rifle his fingers on an accordian brought things to an entirely new level. Augie Meyers, Ernie and everybody else, except Freddy Fender who was there in spirit, drew a mostly tepid capacity crowd to its feet. To make matters better, the reunited group played its three most recognizable songs--"Que Paso?," "Who Were You Thinkin' Of" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"--and announced an album full of new material recorded with Fender and a possible tour are in the works. It will be almost impossible to top seeing this bit of musical history bring the house down.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
It's a tie, folks.
Lily Allen "I'm tired of playing Smile (the song that is the reason anybody in the United States knows who she is)."
Mike Damron of ICLASOBITR "Fuck Fred Phelps and the Westboro Church."
...how does he fit such a foul line into a quiet acoustic tune?
That's all, folks (until Thursday rears its head).
Blogging SXSW
For the next few days, I will cease obsessing over professional basketball to chronicle my fifth trip to the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin.
This trip is different for two reasons. The past four trips I was under 21 and not a UT-Austin student. Coming to Austin to see live music was a novelty beyond my many trips here to see beloved family. Now, enjoying this beautiful city is a routine, something I might take for granted. I'm also on the verge of a 22nd birthday, which means I don't have to worry about not seeing the bands that play in 21+ bars. The newfound freedom feels exceptional and the abundance of music is as joyous as it was in my first four trips.
I will keep you posted.
Rout of Celtics Shows Rockets' Promise
When the Rockets body slammed the Celtics 111-80 to the point of torture and suffocation, you began to see the spark of something special. We all saw it.
It's the potential this team has, when its entire lineup is intact, when everything is synchronized. It's the thought of Dallas Mavericks' coach Avery Johnson gasping when he finds out just how good these Rockets are. But of course, as the debilitating loss to Cleveland on Monday showed, it's still only potential.
Yao Ming had 11 points in 19 minutes but was benched due to early foul trouble. Tracy McGrady racked up 25 points. Then there's the matter of the other four players in double figures. Clutch shooter Luther Head was a basket away from making that seven players. Bonzi Wells, who the Rockets hope will turn into the star bench player come playoff time, missed another contest with injury.
The shooting percentages, the scoring, defensive intensity, the poise, ballhandling, everything seemed to be turning in the right direction Wednesday night.
The Rockets will depart from another well-earned rout knowing that they have a long way to go. To scare any teams with serious playoff experience, they'll have to consistently levy this kind of damage against better teams than the Celtics. Boston, after all, should have broken the record for most games lost in a row. Beating up on this kind of team, if you hope to make a deep playoff run, is like cheering when you beat your 90-year-old grandmother up two flights of stairs.
The season series' with Dallas and San Antonio have ended, but there's still one more meeting with Phoenix and Los Angeles. Detroit and Utah are also still on the docket. The Rockets have the next 20 plus games not only to try and catch the 4th place Jazz, but to secure something greater. To win in the playoffs, they'll have to win on the road, making any home court advantage irrelevant to them.
The Rockets have blown their chance at the #2 spot, but all is not lost. This team has the chance to do what the only other Houston championship teams have done: get it together and kick ass in the playoffs.
Right now, not a single sportscaster on ESPN, ABC or TNT believes the Rockets will get past the first round. That's precisely what people said about the team in the 1994-95 season. Even after Hakeem Olajuwon hoisted the Larry O' Brien trophy, still they said the Rockets couldn't do it again. Clyde the Glide and a host of others proved them all dead wrong. Houston has never been given the benefit of the doubt. The Rockets have had to work like the Mavericks and the Spurs never will, to earn respect.
The other Texas basketball teams have rarely dabbled in mediocrity quite the way this franchise has. In the 1990's the Mavericks weren't respectable enought to look good as the butt of a cruel joke. They just plain stunk. Now, they seem to be levels better than everybody else in the league. And who has ever doubted the potential of a Tim Duncan-led franchise?
Doubt Houston? All the time, every time. Even former Rockets Kenny "the Jet" Smith and Jon Barry can't even stick up for their own teams. They say look at the stats and you will see everything you need to know.
I say stats are bullshit and that a 52-win team can rally from two down in the Finals and beat a 60 win team that was favored to win, as it happened last season. I say Phoenix gave up 120 points to the league's worst scoring offense.
Since those two championship years, The Rockets have never been the worst team in the league, but they've never been the best. They always fall somewhere in the middle of the pile, a franchise with talented players, who just can't break that damn mediocrity curse.
This entire season, the Rockets have been dancing dangerously somewhere between a 1st round playoff exit and a championship.
It's only potential, right?
Yao's Return Doesn't Immediately Fix What's Ailing Rockets
The Rockets are getting their mojo back tonight, in the form of a largely undefendable 7-6 Chinese center who makes the words "matchup problem" the biggest understatement in the universe.
However, the return of Yao Ming, who has been inactive since fracturing his tibia on Dec. 23 against the Los Angeles Clippers, is no quick fix for the myriad of ailments that has allowed the Rockets to lose three in a row at home. In the last eight games, the Rockets have dropped five, incuding two to the worst teams in the league, the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks.
Boston, you may remember, made an impassioned run at breaking the record for most games lost consecutively. The Celtics have been buzzkilled by their own roster injuries, but the team quite frankly, just sucks. The Rockets allowed 105 points to the league's lowest scoring team. At least Phoenix now has some company to share its pain (The Suns lost to the Hawks without Steve Nash 120-111).
What gives? With Tracy McGrady literally elbowing his way into the MVP discussion, how could such a great team lost to such inferior competition, even with the best player sidelined?
This pair of questions will be crucial if the Rockets ever want to win a championship with some variation of this roster. The Mavericks wouldn't lose to the Celtics without Dirk Nowitzki and the Spurs wouldn't lose without Tim Ducan. Prior to being blown out in Dallas, the Rockets were a cozy 6-1, beginning to separate themselves from the scap teams and the pretenders.
Bonzi Wells was averaging double figures, T-Mac was taking over crucial quarters and Dikembe Mutombo continued to play like a giddy 20-year-old.
In this last stretch of games, where the Rockets have fallen 14 games behind the Mavericks for first place, 5 behind the Spurs and 3 behind Utah, all of this has changed.
Let's face some reality markers; the bright orange ones that currently separate the Rockets from the other two elite teams. Houston is clearly not as good as Dallas or San Antonio and their play right now reflects that. As I have argued previously, I don't attribute this rift to a lack of championship caliber personnel, but to title-contending personnel not performing at a championship level.
The following ailments have been diagnosed by Dr. Kleeman and must be dealt with immediately.
OFFENSE, KNOCKING DOWN SHOTS
The ability to string together buckets has driven this team mad all season long. This team's inability to consistently find the basket with solid, open looks is why you don't want them running with Phoenix or trading baskets with Dallas.
If the Rocket's ever want a T-Mac, Yao led-roster to hoist that gorgeous Larry O' Brien trophy, every player on the team will have to learn how to provide consistent offense. Sure, even Dallas's Jason Terry has off nights, but when he's ice cold, there's usually somebody else ready to warm up. Dallas has shot under 40 percent on several occassions, most ending in one of their few losses, but they don't make poor shooting a habit.
Finding good looks begins with better ball movement, a trick that Avery Johnson has stolen from his former Spurs team and passed on to his Mavs team. Better ball movement, T-Mac, means not pulling back for a well-contested three-pointer in the middle of the second quarter. It means not shooting fastbreak jumpers. Dribble penitration will help the outside shooters on this team get better looks.
What Yao brings the Rockets with his return is more reliable inside scoring. The Rockets have recently exploded in their use of the three pointer because few players have the strength or will to regularly attack the basket. T-Mac, who is one of the best inside scorers in the game, has at times become trigger-happy with his jumpshot. The result of this is what you see in the current regular-season record.
THIS ISN'T CUTTING IT, BONZI
It's probably true that the Rockets stole Bonzi Wells, as cheap as his free agent price tag became when he was signed. However, his play has not been indicative of such a flattering statement on a consistent basis. Yao's absence should have been a chance for Bonzi to establish himself as the low-post threat that sic'd the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs last season. Instead, he has been a spotty scorer, whose turnover liability has earned the repeated chagrin of Jeff Van Gundy.
In the home loss to the Celtics, Wells scored 27 points, his highest total as Rocket. This scoring outburst is a mere preview of what Wells's capabilities are. Come playoff time, Bonzi will have to do a little more than average under 8 points a game.
If Juwan Howard remains a bench player with Chuck Hayes back in the starting lineup, he will anchor one of the best potential benches around.
Luther Head, Howard and Wells should each be snagging 15-points a game. For a bench playing trio, that's 45 points alone coming from a supporting cast.
Yao and T-Mac are two of the most dynamic scorers in the game. They are anchored and supported by a host of three point shooters including Duke-born Shane Battier and point guard Rafer Alston.
If Bonzi has one thing going his way, it's that his potential is far greater than his current production. Championship team? The best had better be yet to come, Bonzi.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
With Yao Ming out, the quarters where the Rockets have looked and performed like the best defensive team in the league far outnumber the one's where they look like Phoenix attempting a zone.
The Rockets have held the highest scoring team, the Suns, to 19 points in a quarter. They held the high-scoring Dallas to 80 points in a home loss. They held the Los Angeles Lakers to 77 points. Lebron James' Cleveland Cavaliers scored only 61 against the Rockets defense.
There's no doubt this team is a defensive nightmare to its opponents even without its star center. Problem is, the play of late has not reflected this truth.
Tonight's battle with the Cavs will be a great chance for the Rockets to re-obtain that defensive confidence that has made them a formidable championship team.
Halfcourt defense wins championships these days. So get back to playing some.
WE KNOW YOU CAN SHOOT 3'S, GUYS
As addressed above, the Rockets have often struggled to find inside presence with their most reliable scorer unable to play. Hopefully Yao can get this team going in a better attack-mode direction. Three point shooting should be a fallback when a player is unable to get to the basket. The Rockets have built their defense around making star players take well-contested jumpshots. It's no surprise that teams have started to give them some of their own medicine.
The Rockets are going to want about 10 more free throw attempts come playoff time, and they'll want to be able to knock them all down.
Most of these problems cannot be solved tonight, Yao's first game back from injury. However, it is great to have the big fella' back in the lineup. It's really great.
