Kleeman's Last Word

Rockets win again but not everyone feels the excitement

As the Houston Rockets have spent the entire February and early March stretch of the season surging to 18 straight wins, they have heard every criticism imaginable.

Let me know if I leave one out in the following list.

Charles Barkley: "They ain't played nobody."
Charles Barkley: "The Mavs will stomp the Rockets tonight [last Thursday] (game turned out the other way Chuck)."
Jon Barry: "They have not played anybody, yet. Indiana, Chicago, Memphis - give me a break."
Stephen A. Smith: "No question the Houston Rockets have been sensational winning 15 in a row, but the real story is the Los Angeles Lakers."
Charles Barkley (he appears a lot on this list): "They're on a high right now, but they're not going to make the playoffs without Yao. They're gonna' start losing soon."
I will toss out a few others I have heard but cannot put with a name: Yao's absence will sink in and kill the team. The Rockets are not good enough to make the playoffs. The Rockets cannot beat any plus .500 teams without Yao and will be the ninth seed at best.

So, with the above criticism heard loud and clear, I decided to let the Rockets inspiring 18-game winning streak speak for itself.

Jan. 29 vs. Golden State Warriors W 111 - 107
Feb. 1 at Indiana Pacers W 106 - 103
Feb. 2 at Milwaukee Bucks W 91 - 83
Feb. 4 at Minnesota Timberwolves W 92 - 86
Feb. 7 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers W 92 - 77
Feb. 9 vs. Atlanta Hawks W 108 - 89
Feb. 11 vs. Portland Trail Blazers W 95 - 83
Feb. 13 vs. Sacramento Kings W 89 - 87
Feb. 19 at Cleveland Cavaliers W 93 - 85
Feb. 21 vs. Miami Heat W 112 - 100
Feb. 22 at New Orleans Hornets W 100 - 80
Feb. 24 vs. Chicago Bulls W 110 - 97
Feb. 26 vs. Washington Wizards W 94 - 69
Feb. 29 vs. Memphis Grizzlies W 116 - 95
Mar. 2 vs. Denver Nuggets W 103 - 89
Mar. 5 vs. Indiana Pacers W 117 - 99
Mar. 6 at Dallas Mavericks W 113 - 98
Mar. 8 vs. New Orleans Hornets W 106 - 96

Gee Jon Barry, you're right. No good teams in that list. Denver sucks, Golden State is awful, the New Orleans Hornets are nobody, Cleveland has the worst player in the NBA, Portland did not win 13 games in a row and the Dallas Mavericks are worse than the New York Knicks.
I hope that sarcasm rapid fire did not injure you when you put that microphone down, Jon.

Let's be clear: 18 consecutive victories now wins the Rockets nothing in April, May and June. It does nothing to cement them a playoff spot. All this winning has Houston buzzing about basketball again and a three game drop off could usher the red-hot Rockets out of the playoffs. Sad, huh?

The Western Conference is that ridiculous and the finish will be as wild as it sounds.

But, the Rockets should not continue a brilliant start to 2008 without proper recognition. I predicted this Rockets team would be good enough (with Yao Ming) to win the West. I had some company then, when the team had not played a game, and have much less now, after the team has proved it will not surrender because of a fallen star.

The Chuckster (that would Barkley) may see a team doomed to implode.

Here is what I see:

-An 18-game W streak where the Rockets have beaten opponents by an average of 17+ plus points. Only four of the 18 were not double-digit wins.
-Every NBA team must play the schedule in front of them. These Rockets have played theirs. Its toughness or softness in the season's second half cannot diminish this franchise-record accomplishment.
-The night after Yao Ming announced he would miss the remainder of the season, the Rockets hold a capable Washington Wizards team to 69 points. The shock of the terrible news could not have worn off, and yet, the resilient Rockets won by 25 points. You try dominating a team (with or without Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler) the night of your squad's worst day in years.
-The Rockets survived a fourth quarter run by the New Orleans Hornets and the incredible Chris Paul (how does he not remind you of Isiah Thomas in a Pistons uniform?) to win comfortably Saturday night. You think this team would have gutted out a victory of this quality in November (see entry, blowing 17-point lead to Dallas Mavericks)? No way.

I wish I could punch through my television screen anytime someone plays the undermanned card against the Rockets. No Dirk Nowitzki, David West, Caron Butler?
Give me a break, you embiciles. The Rockets will be performing without the best center in the NBA, Yao Ming, for the rest of the season and playoffs--if they get there. It looks like remarkable rookie forward Carl Landry will also miss a few games.
Allow to give that weak "well, this team was missing player x" argument a ceremonious finger wag.

What does all this winning mean? What do you make of the Rockets scoring at least 100points in every game since Yao's injury announcement and no opponent hitting that mark in the six-game stretch? Can the Rockets keep up the defensive intensity and ball movement long enough for a deep playoff run?

We will know the answers to those questions in little more than a month. For now, Rockets fans, sit back and enjoy this wonderful team's wondrous run. If the streak continues next week, maybe some national sportscasters and analysts will step back from the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons lovefest and see how good this Houston team can be--even without its 7-6 centerpiece.

Maybe some of them will say the Rockets are on an historic roll--without adding an asterisk.

posted by Robert Kleeman @ 10:46 PM