Have the Rockets really gotten better?

[JimmerAllStar]

This season - 1st in points scored, 2nd to last in points allowed
Last season - 2nd in points scored, 3rd to last in points allowed

So we went out and got 88 million in after market parts, and basically came back with the same car.

[moofs]

At this point last year we were 4-7 instead of 8-5.

I'd point out more, but that one-stat-analysis was too compelling of a methodology.

[zapatasblood]

No

[adrenaLINe]

on paper we have gotten better...

on the court we have gotten worse...

but lets not forget we went from a run and gun iso team to a post playing iso team

this team needs time to adjust...

im not frustrated about the loss... because I know this team can play even better

losing these big leads suck.... but these are problems that can be fixed

[RollingWave]

They're on pace to win 50 games as of right now.

[MaxRider]

little bit better
howard improved his ft% in the last few games
and parsons now know how to throw a lop pass

[RollingWave]

They were 6:7 after 13 games last year, winning zero games against any playoff team in the west

[rocketsballin]

by default yes we got dwight howard. realistically tho, no. BUT...beginning of the season...bla bla bla...hurry up and play some nba basketball rockets!

[moofs]

Hold on. They're CLEARLY better. Their point differential speaks to that. (1.15 to 3.8, the difference between a 44 win team and a 51 win team)

What they aren't, is as balls-to-the-wall fun to watch.

(Also, RollingWave, don't point out that I cherry-picked, for once, at 11 games because it made my point stronger)

[marcusaurelius]

Way too early to make a real decision on that. Especially with Asik probably eventually being traded. But I would say that the Rockets are better than they were last year. And that is with nothing from Asik. Imagine if they manage to pull off a good trade.

[Nebula1]

Yes, definitely.

And I expect them to be even better after the likely Asik trade.

[inquisitive]

the chemistry has gotten better offensively, but defensively, it is still alot of work to be done.

Yes, definitely.

And I expect them to be even better after the likely Asik trade.

If they make a trade, they might have to re-develop that chemistry...just hope they get the right player.

[Sasaki]

This season - 1st in points scored, 2nd to last in points allowed
Last season - 2nd in points scored, 3rd to last in points allowed

So we went out and got 88 million in after market parts, and basically came back with the same car.

Who the hell uses points scored or points allowed as a metric for anything?

[Dudedude88]

Based on what i've seen so far. We are slightly better but we have a lot of potential. Our defense needs to improve. We need to be just average and we would dominate the league... Mchale needs to solve this problem. It's his fault!!!!

Parsons 3 point shot is unreliable but he has improved his ability to drive and finish at the rim significantly. He's gotten better at ball handling this year. If Parson gets his 3's back then he'd be our #3 scoring option.

Lin improved his whole game. His TO should decrease once the season gets into full motion. He usually gives up 1-2 TO due to communication but he doesn't fall into traps that often as he did before. This is a really good thing.

Harden has been mediocre this season. Tough start for him. His injury limited our offense and defense. Lets hope this is just a short phase he's going through. Defense side... he needs to hustle more. Harden ALWAYS loses his man on screens.

T-jones and DMO have been excellent.

Howard has had a good start. I hope he can improve his FTs.... He will only get better from now.

[Bruteque]

The Rockets are a lot more talented now, but they haven't gotten that much better, because McHale is the great equalizer: Extra talent to McHale is simply extra leeway for him to screw around and indulge his whims. This is where Hinkie is better than Morey: Hinkie knows not to tolerate a head coach who ****s around for ****s and giggles.

[jeremylin17]

this team is so much better than last year. The team almost won against a top team in DAllas on their floor and on a back to back while dallas is fresh. The only reason for the losses is because the team is trying to accomodate asik. Once asik got benched, the team started winning and destroying teams.

[victorhe]

As long as Mchale is the head coach, we are not getting any better if not worse. It's sad to see Rockets with so many talents and still going to struggle in the play off if they get in. Rockets probably could not afford that many talents when Parson starts to demand salary, so hope the Rockets will get a better coach soon and possibly contend for a title.

[gcates]

At the end of the day, this Rockets team has more ways to hurt their opponents, which should pay dividends come playoff time. I expect them to improve as time goes on.

Really pleased with the play of Terrence Jones thus far as well. If we can move Asik for another good piece, like Thaddeus Young, Jeff Green or Ilyasova, it would strengthen our bench ultimately and make us a bit more versatile defensively (in the case of Green and Young, at least).

[ROXTXIA]

Nothing like a knee-jerk reaction thread.

Keep in mind this team has to deal with not trading Asik last summer as they should have, from Harden playing on bad feet, from having the worst coach in the NBA (doesn't know when to sub players, plays his main games 40 minutes a game, doesn't play good players at all until he has no choice, can't even SPELL "strategy"), and a PF-by-committee thing.

Trust me, we'd be 11-3 at worst if we just had a coach who didn't suck. Great guy, awful coach.

Patience, for God's sake.

(Although I do think some of these losses will, as usual, come back to bite us in the ass. But that'll just help convince Morey to ignore the old Celtics connection and go hire a real coach.)

[cw3k]

McHale get hire the same reason why the Nets hired Kidds, for PR purpose.