Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 9:00 am  |  23 responses

Rick Adelman Calls Schedule ‘Utterly Ridiculous’

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

As everyone knows, the Houston Rockets are playing without their two biggest stars. So far, they’ve played remarkably well (13-10 heading into tonight’s game), and surpassed just about everyone’s expectations.

In a cruel twist of scheduling fate, Houston’s road is about to get rougher this month. Really, really tough. The Rockets, who have already played in one set of back-to-back games to kick start the month, will face three more back-to-backs before December ends.

Head coach Rick Adelman is understandably less than pleased, and let the Associated Press know all about it:

“We have a horrendous stretch here,” Adelman said. “I don’t know if the league really understands that they gave us four straight back-to-backs. It’s awful. It’s utterly ridiculous, But that’s the schedule we have, it’s just the way it is and we’re just going to have to respond to it.”

Adelman said the schedule gives his team little time to practice, and even less time to spend with their families for the holiday. “Every team should have a chance where they’re home a little bit,” he said. “We have no chance. This is the most ridiculous schedule I’ve ever seen.”

Houston’s record in back-to-backs this season so far is 6-4.

Rick Adelman’s wallet will likely become a bit lighter this week once Stu Jackson gives him a call. Adelman may have every right to complaint, but his wails won’t change a thing for his team, at least not this season. Who knows, maybe the schedule makers will be kinder to Houston next year.

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  • Hursty Posted: Dec.15 at 9:08 am
    It’s not like Rick Adelman is well-known for complaining. He’s a veteran coach who’s won 850+ games and been around the League for a long, long time.
    It’s a justifiable complaint.
    Houston just got bent over and screwed with this part of the schedule.

  • Jukai Posted: Dec.15 at 9:22 am
    I don’t think he’ll be fined for this complaint. Is complaining about scheduling against the rules?

  • melvin ely Posted: Dec.15 at 9:54 am
    @Marcel: “Adelman may have every right to complaint, but his wails won’t change a thing for his team, at least not this season” –> I disagree with (at least imo) what this line tries to imply. Having your coach voice out what can only be the entire team’s collective frustration would do good for the team’s morale. Calling out BS like this to the media can only make your players think “Damn right! Coach gets it!” and consequently improve morale going into a tough stretch in the schedule. I think that counts as changing things for his team no?

  • DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS Posted: Dec.15 at 9:58 am
    2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP groups have been formed.
    Group A:Argentina,Serbia,australia…..
    Group B:U.S.A,Slovenia,brazil,croatia,iran,tynisia
    Group C:Greece,turkey,puerto rico,china,russia,ivory coast.
    Group D:Spain,france,lithouania…..
    more on this later…..

  • hellyea Posted: Dec.15 at 10:19 am
    dimitris: nobody cares.

  • Tower Posted: Dec.15 at 10:26 am
    @Hellyea: maybe not you, but nobody cares.

  • JAMS Posted: Dec.15 at 10:56 am
    the raptors have/will have played 14 back to backs in 9 weeks. houston has it easy.

  • TADOne Posted: Dec.15 at 10:56 am
    Hey Rick, give John Kuester a call and have a b*tch session. I’m sure he can relate.

  • RV Posted: Dec.15 at 11:18 am
    This was blown out of proportion by Yahoo. Adelman said that as calmly as he possibly could. He was talkign about lack of practice and other things and it led to these comments, wasn’t blasting the league, simply mentioning it..no reason to fine.

  • Bruno Posted: Dec.15 at 12:23 pm
    dimitris I’d have care but like 10 days ago

  • nick Posted: Dec.15 at 2:13 pm
    Having watched the interview, this was sortof an after practice aside when one of the beat reporters was like “how about this crappy schedule”. Rick is not a man for unnecessary anger…hence his ability to stick in the L and be generally well liked by his players.

  • nick Posted: Dec.15 at 2:23 pm
    JAMS: Not so. Statistically, in terms of strength of opposition, the Rockets have had the hardest schedule in the L so far. Upcoming is four games in 5 nights with travel between every game, and then 2 more back to backs also travelling between every stop. Ridiculous is sound word choice by Adelman.

  • dma Posted: Dec.15 at 2:27 pm
    there’s so much going on with schedule than just the nba. you have other events at events all across the country.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Dec.15 at 2:36 pm
    Let’s look at the Lakers’ schedule, on the other hand… The league is getting RIDICULOUS with how it cottles its favorite teams. People always say “it evens out,” but does it really? I’d like to see the Lakers go on a stretch of four back-to-backs in THE SAME MONTH.
    Its clear who the NBA wants to make the finals. All they have to do is forge a Bird/Magic-type rivalry and they’re set. LeBron vs. Kobe or Pierce vs. Kobe seems to be the favorite right now.

  • Future Guy Posted: Dec.15 at 3:00 pm
    The league better not fine him for making a very legitimate point. Still Stu Jackson is pretty much the Captain of Fail, so he’ll probably do it.

  • DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS Posted: Dec.15 at 3:25 pm
    @Bruno….:what happened 10 days ago…?

  • Dacre Posted: Dec.15 at 3:39 pm
    @Jukai – I think if ‘dollar Stu’ has anything to say about it, complaining in general is against the rules. “The NBA – where the complaint department has an A.T.M. happens”

  • dma Posted: Dec.15 at 5:06 pm
    can’t complain to media. can’t complain on FB and Twitter. so i guess he should be emailing david stern

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Dec.15 at 5:13 pm
    So that reminds me, when do the Lakers go on their first road trip?

  • Shifty Posted: Dec.15 at 5:44 pm
    This is so true, look at the Lakers rediculous first 21 game schedule, how easy was that, pretty much all home games while other teams get rough schedules to start with, NBA needs to sort thier crap out.

  • horsey Posted: Dec.15 at 6:47 pm
    you know who can make fair, unbiased schedules like a champ? any dynasty capable video game since 2004. you don’t even need to play all the games!!! sim, write down, repeat in 11 months…

  • BETCATS Posted: Dec.15 at 10:31 pm
    i agree with him too. And for all teams, not just Houston. The NBA really needs to plan things better. You have back to backs followed by 4-5 days of rest, its just ridiculos.

  • lakers fan Posted: Dec.16 at 5:48 am
    in the end, every team plays 41 home and 41 away. if the lakers “use up” 17 home games vs 6 on the road, then they’ll only have 24 home games vs 35 away in the last 2/3 of the season. their road trip just started and atm, they’re just started playing 4 sets of back to backs in their next 9 games, 6 of which are on the road. i don’t understand why people are complaining about the schedule. i would actually prefer a tough opening schedule then coast the last 1/3 of the season.

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