The two teams in the NBA actually appear to have some direction as to how they intend to build their organizations into contenders are IMO are the Los Angeles Clippers and our own Houston Rockets. While other teams appear to be scatter shooting the Rockets and Clippers appear to be carefully adding the pieces of a puzzle for teams that will seriously contend for the rest of the decade. The Bulls trade a proven young talent that gives his team 20 and 10 every night for an unproved high school kid that has done nothing. The Grizzlies traded one of the better point guards in the league for a guard that is all flash just to sell tickets. That trade did nothing to help that franchise add wins. None of the teams reaching for the play-offs seem to have any realistic plan on getting out of the lottery. Both the Clipps and Rockets are teams that now appear to have the nucleuses that will make their teams serious play-off contenders this year. I thought it would be interesting to compare the two rosters to get an idea as to which team actually has the most potential. First of all the similarities in the way the teams are put together are strangely similar. On the Rockets it all starts with Francis, the teams PG. From there it goes to Mobley, Griffin and Taylor. With the Clippers it starts with Odom, the player the team plans on using as their PG and progresses to Brand, Miles and Richardson. Both teams have glaring weaknesses at the center position and are extremely young. Here is my brake down and comparison of the two teams by position: Point Guard: Steve Francis vs. Lamar Odom Both players were selected in the same draft. Neither are natural point guards. Lamar spent the first year and a half of his pro career at the small forward spot. He was moved to Point Guard towards the end of last year because of the acquisition of Darius Miles and the fact that he has some of the best ball handling and passing skills in the league. With his height and athleticism he could create the type of mismatches not seen at that position since the days of Magic Johnson. Steve Francis may be the most athletic guy in the league. He is as fast and as quick as anyone and has the best vertical in the NBA. Francis played a two in college and his skills may be better suited for a two but his unselfish style of play and his team first attitude make for a perfect point guard. Francis is the best rebounding guard in the league and has shown an ability to get his shot off when ever he needs it. He is already one of the 3 or 4 best point guards in the league. Odoms may actuall be a better ball handler than Francis but Steve gets the edge in every other phase of the game although both will be playing all star caliber ball for years to come. Stats: Lamar Odom……17.2 ppg…..7.8 rpg…..5.2 apg……460 f/g%…….316 3pt%……679 f/t%…..1.61 bbg Steve Francis……19.9 ppg…...6.9rpg…..6.5 apg…….451 f/g%……..396 3pt%……817 f/t%…..1.76 spg Edge: Steve Francis. Shooting Guard: Cuttino Mobley vs. Quentin Richardson Two players that entered the league with different expectations. Quentin came into the league as a well known first round draft pick. Cuttino was drafted in the middle of the second round with little promis and almost no one knew who he was. Cuttino (known as Cat) has turned into one of the real finds of the 98 draft. He has one of the quickest first steps in the NBA and can get his shot off against anyone. When coming off the bench Cuttino was one of the leading 6th men in the league. Since being placed into the starting rotation he has elevated his game to that of an all-star. Because of his ability to get to the basket, draw the foul or nail the three pointer his name is usually called by the Rockets when a last second shot is needed. Quentin Richardson has all the tools to be a top shooting guard in this league for years. He’s got the size, quickness and a nice outside shot. As a first year player he split time with Corey Meggette and Darius Miles as the shooting guard but showed enough promis and potential to be considered a vital part of the Clippers nucleus. At this stage of their careers there is really not a lot to compare. Mobley has proven to be one of the best shooting guards in the league just below Kobe and Iverson. Richardson has just finished his rookie year. Stats: Quentin Richardson….8.1 ppg……3.4 rpg…..442 f/g%…..331 3pt%……627…f/t%.…0.8apg.…...0.55spg Cuttino Mobley..……19.5 ppg…...5.0 rpg…..434 f/g%…..357 3pt%……831 f/t%…...2.5 apg……1.06 spg Edge: Cuttino Mobley Small Forward: Darius Miles vs. Eddie Griffin These are the two Wonder Kids of the NBA. Both bring and endless supply of talent and athleticism to the court. Both were lottery selections in the draft and both are nineteen. Miles has a year of NBA experience under his belt and done nothing in his freshman year to indicate that he would not be a star in this league. He had one of the best field goal percentages in the league at .503 as a rookie straight out of high school. What Griffin did in his one year of college is almost unthinkable for a kid straight out of high school. The type of numbers he posted against the caliber of talent that he played against is usually reserved for the best seniors in college. At 6’9” and 221lbs Griffin’s body is probably more ready for the pro level than any 19-year-old in the last 30 years. Although Miles has a year of NBA experience on Griffin his body is not as mature. Griffin may actually be more ready to be a major contributor because of the role he played on his team and his body. Stats: Miles…….9.4 ppg…..5.9 rpg……505 f/g%……053 3pt%……521 f/t%……1.54 bpg……1.2 apg Griffin…..17.8 ppg….10.8rppg…..4.5 bpg I know Griffins stats are college but they are straight out of high school. I can’t help but wonder if Miles would have put up those kinds of numbers had he gone to college for a year. Maybe this should be a toss up but I am biased… Edge: Eddie Griffin Power Forward: Elton Brand vs. Mo Taylor These are two of the young power forwards in the league. Brand may be a bit of an over achiever at 6’8” and Taylor may be a bit of an under achiever at 6’9”. Both have played at a high level in the NBA and both have shown the ability to take over a game in different ways. Brand is one of the more complete of the two players. Consistency has been the name of his game over the last two years averaging a double double through out his career. He was drafted in the same class as Francis and Odom sharing rookie of the year honors with Francis. Brand is a good rebounder, shot blocker and shoots for a good percentage. Brand has been an all-star caliber player since entering the league. Taylor is a small forward trapped in a power forwards body. He is one of the better offensive big men in the league facing the basket. The problem with Taylor is he does not like to get under the basket and mix it up with the big boys. However when healthy Taylor did show the ability to turn it on and take over a game offensively last year. Many of his better nights on the boards also coincided with some of his better offensive games. The Rockets like to use Taylor early in the game as he has a habit of being unstoppable in the beginning of the game usually hitting several shots in a row. There is no question who gets the edge here. Although Taylor brings some unique offensive skills for a power forward Brand is a much more well rounded player. Stats: Brand…….201 ppg…..10.1 rpg…...476 f/g%…..708 f/t%…..1.59 bpg…..3.2 apg Taylor……13.o ppg…..5.5 rpg……489 f/g%…...735 f/g%…..0.5 bpg…..1.5 apg Edge: Elton Brand Center: Michael Olowokandi vs. ? This is the one glaring weakness for both teams. While Kandi Man was the #1 pick in the draft a few years ago he has been a huge flop. Although he has shown some improvement over the last year with a jump hook and some ability to use his big frame to back smaller defenders closer to the basket he still puts up numbers that are more comparable to a free agent than a #1 pick. If Houston can resign Hakeem Olajuwan and if he can stay health and if he can play like he did during the second half of last season then the Rockets own a huge edge. If they are forced to rely on Cato or Collier then they are in no better shape than the Clippers at this position. Stats: Michael Olowokandi…..8.5 ppg…..6.4 rpg…..434 f/g%…..545 f/t%…..1.32 bpg ? Edge: Toss Up Bench This is what really separates the two teams. The Rockets have one of the better benches in the league the Clippers look to be thin. The Clipps have Corey Maggette and Eric Piatkowski as their best players on the bench. After that they are stuck with players such as Cherokee Parks and Sean Rooks. The Rockets on the other hand have Moochie Norris, Terence Morris, Matt Bullard, Kenny Thomas, Dan Langhi and Jason Collier. They all stand to be big contributors off the bench. If the Rockets find away to bring back Shandon Anderson then this could be the best bench in the league. Edge: Houston Rockets I believe the major difference between these two teams is about a year of basketball maturity, the Coaching staff that is heavily favored by Houston and the bench. As far as the starting core of players both these teams bring a talented young group that should terrorize the league for years once they mature. I think it is easy to see the Clippers finishing with 40+ wins this year and challenging for a play-off spot. Just my 2 cents ------------------
Your post was really long, and I only read the first two sentences, but I figured a reply was in line. ------------------ I stole your money and I did your daughter at Texas A&M University
Nice analysis Crash! I do agree that the Rockets and Clippers are two organizations that are building their way out of the lottery into playoff contention. But i DO belive we're one year ahead of the Clippers. just like the Mavs are a year ahead of us. IMHO, we'll win 50+ games and make some noise in the playoffs just like the mavs this year, and the Clips will reach 40-42 wins and barely miss out on the playoffs. It all depends on how the Rocklets address the Center position for this year (resign Dream). GO ROCKS! ------------------ Dream Rejects Every Attempt Made
I think the Clips still need some shooting and they really have no idea how Miles development will progress. They have all the pieces, but making a jump from the cellar to the playoffs in the West might not be possible for them. I would definitely expect them them to break .500 or Gentry's contract extension should be yanked back from him. The Rockets were only a couple games out of the playoff race. With Phoenix and Sacramento (depending on Webber) looking like they've dropped some and Denver and Seattle really not helping themselves, the Rockets could be ready to overtake the 7 or 8 spot out west. Much will depend on injuries and how much the rookies contribute. My guess is that the Clips and Rocks are still at least a season or two away from being perennial playoff teams, but they both seem to be headed in the right direction. ------------------ How the hell should I know why God would allow the Holocaust. I don't even know how the electric can opener works. - from Hannah and Her Sisters
Thanks I didn't relize how long winded I was until I finished typing all of that crap and looked at the post. ------------------
We are just gonna keep on getting better while, the clips will keep on retooling when their primetime players contract is up. Come and think of it, if only Clippers can keep all their good players for decades, they could have won too many championship, but then again their just simple clips. ------------------ Rudy T. will find and fulfill Rockets destiny.
Jeff, are you saying that you expect the Rockets to miss the playoffs next year? If that is the case, then I'd say that this rebuilding was a failure. ------------------ Protrolls.com! "I want to be like Olajon." -Sagana Diop has the right idea...
How could you interpret this... the Rockets could be ready to overtake the 7 or 8 spot out west as suggesting I think the Rockets won't make the playoffs? The west is tough. If Minnesota lands Payton and if Webber ends up back in Sacramento (which it is looking more and more like he will), the Rockets are still going to be in for a rough go of it. I think they can make the playoffs, but I wasn't really all that disappointed when they missed last year. To improve as many games as they did and be the first team with that many wins to miss the playoffs is a HUGE accomplishment for such a young team. Generally, the battle for playoff position is a war of attrition. It is usually about who has the most left in the gas tank at the end of the season and who is luck enough to avoid serious injury problems. Because of that, the Rockets have as good a shot as anyone. ------------------ How the hell should I know why God would allow the Holocaust. I don't even know how the electric can opener works. - from Hannah and Her Sisters
I was referring to this: "My guess is that the Clips and Rocks are still at least a season or two away from being perennial playoff teams, but they both seem to be headed in the right direction." If I misunderstood, I apologize. ------------------ Protrolls.com! "I want to be like Olajon." -Sagana Diop has the right idea...
Crash, great post, except for the fact that you omitted Jeff Mcinnis from your comparisons. From what I saw of the Clips last year, he filled in great for them at the point. ------------------ The season's over, but the 'Stros have started. Guess I'm still gonna be nursing that keg...
nice post.. but u left out keyon dooling completely.. who has a ton of potential. ------------------ --TEX
Good analysis. My problem with the Clippers current strategy is that they seem to equate "athletic" with "potential." They two aren't the same thing. I'm sold on Odom and Brand... and if Miles can develop a shot, him as well. His instincts are all there, and he plays good defense. But Richardson? Maggette? They can run and dunk. Q seems nothing more than a pauper's Odom... on the same frickin' team. I'm also not sold on Jeff McInnis. He played well last year... but he had the responsibilty of distributing for a team that was more interesting in the highlights on ESPN than winning. He had some nice assists... but he seems like a defensive liability. I think he'll be irrelevant in the future, as I expect Odom to play more and more as a point forward. They're an intriguing team... nobody can blame them for their lack of a C (who does have one?)... but their players just seem too similar and too unproven. I also want to see if they'll keep all these guys . ------------------ Clutchcity.net... source for all your Rockets, Astros, political, music, humor, and Gordita news.
that's the real question...if sterling sees what we see and opens up his pocket book....good question. ------------------ In Tina, Janeth, Amaya and Amanda, i still believe! Mr. 4play has spoken.
Good post. Also, on the Griffen vs. Miles comparison, there's another advantage for Griffen: Miles has no jump shot at all. ------------------ PrEsident of The Danforth Langhford FAN CLUB... He IS our future All-Star Small Forward
Good post. Two things, though: 1. I think you are overestimating the Rockets' bench. It really isn't all that great. 2. When doing player-player comparisons, it is vital that you include minutes as one of the categories, otherwise the numbers are too easy to misinterpret. ------------------ All hail Fadeaway's Cyberfish -- your 2000-2001 BobFinn* Fantasy Basketball League Champions!
Anyone think that Sterling has changed his ways, and will actually try to keep this team intact? If so, we might see the Clips being the best Los Angeles team in a good 5-6 years. ------------------ The title will come to ClutchCity once again.
