Yep. I liked the game then better. Not just more physical, but seemed to be more strategy as well. Too many threes now. You worked to get some before...now it's more like every set is designed to get a 3 pt shot. Not much mid range game. The Knicks were unwatchable because...they were unwatchable. The problem was they had a half court game w/o having a half court game. No shooters. New Jersey was the same way. People said they didn't like watching defensive slugfests...when what they really didn't like watching was just bad offense.
True...I was thinking the ‘96 season when we had no answer for him. In ‘93, OT and Dream were able to keep him in check.
Maybe the best ever now we got these 3pt shooting so called centers SMGDH they have cheapen the game.
A lot of life has happened between then and now for most people including me. Your memory and mine just different when it comes to Kenny Smith. It doesn’t make one of us a better fan than the other. Remembering every game from so long ago is BOTH impressive and sad. Cliff notes are based off the main idea and helped me over the years. No shame in using Cliff notes, IMHO. Only the best to you.
Kenny had a great career with the Rockets I guess some of you want an old Sleepy Floyd as our point guard right ? nah. The issue with fans of this team is that they don’t really know their history well Code: Season Age Tm Lg Pos G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% 2P 2PA 2P% eFG% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS 1990-91 25 HOU NBA PG 78 78 34.6 6.7 12.9 .520 0.6 1.7 .363 6.1 11.1 .545 .545 3.7 4.4 .844 0.5 1.6 2.1 7.1 1.4 0.1 3.0 1.7 17.7 1991-92 26 HOU NBA PG 81 80 33.8 5.3 11.2 .475 0.7 1.7 .394 4.7 9.5 .489 .504 2.7 3.1 .866 0.4 1.8 2.2 6.9 1.3 0.1 2.8 1.4 14.0 1992-93 27 HOU NBA PG 82 82 29.5 4.7 9.1 .520 1.2 2.7 .438 3.5 6.4 .554 .585 2.4 2.7 .878 0.3 1.6 2.0 5.4 1.0 0.1 2.0 1.3 13.0 1993-94 28 HOU NBA PG 78 78 28.3 4.4 9.1 .480 1.1 2.8 .405 3.2 6.3 .513 .542 1.7 2.0 .871 0.3 1.5 1.8 4.2 0.8 0.1 1.6 1.6 11.6 1994-95 29 HOU NBA PG 81 81 25.1 3.5 7.3 .484 1.8 4.1 .429 1.8 3.2 .553 .604 1.6 1.8 .851 0.3 1.6 1.9 4.0 0.9 0.1 1.5 1.3 10.4 1995-96 30 HOU NBA PG 68 56 23.8 3.0 6.8 .433 1.3 3.5 .382 1.6 3.3 .487 .531 1.3 1.6 .821 0.3 1.1 1.4 3.6 0.7 0.0 1.5 1.7 8.5 1996-97 31 TOT NBA PG 48 3 15.9 2.1 5.0 .423 1.2 2.8 .437 0.9 2.2 .404 .546 0.8 0.9 .867 0.1 0.8 0.9 2.4 0.4 0.0 1.5 0.6 6.3 Career NBA 737 650 30.1 4.8 10.0 .480 0.9 2.3 .399 3.9 7.7 .503 .525 2.3 2.7 .829 0.4 1.6 2.0 5.5 1.0 0.1 2.2 1.6 12.8 6 seasons HOU NBA 468 455 29.3 4.6 9.5 .490 1.1 2.7 .407 3.5 6.7 .524 .549 2.2 2.6 .857 0.4 1.5 1.9 5.3 1.0 0.1 2.1 1.5 12.6 Provided by [url=https://www.sports-reference.com/sharing.html?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=Share&utm_campaign=ShareTool]Basketball-Reference.com[/url]: [url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithke01.html?sr&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=Share&utm_campaign=ShareTool#per_game]View Original Table[/url] Generated 7/16/2020.
Sleepy is not the answer either (He was an one time all star). More Sam Cassell was the answer. Kenny was a combo guard that skills meshed well with Hakeem because his short comings were covered up by Maxwell. He was not a good point because when asked to run the team he couldn’t. Kenny had value but is nothing more than system player. (Look at his whole career). His skills were there but just lacked the it factor. Not slamming on him; just not a going to place extra value to his memory because he was a starter on a team that found a lot of it’s success with him on the bench. Mario Ellie and Sam Cassell are more heroic players, IMO. You know this because you remember all the games.
An older Kenny Smith played more than Sam Cassell for a reason. Also the Rockets got Kenny Smith in 1990 - 91 season which was a significant reason ensuring Hakeem had a dependable point guard who passed him the ball. I understand why younger people people don't like Kenny Smith. It's solely because of his TNT stint. And I understand why people here think that Kenny Smith just sat on the 3 point line and hit threes, they saw the Cliff Notes version and NEVER SAW the team grow from 90 to 94 Sam Cassell career took off and he became on of the best scoring point guards in the NBA. But that was not the case his early years. The Rockets needed someone to get this guy the ball and make him happy that wasn't Sam Cassell in his early years @RayRay10 @Reeko
@Os Trigonum I understand it's very hard for the newbs here to understand this .. We won two championships because we surrounded HAKEEM OLAJUWON with players who know how to GET HIM THE BALL
The person that got him the ball to Hakeem was Robert Horry & Mario Ellie. Yes Kenny could fill stat sheets but leadership and crunch time play were not the best part of his game at all. I watched the games too. You are right I don’t remember everything and every game. This is just my memories of him.
Kenny Smith was an important part of the Rockets championship teams and importantly the growth of the Rockets had to become those teams only people who don’t like the Rockets championships are criticizing key players you can’t play what if when we won two championships We won that’s the entire point @Reeko @Zboy Kenny was part of those teams. Period.
No one is playing what if. Kenny was part of those teams and had a role in the success. He was a player that meshed well because of team, system, and coaching nothing more than that. He was a starter but not one of the best 5 players on the team. (This is my opinion given on an open forum) He had the skills to be something special but wasn’t and was frustrating to watch because he just seemed to coast throughout the games. He was quick to cry out when called out. The perfect storm happened when he was pushed by a rookie. IMO, he is a just a little higher than a Matt Bullard level of player. Difference is he found success with a strong coaching and a system that fit his skill set. Kenny is a championship professional athlete that was more than replaceable on the team.
I know I’m not the only who saw Dream get mad when the rookie doesn’t pass him the ball . glad Sam ended up having a great career. I regret absolutely nothing about the championships. It was never about getting five all stars It was about being one team
