My apologies to PETA folks, but I am going to beat a dead horse. As that famous Yogi philosopher once said, it is deja vu all over again . Anyone who still thinks adding a couple of veteran guards (e.g., say KJ + say Porter or Elie or Starks or a Harper) couldn't have made a huge difference the last few years should have woken up by now. It is obvious KJ can still play today light years better and steadier than Maloney, Price, Drew or Mobley (at least in his rookie year) could, and he has just thrown on his trunks after sitting out what two freaken years!!! Not that Mobley and MD did bad last year, but with steady veteran leadership and occasionally inspired bench play from the rooks (like the Cassell scenario), we would have been right there at the end of the season. It is still hard to fathom how we completely ignored addressing our unproven back-court situation the last few years. Any Tom, Dick and Harry should have seen this would do us in time and time again--which of course it did. Well, at least now we have a good back-court with phenomenal potential for years to come. Now let us add some more good younger bigger guys. Let’s learn from our mistakes and realize you have to been good all over to make a serious title run. [This message has been edited by sir scarvajal (edited April 05, 2000).]
I was one arguing for KJ, though not as loud as some. However, an article I read not to long ago makes me think it was KJ who didn't want to play for us than the other way around. The article said he was close to signing with another team (Miami, was it? I forgot) but decided not to, saying it would have been hard to put on a different uniform. Its a shame because he was a fantastic player, though a bit fragile. I hope he puts on a clinic in the last half-dozen games. ------------------
Signing KJ last year could've easily given us home court in at least the first round of the playoffs. We just weren't that far away last year. 5 extra wins and we're 36-14, one game behind the Spurs. Juan, the only thing I ever heard in the press was that KJ wanted the Rockets, but they didn't want him. Admittedly you can't believe everything you read, but there were several variations to that story, from Pippen not wanting KJ, to Hakeem or Rudy not wanting him, but the one constant was everyone saying KJ wanted to play for the Rockets. Man, thinking about a starting lineup of KJ, Pippen, Hakeem, Barkley, and Dickerson just makes me so happy, especially after having to endure this season. ------------------
Getting KJ would have been great, but I would have even settled for D.Harper. Azim da Dream ------------------ True champions do not take their failures to heart and never let success go to their heads.
KJ and CB4 together again, this time with more than just some scrubs around them, can anyone say title run. ------------------ Kapaayaaaa!!
By the way, this is the Dead Horse, not to be confused with the DARKHorse... I was also one of the ones very high on KJ back when his name was being thrown around, to the point of starting a few threads on the subject from time to time. But one of the key issues that kept being brought back was the fact that Chuck and KJ did NOT have a good relationship in Phoenix, and that bringing him to Houston would be just another problem... Course, now it's pretty much confirmed that Chuckie and Clyde didn't have the greatest relationship either, so who knows if that was a factor. But in my opinion, we have to look no further than our own Charles Barkley to see the main holdup to our snagging KJ at the critical time... ------------------ "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..." - Mark Twain -
But don't get me wrong... Dude's got game. The idea that we maybe coulda had him is too painful to think about... ------------------ "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..." - Mark Twain -
