I think talent-wise or on paper, this team is the best NBA team since Jordon's Bulls team. If they keep healthy, it will be a really special team and could be a dynasty. They have 2 and half franchise players, 2 and half all-defense 1st teamers, two top role players on Scola and Battier, very deep bench (11 men's rotation, any of the 6 bench players could average 20-35 minutes a game) and great team defense. Who can match their powers now? Celtics? No way. Their big three is less than Rocket's big three and much older. Their role players is no match to rockects. How about Lakers? They are fakers, totally opposite to Rockets. Rockets have three kinds of players. 1, TMac is very gifted but didn't accomplish much on team success as the top dog. 2, Yao, Battier, Scola. They are not most atheliticly gifted in NBA but they had high BB IQ. They led their previous teams win big and win the champions. 3, Atest, Alston, Head, Hayes, Landry. They are the fighters and winners. They may not very talented or they didn't get good training or had other difficulties at their early ages. But anyhow they fighted through the difficult situations to earn their positions in NBA now. "Never underestimate the heart of champions." Not talents win championship. Coach JVG said everybody in NBA were talented. Champions win championship. Fighters win championships. Tmac is the only Rockets player with no fighter and champion mentality. But he had to fight a lot in his Magic and previous rocket years because he's forced to shoulder his team. It will be a good experiences for him. Finally it will help him grow just like what Piearce experienced. Let's see whom Lakers have? Their big four all had been widely recognized as very talented or gifted in their early ages. But did they achieve anything since then? Actually not much. Bynum is too young to say. Other three are all big time underachievers or fakers in team success. A faker is a very talented player with excellent individual stats but won't transfer to team success. They are not missed by their teammates when they are not on the court. For example, Odom accomplished nothing in his whole BB carreer other than a journey man piling up great individual stats. Koby is supposed to be next Jordon. Did Jordon ever win a Championship with Hakeem being #1 in the team? No. Koby never won anything without Shaq. Last year he's lucky, but he still be humilated by the Celtics just like what Suns humilated him before. Gasol is so typical a faker. Apparently he has everything, size, post move, outside shot, soft touch, atheltic etc. But did he achieve anything big? No. o yes, he is world champion, but Spain NT won it without him. His Memphis team used to win about 50 games a season and a 5-6 seed in Western. When they traded away Battier, they become lottery team. Even though Scola's stats had no match with Gasol's, I believe Scola can at least offset Gasol on the court. Scola is extremely opposite of Gasol. He's MVP of his national team. He made major contribution to win the gold. The rockets is so underrated by the fans and media. One reason is probably the injure plague. But I believe mostly is because fans overrate the pure physical condition and underrate the importance of BB IQ and mentality for the team success. I can't believe so many fans predicted below 60 regular wins and satisfied with it. Below 60 simply means major injures. Rockets was already a top five regular team in the last two years. If Yao was healthy and Bonzi behaved himself in JVG's team, Rockets could win it all in 2005-2006. If last year Yao's healthy, they should go to the final at least. Still they won 55 games, not far away from Hollinger's projected 61 games. If the big three can keep healthy, they definitely should win 65+ games and maybe even break 70 and approach 72 of Bulls' record. As a rockets fan, I am very happy the way they played the last two games. They pulled away in last 4-6 minutes. It shows the true champions. And I'm a big fan of rockets' role players like Rafer, Shawn and Chuck. It looks good that you help your team wins by scoring 81 points. But you know what, it's more amzing that they help the team win without scoring a single point. That's the team sport I love most.
Guys....lets not go overboard. While being fans...we are by definitions homers...but lets not get worked up about being underrated by others. On paper we have been good team for a long time...each year getting better and yes..artest can bigger difference, because he came at relatively low depletion of our talent. In reality we haven't been in second round for ten years!!! and at least half of those five years we were underachievers.....becasue we had the team on paper to go to conference finals...but we collapsed in the first. Our win ercentage against the conference finalist in the last several is an abysmal 33%!!! We have a great opportunity.......but health (Stevie, Yao, Tracy, Tracy, Yao, Tavcy, Yao!!), refrees (The Dallas serier!!), luck (not getting first seed last year!!) and extraordinary play by opponents (Utah last two years!!) have surfaced at unusual times. I may sound pessimist...but what matters...is not the play in Novmber..but June..and for that plays post ASG. On paper we have a great team..and i would be the happiest to be out there in June!! Some reality check though..when Battier is back and Tracy to full health...what happens to shots (our Big Three are high possession players..not becasue they are selfish...but they are streaky!!!)...what happens to Artest when he steps in......you know what I mean....and I am not even mentioning when he steps out...PG play is biggest hole....and backup center would show up down the road. Finally remember the season is long and teams do adjust..as they see others play.....for the young and old alike.....recollect the season Barkley went down...remember the time Spurs beat us...when they were down and we were up..and then the whole momentum inverted. We have a great team...and hoping..that team does show up in june. Finally, I think we will get a lot more respect from media this year...and one Mr Artest (and Mr Morey!!!) via the EAST COAST are going to help us get there!!!
on paper we should win the championship. but we need to play a full healthy season. and of all the seasons to do that, why not this one? one of our main problems was not havina reliable 3rd option. thats key to to a ring. ron isnt just any ordinary 3rd scorin option. hes arguably the best defensive player in the nba. defense is his best thing but hes on the team for his offense, his defense is like a "plus" for us, and thats a huge plus. when you think of defense, compare the best defenders to the best scorers. so havin artest is like havin kobe on defense. and also shane is one of few pple to make kobe struggle. hes done it the past few seasons and i do think hes a top 5 defender. if we can stay healthy thers no doubt the title is ours. were the only team that always has their best players hurt for a good portion of the season. 70+ games from tamc and yao could do a lot for us. scola, landry, brooks all will prolly have better seasons obviously. maybe dorsey can be our backup center? or deveolop in his rookie season, either way its good but it would be nice to have a big body when yaos out.
two starters from last year are injured. Including our best defensive (battier) and offensive (TMAC) player. we are not under rated.
harmonious,,,, until the day Rockets win the 08-09 NBA World Champion after match-up with Hornets,Cleveland....
modest!!!!!!!! it's useless to say we are the best until we prove it. Time will tell. and we should be patience
Slowl down, slow down... We have a lot of things to show than we will walk around and jump on people's faces telling them we're the best in the NBA.
Wait! I didn't know the Lakers were actually fakers! All that about two 7 footers and Kobe Bryant doesn't cause me concern anymore, seeing as they're fakers and all.
I agree with this and still hope the Rockets make another move. Maybe wait till some teams start to slide to the bottom, and offer them younger pieces for a veteran point guard. How this can be done without going over the cap is beyond me, though.
I think talent-wise or on paper, this team is the best NBA team since Jordon's Bulls team. Woah man, you scare the $hit out of me. Calm down.
deep? Errr not really. Hayes is a defensive stud, but his offense is non existence. He cant start for any team, nor i can see him playing major minutes for any of the other big teams. Landry have a very high per, but is he capable of putting on major minutes and be consistent is still a question. Barry can handle the ball, shoot it, he keep his body in pretty good shape, but he barely average play above 20 minutes only twice for the past 4 years. Head is not going to get 20 minutes in a good team. Dorsey, Wafer are fringe players. And SF3, is still injured..... still have the blind fan faith on him thou. Only players that will get more than 20 minutes is AB and Battier. Rox got players that complement each other, but they are not as good as you think they are. In case you did not notice, the big 3 of celtics complement each other more than the rox big 3. 1 on 1, rox win big time, but in the context of a team, they are still better, at least thats what my personal opinion. And they may be older, but there are still healthier than the rox version of big 3. But the rox have better role players, and looking at the game between celts and bulls, i'm convince of that.
Come playoff time, if: -Yao, T-Mac, Rafer, and Artest are healthy. -5 out of 7 between Hayes, Battier, Scola, Landry, Brooks, Barrry, and Head are healthy. and: Rafer Alston plays >69% of what he did last year in the playoffs, the Houston Rockets will win it all.
I think the Lakers have the best talent, top to bottom, and plus they have great chemistry on the offensive end. If the Rockets wants to beat the Lakers in a 7-game series, they need to overcome that talent-deficit by out muscling and out hustling them. I think we have a long way to go until we can seriously challenge the Lakers or the Celtics in a playoff series. We'll learn a lot about how far we are over the next 8 games.
Einstain is that you? Let's hold off saying this team is better than the past ten championship teams until they win something.
