Will the Rockets be the next team to beat LA in the playoffs?

I know the Lakers are probably going to be champs this year, but I don't think the Rockets should build their team geared on beating the Lakers. The teams in the west are just getting better, it's not like the Lakers are the only team to beat.

Anyway, I don't think we need to concentrate on winning a championship this year. That's a very lofty goal. We must make the playoffs at least, maybe get past the first round.

Personally, I think Shaq is on the decline. He is the most dominant player in the league, but I think his body is wearing out slowly. The injuries are becoming bigger as he is growing older. Shaq also said in Shaq Talks Back that he only has about three more dominant years left. And that was after the championship against the Pacers.

Some people say we should not draft Yao Ming because he will be dominated by Shaq. Yes, he will be dominated by Shaq, but it's not like other centers do much better on him either. We should build our team on being the best, not to beat the Lakers and Shaq.

 

You can't honestly look at the Rockets beating the Lakers a realistic situation.

Just wait 2/3 more years when Shaq retires......West is open.

 

If you're talking the LA Clippers, then yeah I'd say they have a good chance. If you're saying the LA Lakers, I'm not holding my breath. I think the Rockets, if things fall into place, and health willing, can scare a team in the first round and pull off an upset. But for now, I'd just like this team to get to the playoffs and work from there. Personally, I think the next team to beat the Lakers will be the Kings anyway.

 

IMO, realistically we are at least 4 years away from getting past the first round of the playoffs, if not longer. Remember, it took Hakeem 10 years i in the league to get his first ring.

It's going to take a lot of patience, a lot of heartbreak, before we get there. Steve Francis is going to have to get a LOT more experience, and he's never even been to the playoffs once. If Ming is in the picture, it is going to take him about 2 to 3 years to really get up to speed with the NBA game. After that, LOOKOUT!

But, at this rate, I don't think anyone is going to beat the Lakers until Shaq retires. The 1-2 punch of Kobe/Shaq is just too strong. Plus, they will definitely address their weaknesses in the off-season. They were exposed BIG TIME by the Kings, who almost beat them. Don't bet on them standing pat and trying to win it again with the same crew. They will be better next year.

 

shaq will retire in 04, and kobe will opt out in 04 as well, then houston will sign kobe to the largest contrat in basketball history. Nah that won't happen, i don't think francis likes kobe.

 

Not our biggest question mark

our biggest asset will be Eddie Griffin

He will out Horry, Horry in the playoffs

 

The Rockets have a very good regular season record vs. the Lakers in the last 3 years. We seem to match up very well against them as is for some reason.

 

Would it surprise anyone if Phil Jackson retired at the exact same time as Shaquille O'Neal?

IMO, you don't necessarily design your team to specifically beat another team. However, the Rockets have some serious deficiencies in low post O or overall D - two areas which are strong suits for the Lakers. On the surface, addressing these needs appears to be "matching" the Lakers but in actuality the goal is to fix what is truly broken.

 

Yes but he made it to the finals in his second year in the league and with a few breaks going our way and a little less Bird we could have won it.

 

If the rockets draft Ming I dont see how we wouldn't be the most equiped team to beat LA (assuming we're healthy) or a difficult match-up for anyone.

1. Shaq does not like to defend jump shooting big men He plays like he is at peace in the lane but is often hessitant to pick his man 12 feet out and further and appears to detest it more as he gets older. If Ming is as accurate as reports say (remember reports also said Damn Langhi was accurate) then he should hold his own and be respectable. Overmatched players like Sam Perkins and Sabonis were able to score (when they asserted themselves) by being perimeter oriented and at 7'6 dude will always be able to get his shot off.

2. Our backcourt matches up favorably against LA (or most teams really). While many rocks fans hate Cuttino's game, bottom line is it is effective and any team in the league has to respect him offensively. Not that he will outplay Kobe, but he will force Kobe to play hard on both ends of the court and that's really all you can ask out of a 2 guard.
Derek Fisher is garbage, a healthy Steve Francis exploits him much worse than Mike Bibby did (why do francis haters forget he played injured most of last season?).

3. We do not have players who are scarred to fail like players on a certain cowtown in Cali. All of the Rockets players mental shortcomings can be overcome with experience. Sure they often lose their poise or take wild shots or even seem to forget thier assignments, but I honestly think that these players (Steve, Cuttino, Taylor, Griff, & mooch) would never be as nervous to take a big shot as those players on the kings were in game 7. Competive spirit is something you either have or you dont and most of our core players have it.

4. Defense Baby. . Sounds crazy, but if we draft Ming we will have among the toughest defensive interiors in the league. Why? because even the worst 7'6 players (George Muresahn) or the softest (Shawn Bradley) block 3 shot a game. Combine that with Eddie Griffin who IMO(with regular minutes) is a top 5 Blocks player at 20 years old!!!!!!! and KT and Cato off the bench (talk about depth). Mo Taylor is an average defender but Oscar Torres is a good 1 on 1 defender at the 2 or 3(if he's kept). Francis and Cat gotta step it up, but even they look much better with a 7'6 guy in the paint.

5. We really arent as bad as we looked last year . my friends all say i'm optomistic rocket fan, but lets be real: torn up shoulders, migraines, season ending knee injuries, back injuries and the sort. This team won 45 games (IMO with less talent and experience 2 seasons ago) add Ming, a second year Griff, an improved KT, and another 15th pick and you got the 2002/2003 version of Boston and NJ (improvement wise).

 

you missed a big point that gives a serious edge to the lakers.

the rockets simply don't have that basketball savvy or the basketball IQ to compete with the lakers. they haven't played playoff intensity games and haven't shown they know how to play the other games within the game as well as the lakers do

finally, the lakers have won three championships together and have chemistry layered and apparent over any fissure in their teamwork. the rockets have a bunch of players that haven't played with each other in a long time, nor would like to in some cases

 

One thing people forget is that Sacramento didn't beat LA solely with their offense. They had the two players in the NBA that could reasonably play Shaq and Kobe one-on-one (in Doug Christie and Vlade Divac). They aren't going to stop them, obviously, but they can slow them down and make those two work for their points. That protects the other guys and doesn't let Horry/Fox/Fisher go off as easily.

I think for next year, at least, Sacramento is still the best team to beat them. For us to do it, we're going to have to learn to play defense and have some time to build together.

 

Read my signature!!!

 

Quick answer...NOPE.

 

I think the reason the Rockets give the Lakers trouble is the Lakers have trouble with quick, penetrating guards. Kobe said it himself, after the Rockets game earlier in the year, he said they struggle against penetrating guards. If the Rockets get Ming and make the playoffs the reason the Rockets can scare, and possibly beat a higher seed is because of penetrating guards, athletic, shot-blocking big men, low post scorers (Mings, Griffin), and a running style, that's if Rudy unleashes it. Could they beat the Lakers in the first round if the Rockets are playing to their potential and get to the playoffs? Yes. Would I bet that they would win it? No. The bottomline, a young, upstart team isn't going to beat the Lakers, that's why the Kings got pounded by the Lakers the last few years. It wasn't until the Kings came of age that they had a chance to knock off the Lakers.

 

shouldn't we focus on actually GETTING IN the playoffs... rather than trying to beat a team that no one has beaten in 3 years???