Comparing this Squad to the 2008-2009 Squad

Harden is a bit better than "then" Mcgrady
Yao was better than "current" Dwight
Jone is about the same as Scola
Ariza and Battier cancels out (though Battier is better at leadership)
Definitely more depth at PG back then.

Actually more depth at SF and C as well back then.

Totally different system and style of game though.

 

Mcgrady didn't play.

And Dwight is better right now then that version of Yao.

Dwight is going to play like Orlando Dwight this playoffs. His lift is back.

 

A bit better? Lol Hes as good as 2004 Tmac or better. I would take this squad over the 2009 any day. The only position that suffers is PG.

 

Meh, that team was better at PG, SF, PF, and C.

Also, coach.

 

I hope Dwight will, but his regular season definitely didn't show. I hope he beasts like he did last playoff. Then we can compare him and Yao.

 

The two teams are very similar in that we had to score by committee. Alston was gone by the trade deadline but that was also the same season Brooks blew up in the playoffs.

Despite his numbers not being great, Ron Artest was the heart and soul of that team in the same way Dwight can be for us this year.

2009 PGs > 2015 PGs
Harden>Artest
Ariza<Battier
Jones/Smith=Scola/Landry
Dwight/Capela > Yao(injured in 2nd round)/Mutombo

Overall advantage goes to 2014-2015 team. With that said, if this squad plays with the same heart that the 09 team played with, then we make it to the finals easy. The talent is definitely there.

 

Sorry
Ariza<Battier

 

Harden is playing great no doubt, but he also benefits in a fast paced play style. Mcgrady was limited to a point that he was asked a lot on defensive end, even though he was naturally lazy on that to save energy for offense. Harden is in similar shoes, but playing fast paced helps a bit. Once Adelman's on the team, it helped. But then he started suffering a lot of injuries, as someone pointed it out, he didn't play that playoff. So I was mostly comparing the Houston Rocket Mcgrady in general, not his Orlando days or his injury plagued days. So yeah, Harden is a bit better than the newly acquired Houston Mcgrady. I say he's on similar level as Mcgrady from Orlando days.

 

That 09 team was a 5 seed this year team is a 2 seed. That's a difference too...

 

That's the thing, that squad played with a lot of heart. They wanted it BAD. This one I can see them trying, just doesn't feel they are quite there yet. Feels they need another year. Maybe they are missing a Battier and a Mutombo kinda veteran presence. Ariza and Terry aren't that kinda leaders.

 

Probably best to just compare playoff rosters:

Brooks/Lowry
Artest/Wafer/(McGrady)
Battier/Artest
Scola/Landry/Hayes/Cook
Yao/Mutombo/Hayes

vs

Terry/Prig/Johnson/(Beverley)
Harden/Brewer/Terry/McDaniels
Ariza/Brewer/McDaniels/Papinokalou
Jones/Smith/Papinokalou/(Dmo)
Superman/Capela/Dorsey/(Dmo)



2008-09 team had better individual scorers who you could just give the ball to and let them work (Brooks, Yao, Scola, Artest, Landry), but did not have anyone who commanded anywhere near the attention that Harden does for our current team. Our current offense is a bit more predictable (Harden iso or P&R), whereas the '09 team had Adelman's Princeton offense in place.

Current team is much more athletic and opportunistic, forcing turnovers and scoring in the fast break. The 09 team operated at a slower pace, which can be argued is more conducive to playoff basketball. Artest and Battier were impressive individual defenders, but Yao does not have the same presence that Howard does defensively, which allows our current team to gamble a bit more and create easy fast break looks.

With a healthy McGrady, the 2009 team has no weaknesses. They have great perimeter defenders, a very solid interior defense with Yao, Mutombo, and Hayes, multiple offensive threats, and a coach who knew how to use these talents within a diverse offensive system.

However, the lack of a primary perimeter scorer (sorry Brooks) is what separates the '15 Rockets from their predecessor. There was no one on that team who could just impose his will on the game in the same way that Harden has done all year (we still didn't know how to handle teams that fronted Yao). This year's team has many more finishers, especially in the P&R, and a stymieing defense, due to the many lengthy athletes on the team (Smith, Capela, Brewer, Ariza, HOWARD).

It remains to be seen how well we can integrate Howard into our offense over the course of a 7-game series, but I have absolutely loved what we have seen from the '15 Rockets thus far. Without a McGrady to create easy looks for the rest of the team, I believe the '15 Rockets are a better team. It's very close though.

 

Too bad Yao and Tracy were done because looking back at that roster, that team is legit. 9-10 men deep, with quality guys at all positions.

Good shooters, good defenders, good post players, good passers - really has everything you need to make a run.

 

his per 36 has been Orlando Dwight since he got back.

 

Royce White was on that 2008-09 team and when was KG ever a Rocket this season?????

 

This year's Harden is better than McGrady ever was period. McGrady got his points by chucking the ball and was never efficient. In his very best season in Orlando, he averaged 32 points on 24 shots with a TS% of 56%. Harden hasn't had a TS% under 60 since his rookie year. Mcgrady was also ball stopper. He would dribble the air out of the ball for most of a possession. The fact that this the season Tracy McGrady gave up in the middle of the season makes it even more lopsided.

MVP > gimpy quitter

Yao and Howard are a wash. Yao was better on the offensive side of the ball, but never had the effect that Dwight had on defense. However, we wasted lots of clock and possessions getting Yao the ball because he couldn't deal with being fronted. We were actually statistically better with Mutombo on the court.

Ariza was better than Battier in every way other than leadership. Better defensively, better offensively. Battier could never initiate the offense the way Ariza can though Ariza isn't that great at it.

There is no Artest on this team and we lost our Landry with Dmo. We kinda make up for Artest with Smith and Brewer.

Scola and Tjones are a wash. Everyone forgets how bad Scola was defensively. Tjones is tons better on defense.

Mutombo and Brooks are the players on the 08/09 team that stand out. I'm just hoping Capella pulls a Sam Cassell this post-season. There is no replacing Brooks but Harden is better than Brooks and McGrady put together..

Overall this team is a little better than the 08/09 team especially with a gimpy Tmac.

 

Who the hell is "KG"?

 

Dwight is a superstar when healthy.

He looks healthy and has proved it since he got back.

Dwight against Portland was better than any series Yao had.

If he plays 30 minutes like he did in game 1(and there is no reason to suggest he won't) then this team can beat anyone in a series.

incredible player.