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Is this Rick Adelman's most talented team on paper?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007.

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  1. BEXCELANT

    BEXCELANT Member

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    http://www.nba.com/coachfile/rick_adelman/

    Is this Adelman's most talented team?

    The 1989-1990 Western Conference Champion Trailblaers that lost to the Pistons had:

    Clyde Drexler
    Terry Porter
    Kevin Duckworth
    Jerome Kersey
    Buck Williams
    Clifford Robinson


    The 1991-92 Western Conference Champion Trailblazers that lost to the Bulls had:

    Clyde Drexler
    Terry Porter
    Clifford Robinson
    Buck Williams
    Kevin Duckworth
    Danny Ainge

    The 1999-2000 Sacremento Kings that lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers had:

    Chris Webber
    Vlade Divac
    Corliss Williamson
    Jason Williams
    Vernon Maxwell
    Tariq Abdul-Wahad
    Lawrence Funderburke
    Peja Stojakovic
    Jon Barry
    Scot Pollard
    Michael Hawkins
    Jerome James
    Kevin Ollie
    Oliver Miller
    Terry Dehere
    Peter Aluma

    Sacramento was an imposing club on paper, ranking high in several major categories. Two mainstays—scoring and passing, continued to highlight the Kings’ offensive strength, finishing third in both scoring (101.7 ppg) and assists (24.8 apg). Sacramento’s long-range shooters flourished from beyond the arc, ranking fourth after hitting 38 percent of their 3-pointers. For the second straight season, Sacramento led the league in defensive rebounding with 33.6 per game, helping them finish third in overall rebounding (44.5 rpg). Defensively, the Kings had a vice grip on rival shooters, holding opponents to an NBA-low .420 field goal percentage. Additionally, Doug Christie helped a ball hungry defense swipe 8.98 steals per game, second-best in the Association.


    The 2007-2008 Rockets Roster has yet to be filled out without some addition and subtraction but so far we have still listed on the Rockets website:

    Rafer Alston
    Shane Battier
    Aaron Brooks
    Jackie Butler
    Steve Francis
    Mike Harris
    Chuck Hayes
    Luther Head
    Mike James
    John Lucas III 2
    Tracy McGrady
    Dikembe Mutombo
    Brad Newley
    Steve Novak
    Justin Reed
    Kirk Snyder
    Bob Sura
    Jake Tsakalidis
    Bonzi Wells
    Yao Ming

    Rick Adelman
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    College - Loyola Marymount

    Rick Adelman, who twice coached the Portland Trail Blazers to berths in the NBA Finals and later coached the Golden State Warriors, returned to the NBA after a season's absence on Sept. 17, 1998, when the Sacramento Kings hired him as the franchise's 19th head coach. In his fifth season at the helm of the Kings, he has molded the team into one of the NBA's most exciting teams, leading the league in scoring and making the playoffs every year since his hiring.

    Adelman brings a record of 544-361 into the 2002-03 season, a winning percentage of .601 and in the playoffs his teams have posted a 53-50 record.

    He reached the 300-win mark in 468 games, the seventh-fastest in NBA history. Only Pat Riley (416), Phil Jackson (419), Billy Cunningham (430), K.C. Jones (434), Larry Costello (445) and John Kundla (452) reached that plateau in fewer games.

    Adelman, who first came to the league as a 6-2 guard in 1968, spent 14 years in the Trail Blazers organization, including three as a player (1970-73), five as an assistant coach (1983-89) and six as the team's head coach (1989-94). He compiled a 291-154 record as a head coach and took the Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He coached Golden State for two seasons, 1995-96 and 1996-97.

    Adelman, who attended Loyola Marymount, was selected by the then-San Diego Rockets in the seventh round of the 1968 NBA Draft, the 79th overall player picked. He spent two seasons as a reserve in San Diego, where his teammates included Elvin Hayes and Pat Riley. Adelman was taken by Portland in the 1970 NBA Expansion Draft and was made the first team captain in Blazers history.

    He averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 assists and 27.7 minutes in three seasons with Portland before being traded to the Chicago Bulls. He served stints with the Bulls, the New Orleans Jazz and the Kansas City-Omaha Kings before retiring in 1975 with career averages of 7.7 points, 3.5 assists and 22.6 minutes per game in seven NBA seasons.

    Adelman began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore. From 1977 to 1983, Chemeketa went 141-39 and won or shared in three Oregon community college championships and one regional title. He rejoined the Trail Blazers in 1983 as an assistant to Jack Ramsay and served as an assistant coach until Feb. 19, 1989, when he replaced Mike Schuler as head coach.

    In 1989-90, his first full season at the helm, Adelman guided the Blazers to a 59-23 record and a trip to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games. The following year, Portland went 63-19 and won the Pacific Division title before bowing to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, and Adelman finished second in balloting for NBA Coach of the Year award.

    In 1991-92, Portland went 57-25, won its second straight Pacific Division title and advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years, this time losing in six games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

    On Nov. 22, 1992, Adelman recorded his 200th victory in the 288th game of his career. At the time, no coach in league history had reached the 200-win plateau in fewer games. Adelman left Portland after the 1993-94 season, departing as the second-winningest coach in franchise history behind Ramsay.

    The Warriors posted a 36-46 record under Adelman in 1995-96, but did reduce their points allowed from 111.1 ppg to 103.1 ppg, the fewest for the franchise in 20 years. In addition, the 1995-96 Warriors outrebounded their opponents 3,458 to 3,406, only the second time in 14 seasons Golden State had enjoyed a season-long edge off the boards. After another losing season (30-52) in 1996-97, however, Adelman was replaced by P.J. Carlesimo.

    At Sacramento, Adelman utilized the talents of veteran forward Chris Webber and rookie point guard Jason Williams and turned the Kings into the highest-scoring team in the league, going from 93.1 points per game in 1997-98 to 100.2 ppg in 1998-99, even though the league average dipped from 95.6 ppg to 91.6 ppg. The Kings posted a 27-23 record in the lockout-shortened season, their first winning mark since 1982-83, when the franchise was still in Kansas City. They stretched Utah to five games before bowing in the first round of the playoffs.

    The Kings increased their scoring to a league-leading 104.9 ppg in 1999-2000, compiling a 44-38 record. It marked the first time in two decades that the team had posted consecutive winning seasons, since going 48-34 in 1978-79 and 47-35 in 1979-80. Once again Sacramento was ousted in the first round of the playoffs in five games, by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers and in the 2001-02 season in the Western Conference Finals .
     
    #1 BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007
  2. Dave2000

    Dave2000 Contributing Member

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    dont forget if Jerome James actually played, the wouldve been a "powerhouse" so says James himself :p
     
    #2 Dave2000, Aug 28, 2007
  3. Asian Sensation

    Asian Sensation Member

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    The Rocket's on paper are way more talented than any of the Kings teams Adelman coached in the past. As for comparing the Rockets to the Blazer's teams of the early 90's it would be unfair and impossible. That was over 15 years ago in a different era of basketball. Things such as rules and level of talent, number of teams, players, etc are only the tip of the iceberg.
     
    #3 Asian Sensation, Aug 28, 2007
  4. aamir

    aamir Member

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    I don't think its fair to say anything about our team yet, with all of our changes from last season being players with HUGE question marks on their back.

    That said, his best team was Sacramento in 2001-2002...

    Peja Stojakovic
    Chris Webber
    Mike Bibby
    Doug Christie
    Vlade Divac
    Bobby Jackson
    Hedo Turkaglu
    Gerald Wallace
    Scott Pollard
    Lawrence Funderburke
    Mateen Cleaves
    Brent Price
    Chucky Brown
    Jabari Smith
     
    #4 aamir, Aug 28, 2007
  5. SuperKev

    SuperKev Contributing Member

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    No doubt this is the most talented team he has ever had. Player for player 'on paper' this team is immensely superior. Forging some teamwork will be an entirely different thing.
     
    #5 SuperKev, Aug 28, 2007
  6. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    omg, is it oct./nov. yet. I can't wait. This is driving me nuts, I want to see this team on the floor. :eek:

    and um, yes.most talented on paper, hopefully on court too.
     
    #6 Tfor3, Aug 28, 2007
  7. meh

    meh Contributing Member

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    I don't know much about the old Blazers teams, but I think his Kings team, at its peak, can beat our team handily. That was a team which was a quarter of semi-decent refereeing away beating the Lakers. And that Lakers team can beat any NBA team this upcoming season. On the other hand, the Rockets can't even claim to have the best talent in the NBA right now.

    I love my Rockets, but I can't objectively say I'd take our lineup against, and these players were in their prime back then, Webber/Bibby/Peja/Divac/Christie. Plus they had a 6th man of the year in Bobby Jackson.
     
    #7 meh, Aug 28, 2007
  8. TheBornLoser

    TheBornLoser Contributing Member

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    Nah. According to my man, tinman, the Kings had the greatest HERO of all time on their team :D The current Rockets have no heroes on their team... only softies :D
     
    #8 TheBornLoser, Aug 28, 2007
  9. blazer_ben

    blazer_ben Rookie

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    Lets see

    Yao> Miller
    Scola<Webber
    Peja>Battier
    McGrady>Christy
    alston or james<Bibby

    The kings had a better starting lineup. with more offensive fire power, but we have more defense.

    Bench
    Francis < Jackson
    James> gerald wallace
    Wells > Turkalough
    Hayes<Corlis willamson
    Moutombo< Divac.

    Hoerisim aside, the kings had a better team. or more talent, but they were unlucky because they had to go up against one of the greatest post season teams of all time. the lakers with shaq, kobe, horry, fox , shaw , fisher etc....
     
    #9 blazer_ben, Aug 28, 2007
  10. blazer_ben

    blazer_ben Rookie

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    Oh yeah, Webber>>Scola. it is'nt even close. webber in he's prime is a HOF.
     
    #10 blazer_ben, Aug 28, 2007
  11. BEXCELANT

    BEXCELANT Member

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    Umm ok I think it's more like this.

    T-Mac >>Peja Stojakovic
    Scola/Hayes/Landry<Chris Webber
    Bonzi Wells<Mike Bibby
    Doug Christie = Mike James (Christie, avg'd 10-12 ppg played good defense)
    Yao Ming >>Vlade Divac (Divac was just crafty...but against Yao, ha)
    Francis >>Bobby Jackson (Bobby Jackson can't touch my jock)

    Rockets better than Kings in 3 out of 6 positions. James up against Christie is a wash. A healthy Chris Webber in his prime gives our PF position a beatdown.
     
    #11 BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007
  12. BEXCELANT

    BEXCELANT Member

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    Dagnabit..I wish you could edit posts...anyways

    T-Mac >>Peja Stojakovic

    Scola/Hayes/Landry < C. Webber

    Bonzi Wells Doug Christie = Mike James (Christie, avg'd 10-12 ppg played good defense)

    Yao Ming >>Vlade Divac (Divac was just crafty...but against Yao, ha)

    Francis >>Bobby Jackson (Bobby Jackson can't touch my jock)
     
    #12 BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007
  13. BEXCELANT

    BEXCELANT Member

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    and Bonzi is better than Christie actually.
     
    #13 BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007
  14. George Gervin

    George Gervin Member

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    No they are not.
     
    #14 George Gervin, Aug 28, 2007
  15. OddsOn

    OddsOn Contributing Member

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    In a word NO. Those Portland teams were damn good and were in the running for the WCF every year. And the same was true for Sacremento, who were a Robert Horry three away from going to the finals. Right now I would have to vote NO but if we go far in the playoffs a few years in a row then we can rehash the subject.
     
    #15 OddsOn, Aug 28, 2007
  16. Will

    Will Clutch Crew
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    "Best on paper" is usually code for underachievers.
     
    #16 Will, Aug 28, 2007
  17. BEXCELANT

    BEXCELANT Member

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    Yep cause historically, the Rockets have always had great teams on paper. What happened to that "Special Season"?
     
    #17 BEXCELANT, Aug 28, 2007
  18. weslinder

    weslinder Contributing Member

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    No he's not. And it's really not close.
     
    #18 weslinder, Aug 28, 2007
  19. emjohn

    emjohn Contributing Member

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    Talent isn't usually the key to a championship, the combination of talent and focus is.

    Terry Porter, Clyde, Jerome, and Buck were an awfully solid unit, and they'd beat the snot out of that Kings team for certain. Webber and Peja wilt when the games get serious, Bibby's a good clutch shooter but can get abused on defense, and they never really knew what to do in the clutch.

    We have to be a unit that can get down to business if we want to win for real. No more of Yao and McGrady taking turns with bringing an A game.

    Evan
     
    #19 emjohn, Aug 28, 2007
  20. Tb-Cain

    Tb-Cain Member

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    I still like the Portland teams, even though it appears they limited the rosters to only 6 players back in the early 90's. ;)

    Those teams were exciting and fun to watch and actually made it out of the first round. Now, of course, all that was done on the court and not on paper. :D

    Drexler is a HOFer and one of the best players all-time. He was a close second to MJ for a number of years. The Rockets don't have that, which makes it hard to say this team is more talented on paper.

    On paper, TMac still has a bad back. Bonzi is still a no-show. Francis is still injury prone and a shell of his former self. Battier is still just a role player that disappears too often. Scola, Brooks are unproven rookies. Hayes is still 6'6". Alston still can't shoot. Mike James still had a horrible seasons last year.

    On paper, there are too many reasons to curb your enthusiasm. Thank God they play these games on a basketball court. But like I said, on a basketball court, Drexlers' squad wins.
     
    #20 Tb-Cain, Aug 28, 2007
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