[official Rocket Hero] Kenny Smith Appreciation Thread/Education

Again???? Do we really need to revive this???

 

I'd rather a bring back, than a new one.

 

Nobody thinks that Kenny was a backup rarely used point guard on our teams. Kenny was a solid player on some great rockets teams and he did exactly what he was suppose to and that was knock down wide open 3's. Nobody cares or doubts that Kenny had some good regular season games. There are a ton of solid players that I can find having good games over careers. Everybody remembers the Orlando game because we needed Kenny then and he showed up on the biggest of stages. I'm sure Kenny would be more than happy being remembered for that game. We all know Kenny was good but there is nothing wrong for remembering his biggest GREAT game.

 

OK, I have watched nearly every Rockets game since the 1980 season. Kenny Smith was a very average point guard for the Rox. He had one above average season in '90-91 when he averaged a little over 17 points per game, but his scoring, assist and (for the most part) his FG% declined every year there after. His first season with the Rox, he would occasionally take it to the hole (had very good ups actually), but increasingly became a one dimensional, stand out at the three point line shooter. I will always feel a special place for Kenny because of the clutch performance in Game 1 in Orlando. The rox wouldn't have won it without him to be sure. But the fact is that he was nothing more than a role player for the rox and was supplanted by Sam during the most critical stretches of games in the last few years of his career. Hakeem's greatness and the full time attention he received from two defenders basically revived Kenny's career after he was booted out of Sacremento. There were multiple point guards during that time in the NBA that would have come in an started over Kenny and made a much bigger contribution. He was a decent player, but to claim he was more is revisionist history.

 

I think what a lot of people miss is how good the role players were. I mean we had role players back then even with a dominant dream and efficient clyde. I mean if u remove yao,tracy,dream, and clyde, who do u trust in a big spot? Shane or Horry? Kenny or Rafer? Mario or Barry? Thorpe or Luis? I could go on and on, but there difference in this team besides health and those teams are guys fitting cohesively and players stepping up.In fact, I'm not sure how many of these guys could actually play for those teams.

 

I disagree, because some of the younger rocket fans generation doesn't know much about the history as some older rocket fans or wasen't around that time, you can't blame us for that lack of knowledge ,and doesn't prove crap about us (younger generation of rocket fans who are new to the rocket) that we are not real rocket fans. We (younger generation still love the rocket as much as you and support the rockets.

 

He was a deadly outside shooter, and a good role player. Nothing more needs to be said, really.

 

Like we've had discussion before about the role players on this team. They don't really fit to what the rox are trying to do and that's win a ring. Scola would be really good with dream because dream could cover for him being a poor defender. Horry would be better than Battier because horry was long, could finish, a good rebounder and verstile defender.Rafer couldn't play on those teams at all. When the team has 4 players that score in a playoff game, u know something is wrong.

 

kenny was also instrumental in the first championship run.

in the WCF against utah... game 1 or 2 i believe, he nailed 5 threes
in the finals against ny...game 6 and 7 he hit critical 3s down the stretch

if people only remember the orlando game as kennys lone highlight, then those people have been greatly mistaken. The 1st championship run may be overshadowed because of the resiliance of the 2nd, but the 1st was just as important as the 2nd.

 

Blame Tracy. Its his fault we never got out the first round after the Clutch City Era.