Here is my I-can't-wait-for-the-season-to-start post. I see alot negative references to the style of play that brought us 2 Championships. It really seems like the "in" thing to do these days. I'm guessing that it's either a generation-gap thing or the constant berating of that style over the past 3 years have finally brainwashed some of you into believing that it must be true. I, for one, never ever got bored with watching Sam Cassell or Kenny Smith pass down low to Hakeem so that he could perform his magic. I never got tired of seeing Dream take on three guys and pass out to Vernon for a three. I never got tired of watching us win. I always enjoyed seeing Barkley post up some fool and backing his wasy to the hole. Whether you liked it or not, it was the highest percentage play that we had from 97-99. He would either 1) get fouled, 2) score a basket, or 3) draw a double-team and pass out to a shooter. This worked nearly every time. What gave this offense a bad taste was seeing the players break down over the past couple of years. When Hakeem started losing his health, his speed and power went with it. Same with Charles. Even when he played through the season with a hernia he was still effective but not with the same domination. I never faulted Rudy for trying to stick with that offense because that style was best suited for the team we had. When healthy, Dream and Charles were still effective. When we got Mobley and Dickerson, their speed was only supposed to compliment the style that was suited for Dream and Charles. There was no way that we could have become a running team with who we had at the time, even with Scottie on the team. Last year Rudy was forced to go with the fast-break style because it was evident that the previous era was over. Rudy has always said that the team, not him, dictates what the offense will be. Rudy built a team of young athletic guys to begin this new generation of the Rockets. Running and dunking is what works well for who we have now. The offense we use now would not have been effective for us during the Championship years. We didn't have that type of personnel. We utilized our strengths, just as we are now. What really cracks me up is to hear/read people make fun of or crack on the ol' inside-out game. It won SanAn a Championship. It won LA a Championship. Don't be fooled by all this triangle offense crap. It's all about getting the ball to Shaq. If Shaq can't score then he throws it out to a shooter or to a creater like Kobe. Wether LA's shooters have more motion or not makes no difference. It's the same thing. So before you new-generation Rocket fans go cracking on our old offense, go back and watch some tapes of that offense during it's peak. I bet either one of our Championship teams could have beaten last years LA team. ------------------ RocketFuel is dead!
Hey, I totally agree with you and I am a generation-x guy. I am still looking for the Rockets back-to-back championship videos. If you are a fan, be a fan for life....through every second, minute, hour, day, week, season and generation. ROCKETS FAN FOR LIFE!!!!! ------------------ "...Do you hear 'em? They're everywhere!!! AAAHHH!!!" That's what the other teams will be saying after being shellshocked by Steve Francis and Co.
Clicking on ALL cyliders BABY!!! ------------------ Too often, we lose sight of life's simple pleasures. Remember, when someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles in your face to frown, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the motherfuc@er upside the head!
Spacecity, I think most would agree with you on some points. I always loved the offense from the back to backs. I think what you are seeing is more a readiness or anxiousness to get away from that style of offense because we no longer have the players to make it effective. Barkley is retired, Hakeem is ailing. The new, retooled offense suits the players we have now, and will only benefit guys like Francis, Anderson, Taylor, Cato and Mobley. Those guys are gazelles and young. Sure, the inside-out offense can still be effective. But you have to have dominant post players to make it work. I am sure we ALL loved the old style offense. We loved it because it worked. Who didn't think it was going to be a bucket each time Kenny or Sam, Vernon dished it down to Hakeem? I did. I will remember those days well. BUt that doesn't mean we can't love the new offense either!!!! ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Of course that offense wouldn't work with the new cast. Don't get me wrong, I love the new style that we have adapted. It is quite refreshing to have a dominant, fast back court for a change. It's exciting. We have a lot of fans that weren't really around during the peak of the old offense. many came on board when we got Pippen and that just blew up in our faces. I really think that was the period when it became evident that the old style wasn't as effective. Due to Hakeems' health, he no longer demanded double-teams and that alone broke down the system. That is also why the ball always went through Charles so much. He was the only one that guarenteed a high percentage play. Had Hakeem been healthy, then Scottie would not have been counted on so much. You have to wonder if Dream had been able to keep his health what would have happened. If Scottie had been able to ease into the offense we would probably have had a great season. Even in the twilight of their careers Hakeem, Charles and Scottie along with Harrington, Dickerson and Mobley could have gone on to make a lot of noise. But injuries are a way life, especially in basketball. So as a result Charles had to carry the weight, which had to be bad for his body. Scottie had too much pressure to deal with and ran away crying like a little girl blaming everyone else rather than trying to better himself and the team. It all works out in the end, especially for a team like the Rockets. We should all feel fortunate that we have an owner who is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that we win and that we have a staff that has great vision and insight as to what we need to keep winning. When you look at what has happened to the Celtics, Pistons, and Bulls you have to feel proud to have turned this whole thing around in one year. In 20 years from now, when your kid asks you about that one year that the Rockets didn't make the playoffs you can explain that in one single season Rudy T scrapped everything and began the youth movement. You can take pride in the fact that we were able to pull off something that most teams couldn't. ------------------ RocketFuel is dead!
