Robert Horry dishes on the Barkley trade and why it didn't make sense for the Rockets

NBA out of shape? Or average Joe schmo out of shape?

 

Elvin Hayes for Jack Marin begs to differ.

 

Some might argue that the Drexler-Thorpe trade was not necessary either. And I might agree, if that miracle second championship run didn't happen. But who's to say that the original championship core couldn't have won it all without the trade?

 

Drexler was critical to too many plays that decided Game 5 against Utah. Without Drexler, I can say 100% that we don't win that game.

 

Clyde was pivotal in the Utah series... along with game 7 of the Phoenix series.

Its very possible they don't get past Utah without Clyde.

 

Obviously I am not saying that Drexler was not instrumental for the second title. But you gave up a main cog of the original champion for Drexler. Thorpe would have been a big help for the team also if he wasn't traded.

That's the whole point of the this thread. Barkley obviously helped us pass Seattle. But we also lost Cassell and Horry.

 

Well, it wasn't really the same team. The 96 Sonics were a lot better than the 97 Sonics. Kemp was a super stud in 96 but had started his malcontent/drunk slide in 1997.

And Nate McMillan, a bona fide Rocket killer who's team defense frustrated Hakeem, missed the 97 series after playing a huge role in 1996.

But, perhaps equally importantly, after 2 straight long title runs Hakeem was probably was a bit fatigued in 1996 and had less urgency after winning 2 straight. We see this happen with so many title teams. Human nature kicks in.

Threepeating is extremely difficult. Few champions have done it and failing to do it is hardly a good reason for breaking up a core that had deep playoff runs in 93, 94 and 95 (93 should have been at least a WCF berth as the team outplayed Seattle but lost due to very questionable officiating).

I'm sure getting swept in 1996 also gave Hakeem a lot of revenge oriented motivation as well. Like you said, he was really amped up after beating Seattle. He wanted it more in 97 than 96.

 

And nobody has brought up the failed Horry for Elliott trade in 1994.

The rockets were NEVER satisfied with what Horry was doing for them... Always untapped potential.

This sequence of events likely happens again and again, no matter who was pulling the strings.

 

Hakeem had a pretty pedestrian series against them in 1997. Barkley outplayed him in several instances. Again, unlikely they beat Seattle that year without Barkley. (And even though you're trying to illustrate Seattle as not being that great... They still were and took them to a gritty 7 game series).

 

The Rockets were sputtering at the time and Hakeem was getting tripled-teamed every night. We desperately needed someone else who could create his own shot and not just lob up 3-pointers.

OT was one of my all-time favorite Rockets, but you get a chance to obtain a HOF'er like Drexler, you do it every time. Don't forget about the intangibles of reuniting Hakeem and Clyde - best friends since college.

 

1. Trading on nemisis for another is LATERAL at best - Seattle was replaced by Utah - who we beat regularly before Barkley
2. Youth >> Old Barkley
3. Barkley RAN DREXLER INTO RETIREMENT [Let's not forget that ]

Rocket River

 

Here are the stats from that series -

http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1997_WCS_SEA-HOU.html

Barkley outplayed Hakeem in the series? Barkely shot a very poor 42% from the field where Hakeem was at 58% and Hakeem scored more points. Obviously, we know who contributed more defensively.

You are looking at the result and not the cause. Barkley did not have a good series against Seattle. And let's not even get started on his miserable WCF against Malone.

 

That's 99er knowledge dropping on clutchfans

 

Drexler couldn't dunk anymore!

 

Barkley cumulatively outscores and out-rebounds Hakeem in the 4 wins (especially the pivotal road game 4).

Nobody is saying Hakeem wasn't still "the man"... just that Barkley was not only essential to beating Seattle, he was probably the #1 reason for it happening.

Not buying that this team was "ineffective" with Barkley... they were very good. And yes, they lost to the Jazz... who were playing better than they were in 1995 (who back then were a David Benoit meltdown away from dismissing the Rockets in Round 1).

Also, look at how well Horry/Brown/Chilcutt "contained" Malone in that 1995 series... (they didn't). Also, Smith/Cassell never fared well against Stockton (plus, it was Rudy's system that basically allowed opposing PG's to be funneled into Hakeem's defense, and he would rather have the PG beat you than letting their 3 point shooters get going).

If people want to use the same logic that the Sonics "weren't as good", and would have lost to the Rockets even without the Barkley trade, with Hakeem being "hungrier" and the team being better after previous failure... why can't the same also apply to the Rockets when it comes to facing the Jazz?

 

So many 99ers on this thread!!

 

Chuck got us past the Sonics... /end

 

It's been a long 25 years to get back to where we're relevant again. Francis, Mobley, Yao, TMac, but Harden is better. We just need to stay healthy and we'll be competing for the next 3-4 years.

 

20 years.

If the Cavs win... is it possible we will see a return to building teams to be physical/ball-control types?

Right now, there's really only Memphis... and Cleveland when they're without Kyrie and Love.

 

Cavs have Lebron. Having TT and Mozgov is great, but they're nothing without Lebron. We really need some back court help. You gotta upgrade both Terry and Prigs. I'm sorry. They're terrible. Nick Johnson is a filler at this point. We really need a way either to trade up for Payne unless Tyus Jones is as good as Morey's advertised.