Seems like Rockets are only stand-still team in Texas

The Mavericks still play with one ball the last I checked. They were the top offensive team in the last year, but it's not like the new players they brought in improve their team where they had weaknesses, namely interior defense. The Rockets improved their outside shooting, perimeter defense and on-court leadership with their moves. No, the Rockets aren't ready to compete with Dallas, necessarily, but when Yao plays at a dominant level they will.
As for this desire to have an All-Star at every position, I think people need to look at NBA history and see what kinds of teams win championships. As much as you need superstars, all great teams have role players. Teams can actually have too much firepower if they don't have players willing to sacrifice their stats for the good of the team. If you are looking for a model for the current Rockets in NBA history, think the Portland Trailblazer team that won the NBA title with Bill Walton in the late 70's, rather than that talent-laden, but underachieving group of the last five, or six years.

 

Rockets have moved closer to a championship teams than the Mavs?

Whoa. That is a bit of a stretch. Our team isn't healthy and
they still need to figure out the system. With 'toine they improved their hand and will have an offensive team that scores 100 pts / night.

The Mavs have way too many egos to pass the ball around, but with Jamison and Walker they have a lot of combos to put on people.

I still say the Lakers run away with this season.

GP and KM and Shaq. Kobe might be heading to jail.

The Rockets don't need to make any moves. We should roll with who we have and develop some chemistry.

 

I don't see how rox has more talent than dallas...
nash = francis
finley > mobley
the integral of all rox sf < jamison
any pf in rox < Dirk
ming > bradley

and what have JVG done that Nelson hadn't?
Eddie blows.. I will take Walker over eddie any day.. at least walker cares about basketball. and you rather have Cato rather than walker?? Cato is older.. what had cato done when he was 27??? he was bashed by everyone. Walker was an allstar.

dallas is dirk team.. if jamison and walker keep shooting and disregard dirk.. they will traded.. just that simple. Cuban will just keep trading everybody outside of the big 3 until it works. this is definitely a good trade for dallas... lafrentz may have good fundatmentals, but he sucks.. he can put up numbers on bad team., but who cares. lafraenz LOL.
I know everything about anything, they should hire me to be the GM. How stupid are they.

 

Yes, the rockets did nothing at all this offseason; they just stood still. Except they got an entirely new coaching staff, put in a new offense and defense, got a new arena, new uniforms, got rid of terrence morris, tito maddox, jason collier, glen rice, james posey, lisa malosky and added jim jackson, eric piatkowski, adrian griffin, pig miller, john amaechi, mike wilks, cynthia cooper.

But other than that it's pretty much the exact same.

 

as much firepower as dallas has right now, they STILL got no one that can stop duncan, shaq or even yao. and walker? please. overrated all-star. his Fg% has dropped the past FOUR seasons. i have no doubt that the likes of san antonio, minnesota and even the lakers can't finish them off.

like someone said on here 'every team got talent, it's just how well they play together'

 

To the reasonable ones on this forum, t question is this;

Which team would you prefer between Twolves-Mavericks-Rockets?

If your answer is the Rockets then shut the hell up, quit b****ing and enjoy the ride.

Dallas is confused. The T-wolves team is a make shift gumbo no one knows how it is going to turn out. But the Rockets have ballance with soon to be MDC and top flight guards in Mobley and Francis. We also have more financial wiggle room now. Methinks this present Rockets team will beat this present Dallas and Mini teams. I am also certain that Francis and Yao led Rockets team will win a championship before Dallas and Twolves. So why are we b****ing again? Just for the heck of it? Haven't learnt anything from last season's Dallas Team and the perenial under-achieving Portland teams over pouring with grade A talent?


How many fans here will truly be happy if we traded for employee #8 (Walker). Many fans here will still complain.

Let me say it for the umpteenth time - the Houston Rockets team and its management is ON THE RIGHT TRACK. Maybe I should just hush and let the results vindicate me.

 

I was going to say something along those general lines. Well said Sam Fisher.

I'd also like to add that the bulk of the posters here I really respect spent all last season saying we need a new coach and some roleplayers that fit our system.

What did we get? A new coach and some role players that should fit our system. When the time comes that we're in contention for a championship maybe we'll be able to sign the Gary Paytons and Karl Malones too. There are always stars in the twilight years of their career looking for one last shot at a ring. That's how we got Drexler and Barkley.

 

The new trend put as many stars on a team as you can . . .and still lose the championship

Rocket River
TEAM WORK

 

Why didn't the stupid idiots (Celtics) just sign Mutombo?

Raef's contract is WORSE than Walker's, so they actually count Lafrentz as Walker's replacement? How stupid is that? Why the hell would they do that?

Ainge is messing up bigtime. I remember when he was a commentator he said that the biggest problem with Boston is that their franchise players, Pierce and Walker, aren't really franchise players.


If that's the case, let's line-up for Paul Pierce.

The Celtics better PRAY that Vin Baker comes back strong and ready to carry some of the load.

 

Where do the Blazers fit into the top 8. We aren't better than them yet.

 

I predict the Mavericks will get 160 points against us. But we will still beat them by 6 points.

 

As a matter of FACT Dirk did go heads up against Duncan, Webber etc... Of course if you watched the Mavs you might actually know that. If you had watched any Mavs games last year you would have also known that Najara was injured for most of last year and was not a starter. You would also know that Nellie uses Najara at both forwards positions as well as the 5 spot. In the play-offs last year Dirk matched up directly against Wallace, Webber and Duncan most of the time. The year before that he matched up directly against KG (who he dominated) and Webber.

Why did Dallas improve their offense you ask? Dirk was the only real low post threat for Dallas last year. When he went out with injury in the SA series then Dallas had no one that they could rely on to score points in the paint. They brought in Jamison to add another player that can score in the low post as well if not better than Dirk while Dirk can spend more time on the perimeter where he can really kill teams. Walker is a player that can also score points in the post or he can play the Nick Van Exel role bringing the ball up the court. Nellie has always valued a point forward type in his offense so Walker is a natural fit.

Adding Jamison, Walker makes them more a better and more versital offense since both players can score from the perimeter as well as post up. Throw in Fortson and you have added 3 players that will significantly improve their rebounding.

Delk, Josh Howard, Najara, Best are all very good defensive players. When Bradley is playing well he can also affect a game on the defensive end by blocking shots.

You want to mention the Lakers, Spurs and T-Wolves then fine because they are all going to be dominate. I for one will not drink the purple and gold cool aid as I don't think the Lakers have improved significantly. That Shaq toe can flair up at any minute, Kobe might not even play this year and even if he does what kind of emotional and phsical shape is he going to be in. Throw in one over the hill former all star Power Forward, an aging Point Guard (Yes he is still great but not what he was) and absolutely no supporting cast (I hope Shaq, Kobe, Malone and Payton are all ready to play 48 minutes a night) and I have them finishing 4th at best in the West this year.

Last but not least is that Little Whistle has already stated that the Mavs starting line up would include Fortson starting at the 5 not Dirk. Dirk definitely play some 5 most likely later in the game when Dirk, Jamison, Walker, Finley and Nash are all on the court together. When Dirk does play the 5 it should be a step down in competition on most nights from who he faces at the 4 spot. Who is he going to face at the 5 spot that will challenge him? Shaq, Yao, Z? Who else? Wallace, Webber, KG, Brand, O'Neil, Malone are all Power Forwards and all have a much more advanced offensive games than the likes of Jamaal Maglorie and Ben Wallace.

 

Houston has one trump card that the Twolves and Mavericks do not have. Yao Ming.

There are exactly two teams in the NBA that have a player that is so dominant that he can completely overshadow the rest of the talent on the floor. A player so dominant that when that team needs a basket or a rebound they know he will be their. Those two teams are obviously L.A. with Shaq and S.A. with Duncan. No other team has a player like that in the league.

In Houston we have Yao Ming...the only player in the NBA in my oppinion that has a chance to be the 3rd player iin that elite group. If Yao Ming developes into the ungardable giant that I think he will then it is a no brainer...give me the Rockets offense.

If you want to know who I think has the best line-up today then it is Dallas.

 

I agree Ming has the ability to b 1 of the greats we just have to wait so it is very possible we will be in the top 4 or maybe become #1

 

Hey guys, I'm not worried about Dallas. No matter how they adjust their roster, not one player that they have added plays a lick of Defense. The team does not play defense. When the playoffs start, they will be ousted as usual because they do not play defense. They will win 50+ games in the regular season again, but that is it. Nelson's teams are offensive, but they never play defense!!!!!!!!!

 

It seemed during the summer that the Rockets didn't do much of anything, but they actually shored up the roster pretty nicely in the offseason. Given that we had our building blocks, Francis and Yao, in place, we mostly needed to strengthen the bench and at least not lose pace at small forward. Jim Jackson is a suitable replacement for Posey and Griffin, Amaechi and Pike are a good deal better than Rice, Morris, Collier, Maddox and Hawkins.

Subtracted: Rudy T, Glen Rice, James Posey, Terence Morris, Jason Collier, Tito Maddox, Juaquin Hawkins

Added: Jeff van Gundy, Jim Jackson, Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, John Amaechi

 

No, Blazers in at the 6-spot, Sonics or Rockets out. Sonics, Rockets, Nuggets, with a slight chance of Clippers, Grizzlies battling it out for the final western conference playoff spot. I agree that Mavs take the division from the Spurs with the Wolves coming in 3rd and I agree that the Lakers win their division over the Kings who finish 5th in the west. I think the Mavs get the top seed if Kobe does not play for the Lakers.

 

That's usually my formula for success, but I think this 2003 Mavs team might become an exception to the rule that a team must play defense to win the championship. I mean this team can put 4 perennial all stars on the floor at any given time and you can not double team more than one of them. Try zone and they'll 3 you to death. If you're going to field a team that doesn't play defense, you do it the way the Mavs have done it.

 

BTW, the LAST time Jamison was a true low-post threat was while wearing the Baby-blue digs of UNC--if he is the low-post threat for the Mavs then Najera might as well be labled their defensive stopper....