The Rockets need some talented big men to help Franchise and Cat. The NBA finals have shown us exactly how when you have players of equal ability, the taller player usually wins. Yes, you may win the odd game here or there with smaller players, but in the end, it is the taller players that win the majority of the time. So, who can we get on the front line to compete with the Lakers? Webber? M Jackson? Who? The Rockets have to get tougher underneath the basket, or we are going to have a REAL hard time competing when it really counts. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
True, but Philly has given a glimpse of hope when it comes to the lakers. If philly would be hitting for a better shooting percentage I guarantee you they would be up on this series! (but unfortunately they haven't) I hate LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------ When will I reach 1000 posts ?
The only way anybody is going to be able to have any kind of success against the Lakers is to have several quality big men. The Rockets are going to have to load up on big men, Marc Jackson would be nice, keeping Mo would be nice. Obviously Webber would be nice, as would Antonio Davis. Try and trade for Dale Davis would be great. The problem is that the Lakers just blew right through the West and made it look easy. And it wasn't a fluke. ------------------ "I'm not here to protect my reputation, I'm here to make my reputation! Mama Barkley didn't raise no chumps!" - Charles Barkley
I kind of laughed it off as people looking for excuses, but I might have to agree. I don't think Philly gave the Lakers trouble so much as the Lakers gave themselves trouble. It's not anything Philadelphia is doing. The Lakers were rusty, out of sync, and had to take time to adjust before they got it into gear. Now that LA has gotten into a rhythm again they decimated Philly. ------------------ "I'm not here to protect my reputation, I'm here to make my reputation! Mama Barkley didn't raise no chumps!" - Charles Barkley
Philly has the same makeup as the Rockets quick guards that can penetrate etc, but this quits working when the guards settle for jumpshots and they don't fall for them. I think the Lakers are going to win for a LONG time. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
What about the Spurs? Don't they have QUALITY big men? Hell, Portland and Sac Town's big men were not the world's worse. LA's weakness [or was thought] was at PF and the GREAT PFs didn't make a difference infact did not win ONE GAME! but a great SG got a win. Now if that SG had a great PG and maybe a 'little' offensive help from the front line. . . well .. . HEY!!! that sounds like the ROCKETS !!!! Mobley ain't Iverson but Mobley + Francis > Iverson + Snow Rocket River Have to keep you Honest ------------------
Once again I kinda trust our guards, can you imagine how many points Francis would score if he averaged 40 shots a game??? that would be like 36 pts per game (.451 field goal % and not counting 3 pointers) or Mobley ... would avg. around 34 pts (.434 fg% and not counting 3pts) I know that would probably not be enough to defeat LA because we would need inside dominace or at least decent floppers to get Shaq in foul trouble (we could possibly teach Collier how to flop so no one accuses him of being a flop! ..no pun intended ) also, our D would really have to get better specially when dealing w/Kobe we need a tall/quick/leaper defensive minded SF to guard him. ------------------ When will I reach 1000 posts ?
First off..just an opinion,but L.A.,to me,has much better talent(than Philly) across the board....It goes deep into the bench.There are some exceptions. If you're going to compete with the Lakers in a 7 game series,I think you need to hit them where their achilles heel is first.Having a prolific power forward is a necessity.This could mean Webber,McDyess,Mailman(yuck),Wallace,etc.There are others,but you need this.Creating matchup problems for them is big.Overall athleticism is definitely needed.Stevie spearheads the Rock's here and does so from another spot where the Lakers are vulnerable...the point.After picking up the stud power forward,I think we need a center that can play some interior D and also take Shaq away from the hole( I don't think the "zone" rule will stand)..Also, make him work, with a variety of moves.Sacramento matched up well,but they just don't have the whole package to deal with these guys.As far as answers,I'll leave that to others...I'm not down with Jackson.We need to improve the interior at BOTH positions..yes,we need defense,but we need the two to compliment each other. History has a way of repeating itself and I see the Rockets(with the right moves)perhaps being the only team besides the Lakers to get out of the West for MOST of the decade...just like in the eighties.The Rockets have the mix and with the right combo of bigmen should be right there to battle them.I know I haven't given many specific players,but it's a start. ------------------ If I had my life to live over,I would have liked to have ended up as a sportswriter - Richard M. Nixon,1969 [This message has been edited by hardwood (edited June 14, 2001).]
dmanit, the way to beat los angeles is not with more big men!!! when will people wake up and see what has worked agaisnt the lakers, spurs, and every other big man based team is a team with a dominant backcourt , great shooters and serviceable big men? milwaukee!!! houston!!! be patient! houston, milwaukee etc. will gel and their big men will grow, too. as long as we try to fight fire with fire, we'll get burnt. since when have la and philly had equal ability????
I agree with DaDakota. Introduction. I'm a new poster, but not new to the sight (three years or so when it was the .com) Lived in Houston for its Glory Days. If anyone watched Game 4 last night...Although the role players again put the dagger in, it was Shaq's dominant play that has killed Philly. I agree Philly's poor shooting performance has not helped. But look at what Shaq did against the Defensive Player of the Year. He has been walking all over him. Every dominant team in history, with execption to the Jordan Era (the most dominant player of all-time) has had a great center. My point is... you rarely can trade for that type of player. If you are fortunate enough to be high enough in the draft, then you draft them and give them the opportunity see their dominance. All this talk about the Rockets trying to move up in the top 5 is not so they can draft a small forward. Maybe it's Baby Shaq or Diop. Anyone...Has #42, Cisse from Mali (St. Judes H.S.) withdrawn his name from the draft? In CNNSI's latest mock draft he was not shown.
Interior defense wins championships, because not only do you have the shot blocking you need, but is also allows your perimeter players to be more agressive on defense. When did the Sixers start winning? It wasn't like Iverson magically turned into the MVP and carried this team into the playoffs the past 3 years. This is the same Iverson we've always seen scoring wise. They started winning when they added Hill and Ratliff/Mutombo. It's all about the interior defense, because it makes your entire defense better overall. As the Lakers have shown, the power forward is inconsequential for the most part aside from the defense he provides. Webber and Mo aren't exactly defensive first teamers, but Webber would be an obvious improvement over Mo in this department and all other areas for that matter. As much as it hurts me to say this, Kelvin Cato just may be a player that the Rockets need to hang on to, because for one, Collier is not a starter and can not play starter's minutes, and secondly, a rookie, especially a center, is going to be foul prone. Cato just may be worth gambling on, and also, may be damn near impossible to move. Snow isn't the offensive player that Francis is, and I would expect in the playoffs that both of our guards would put more pressure on the defense offensively. I don't think there's a better all around backcourt in the league, and it is an advantage that the Rockets have over every team. The piece I want to see the Rockets add is a Rick Fox type small forward. ------------------ "Modern bourgeois society with its relations of production, of exchange and property, a society that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and of exchange, is like the sorceror, who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells."
What you need is balance. A great backcourt player and a great post up threat. If anything, that's what both Philadelphia and LA have. And to prove the point further, when Shaq had 44 and Kobe 12 pts...they lost that game. No balance. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
You need a proper mix of interior and perimeter players. If Webber doesnt come and Mo is still here, thats fine, then just go out and draft/sign a bunch of defensive minded players that are tough and hard nosed. This is why someone like Shane Battier makes so much sense along with Ken Johnson or even alleviating Orlando of Bo Outlaw. Its not simply an either/or situation as the Spurs proved. I disagree with the notion that winning is as simple as getting the best player in the NBA. I also dont think its as simple as having two "stars" and playing ball. The right mix of talent with good chemistry and defense along with a balance between defense and offense is needed. The Rockets are on that track and just need to add a few more pieces to their frontcourt and gain more experience. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
We need big men if we are ever going to compete in LA. I hate to say it, but keeping Cato or Hakeem is a must. Collier cannot stay with Shaq. We need big bodies to be able to bang with him. As you can see, he is destroying the DMVP. Taking Haywood would at least give us another big body to at least body up with Shaq. ------------------
DaDakota what is more important Length or Bulk? [OK this could be the wrong way to phrase this] Height or Weight/Muscle [I know we want a combination but . . . ] Rocket River ------------------
I think that big players are more valuable, but very rare. And therefore, overvalued. I agree with you that they're more important... just not so much as people make out. When drafting, I think that you take the big man as a tie breaker.. or even if it's very close, in terms of talent. But I don't want the Rockets drafting some 7fter for his heigth. And yes... Mutumbo/Ratliff were instrumental to the Sixers success... but where would they be without Iverson? Well, take a look at Atlanta sometime. Iverson's still more important than the big guys in Philly. And even LA... Shaq has never won a championsihp without Kobe Bryant. I'm not sure Kobe could alone... but Shaq had his chances. That Laker team before Kobe matured, in some ways, was better all-round than this one. yet they didn't win a championship. And let's not forget, of course, Michael Jordan. Rodman was nice... but I still think the Bulls would have been champions without him. ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment...
I don't see the Lakers as having too many holes or weaknesses. Horace does a pretty good defensive job and compliments Shaq well. Horry is good off the bench. Fox is perfect for their offense. Gaurds-Kobe period. Verse, the way to beat the Lakers is simple. Take away or make difficult what they do best. That is Shaq ripping the defense inside so he can loosen up Kobe to do his thing. Milwaukee would have got killed if they played the Lakers. Gotta play D and that starts with interior defense and rebounding. We must have the big men to rebound and defend Shaq and give him problems. T ------------------
If you can watch what the 76ers were doing when they were successfull is was their ability to pressure the ball and play man defense. That starts with the gaurds. Francis and Cat must play better D if we are to be successful. Give up way too many points. Francis's biggest weakness is his D. Cat can play D, just not on a consistent basis. We need to get back to emphasising defense. ------------------
Good question River, I think it is a little bit of both, I guess you have to view it on an individual player. Barkley was an exception, and Gervin was too. It just depends on the player. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
I think of it in terms of Rocket's need Do we need someone Tall or someone Bulky Rocket River ------------------
