the Rockets completed one of the most amazing runs in playoff history including series wins against the Jazz (60 wins), Suns (59 wins), Spurs (62 wins), and the Magic (57 wins) to claim their 2nd championship. Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion. Here's hoping new championship memories will come to fruition in the near future with Stevie, the Mooch, and Cuttino... BTW I downloaded the Rocket Memory Mix this morning for the first time. Excellent listening material Clutch, it's hard not to get sentimental after listening to that. ------------------ Beauty, was the allure that brought me close to you, Loneliness, was the bond that made me stick like glue, All fantastic images, they only are apparent, Promoted by desperate hope, That things are somewhere better. [This message has been edited by Band Geek Mobster (edited June 14, 2001).]
Good luck beating the Lakers anytime soon. I have a feeling everybody in the West is going to know how the East felt when the Bulls ran roughshod for 6 years. Basically you're building just to be fodder for the Lakers. ------------------ "I'm not here to protect my reputation, I'm here to make my reputation! Mama Barkley didn't raise no chumps!" - Charles Barkley
You know, Philadelphia could easily be up 3-1 in the series now. If the Lakers were so great that no one could contend for years, then why have they let the Sixers, a team as hurt and fatigued as any I can ever think of in sports, almost win 3 games? These playoffs have shown that one style of basketball can limit the Lakers: attacking from the perimeter. We have two in the best in the business at that. You need a good post man, but you have got to have a dynamic scorer from the perimeter to beat the Lakers. When you attack the Lakers with a elite PF and a good defensive SG and C, like the Blazers, Kings, and Spurs did, you are just fighting fire with fire, to use one of verse's quotes. Those teams didn't have the consistent perimeter scoring options that could get a basket and get to the hole, and the Lakers interior defense is too strong for one-dimensional teams like the Kings and Spurs whose true creators come from the inside. The Bucks were 2-0 against the Lakers in the regular season, and would've stood a chance imho to win in the Finals. Why? They exploit the Lakers two main weaknesses, perimeter defense and transition defense. When you can penetrate on the Lakers and swing the ball around, which is one of our trademarks, you give them a lot of problems. The Lakers can stop teams from scoring inside with good interior D. They can't stop Steve and Cuttino, or Ray and Sam, on the penetration, the pullup jumper, etc. If they do commit to double, then all the Rockets have to do is work on all movement and find that open man in the corner to hit that 3. If we can work on our transition offense, we should stand a good chance against the Lakers in the coming years, provided we can hit our shots. If you can attack from the perimeter, hit a good percentage of your open looks, and get out in transition, you can score a lot of points on the Lakers and stand a good chance to beat them. Of all the possible "teams in the future" in the NBA, the Rockets and Bucks right now look the best equipped to beat the Lakers, because of their style of play. It is also for this reason that for our team, Cwebb may be the best post player in the league. Everyone who knows me knows that I think Duncan is the best player in the league. However, that doesn't necessarily apply to our team and what it takes to beat the Lakers. Cwebb can score inside, but if the Lakers clamp down the interior D, it will be tough to get many of his patent jump hooks or turnarounds within 8 feet, esp. come the 4th quarter. You could see that in the final 6 minutes of the Spurs game 2 against the Lakers, when the Spurs were actually up 1 with 6 minutes and went on to lose by 7, essentially ending the series. The Lakers defense didn't give the Spurs any good looks at all in that stretch because they doubled and worked hard to push Duncan off that low block, and there was nowhere else for the Spurs to turn. Webber is the one elite PF you can be comfortable with handling the ball at the top of the key, enhancing ball movement through great passing, and hitting the outside jumpers consistently out to 20 feet. He not only would give the Rockets an interior option against the Lakers and other Western teams, but his great passing, ball handling, etc. can give the Rockets another playmaker to break down the Laker defense. Ideally, pairing Chris Webber with a couple of dynamic perimeter players who can penetrate and hit open shots is as good a combination to beat the Lakers as you can find. ------------------ "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! [This message has been edited by The Cat (edited June 14, 2001).]
Cat I seem to be finding myself agreeing w/you too much... I hate that ! but I second what you wrote. ------------------ When will I reach 1000 posts ?
I agree Cat that's a weakness the Lakers have, but who in the West can do that? And if they can, who in the West can rebound and have size? The Rocks can slash to the hoop but can't rebound with the Lakers, Webber or no Webber. San Antonio doesn't have the slashers, the Kings don't have the toughness, and Portland is a mess. I think the closest team is the Dallas Mavericks. Either way the Lakers are getting better and the rest of the West is having trouble keeping up with them. ------------------ "I'm not here to protect my reputation, I'm here to make my reputation! Mama Barkley didn't raise no chumps!" - Charles Barkley
The Rockets could very well do that next year, if they execute the way they are capable of (and of course get Webber). The Rockets can't rebound as much as the Lakers, but no team can. As long as you have Shaq inside, the Lakers will have the advantage on the glass. You've got to counter it in other areas, and I think if the Rockets get the necessary playmakers on offense, they are capable of beating the Lakers in a series. Also, the zone rules next season should help with our problem defending Shaq inside. You guys should be able to see that if the Sixers had just one more playmaker besides Iverson this series, they would probably be beating the Lakers right now. Where's Toni Kukoc when you need him? Now, of course there is one more trait the Rockets need to have, and that is mental toughness. What's allowed the Sixers to stay close is their never-say-die attitude and their heart. However, with the desire to improve that Steve and Cuttino have talked about and shown on the court these last two seasons, I am very confident that some of those traits will come to us, and we could be one of those special teams just like the Sixers... ------------------ "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more!
You know what I don't get, the league only says the Rockets won the Championship because Jordan wasn't there. I wonder how they would of reacted if the Knicks won the title. NBC and the NBA both realize that the Rockets are an up and coming team. However, how many games did the Rockets play on NBC the last two years. ONE! That's all. If the Rockets get Webber I guarantee you guys, we will see more of the Rockets on national tv. They would also jump on the Rocket's bandwagon and say they were Rocket supporters all along. Maybe we will stop see the slacking Knicks on tv and the league will stop parading the Knicks as a great team. ------------------ Stevierebel
If the Rockets get Webber I guarantee you guys, we will see more of the Rockets on national tv. Stevierebel really going out on a limb there... ------------------ "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more!
You know that scenario works both ways. Philly just barely pulled game one out in overtime. Had the Lakers managed to win that one then they would have swept through the playoffs and the NBA championship. The 76ers are in no way close to being a serious challanger against the Lakers. ------------------
The Cat: That's true... but the series could also be over very easily by now. O'Neal only hit something like 30% of his free throws in game one. That's horrible, even for him. If just one more had gone in, it would have been a sweep. And if the Sixers could have one one of those games... well, each of those games could also have been a lot worse. Besides, I don't think the games were as close as you. None of them were see-saw type affairs. The Lakers were pretty clearly in control of all three of them in the 4th quarter. Finally... basketball games are going to be close. That's just the way it is most o fhte time. But if the Lakers win in 5... well, that's an extremely decisive victory. If it's an even match-up, the series will go to 7 games, or at least 6 if one team has bad luck. ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment...
sniff sniff, pity post. ------------------ .,.·^*'´'|'\..........,.·^*'´¯¯¯'`*^·,...,/|'`*^·-, '|.......'|::\......,·'.....,.·:*:·,......'`i:'|.......| '|.......'|:::|.....;.......':,:::,:·.......';:|.......| '|.......|::;i - ·;i'`:,......¯¯.......,·´|::|.......| '|.......'´.......'|'i:::`*:~·.–·~^*'´: :'|::|.......'`*·-, '|........,.-:^:':'\:'`:;:: :: : : : :: ::;·'i::/`':^·.,......`'i '|..,.:'´:::::::::::'\| '`*^~·:–:·~^*'´..'|/:::::::::'`:^:., | '´:;:::::::::;:-·^*'´.....................`'*^·:;-.....:;·' ....`·;:·'´........................................'`^·:;·´
1987 Boston Celtics lost to the Fakers 4-2 Bird-bad elbow. Parrish-ankle so bad he couldn't even walk on it. McHale-fractured rib. Don't cry to me about how beat up the sixers are. Iverson is healthy. Mutumbo is healthy. ------------------ One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
No sh@t. Bold prediction. ------------------ "Instinctly u recognize things,now take advantage of what u just recognized!".. Hakeem..
