i don't know if swift is the final piece. he is the piece that opened the window for championships, but i think next season the MLE is spent on a PG who will prove to be our final piece.
I would have to agree with you. I thought a trifecta would be possible as well but it was a flashback to the 92/93 season when the Sonics used to abuse us... As a close second I would have to say the 86/87 season when we got to the finals and were thoroughly woooped by Larry Bird and his band of merry leprechauns. I really thought that team had so much upside that it was the making of a dynasty. Instead our key players decided to hire George Jung as their advisor...
I was really looking foward to TMac & Yao Year 1, but I would have to say this is the most anticipated season. We are contendors, we had holes last season and CD has done a great job of filling in our biggest hole early on. Swift probably isn't the only missing piece, but he definitely fills the position that was killing us last year. I can't remember a year since 95-96 where we were legit contendors for the Championship. I maybe getting a little ahead of myself, but this is definitely the closest chance we've had in a while.
Wilt Chamberlain traded for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrell Imhoff Single most lopsided trade ever, IMO.
I am solidly with you here. We aren't even close to being a contender yet. Now, that could change if a big name came to us from amnesty or Les decides to spend some money. I can live with JHo as the '4' b/u but the '1', '2' and b/u Swingman are imperative to a real run at it. I think we got a little better than could be expected out our front court last year and they are all a year older (than dirt).
over the past 3 years my anticipation has grown more and more each season, so its only natural i pice this coming season as most anticipated
I have those occasionally. Tangents, normal and abnormal, lol. I've got to add to the '86/'87 preseason as being the most anticipated by me, although, to be truthful, I get worked up by all of them. The way the Rockets clobbered the Lakers and then took Boston to 6 games in the Finals had dynasty written all over it. What made it even more exciting is how damned surprising it was that the Rockets had done so well. Anyone who was around back then, who claims they saw that run coming, is most likely a damned liar. It was a shockingly wild ride. Championship runs seemed assured into the far future. And it all came crashing back to earth, soon enough. I'm worked up about this season. Yao should improve a great deal, imo, and average 20/8. McGrady will unleash an offensive firestorm upon the league, and average close to 30. Swift will garner most improved player, and people around the NBA will shake their heads in awe at the Rockets getting him so cheap. The main problem we'll have is at the point, which will be run by committee, unless a move is made to address it. Can't do everything in one or two offseasons, so we'll just have to get by. I think we'll be in the Western Conference Finals. Don't know if we'll represent the West, but I think, with luck with the "i" word, that we'll get that far.
not even 96-97? we won 57 that year and were in the western conference finals. that's contending to me. i would say the tmac trade made me happier about the future than anything, but the anticipation for last season wasn't that big for me (in terms of what i expected). based on how we finished last year and adding swift, i'm anticipating a great season for the first time since 96-97. but... are you f'ing kidding me? would people stop retroactively proclaiming it an amazingly lopsided trade. after we made the trade, we signed deke, an even better backup C than cato, and sura, a pg with about the same relative value compared to francis as mobley had to tmac. and yet we still started the season below averaged and, even after getting sura back, were nothing special. then we added barry, wesley, and james for practically nothing (jj, some scrubs and 2nd round picks) and took off. funny how that happened. but it's somehow turned into the original trade being "lou brock for nobody" lopsided, which it wasn't. of course we got the better end of the deal b/c we got the superstar, and everyone knew that, and you make that deal 100 times out of 100, but the actual talent for talent exchange, and the effect it had on each team, was not that lopsided at all. it's only after we acquire a great supporting cast for nothing and orlando trades mobley for christie (essentially nothing) that it looks horrendous. you will see plenty of other trades more lopsided than that. shaq for odom, butler, and brian grant's massive contract was more lopsided. vince carter for whoever was more lopsided. hell, it wasn't the most lopsided trade we made last year. mike james for reece gaines and 2 2nd round picks was worse.
Every season should be equally anticipated, I mean every offseason sucks balls, the difference is in the expectations, this next season the expectations are higher than they've been in a very long time.
Road to destiny- '02 draft Yao Ming '03 hire Jeff Van Gundy '04 trade for TMac '05 Stro' power forward Unstoppable, inevitable, undeniable, without a doubt, WE ARE BACK
