History Lesson: We only got 2 new role players in 93-94, and we won the championship

Maybe Novak is a new Sam....

And we got to know that there are co-incidences.

 

You know some people bring up the past as context to understand the present. Tinman brings up the past as context to understand the past. He's one of a kind all right.

 

luther head will become our sammy!!

 

I havn't see a Novak game.(actually I didn't watch a YOUNG SAM ).
Yet they say what Novak did in the summer games was shooting it to the death!!!

I guess I'd like it when NVK put all the 3-pointers into 3=points ,when Yao is deeply surrounded.

 

1968--born
1981--final
1994--final n champ

2007--?
after another 13 years, the time for rox into final is coming

 

Yes, this theory would work- IF Yao or McGrady emerges into the unstoppable force that Olajuwon was.

 

Very well said. I honestly don't see much comparison between the teams at all, actually.

 

True, results count ... That's why I believe T-Mac is going to bring it this year. He's sick of naysayers but until he wins a playoff series and makes a serious run for the title, he will continue to hear it. So, there is only one way to shut up your critics make them eat CROW!

 

really lets stop comparing the two teams. and lets not underestimate olajuwon. he was the most dominant force in the nba at the time after jordan left.

 

While I can grant that current teams can never be strictly analogous to past teams, the point still remains: the way this league is officiated and with the makeup of these teams, two healthy stars IN THE PLAYOFFS ALONE can win a NBA title. Miami was pathetic in the regular season for the most part--our squad the previous year would have killed them. But Wade took over in the playoffs, Shaq came to play when he needed to, and a combination of great half-court defense and cluth play from some aging veterans led that team.

If--and I know this is a big IF--McGrady and Yao are healthy enough (at least 70 games each, with few if any games where both are out), we can find some help for Alston at the point, and possibly use that large TE to upgrade our post defense a little, then this team is not only in the playoffs, but in good shape for postseason run.

I guess part of it is that the opposition does not frighten me as much as it does others. San Antonio is flat old in the frontcourt, Duncan can barely hold it together, they don't have a true four now that Duncan is becoming a permanent five, and Tony Parker just cannot consistently do some of the little things you need from a championship point guard (hit clutch FTs and treys, create for others off his own dribble, and avoid turnovers against runs).

Phonix will always be Phoenix and regardless we will struggle against them beecause of their style, but if people are worried about the health of Yao and McGrady, they depend far more upon Nash, and his knees they used to say in Dallas are the equivalent of a senior citizen's now.

And the Mavs have one big issue that they cannot get around on that team: a star who is such a liability defensively that they can't find a position for him and have to rotate innumerable players just to find decent matchups. Ever notice that whomever Dirk draws in halfcourt defense has a career night? Haslem, Posey, Diaw, Marion, Finley, etc. They put a longer shotblocker against the low post and Nowitzki then gets blown up by a quicker four, but put him at the five in a smaller lineup and they have no one to defend their basket. Plus, there are any number of logjams for them: Terry and Harris play the same position, but they traded away their only balanced two in Daniels, while Howard and Stackhouse are both really true threes but neither has the ball skills or perimeter consistency to play the two, nor the size and physical strength to spend much time at the four. I give Avery Johnson incredible credit for creating a stable rotation out of what is really a disparate set of pieces (three slow as brick 7-foot shot blockers at the five, two perimeter scoring fours, two baseline handling threes, two offense-less scoring guards, and a pair of smallish shoot-first point guards).

Yes, the Hornets made some very good moves, but we'll have to seem how those pieces come together. Paul and West are still very young and do not have the experience or sense of urgency that other veteran teams have--yet. The LA teams are good, but the Lakers just don't have much else outside of Kobe and the Clippers really need Brand to replicate every year what he did last season, while Cassell is very old, Magette very inconsistent, and Livingston vey young. Denver? I've been waiting for them to explode for a couple of years now, but it never comes.

 

good to decent teams make the playoffs. very good teams advance. with few exceptions, the team with the best player winds the championship. the paradigm might be shifting with Detroit's success and the rise of Dallas and Phoenix. But in a 5 on 5 game, I believe the fundamental truth remains. so our success is much more tied to Tmac's and yao's ability to lift their games to the super elite level against the best. the quality of the supporting cast improves your room for error, and that's what good gm's do - increase the room for error/injury by/to their elite players.

Hakeem was the best player on theplanet when we won the titles. He was healthy, performed at an elite level. The supporting cast was important, clyde in particular, but other players could have filled those roles.

 

It's not a comparison ...it is an example.

At the time, it seemed unlikly the Rockets had what it takes to win a championship. By ANY standards, they were the underdog in 94. In 95, only Houston fans had faith, the rest of the country only mentioned Houston as contenders out of an obligation since they were the sitting champs.

It is unlikly that Houston will be champions this season ...but it was also unlikly in 1994.

I BELEIVE.


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Rileydog, well said. As long as we have TMac and Yao who are capable of turning into monsters, we have a chance. If I'm a Dallas or Suns fan, I've got doubt cause I'm not so sure their stars can dominante a game. Playoff games come down to the last 4 minutes and you need guys that can score. Yao and TMac can ALWAYS get shots off. Dirk, Terry, Nash and Amare are all guys that are guardable if you try hard enough.

But the new Yao and TMac regardless of how well you guard them, they will get a good shot ...its just a matter of it dropping. When you've got that, you can win games.

Conversly, if Yao digresses and/or TMac is unhealthy, it is almost irrelevant what role players we have. Role players can't do their job if the stars don't do theirs.

 

Pat Riley is a championship caliber head coach.

It is likely the Heat probably would not have won under Stan Van Gundy.

Mr. Jeff Van Gundy is at best on par with his brother.

 

Our team is now Yao, TMac, and a group of D-league talent.