Rebuilding is over. This team has a three year window to win a title before (if) it is retooled (minor probably). Besides for Taylor returning in May, this will be the team for the next 3 years. I haven't seen Rice, much, in the past two years, but he should still be the bad @ss he was in Charlotte. Francis and Mobley will help with the scoring burden, but Rice should be the focal point this season. Rudy brought him here for now, not later. Francis will put up slightly better assist numbers as teams try out different poisons. He will still be a scorer first, but I have no problem with a player scoring as well as him. I actually prefer it. The Rockets have three capable centers so they won't have the size problem they had last year. They still aren't great up front, but all they have to do is compete. I expect the Rockets to defend well at the 5. Shaq included. When I say defend well, I refer to holding a player below his normal contribution. The rockets will still have problems with all stars, but they should have two this year of their own. The defense will be respectable and the offense specatacular. Growing pains are no longer acceptable except for the rooks. The rooks better recognize that mistakes will equal a loss of minutes. On the job training will be at a minimum. I have never been overly critical of Rudy, but this year the Rockets need to prove my faith with a 50 win season and a good showing in the playoffs. I believe.
You are nuts, my friend. I don't think MJ and Cato together stand a chance against Shaq, let alone Collier. Maybe if Cato shapes up..........ok never mind.
Don't forget every opposing team vs. Lakers will just double and triple team him IN A ZONE... You don't have to commit to either go or not.... George Karl is smiling right now waiting for the season to start especially if they add Anthony Mason king of physical... Well maybe not king... I like the look of the team I guess this means so long to Damon Jones...
With the illegal D taken off.... that also means that you can double team the post with-out the ball true? If so Shaq will have alot of trouble in the post cause he needs to be really deep in the post. I would expect to see Shaq with lower averages then last year.
Hehe. Didn't General Custer say 'I don't think there are many indians over the hill'. The only guaranteed thing in the NBA is that in 3 years you won't have the same team!
Shaq will not score 40 points against the rockets this year. Shaq will not score more than 30 points in a game at his usual field goal percentage. That is defending well enough.
No matter how you defend him, Shaq is going to get 30. Its just a matter of 30 or 40 ask Dikembe. The zone will help some, but he is a good passer out of the double team. Once those guys like Richmond, Fox, Horry, Hunter, and lest we forget Kobe get on weakside situations, it will take the zone off. I don't think this team is ready to contend yet.
Cato's purpose in life is to play defense against Shaq. That's why God put him on this earth, and gave him skills in a preseason game which allowed him to be signed to a long term NBA contract.
Rebuilding is not over. We are almost there but, I think we need to upgrade the 5. We have to get something/someone that we can have some level of confidence in and who we can depend on night after night. If we don't get MJ we are going to have problems at the 5 this year. You can count on it. CD has one more piece he needs to fix and that's at center.
