The Rockets brass got a lot of heat for not offering up a bunch of money to Hakeem this offseason, something that the more pragmatic of us fans applauded. I posted about this earlier, but let's go to the stats and see how they compare. Dream Cato PPG 8.1 6.8 Reb 6.9 6.4 Blks 1.8 0.9 MPG 25.9 24.6 FG% .471 .548 FT% .569 .579 GamePly 36 42 The more I think about it, the more it looks like the Rockets brass made the right move. Thanks for the memories Dream, but now you are starting to remind me of Willie Mays in a Mets uniform. Dream's stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teamstats?team=tor Cato's stats: http://www.clutchcity.net/players.cfm DaDakota
I bring it up to show people that think Rudy and CD were being disloyal by not signing Hakeem to a long term deal. Hakeem WAS great, but his time has passed. DaDakota
Agreed, especially now that we can see Cato's potential beginning to arise. Signing Hakeem would've been a waste, he had to go and this team had to move on.
I'm surprised there isn't a forum dedicated to bashing Hakeem, considering the number of threads produced to that effect. Things that make you say "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
Let's try to clear our heads of this "bashing" complaint. Calvin Murphy was a great Rocket. If Calvin Murphy came to you tomorrow and said that if you didn't pay him many millions of dollars over the next three years, he would sign a deal to play for the Toronto Rapters -- and you decided that because he had done so much for the city and because you couldn't stand to see him play in another team's uniform, you would pay him the money -- you would be institutionalized. If, on the other hand, you declined to pay him the money, wished him well, were accused of ruining the team by saying no, and responded by pointing out a few months down the line that the empirical results disproved this accusation, you would not be a basher. You would be a hard-headed realist. Hakeem Olajuwon was one thing and is another, just like every other great athlete in history. What he is doesn't change what he was, and what he was doesn't change what he is. How hard is that to get through your heads?
Will, I agree with what you are saying, but there's a flaw in your argument. Few of the posters here are old enough to have watched Murphy play, so they don't feel the emotional attachment to him as they do Hakeem.
Funny thing is, I have 3 friends in Toronto and each of them said they were happy that Dream would be out and Clark would now get more pt! One guy goes "Great, now the raps will go on a nice win streak!"
