Never in a million years for Aldridge. As for Roy, it's easier to find another All-Star level wing player with Tmac's $20 million than to find an elite C with dominant post moves.
Seriously, when I read the OP I thought it was a cleverly disguised sarcasm calling out those fans/experts picking Portland as the better team. I also thought I had my interpretation of OP's intention confirmed when I saw the part about "Rockets' only advantage is the point", then "Portland has 2 top10 centers". A sarcastic, albeit a bit dry, humor, or so I thought. Enough have been said about how talent should not be athletism only. But imho, even that point requires further discussion. I think the point a lot of people are missing is, being more athletic is useless if you don't utilize it at all. Such is the case in the Scola/Aldridge comparison, for example. Aldridge is taller, jumps higher, and probably runs faster, but how does he utilize that athletism if at all? He doesn't have post games, doesn't drive much and draw fouls; he doesn't grab boards; he shoots long jumpers! I doubt being more athletic helps much in that department. On the other hand, Scola makes full use of his limited athletic ability to drive, draw fouls and grab rebounds. And needless to say he shoots long jumpers just as well. So, if you judge athletism in this way, I believe players like Aldridge (or Swift if you want to make the case more typical) have more "athletic potential" than Scola, but Scola is more "basketball-athletic" than them.
I have no problem with people flaming me with intelligence. Flame away but at least read the initial posts. I think some idiots read the title and start typing. Your posts is better than most but is clearly you didn't read the whole thread are you would see that most of your objections have been answered... some several times. Still it is a respectful objection and I can accept that all day long. The problem I have is with posters who don't even try to understand what I am saying and even then I can accept it as long as they are not obnoxious! Then I return the obnoxiousness tenfold!
Not now, not ever, Roy is on the upswing, Tmac on the down...Roy is a better player now and in the future. DD
Well considering we have 22 million dollars of our cap wearing a very nice suite I'd say they probably do have more potential on the court. You allow us to use that money and I think we get the edge again, even in future years.
Sam is right. There're plenty of uber athletic players who never amounted to anything (to wit, harold miner). The rockets are below average in terms of athleticism, but above average physicality. The other thing is that the Rox are more balanced. They have a serious inside presence and plenty of options outside. They also have a few young guys who can inject some speed and energy if need be. Blazers have no one down low. Pryzbilla and Oden have no offensive game.
I attribute the close finishes to us playing like crap, more than anything. We're not even playing our A-level 22-win streak ball, and we lost our back-up C, when they have 3 seven footers.
The best player on the court from both teams is still that tall Chinese guy named Yao Ming. We haven't played our best ball sans the first game. We weren't playing inside - out like we did in the regular season. Part of it is due to their good defense on Yao, part of it has to do with Adelman's tactic on offense.
This thread is BS. Just to give an example, Stromile Swift or J.R. Rider are freaking athletic. Does this make them better than Larry Bird? Basketball is not a 100 meter dash in track and field. Get a clue.
i am not being sarcastic but if u think blazers are more talented than us(which I agree) what makes u think we can beat the lakers.The lakers are not only uber-talented but are experienced as hell too. if roy scares u by getting 30 or 40 every other game. what do u think kobe, the best player on the planet will do to you?
by bad i did not read the including tmac part. i think if we have a superstar-caliber player, we can beat the lakers. tmac has always peed in his pants when he sees kobe. No way with tmac(a soft, heartless player), can we beat the lakers.
You're quite misinformed and spreading misinformation like many others on this board. When healthy and at the top of his game a few years ago, TMac dueled Kobe head on and guarded him one on one. He out-gunned Kobe to win the scoring title in Orlando as well when both of them were going off for 30+ and 40+ points per game. To say he always peed in his pants when he saw Kobe is wrong.
