Well the Rockets are finally in the second round. We did it in dominating fashion as we had balanced scoring, and our defense was just stiffling. We held the Blazers to an average of 83.7 PPG over the last four games of the series. That's amazing by it self. It brings up the debate of the Lakers and that we are definitely ON PAPER, overmatched almost in every position from size to experience. Gasol or Bynum can defend YAO pretty well, and Odom has the size advantage over Scola/Battier/Artest while Battier or Artest will guard Kobe. One thing which IMO is similar for this team compared to the Pistons of 2004 is that our defense. We like the pistons held teams in the 70's and low 80's while making it a grind-it-out slow down game. That was key to winning this game tonight as well as keeping our turnovers down. The Pistons had role players that stepped up from Chauncey Billups, Prince, Hamilton, and Ben & Rasheed Wallace. We really don't have a dominating star but like the Pistons we had everybody doing their part to win tonight as well as winning crucial games down the stretch against the good teams. The Pistons dominated a heavily favored Laker team that had a dominating Shaq and Kobe and that had blown out the former champion San Antonio & KG's Timberwolves. They were supposed to lose 4-0 or 4-1 and it turned out that they were a miracle shot away from sweeping it. So comparing this team against the 2004 Pistons, does this team have a shot?? I think its a real longshot and this 2009 Laker team is better, but in a way we our similar to the 2004 Pistons which shocked the world.
The Rockets would have to play to their greatest potential in order to give the Lakers a run for their money. If we play them like we have against the Blazers, we have no chance. Yao needs to be more aggressive with shooting the ball, Artest needs to play under control, and our PG play needs to be consistent for us to win. Realistically, I say the Lakers have us in 6 games, but all the hype is starting to make me believe the Rockets in 7.
I'm not sure I would classify them as role players. All 5 of those guys are all-star caliber and 4 of them were all-stars in 2006.
They are what they are because of that championship though. Billups is still the most underrated player in the NBA, but they were all seen as role players. Sheed is a lot like Scola in terms of what he brings, distant shooting + boarding. (Sheed is a bit better imo) Yao is obvously an upgraded Wallace (a bit of rebounding/defense less, a LOT more offense). Prince = Battier, same player basically Artest = Hamilton (artest is more D, hamilton is more O). Billup CLEARLY better than our PG, but our PG tandem is pretty good, for being so young. I think our bench is better than the Piston bench of 2004 also. I think the comparison is about right the differences though: 1) Kobe is much hungrier 2) Rockets don't have a game closer, like pistons had Billups 3) Lakers team is much deeper, that Lakers team of 04 was a team of future HOFer but not a lot of depth. Hey I'm gonna homer it out for sure and say Rockets in 6, HERE'S TO HOPING.
One part of me says we'll be lucky to get a win.. the other part says we win in 6/7. The second part is a little overzealous from tonight.
i still say that the 04 Laker team was stronger, but not hungrier even with Malone or GP looking for their first ring. Malone was still even then at least as strong as Odom and probably as good as Gasol. Malone was injured in game 2 and missed the third game and fifth games (both losses). this current Laker team has nothing like Shaq in his prime or near it. Odom and Gasol or Bynum combined can't equal Shaq's value to that team. but that finals cemented it once and for all that defense (and smart deliberate offense) is what wins championships. sure, the current Lakers are deeper, but when has depth really mattered much in the finals? does anyone actually remember the seventh, eighth and ninth men off either bench? for the Rockets to win the title is pretty simple. just win the first game of every series from here on out. Yao needs to have an absolutely brilliant game 1 again. a master class road performance is the gut punch that shakes the Lakers' confidence (as well as the Nuggets/Mavs, and Cavs) and gives the Rockets even more. and the Rockets need to continue to play the defensive games of their lives. the Rockets need to severely limit at least 3 of the starters. Fisher isn't a big threat, and i don't really see Brooks leaving him to double Kobe. Yao must give Bynum absolutely nothing. i want to see Artest be very physical with Odom/Ariza. i think that Scola can actually do a better job on Gasol than Aldridge. how many times are you going to see Gasol shoot a difficult jumper over Scola and nail it every time? Battier is going to have to do his best Tayshawn impression against Kobe. if Odom is limited to jump shots with Yao, Scola and Artest in the middle, then we'll just have to live with the consequences. i just hope that Bynum plays a lot of ineffective minutes in this series, because i don't want to see Yao on Gasol. it would compromise the Rockets defense as well as potentially put Yao in foul trouble.
you're not reaching at all... this is what I have been saying for quite some time now. we can shock the world indeed ala the 04 Pistons
Sheed has a further shooting range as well as superior post moves. More imporantly, he's taller and longer. Sheed in 2004 was more than a "bit" better than Scola is now. Not quite. Prince is much longer and more athletic than Battier. Remember when he chased down Reggie Miller and blocked his layup? Battier isn't capable of that. And because of his length and athleticism, Prince can create his own shot more effectively than Battier can. I'd say that Battier's biggest advantage is his basketball IQ. Using this flawed logic, Ben Wallace (more D) = Yao (more O). Maybe so, but the 2004 Pistons had the luxury of always having 2 all-star caliber players on the court to stabilize their offense/defense.
look comparing us to the pistons is a reach. that pistons team had 4 all-star starters, and they all complemented each other perfectly. i'm as optimistic as the next rockets fan but im also realistic. we got swept 4-0 by the lakers in the regular season, and theres no reason to think we're not going to get swept in the playoffs.
We may not win this series, but there is NO way we are being swept I believe we can beat the Lakers, but we'll have to play near perfect. My biggest concern is in close game situations and falling apart in the 4th
I hope we win, but this is a bad comparison. Before you even begin to compare us to that Pistons team, this Lakers team is better than that Lakers team. Karl Malone was hobbled by injury and was a major defensive liability. As for our team, Yao is the only player we have who would have started for that Pistons team.
With all the doubters on this board, it makes me wonder why everybody got on T-Mac's jock for saying that the Lakers would win the NBA championship this year and said that he wasn't backing his team. Is it different because he's a teammate and we're just fans? Or do the people who doubt also deserve our scorn?
You're kidding right? Have you seen how many fast breaks Shane has single-handedly stopped the last three seasons? Shane is our transition defense. Unless he's the one shooting the ball, he's nearly always the first one back down the court defensively. And I have seen Shane catch up with people on the fast break and block the ball... in this last series! As for the OP, I can see some similarities with that Pistons team, but I think with Yao we have a different look than any team in the past, including any team that featured Shaq. Yao is just a different beast than anything we have see in the NBA before.
That 2004 Pistons team will properly win this year Lakers in 6, while this 2009 Rockets need to super-over-achieve in order to win the series given the home court advantage and biased official. I foresee a dogfight series if Lakers face Nuggets in WCF. KH
