[CHRONIC] Through two conference finals, is this the company the Rockets keep?

Assuming we get everything we got last year from our guys and something more from the 23 million dollar hole in our lineup, either from trades or from him, we are legitimate contenders. I like our chances against any of the teams in the final four this year and I assume the Lakers will decline since they will probably lose Odom or Ariza.

 

every post you make is a tmac hate post. i can say the same thing about your Yao Ming. Without yao, the rockets play better because they dont have to worry about fronting defense or going to yao for their first play every possession.

every scoring superstar would change how a team plays. that's because they will always go to their superstar first. that's how the lakers, cavs and heat play.

 

Regular season doesn't mean much too me. The lakers beat the rox by 13 ppg and they struggled. The rox arent as far or close as they seem. One has to think that portland and denver will be better because their younger players have a higher upside. If La loses odom, they come back to the pack big time. I think dallas,houston,sa,phoe,and no are in the same shape. I say that because each think they're close or good enough with minimum roster move when in reality, they're just as close to missing the playoffs.

 

I agree. Watching Dwight Howard right now it just amazes me what this guy does. If he's not Scoring he's definitely effecting the game in so many ways. He's not getting fronted on defence as badly and he has the size and body to push oponnents out of the paint to clear the lane for a drive. He's there for a rebound, a block... this kid is definitely only getting better. But hey we're stuck with Yao Ming and he's better than most of the other options that are out there. We have Mc grady right now who needs a chance to redeem himself. We can still trade him or just not sign him after 2010. Unless there is an option that can give you a lebron or a wade or kobe or roy or chris paul let's just keep with our guy. Those teams are not going to trade you their superstar wing man or point guard for Mcgrady. If he improves and becomes a piece that we've needed great if not 2010 or trade deadline is a time where we can reevaluate the situation. Both the team and Mcgrady need to learn to move without the ball. There is no reason why our guys should be standing around even if McGrady has the ball in his hands. There is also no reason why he needs to be standing around when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Our guys just really need to learn how to spread that floor better. If not, Mcgrady will be reduced to shooting jumpers and Yao ming is No Shaq and he won't be jumping over three or four defenders that clog the paint for a dunk. If we do keep artest I would hope that we trade landry and an expiring contract life barry for a bigger man to allow ron artest to play some time at the four. I think he's very capable of doing that ala Rodman. He's definitely strong enough and should give match up problems like Odom has for the Lakers.

 

pretty good read. This team is only going to get better with what they have now, so I neither expect nor want major changes. I would like this team to come back intact but with a backup center added. If tracy gets back great, if not, they will be fine. They can eventually deal him for another role player if he is not working out.

I think this team is in a great position to start next season.

 

No one knows what the Rockets will be like with TMac back healthy next season, we have seen the team played great in some games, and stinks in some other games, with both Yao & TMac healthy.

If we are talking about the team minus TMac, with a backup center, then we will probably end up in the similar position as this year. People might think we would be a much better team with a healthy Yao, but you need to understand that during a 7-game series, teams will figure each other out, make it touch to execute your plays. The Rockets with Yao is very predictable, and he is so easy to be taken out of the game as evident during the Blazers series. Plus, Yao's TO will be a big problem when you go deep in the playoff where every possession counts.

Unless Brook & Lowry become the star players next season, this team will end up in the middle of the playoff pack, probably exit in the 1st round. We are very lucky this year to have the inexperienced Blazers as our 1st round opponents.

 

No. It's the defense. It's the defense that Battier and Artest can play on an overpowering wing supported by team defense anchored by Yao. And it's the matchup problems that Adelman can bring to the table. They can go big or run small ball. Teams aren't going to win with their allstar going 17 for 35 taking all their shots and with Adelman's small/big lineups disrupting runs and creating offense of their own when the team gets stagnant.

Watching Orlando shoot themselves into and out of ballgames and watching the Cavs overload Lebron and LA ride Kobe you realize how solid defense centered on Kobe/Lebron and giving different matchup looks on offense gives Houston key advantages. Watch the Orlando series every game James has to go for 40+ppg they lose. Houston has the ability to dictate those types of games onto other teams

Overall the talent of Houston is ****ty but the success of the team is legit. There is no team in the league that can match Houston in terms of defense and teamwork other than a healthy Boston.

heh no. first of all the fact that teams get familiar over a 7 game series out plays to Houston's advantage. if Battier sees Kobe 7 times that's nearly 2 SEASONS worth of experience versus Kobe (say at 4 games during a regular season). it only helps him understand Kobe's game, get inside Kobe's mind and play him tougher. as for Yao the way the team is constituted they dont need Yao to deliver big every game like you do for Kobe and Lebron. We saw that if Yao has 2 big offensive games, and holds the middle and grab boards the rest of the series that's enough.

it's not like Yao is like Kobe or Lebron either. he's not going to give you different looks... everyone in the world knows before the series how he's going to be used. the key is execution. if you can get a couple big offensive games out of Yao especially at the start of a series he's pretty much done his job. Tmac is a definitely question mark but we know what we get with Yao... the only question is his health