Are all of you posting too young to remember Moses Malone? He won two MVP awards while with the Rockets. His rebounds per game with Houston were better than Hakeem's. Also, he was Akeem's mentor and helped him become the player he was. His last season in Houston he averaged 31 points and 14.7 rebounds. Not to mention, it was his trade to the 76ers that indirectly allowed them to acquire both Sampson and Olajuwon.
Best: Moses Malone for two 1st Round Draft Picks (77, 78) .... that 78 pick became Michael Ray Richardson Worst: Compensation deal for Moses Malone (Caldwell Jones and a 1st Round Pick).
Yea, I know what your saying, but If they stayed in San Diego I would never have been a fan. Sorry but it's the truth. I only support my local teams, H-Town baby! Btw, Hakeem has to be #1. #2-Cylde Sam Cassell Robert Horry Mario Elie Rudy T Daryl Morey has to be in there. Stevie Franchise The Cat Yao Scola Brooks Trading away Tracy I know I should have added Calvin, Malone, Sampson but they were before my time. These moves are not the worst(as we blew many draft picks on nobodies), but these left a sour taste in my mouth. #1-Trading our core off back to back championships. #2-Trading for Tracy and slapping Stevie in the face. #3-Bringing in JVG and all those players from the Knicks.
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1990_733127 Rockets speed away with Smith EDDIE SEFKO Staff FRI 09/28/1990 HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Section Sports, Page 1, 2 STAR Edition If the Rockets were trading cars instead of basketball players, you might say they pulled a fast one Thursday. No, they didn't get something for nothing. But they did get one of the NBA's speed-burners to try to help the Rockets' engines start racing again. By acquiring Kenny Smith from Atlanta, the Rockets re-affirmed their intentions to be a full-blown running machine with no intent to settle for a half-court offense. Smith, a 6-foot-3 slasher, and 6-foot-6 Roy Marble joined the club Thursday as the Rockets sent center Tim McCormick and guard John Lucas to the Hawks. The Rockets had been searching for backcourt help throughout the off-season and they hope Smith, who has averaged 14.4 points in his three-year career, will solidify the guard situation. "With Sleepy Floyd, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith and Byron Dinkins, we've got four guys who can handle the ball and push it up the court," general manager Steve Patterson said. "If you're ready to play the uptempo game, which we are, then we've got four guys now whose strength is the uptempo game. They can all run and get the ball to our big guys on the break." After last season, when the offense often stagnated, the move should be a welcome boost for Akeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and Buck Johnson, all of whom run the court well. Coach Don Chaney said the acquisition of Smith gives the Rockets flexibility as well as insurance against one of the other guards getting injured. But the most exciting aspect is Smith's explosive speed. "Mike Fratello (Atlanta's former coach) told me that he (Smith) is faster than Spud Webb pushing the ball end-to-end," Chaney said. "And the guy is athletic, too. He can jump. "We're going to run, run, run. That's got to be our game." Smith said Thursday night that he was hoping to fill some holes in the Rockets' attack. "From what I've heard, some of the Rockets' weaknesses are some of my strengths," Smith said. "I look at it as a great opportunity. We've got great scorers and rebounders if I can come in and just play my normal game. I should be able to help out the team." Smith had a subpar year last season, averaging 11.9 points. He spent the first 45 games of the season with Sacramento, then was traded to the Hawks for Antoine Carr. "I was a little surprised when I got traded to Atlanta because I didn't know where I would fit in," Smith said. "Actually I never really fit in." The trade not only improves the Rockets' backcourt but sends a message to their Midwest Division rivals that, at the very least, the Rockets have a deeper team going into the season. "We needed something to carry us into the season with some momentum," Chaney said. "With what the Texas teams have done to improve themselves and with the improvement of the league overall, I was a little worried. "The key is that we made a move to add a key player without disturbing what we've already done. We got a player without giving up a player who played a key role for us last season." That's not all the Rockets accomplished. There are several plusses about this trade. Perhaps most important in the long run, they reduced the average age of the team significantly. Smith is 25, Marble 23. Lucas, 36, and McCormick, 28, are gone. The average age of the Rockets now is 26 and only three players are in their 30s (Larry Smith and Mike Woodson are 32, Sleepy Floyd is 30). Also, obtaining Smith puts some indirect pressure on rookie Dave Jamerson, who remains unsigned going into the final week before training camp opens next Friday. If Jamerson holds out it would open the door to allow Smith to establish himself solidly in the rotation. Moreover, Maxwell now has more competition at the off-guard spot. Maxwell has said he is not happy with his contract situation and if he should slip into an early season funk, Smith would be there to step in. Similarly, the Hawks are hoping McCormick will be there to step in for them this season. The 7-footer had two knee operations last season and played in only 18 games. McCormick, who as of late Thursday still had not been notified of the trade, was driving from his Michigan home to Houston when the deal was consummated. Lucas, who was pondering retirement going into the season, said he was uncertain how the trade will affect him. "It's a real honor to be wanted by somebody at age 37 (his birthday is Oct. 31)," Lucas said. "I'll have to talk with them before I decide what I'm going to do. Lucas, who has had four stints with the Rockets in his 14 NBA seasons, said he plans to live in Houston and continue his drug-aftercare program if he decides not to retire. Besides Smith, the Rockets are getting a slender off-guard in Marble, who played in 24 games last season before testing positive under the NBA's random rookie drug-testing program. "He ran afoul of the rookie drug program last season, but we have every reason to believe he'll be reinstated for training camp," Patterson said. The NBA agrees. A spokesman for the league said that, while Marble technically is suspended, his case is under review with the target of Marble being OK'd to resume play when training camp opens.
My favorite transactions brought tough-minded players / winners to Houston: Ariza Jon Barry Battier Cassell Elie Horry Eddie Johnson Martin Scola Sura JVG World B. Free
what's everybody smoking? how can you rank drafting hakeem in your top ten? remember who was the #3 pick that year? hakeem would've been considered a horriable pick had MJ not retire for those two years.
had the rockets drafted jordan and the bulls got hakeem... i think hakeem would've had 8 rings and jordan 0. hakeem would've played with guys like pippen, rodman, harper, grant, armstrong, kukoc, etc... the bulls rosters in the 90's were far better than anything the rockets put together. would jordan really be remembered as the best ever if the best teammates he had was the likes of otis thorpe and kenny smith? yes jordan retiring opened the door for a weak rockets roster to win a pair of rings... but had jordan been on those teams instead of hakeem, they probably wouldn't have even had those.
Wow, really...really??? He retired one year not two and Dream would have destroyed the Bulls front court. Dream is a top 5 center and probably top 10 all time. NO ONE ever questions the Rox for making that pick. Wait is my sarcasm meter broke???
thats what i was thinking after my post but then i realized that you shouldn't even joke about hakeem! can you rookify a rookie? because if you can i'd vote for it in this instance.
This!^^^^^ Hakeem was a given TMAC although a beast in his prime (had no one to help in the play offs) still good. But a Bust in the end. Yao also a given from draft... But Scola for peanuts!!!!???? One of the greatest/smartest trades in Rockets HISTORY!!!!! Don't forget guys, a poll recently took him as our MVP with a close Arron Brooks, and Scola was a nothing when we aquired him.
I told you guys about the GARM being infested by people who don't know nba history. I also assume he doesn't know who made it to the NBA Finals first. Also, there are other factors like Magic Johnson retiring for AIDS, Len Bias's death, how many more championships would Magic and Larry add to their legacy? Rockets934life, Always defend Clutch City from the invaders!
yup. the road back to the finals started with the addition of Otis, trade for Kenny and <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0idEHGQFlP4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0idEHGQFlP4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
