So I came across this somewhat old (March 11, 2014) Grantland article while waiting for my next class at UH to start, Go Coogs! and Simmons and some other contributers are talking about Beverley's toughness and how he completely changes the Rockets when he's on the floor. So what do ya'll think? Are the Rockets a tough team? http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-patrick-beverley-appreciation-thread/
Nope. That's actually one thing I really miss because that 93-94 team definitely had that!! Can you imagine the Thug Knicks against Howard, Parsons, Harden and Jones? They would roll over like that.
from 0 to 10, rocket shall rate like 3,4 as toughness. But this team is not settled yet, have a lot talents to trade.
Yeah I think they are. Beverley is as tough a they come, Harden could be considered a bruiser. Garcia is pretty scary. If TJ was meaner ala KG he'd be a beast. They're no Chicago, but that's why we have talent & IQ too.
Agreed. I would give a six though. on this note, NBA's toughest teams? Chicago, Pacers, Memphis? Anymore? Not sure about OKC and Heat - maybe when they get into it.
Obviously you need to start by defining tough. Tough could mean angry, aggressive, clutch, persistent, etc. Are the Spurs or Heat tough?
Apple and oranges. The league is different. Another thing is this is a young team. Those Rocket teams were tough because of years getting owned by the Sonics. It takes tough losses to get tough. Ask the Mavs
Comparing any NBA team to the 93-94 Knicks is not fair, because that was the golden era for tough minded, physical teams that used hard fouls and constant hand checking. Now, there is no one in that category, not even the Pacers. As far as toughness, I look not just at physical toughness but mental toughness... I would say that the toughest team in the NBA is the San Antonio Spurs. They have only 2 loses that are "bad" all year, they are always ready to play, they compete without all their key pieces, they can be physical or run. They have supreme confidence and execute at a very high level. Other "tough" teams are the Heat, Memphis, Chicago and NJ.
Fair enough. Still, outside of Beverley and maybe Garcia, who would really want to get into it with the opponent and really have that do-or-die mentality come playoff time? I don't see it but Harden shows signs he can become the key guy to us getting tougher.
Of course the Rockets are tough. They are winning handily against teams they should beat. They went 3-3 in perhaps the most brutal stretch of games in the NBA this season. Being tough in the NBA does not entail being in your face or wanting to fight. Though you do have to admit Bev brings a bit of that.
OKC are posers. Barking, getting in people's grills, and throwing wayward elbows is not tough. OKC is all bark and no bite when it comes to this. Watching Durant and Westbrook pound their chests and snarl is downright comical. They're a great team, but tough they are not.
Yeah, on the offensive end too. Considering that Howard gets called for a charge every time he so much as lowers a shoulder on a defender, it's a very different game. Can you imagine Ewing flopping on the ground the second Dream starting backing him down in the post?
Gritty defensive teams are considered "tough" in the NBA. And to an extent, they are. You have to be a dog to put in work on the defensive end. But there is another kind of toughness. Look at the Spurs. Look at their home record and their away record. They are almost identical. It doesn't matter how tired they are, how long their flight took, whether they are playing a back-to-back, no matter what court they are on.... they come to play. That is toughness.
They're not tough, but they are also not a squad of floppers. But no one team is sticking out right now as a tough team.
I wouldn't call Harden tough really, but he is no pansy pushover either. He won't start ****, but he won't take it lying down either.
Harden is not going to start ****. He is just going to put a quick 10 points down the opponents throat. That is a tough as it gets. Walk the walk. Don't talk the talk.
