As we saw against the Wolves and the Cavs tonight, when our shot is going, we are a very dominant team. When we are rolling, we just score and score. How does this current team rank in regards to other Rockets team in the past? Is this one of the best offensive teams in Rockets history or the best?
I have high hopes for this squad. The best team was of course the Hakeem back to back crews. Second best was our Twin tower connection, featuring Ralph Sampson. I'm torn between Moses, Calvin & Rudy in the early 80's & Yao with T-Mac for third. This years squad has the potential to deliver multiple championships, but is hard to rank just yet because it's still early days. I've mentioned in a previous post that this team reminds me of the Jordan led Bulls... Harden the Lesser Jordan Parsons is Pippenesque Dwight is the Rodman Beverly & Lin are our Ron Harper / Steve Kerr Asik is the Turkish Longley & Jones is our X-Factor. When it all comes together we will be unstoppable.
Wow..that's a bit of a stretch but I'll play along. Harden is obviously the MJ of the team. Parsons to Pippen comparison, I like. I think Beverley serves as our Rodman. Dwight is the X-factor. Now you really lost me with Lin as Kerr. If anything, he gets the B.J. Armstrong nod up to this point.
Bev is Rodman-like, that's about it. If anything they're similar to the 06 Heat team Harden is a much less aggressive DWade with 3pt range Dwight is old Shaq Parsons is James Posey without the D TJones is the comeback Antoine Walker without the experience Bev is Gary Payton lite Lin is the 25 year old J-Will (drop the handles for finishing at the rim, keep the turnovers) Asik is super Udonis Haslem Camby would've been our Alonzo Mourning
This is the best team the Rockets have had in the last twenty years, and the good news is they have enormous room for improvement. They show flashes of laziness, lack a true "killer instinct," and play inconsistent defense. When they are moving the ball, taking the best shot, playing energetic defense, and staying focused they are hard to beat.
I like the 2006 Heat comparison more than the Bulls one. While Harden and Parsons may be talented offensively, their defense doesn't even come close to that of Jordan and Pippen's at that time. The good thing is that both Harden and Parsons has shown that they can play good D, it just all amounts to focus and effort for them. Hopefully they turn it up in the playoffs.
