Yes, since 1979 when Magic and birds arrived at league, Piston was the only team that got to finals without a superstar.
seems like a broken record. we've been saying that for years. even when tmac and yao were healthy...we were still a player away. rockets...good enough to compete but always a player or two away from being a contender. repeat. lather. rinse.
No we can't. To win championships, you do need a good team, but you also must have at least one big scorer in there. That was T-Mac's role since 2004, but now that we don't have T-Mac, one of those two things can happen: A)Get some big scorer in exchange for T-Mac or B) RA thinks he can make Ariza into a big scorer (which means we're screwed.)
You can win a title without a superstar (what we should call it is a ball-dominant player), but its also very easy to lose with one as well. Whats more important than having one all-world player is having a group of very talented players, which the Rockets have. Why do you think the Rockets never one with McGrady and Yao? Because the talent around them stunk, no matter how good a combo they were. The difference between the Yao-Mac Rockets and the Shaq-Kobe Lakers? Glen Rice, Ron Harper, Rick Fox, Brian Shaw, etc etc. A lineup of Yao, Landry, Ariza, Budinger, and Brooks could contend because of the dynamic bench we have, but I honestly think Yao needs to be moved because he is too much of a liability. This lineup would most certainly win the championship next year, Bosh is a far more dominant player than Yao and fits better with the Rockets faster-paced offense. Brooks/Lowry Budinger/Taylor Ariza/Battier Landry/Scola Bosh/Hayes/Andersen
True. I think the differences this time are: 1. The financial position the team has now with trading McGrady 2. Daryl Morey as opposed to CD as the GM And when I say two players away I mean Yao is one of them if we are talking about beyond this season.
Is it possible? it is. We just need a defensive force in the paint for this to work. Will the NBA allow it? Never.
But in the past 30 years, they're the only team that did it- and Billups was at least a bonafide all-star (and a game-changer in the playoffs).
It's not impossible, but chances are not good. Rockets lost couple games this season already because we have no superstar. For example, the last minutes of the Portland game.....Roy drives to the basket, automatic FT attempts with the slightest bumps. While Landry, Brooks, etc could get hammered and no calls. That's the difference between having and not having a superstar during close games....benefit of the doubt calls
In Morey we trust has become quite the slogan... I don't know how many GM's have that kind of rep with their city. Do we like him for his picks, his talkative public persona or all of it?
Nothing is impossible. But like one previous poster said, they need a closer and a big man that can guard the basket and score in half court sets when needed.
The 2004 Pistons had 4 allstars while the current Rockets have none. Ben Wallace + Rasheed Wallace = Hayes/Scola/Landry/Yao (questionable health?) Prince >> Battier Hamilton >>>>>> Ariza Billups >> Brooks The only advantage we have is our bench but you don't win a championship without a top-tier starting lineup. Also have I mentioned the Pistons played extremely good defense which we don't have.
I believe Brooks, Landry, and Scola are emerging as stars. A couple of years ago no one had even heard of these guys, now they are players that are highly regarded by most people. None of these guys will be superstars, but sometimes superstars can be more trouble than they are worth.
Yes we can!! but first we must add another two Carl Landrys and a second Chuck Hayes, and play a 12 man rotation.
