ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 12/25/2003

Rockets had their first Christmas win in 36 years. wow

 

3 championships without a star power foward. 2 potential HOF gaurds, 1 "MDE" = no excuses. rockets outplayed a great team.

 

Open your eyes please. The reason Rox played well tonight is because Lakers had no PF to expose Rox's weakness!!!

Cato or MoT is better than any of the PFs Lakers threw at the Rox since Malone is out. Facing any other teams that have a good PF, Rox will struggle again. Fortunately, there are not much teams with good to great PF.

 

Yeah right. Those are all in "past tense".

Let's be realistic, Lakers have not been playing good ball. You think Rox suddenly becomes so good? Anyway, Rox will have a great chance in beating any teams with no real PF and lose to many teams that have a great PF.

 

hoho
leave them alone~~
I feel so good,too.

 

Well if the Lakers reply on Malone as much as some think around here, they can forget going deep in the playoffs and especially a championship.

 

are you serious? "Let's be realistic, Lakers have not been playing good ball." HAHAHA. Have you watched a rockets game lately?

No matter how you want to spin this victory, you know that the Lakers came in with 2 absolute advantages. Kobe is a better player than Francis, Shaq is a better player than Yao. Lest we even mention GP. Don't Spin. Be a rockets fan on this board and be proud of our boys for stealing a game, or just dont come on this board at all.

 

Regardless a Rox win is a tremendous boost for morale and sneaking away with a win against the best team in the NBA, at full strength or not, is a heck of a feat especially considering how tough it is to win on the road against bad teams, much less great ones. I'll take the win and merrily go on my way.

 

i just hope it doesnt turn to downfall like it did last season

in which it cost us the playoffs

 

What an awesome game.

The ROX were able to weather the storm in the 3rd quarter and pulled out a huge win. I think Yao getting his 5th foul was actually a blessing in disguise. Cato came in and played wonderful D on Shaq and was able to secure the rebounds that Yao had been fumbling. The level of team ball this game was so promising. I really think the Rockets may have turned a corner.

I just feel sorry for those guys that didn't watch the game because they didn't want to be disappointed. You missed a helluva game, fellas!!

If they keep it up, we won't need any major trades at all.

GO ROX

 

Yes, if the first-half offense and the second-half defense can reappear tomorrow, the Rox are showing some kind of consistency.

 

Yes, if SF can be a consistent team player and Yao had a stronger torso, improves his stamina and be a more solid player, we don't need any major trades.

 

Rox is pretty much consistent. Rox will play very well against Denver because Denver has no great PF to take advantage of the Rox.

 

Isn't it so obvious? Without a real PF last year, Lakers couldn't beat the Spurs. I thought people knew this. Shaq is not as dominant as he is used to be.

 

Who did they have before last year at PF that was so great? I'll assume this person contributed to the championships...

 

Check the numbers before speaking, please.

Rox is pretty consistent in beating teams with no great PF or short PF. Our PF postion is our weakest link. If teams can not take advantage of that, they typically can't beat the Rox.

As I predicted before the game, Rox has a good chance in beating the Lakers with no Malone.

The game result supported my point.

 

Please read carefully what I said. Shaq used to be so dominant that they can get by without a PF.

But ever since the WCF against the Kings and the last year's game against the Spurs, Lakers also need a PF to win because Shaq is not Shaq anymore.

Nearly every fans knows this, every ESPN commentators know this, every basketball writers know this. That's why Malone went to the Lakers because he knew he could help.

If you want to say otherwise, that's fine.

 

I can agree that Shaq did dominate those years, but what you're overlooking is Kobe's impact as well. Together they were dominate enough to make having a strong power forward unnecessary.

Kobe was/is key to that team's success. He was just as dominant himself if not more so than Shaq during that run. Remember Shaq often reported to camp overweight, nursing some kind of injury (foot, stomach) and it seemed to take at least half the season before he'd get into form. Kobe was basically carrying the team until Shaq was ready to play. They better hope that he doesn't opt for greener pastures this offseason. They are through if that happens.

So Malone fills the gap at power forward. Okay, I can live with that. But remember, he has lost a step or two himself and injuries are starting to be a problem. Like I said earlier, if they are relying on him that much they are in a lot of trouble in the West.

 

sun12, are all your posts about "PF's?" Or just this one? If this is your whole thesis, I think you pretty well covered it in the twenty posts in this thread saying the same thing over and over and over again. Funny thing is the Lakers won a few rings with Horry and George and Madsen fulfilling those duties. None of them really great shakes over Mo Taylor or Cato. If your premise is that Shaq was better then and worse now, okay. Weak, but okay. But we're not in the middle of a dynasty either. We're building up to one. Yes, the Rockets are soft at "PF." But they're strong at other positions. Either way, your point's taken. Chill a little. You remind me of those guys last year who kept acting like if only management had ever heard of "team ball" we'd be in the playoffs. Boring then, boring now to repeat the same obvious mantras over and over again. And especially annoying right after a good win.

 

After watching a few consecutive games, I take back all my doubts about Steve.

He is still the Franchise, IMO, and 85% of the reason we're as good as we are.

He's having a little trouble finishing some of his moves sometimes, but he is still a badass. No way in hell would I trade him.