Coveting Players on Other Teams Erodes Team Identity.

That 2009 team also made it past the first round of the playoffs. And legitimately scared the eventual champions even with its two stars injured.

 

Playing style definitely plays a part in identity. You really believe that Adelman's unselfish system and stressing to pass and move a lot, thus creating a lot of situations where players have to look for one another and rely on one another does and did not help that team create a bond and show that character?

 

Francis for McGrady & Martin for Harden were HUGE talent upgrades, your argument makes zero sense. I pray to God that the cycle never ends if Rockets keep improving per your examples.

 

Thibs was also a huge factor on that Celtics championship team. The D had his fingerprints all over it.

 

agreed, racist comment, strip him of his rep, and force him to sell it

 

Here are the major contributors from the last team that was universally loved by Rockets fans, and that last team in Houston to show the heart of a champion in full display...

2008-09 team:

Yao (our leading star player) - Rockets draft choice
Scola ( mister hustle, our consistent rock at the four) - Obtained the rights from the Spurs, played his first NBA game with the Rockets.
Artest - Obtained via trade with the Kings for one year)
Battier - Our glue guy, spent two years in Houston before the year this team
went on an incredible post-season run destined for a championship.
Brooks (big games in the playoffs as our 2nd/3rd go to player ) - Rockets draft choice
Carl Landry (our indispensable 6th man that year) - Rockets draft choice
Chuck Hayes - 3 full years with the team prior to 08-09 season
Kyle Lowry - Acquired from the Grizzlies


The only hired gun of those six was Artest... and the only guys with less than two years of regular season play with the team were him and Lowry... Half of the core of that team, Yao, Battier, and Hayes had been together for more than two full years, and more than three years of camp/regular season play... The other half, Brooks, Landry and Scola had been with the team for two years of training camp/regular season play...

Checkout what they all had in common...

Yao - Determination, dedication to winning as a team.
Battier - Determination, dedication to winning as a team
Hayes - Determination, dedication to winning as a team.
Scola - Determination, dedication to winning as a team.
Landry - Determination, dedication to winning as a team.

The guys that weren't necessarily against teamwork, but had individual leanings either in attitude and/or style of play:

Brooks - Drive to fight, drive to win.
Artest - Drive to fight, drive to win.
Lowry - Drive to fight, drive to win.

Gee... I wonder why they had such a strong identity.... and our current team doesn't...

It's not always about the numbers, people...

 

A lot of fairweather Rockets man. Get use to it

 

Interesting that Yao, nor Hakeem are listed.... I don't remember people clamoring for Hakeem to be traded even when his play had severely declined....

I wonder why that is.... Probably something to do with respect earned.... but, Yao didn't win any championships.... must be just respect in general....