Do you think the Rockets could win a championship like the 2004 Pistons?

Where were you? That Pistons team had lost in the Eastern conference finals the previous season, then added there one missing piece (Rasheed Wallace) at the trade deadline the next season. Most people at the time thought Detroit was a shoe in for the finals, not to win, but definitely to make it there.

 

lol @ ariza and battier slowing kobe down.. how many times does kobe need to drop 40+ on battier for this myth to be dispelled?... plus battier is another yr older, and ariza ? what a joke, he cant guard anyone.

 

Kobe is also a year older to. Those two aren't the only bodies we are throwing at Kobe. Also you look at their weaknesses we attack them. We have a quick point guard. They also thought it would be a good idea to add another point guard that Aaron Brooks has torched in the playoffs. We also attack their size with Yao and Scola being great post presence. We also have a better bench. What we need to happen is Kevin martin needs to step up to an all-star caliber player.

 

And the Houston Rockets played the champion in 2008 to 7 games despite missing their best player for the last 4. And we've improved our roster since(assuming Yao's health of course)

Any reason why Morey can't add our Wallace at the trade deadline?

They were a shoe-in at the then LEASTERN conference. The NJ Nets with just Kidd and the Sixers with AI made it to the finals. Doesn't mean they were contenders in the eyes of the media.

 

1) There's not many players (if any) that can keep Kobe from dropping 40 on any given night.

2) Even on the nights that Kobe drops 40+ on Battier...How many shots does it usually take him to get there? More often than not, 30+ shots. That's defensive efficiency.

3) Ariza length is surely going to both Kobe this year. There were times when Ariza matched up defensively on Kobe, and it gave Kobe fits...

Don't underestimate this team's defense based on what you saw last year.

Kobe shot 37% and averaged 19ppg on 19 shot attempts/game./B]against our defense in the last 3 games we played against them last season. That's pretty damn good defense if you ask me or anyone else on this board.

 

I think we'll be great until Yao's inevitable season-ending injury.

 

Game 7 in the semi-finals TWO years ago is different from a finals appearance the previous year. I never said Morey could not add another piece, in fact I don't think another piece needs to be added. And in the eyes of the media, Detroit was probably the most popular pick of the year to represent the east. The situation does not look much like the Rockets one at all

 

if they can play the shut down defense that pistons were able to play. historic shut down defense actually.

we'll score, but can we become a top 2-3 defensive team, even with yao's return?

 

Kobe has scored 40+ on the Rockets with Battier 4 times, and the Rockets are 2-2 in those games. In all of those games, Kobe got significant help from the refs (14 or more FT's). In the two losses, Battier kept Kobe significantly less efficient than he is against the rest of the league. It's not Vernon Maxwell against Jordan, but I'd say that's a pretty good record against the best player in the league.

 

We can and we will do it for sure.... no doubt!

 

man this team can. yes they can. this rosters deep. we got a solid backup at every position. how many teams can say that? brooks and ming goin give teams alota problems this year.

 

i know this is the question the rockets have every year...

only if we can stay healthy.
but im excited to see this team play!!

 

its actually also a myth that kobe can't be stopped. Looking at game seven of this year's finals, Ray Allen did a pretty decent job and there is no reason why battier and ariza can't immitate what ray allen did to kobe in the finals. But I agree on some nights he seems unstoppable. Maybe we should study the type of defense boston played on him.

There is an element of luck and skill in basketball. Chauncey Billups absolutely shot the lights out in that series and earned a well deserved Finals MVP.

There is no reason if we get to the playoffs why brooks can't catch fire or our other shooters for that matter. Atleast we don't have to pray for another miracle with rafer playing the point.

 

In the four seasons against Shane and the Rockets, this is what Kobe averaged:
09/10 - 41.4FG% 3.8TOs 24.5ppg
08/09 - 53.0FG% 3.3TO2 28.3ppg
07/08 - 39.8FG% 4.0TOs 33.0ppg
06/07 - 39.7FG% 3.5TOs 37.3ppg

Beside from 08/09, kobe struggled against Shane and Rockets mightily.
Is a myth that some fans simply kiss kobe's a$$ blindly!

 

No- They don't have the interior defense, and as balanced offense.-Hamilton, R Wallace, Billups, Prince all could kill you on that team- they could all take over a part of a game and put up numbers, + they all played excellent shut down team defense. Both R Wallace and B Wallace could dominate the defensive post and Billups and Prince were shut down defenders that season.

 

This thread is about "could we", not "would we". Yes, if I had to bet, I'd bet against us winning the way Detroit did. Duh, I guess. But of course I see the similarities in terms of the make up of the team. Although I'd say the better comparison would be us being the Kings-lite.

The whole "they went to conference championship and we didn't" point you keep making is pointless and worthless. It's like trying to convince any basketball fan with a brain that the Nets, Sixers, Knicks, etc. were the 2nd best team in the NBA when they got killed in the finals. If anything, the Pistons the previous year lost to the non-best team in the NBA. While the Rockets did lose in 7 to the best team in the NBA two years ago.

 

I think we have just as good of chance making it to the WCF this year as anyone else. Beating LA in 7 games may be tough, but not out of the question by any means. If our team can gel just right, we can for sure make it to the finals... oh yeah, and Yao stay healthy...