Do you think the Rockets would have more titles if Robert Horry never left?

This question cannot be asked alone. Would the Rockets be able to get past Seattle in 97 without Sir Charles "backin' it in, backin' it in"?

 

We have to see what was different with Seattle in 97 vs 96. I know the major components were still there(Karl, Kemp, Payton) but was there anything else different. Fact that the NBA let them play illegal D the whole series in 96 doesn't give me much hope though.

 

Where's the 0 more titles option?

 

I think the Rockets could've snuck back into championship, if they kept Cassell and Horry. Remember, Cassell was starting to become premier PG in the league and Horry was still fairly young.

I think they would have challenged for one more, but they would've need another move....like....getting Kevin Willis. I think he was a very effective power forward who could make them not cheat on defense.

Only other problems could they still get past Utah and the Lakers.

 

Sorry but it's too hard to answer so i suggets an adjustment to the question:

Do you think.....if Horry & Cassell wouldn't have been traded for Barkley because that's the isue. I think they could've if:
- in 96-97 Cassell took over Kenny's starting position
- in 96-97 Horry would've remained a SF and not a PF
- in 96-97 Elie would've been the back-up SF / SG
- in 96-97 Bullard at starting PF

This is maybe too short also because they let go of Carl Herrera which is also one of the dumbest moves ever. After the Thorpe - Drexler trade it all went downhill: Maxwell gone, Herrera let go, Cassell & Horry traded.

These are 5 of the 8 rotation players of the 93-94 championship team.

 

Loved him, but nah.

For all his talent, Horry just never really loved the game enough to live to his potential. He left here and pretty immediately became a 20 mpg bench role player. Joking around with Sam on the bench meant more to him than taking the regular season seriously - a big reason we had post-championship hangover and dealt him.

Phil Jackson seemed to screw his head back on, and would be nice to have him and/or Sam come back to finish their careers.

Mind-numbing to think that he's 37 now.

Evan

 

players with championship testicles don't just grow on trees. trading cassell and horry away was one of the many dumbass decisions our front office has made since the title run.

the year we lost in to seattle in '96, both cassell and drexler were playing injured. the correct move would have been to add another big body over the offseason and give the team one more chance.

sure sure barkely got a ton of rebounds in game 7 against seattle to get us past them. problem is in the next round he played like an insecure chump making it personal with his good friend malone and insisting on posting up a guy just as strong and 5 inches taller possession after possession, game after game. he clearly should have deferred to hakeem and drexler that series. especially in the final game 6 in which clyde was on fire for 36 points. i put all the blame on barkley for that game 6 loss the way he insisted on going one-on-one in the fourth quarter instead of letting drexler continue with his hot hand. it was bad enough barkely played little to no defense - that was to be expected all along. but on offense the same character flaw that makes him into a pompous jackass unfortunately got his him thinking he had some sort of mismatch down low against malone while drexler had been torching hornacek, russell, and shandn.

so yeah, i woulda preferred stickin w/ bob.

 

Another thing to consider the West was much tougher, as hard as it is to believe.

Utah, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles (Shaq, E.Jones, NVE, and young Kobe), and even forget San Antonio in my original post. A rookie Duncan and David Robinson who was still in his prime years.

 

We were one John Stockton away from a title with Barkley.

I want to vote, but there is no zero in the poll.

 

Where is the "he wouldn't have made an ounce of difference" selection.

Robert Horry, one of the laziest players in NBA history.....but he can hit a big shot.

DD

 

We're in the middle of a playoff race and a winning streak, and tinman decides to drudge up YET another nostalgia thread. Why don't we do this in the offseason when we are bored out of our minds?

What's next tinman? Robert Horry: Boxers or briefs? Sam Cassell: Would you or would you not hit it? Kenny Smith: I know his address and drive by it at least once a day...

 

I'll always love Horry for how great he was in the playoffs, but I don't think he would have been enough to get us another title.

 

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE horry cause he was part of the two Rockets championships. But, in all honesty,

Rober Horry = Scottie Pippen - athletic ability - ball handling skills - body coordination

 

if horry was lazy, the rasheed wallace is a slug.

do you remember how hard horry worked on the defensive end? tremendous weakside help defender, often guarded opposing 4s and 5s, giving up strength and bulk. and yet still found a way to help off his man and cover up penetration when necessary.

not to mention that before he started aging and parking at the 3 point line, he was great in transition and was an awesome finisher at the rim. he just wasn't an integral part of the hakeem-based post offense, and wasnt the type of player you wanted creating his own shot.

i think horry is a great example of a man who has adjusted his game to cope with the loss of athleticism. he used to be a freaking gazelle, but as he lost his quicks and leaping ability he developed skills that kept him in the league as a valuable contributor on some very good teams.

 

oh, i thought that was a denniscd thread...