This is about which lottery team they think will make the big leap next year. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=5044631 Broussard thinks it will be the Rockets, while Bucher disagrees. Here's the Rockets portion: [rquoter] CB: I have several reasons, but I'll start with coach Rick Adelman. He is one of the most underrated coaches in the league, and this will be only the third time in his 19 seasons as an NBA head coach that he misses the playoffs. He makes players better -- Terry Porter, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic (to name just a few) all played their best ball under him. The Rockets don't yet have title-contending talent, but they've got enough for him to work with to get them to the postseason. RB: I agree on Adelman, but I don't see the go-to perimeter scorer. Yao Ming will be back but probably in a limited capacity. Kevin Martin doesn't fit the Rockets' style and never has delivered on a winning team. Trust me, I know the Nets have more questions than answers, but let's just say they hire Jeff Van Gundy, steal David Lee from the Knicks and get Wall, Evan Turner or Wes Johnson in the draft. Add the boost they'll get from playing in front of a real crowd in Newark and everybody thinking of them as 10-game-winning sad sacks (you know those impressions linger; look at how teams still don't guard Jason Kidd's J), and they have a shot. CB: Can we give Martin a chance in Adelman's system before we crush him? Adelman was in Sacramento when the Kings drafted Martin, and while Martin's career took off after Adelman left, he has averaged 22 points in 17 games in Houston. I'll give you the fact that he hasn't won, but he also has never been on very good teams -- and no one's arguing that he's a No. 1 guy. However, he has all the tools to play in that system -- 3-point shot, gets to the free throw line, can go off the bounce -- especially when you give him a post threat like Yao next season. A starting five of Aaron Brooks, Martin, Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola and Yao is pretty strong, especially with a coach like Adelman on the sidelines. I'm somewhat with you on the Nets, but I don't think they can make the jump from 10 or 11 wins to the 40 it'll take to make the playoffs. RB: Martin's a nice player, just not a $10 million-a-year player. He's not much of a defender, he's not a pure catch-and-shoot guy, and every time I've seen him, he has struggled mightily to get a good look at crunch time. Those five names look good individually, but who is their Kevin Durant/Brandon Roy/Kobe Bryant/Steve Nash/Carmelo Anthony/Deron Williams/Dirk Nowitzki/Manu Ginobili? Every playoff team has that crunch-time playmaker. I like Brooks, but he's not in the group I just named. Overall, I just don't see room for tremendous improvement in a conference that demands it. For pure names, I'd take the Clippers over the Rockets in a heartbeat. I just believe Baron Davis is either the sun or the shadow on that whole scene, and the way he looks physically, we're talking heavy clouds. And I know the Nets don't have that guy right now, either -- but they have a couple of shots at getting one. CB: The Rockets clearly don't have a No. 1 guy on par with those you mentioned. But they went farther last season than they ever did with a supposed No. 1 guy (Tracy McGrady) because of their coach and system. I believe in GM Daryl Morey's system. He and Adelman have proved they can get more out of their team than the sum of the individual parts. Depending on what happens with Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix could drop. Depending on what happens with Manu Ginobili, San Antonio could drop. Depending on what happens with Carlos Boozer, Utah could drop, opening up spots in the West's top eight. RB: The Western whats and ifs are endless. New Orleans, Memphis and the Clips could move up as easily as San Antonio, Phoenix and Utah could move down. Bottom line: The West is stocked. The Rockets hitched their wagon to Martin as a go-to guy with the T-Mac trade. For me, Carl Landry was a better go-to guy. In any case, the Rockets are not a free-agency player as a result. As I see it, we've got two hands of cards. The Rockets are five cards face up. The Nets are two up, three (coach, free agent, draft pick) down. I'm betting on the blind because the face-up hand wasn't a winning one this season and I can't see Yao, at 25 minutes a night, being enough to change that. I could have a losing hand, too. But, as of right now, at least I can dream of a playoff chip. CB: Scola has stepped in to fill Landry's shoes, and while you dismiss Martin's scoring ability, not many perimeter guys can pour in points like he can (usually on a decent shooting percentage). You said it with the Clips: Davis is the key, and I wouldn't want my playoff hopes to hinge on him, especially now that he's paid and old. Rose went to a team many expected to make the playoffs, and Jennings learned a lot more about running an offense in Italy than Wall did at Kentucky. Overall, I agree that the Nets will make great strides, just not enough to reach the playoffs next season. [/rquoter]
Bucher co-authored Yao's autobiography, didn't he? Maybe he knows something when he says that Yao will only come back in a limited capacity.
It's a false argument to generate interest. RB was really trying hard to make it seem like the Rockets could not win 5 more games next year to get in the playoffs. Both teams should be able to make the playoffs. Nets were tanking hard to get a top 4 pick. It will be worth it, if they get Turner or Wall.
Bucher is an idiot. Someone like Kobe, LBJ, CP3, and DWill helps, but you don't need them to win it all. AB0 is also quickly approaching clutch status as he gains confidence. That game tying 3 last night was cold blooded; high arching nothing but net, damn it was sweet!
It's a weekly one-on-one series with counterarguments. Even if he agrees with CB, there's no point in writing it in this column.
Agreed, most of ESPN knows of 2 teams. I think they all need to watch every team play and have to base an opinion off that, not highlights. I think before the season started, they thought Blake Griffin would get the Clippers to the playoffs this season? They need to watch before they speak.
Besides, Limited Yao is still 100 times better than a fully healthy Hayes. You are telling me that a limited Yao replacing Hayes equals the same number of wins? That's not saying limited Yao=ChuckWagon.
Without a perimeter playmaker at the SF or SG position we can not be a contender. It's the ingredient of every great team in today's NBA.
I like Chris Broussard, especially after he bowed down to Daryl Morey on ESPN Shootaround. Ric Bucher has always hated the Rockets for some strange reason and everything he says about them, I take it with a grain of salt.Heis also an idiot if he thinks we are not a major player in the free agency. Morey stated after the trade at his press conference that they are now actually better equipped in the free agent market. Like what Morey said, most players are not going to sign straight out with other teams because they don't want to lose out on alot of money. The best way to aquire a Bosh, Amare, or LeBron in free agency is through a sign and trade. We now have more assets than ever before, including, the 3 things all teams salivate on. 1. Draft Picks. We have multiple draft picks to offer teams including our own 1st rounder, which maybe in the top 15, New York's 2011 and 2012 draft picks. 2. Young Talent. We have plenty of young assests on our team. Chase Budinger, Jermaine Taylor, Jordan Hill, and Aaron Brooks. 3. Proven Vets. We have some numerous proven players such as Luis Scola, the expiring contracts of Shane Battier and Jared Jeffries, who are also great defenders that a contending team would like, and Trevor Ariza. Bottom Line is, Ric Bucher is a complete tool who obviously doesn't know the meaning of a sign and trade.
Point of view really, CB likes Martin to be an important piece of a contender while RB doesn't. My issue is that they are acting like Yao will be the only addition this team makes in the offseason. How about we wait till the Lotto pick, MLE and LLE are used or a big trade is made before making assumptions.
I agree the Rockets are 1st round fodder, but that wasn't the question. Question: Which 2010 lottery team will be playoff bound next season?
RB just wrote the book a long time ago. A lot has changed since then plus he only is going by the 25 min played by Yao next season on the chron article. You never know how Yao will come back and the additions the Rockets will make in the off season. It will be interesting to hear his analysis next season if the Rockets land a quality FA like Manu.
Ummm i've watched most of the rockets games this year, the ONLY thing they are missing is a shot blocker in the paint to stop the layup line to the rim. Our offense is already good.
It's a dumb question. With the Rockets, it all depends on how healthy Yao is. Healthy Yao = playoff run. No healthy Yao = barely missing again. There's too many good teams in the W.C. now for us to compete without our big gun.
Yeah, but unfortunately winning 54 games in the regular season doesn't necessarily mean you're a contender. You think having a shot-blocker can make the difference in winning 15 more games by the way?
lol the paper clips? landry a better go-to guy than martin?? bucher needs to go back to writing for the san jose mercury news
