Just the Rockets part. ---------------------------------------- To say that Hornets fans have some swagger is an understatement. But what about the other team he mentioned, the Rockets? This is a club that was one of the top teams in point differential two years ago, and survived a terrible string of injuries to All-Star players to end up as a 5 seed in the playoffs. But after another first round exit, they added Ron Artest, who will either be the missing defensive beast and offensive weapon to complement Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, or the lit fuse that blows this nucleus sky high. So are Rockets fans weary about Crazy Pills, or still convinced this is finally the year it all comes together? Let's just say they're pretty happy to be in the Danger Zone. Here's what The Dream Shake had to say about how Artest affects the Rockets' championship hopes: "The addition of Ron Artest to a basketball team is analogous to a fighter pilot willing to go into battle with Maverick. I can just envision the conversation between GM Daryl Morey and Head Coach Rick Adelman last July, summed up thusly: [Discussing Artest] Morey: Let me ask you something, if you had to go into battle, would you want him on your side? Adelman: I don't know, I just don't know. To all the Iceman wannabe NBA rivals out there – yeah, I'm looking at you, Los Angeles and Utah – you are all correct. Ron Artest is dangerous. You don't like him because he's unsafe. And if you throw beer at him, he becomes everyone's problem. But he's also a hell of an instinctive basketball player. Maybe too good (which is why he often breaks off set plays and ignores his coaches on occasion). As a Rockets fan? I'll fly with him this year. I also have no doubt that Shane Battier and Luis Scola can fill the roles of Wolfman and Slider. *Yes, I am afraid to compare anyone to Goose – the Rockets already have injury issues, so I see no need to jinx anyone this early.* Battier and Scola are exactly what a veteran team like the Rockets need – role players who will do whatever it takes to win. Everyone should be familiar with Battier's game by now. And those who watched the Olympics saw Scola go from focusing on rebounding and defense to being the primary offensive option. Whatever the team needed. Yes, I'm sure Artest, Battier and Scola will have many internal battles and heated competitions to determine who is the Top Gun of Houston's role players, but they will all heed Viper's advice in the end – "just remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team." As for my predictions? Well, last year was some of the best basketball from the Rockets I've seen to date – right up to the part where they got killed by Utah . They definitely crashed and burned. This year? Well, I know it's pretty arrogant, considering the Western Conference company the Rockets are in – but I see them making the NBA Finals. And I like that in my basketball team. " ------------------------ Whole article here
NBA finals. gotta be happy with that. defense wins championships. with the addition of artst, i dont see any primeter players torching us anymore. the artest and battier tag team combo is just to misely and tough to score heavily against.
At first, you couldn't tell if he was about to really bash the Rockets or drink the coolaid. Good article.
I literally laughed out loud when Dave sent that to me to proofread before sending it to Matt at Fanhouse
The tough part was narrowing down the amount of quotes I was going to use... and no way was I going to bash my team! We are going to the NBA Finals. Of this I have no doubt.
