I got the idea for this matchup from the "Greatest Rocket Team" poll a few weeks back. The 95 team was voted the greatest over the 86 team. So I thought it would be fun to compare the team that beat the 86 Rockets, the 86 Celtics to the 95 Rockets and get all of yalls thoughts on individual matchups and who would win in a 7 game series. Please note that I am aware of the difficulties in comparing teams from different eras and different rules, but lets do the best we can. 86 Celtics SF - Bird PF - McHale C - Parish SG - Ainge PG - Johnson Bench: Wedman Walton Schisting 95 Rockets SF - Elie PF - Horry C - Olajuwon SG - Drexler PG - Smith Bench: Cassell Herrera Brown/Chilcutt Here is how I see the individual matchups: Hakeem over Parish - This is a given, although Parish was pretty damn solid. McHale over Horry - Again, this is a given IMO. Parrish was the 80s version of TD. Fundamentally sound with some unstoppable low post play. Bird over Drexler - I know that Bird is a SF and Drexler is a SG, but it would seem that they would be matched up with each other, with Ainge and Elie guarding one another. Drexler was great, but Bird is in the top 10 in NBA history IMO. Exciting matchup. I just think that Bird could do more for his team than Clyde could do for us. Elie over Ainge - In reality, this is a pretty even matchup. Both can really shoot it and get under your skin on D. I think Elie has the undefineable edge and thats why I give him the nod. Johnson over Smith - Smith is a better shooter and Johnson is the much better defender. Neither one will do a whole hell of alot to hurt or help their respective teams. I give Johnson the edge mainly because of his D. Celtic Bench over Rocket Bench - Walton gives the the Celts another big body to throw at Hakeem, although Hakeem would still have this way. Schisting was a pretty darn good shooter. Cassell would be our main advantage off the bench, but our lack of good reserve big men hurts. Outcome - I have to give a slight edge to the Celtics. I think the combination of Walton, Parish and McHale would really wear down Hakeem, although Hakeem would still get his 30/12/4. Celtics were one of the best passing teams of that generation. Very efficient. On the other hand, Hakeem could provide help for McHale and possible help negate his advantage over Horry. Bird and Drexler both get theirs, but as stated before, Bird does just a little bit more than Clyde. The backcourts pretty much cancel each other out, although Sam has that explosiveness on O that could cause alot of problems for the Celtics.
My heart says Rockets, but my mind says smelltics. I'm of the opinion that the 86 smelltics were possibly the best team ever. 4 Hall of Famers and 3 of them in their prime? Sick. Smelltics in 6. Hakeem and Clyde would have willed us to a couple of wins at home, but not many teams won at Boston Garden that year. On a side note, I still think the 95 Rockets would have beaten any of the Bulls championship teams. Hakeem would have gone wild and the way Clyde played in the playoffs, Jordan would have actually had to work on defense.
The Rox hit their peak at a fortunate time for them. There wasn't much competition. I don't think they would have stood a chance against the Celts. Hakeem was great, so was Clyde, but 2 on 5 just would not have gotten the Job done.
As much as I hate to say this the celtics would have killed the 95 rockets. I don't think it would have been close. That celtics had 3 of the 50 greatest players in nba history in their prime enough said.
gtg w/ the 95 Rockets. They were healthy, hungry, and peaking at the same time. And the chemistry was unbelievable! especially w/ the trade for Clyde the Glyde. He played unselfish, fast paced basketball. I was watching some of the games from the 95 playoffs, especially the 'kiss of death' game and the 'nick the brick' game, and me were down big, i mean 15 points big. And it was Drexler who brought us back each time, especially running the break! See, it was that balance, a veteran leader, who knew when to do his thing, and when to just feed off the big fella that give us the edge! The awesome inside outside, swing the ball Offense, hard nosed defense w/ Dream and Horry starting the fast break w/ blocks, and Drexler and Elie finishing it off, the beautiful balance of slowing it down and running at all the right times that made that team unbelievale, and quite fun to watch!
Although in my heart I truly believe the 95 Rox could beat them..... the rest of the Basketball world views that 86 Celtics team as one of the best of all times.
HD, See, this is where I feel the 95 team would be at a disadvantage. That team was known for getting down early only to come back late and pull out the win. You couldnt do that against the Celts. They had that killer instinct. They would never have missed 4 free throws in a row or allowed us to come back from 15 down to win it. Well, I guess I cant really say never. But that Celtics team is unlike anything we faced in 95.
The 95 Rox COULD have beaten virtually anyone. I voted for the Celts in 86, because they're the greatest single season team of my lifetime, hands down. That lineup is sick, and I think, most likely, they would have beaten the Rockets. But then again...the Rockets were outmatched on paper in every series they played in 1995. You can throw the matchups out when a team starts playing like that. When guys like Mario Elie average 17ppg in the Finals, that tells you all you need to know. They were playing on an entirely different level, and they escaped playoff death so many times, they felt like they couldn't be beaten...that they could always pull of the miracle. And quite frequently they did. If I were betting...I'd bet Celts. But I can't discount a team like the 95 Rox that just gets so hot that they're beating teams with superior talent. That's when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Celtics in 7 Rockets couldnt win in Game 7 in Boston Garden for the championship Also 3 star players for boston v.s. 2 for houston + the celtic bench
Just what is it he trades in ? Or, maybe you mean't traitor. In any event, anyone who thinks the '95 Rox weren't a 'team of destiny' that year is mistaken. They weren't even the best team in the West. Someone said Hakeem put the team on his back and carried them to the championship and created the myth that RudyT was a great coach all at the same time, and he was exactly correct. 'Chief' would have lost to Hakeem, but not by that much. Kevin Mchale would have dominated on offense and defense and Larry Bird would have eaten Mario Eliie alive! Kevin Johnson and Danny Ainge would have cut off the Rox guards at the pass. I saw both teams play at their peak and there would be no contest in my opinion. The '86 Lakers with Magic, Kareem, et al could could not dominate them either and they were MUCH better than the '95 Rockets. I'm sitting here watching the Rox play the Spurs in '95. Hakeem dominated Robinson and Rodman simultaneously. That wouldn't have happened against the Celts.
Chief would have lost to Hakeem but not my that much? Thanks for the laugh man. Hakeem destroyed centers in 95 who were 2-3 X what Chief was.
Hmmm... Hakeem has prior experience with '86 Celts in the finals, cheap but perhaps pivotal advantage. Rockets sweep.
yeh, we took then to 6 in 86, with a raw dream. beating the celts with the 95 rockets would have definitely came out in our favor. dream was the best player in the league that season.
Here is a site that allows you to play games with teams from different eras. http://www.whatifsports.com/nba/default.asp Game 1: Celtics-119 Rockets-82 http://www.whatifsports.com/nba/boxscore.asp?gameid=2144296&ad=1
