I called our Role-Players scrubs and got called out for it. Well, what can you do? Either believe they are good enough in the land of wishful thinking, or realize that we just don't have the right set of guys. Either way, you root for the team. But I like head, rafer, howard and co - it's too bad they just aren't good enough. We'll probably get to the second round, hard to see us going further though.
Using the draft as an example: A) A team has picks #1 and #2 and could pick up Kevin Durant AND Greg Oden (assuming they're going to be superstars) B) A team has picks #5 #10 & #20. C) A team has picks #1 and #2 and picks either Durant or Oden #1, and trades #2 for additional picks & players I'm thinking most would go with option A, based on 1 or 2 years of talent acquisition. Its more enticing to put talent around 2 superstars you already have. Than option B- trying to pick each position exactly right and hoping the talent will gel. Option C makes plenty sense, too. Its assumed 2 superstars can't co-exist, but McGrady and Yao seem to co-exist just fine. They just don't have enough talent co-existing around them. (And they themselves don't always play to their superstar billing, which makes it worse and exposes the team)
Battier and his intangibles are becoming so undefined that I just can't see all the positives anymore. He is part of the JVG/CD conspiracy 'Win Now Senario" which isn't working!
Yao/T-Mac are nowhere close to Kobe/Shaq No one I mean no one could stop Shaq, if Lakers Shaq had Okur trying to check him he would drop 35 pts and 15 rebs every game. The Jazz would've been forced to double/triple him on every play, the Jazz are playing Yao straight up most of the time. Kobe would not have let Fisher guard him and Giricek who suddenly became a defensive stopper this series against t-mac would be helpless against Kobe. I guarantee that if we had Kobe/Shaq with this supporting cast this series would've been a sweep, not even close.
I agree 100 percent with the poster, I know t-mac came out and said that this is the year that he fells like he has a great supporting cast, but that is just not true. We simply don't have enough talent surrounding T-mac and yao. If you think about we have 2 people on this team that can consistently create their own shot, thats why either Yao or t-mac are always on the court.
I agree. Two superstars can still win championships with this supporting cast, if they play really like superstars. Shaq in his prime will foul out Okur in 20 mins. He would average 35+pts and 15+ rebs if Jazz dare to use Okur cover him one on one. His team would shoot FTs 4-5mins into every QT. On the other hand, Kobe will destroy Fisher, Giricek or whatever, easily. Rox two players are just all-stars, they are not super stars. Super stars kill in the playoffs.
No. Shaq was actually dominant. Vintage Shaq would've eaten the Jazz by now. Vintage Tracy could be >= than Kobe. Wow. For some reason, the McGrady/Yao tandem not being superstar always bothered me. Discussing this feels like therapy.
If our two "superstars" were playing like superstars we would have smacked the Jazz in the first two games and, at worst, split with them in Utah. If you removed Yao and Tracy and replaced them with the championship Shaq and Kobe, the series would be an easy sweep.
Yao<<Shaq in the prime TMac< Kobe for all the time and TMac <<< Kobe right now. Yao+TMac <<<<<<<<<< Shaq+Kobe because there is no chemistry between Yao and Tmac. You have to admit that if you are not a headless homer.
I don't totally disagree with you and you need competent role players. Horry and Cassell were still relatively raw talents at the time but proved their competence and grit. Kenny Smith while still effective wasn't the Jet of his earlier career, Elie was a guy clawing his way back from the CBA and then there was the Chucky Browns, Matt Bullards and Charles Jones who all still made meaningful contributions to the Rockets' success. None of those guys were stars, with the exception of Kenny Smith, at the time during the height of the Rockets. They were competent but I also believe that playing with Dream and Clyde made them into better players because it gave them great looks and the confidence to play loose knowing that there was a phenomenal inside player completed by a perimeter player. The problem we got now is that the role players aren't playing competently and for whatever reason have lost their confidence. I think that part of that goes to the failure of the two stars to show dominance and inspire that confidence.
The most successful combination of late is a dominant big guy and guards who attack the basket. Shaq and Kobe Duncan and Manu/Parker Shaq and Wade The exception being Detroit who didn't have a dominant center. Infact they only won when Rasheed Wallace went to work in the block instead of jacking threes all time. Gotta have stars that can get you those easy hoops in the paint. Thats why a dominant Shaq and Kobe worked so well. Even a freakishly good jump shooting team like Phoenix needs a Stoudamire to get them the high % buckets inside. As for Dallas the inability to get to the hole and get easy shots did them in against Miami. If Shaq wasn't spinning and dunking Wade was getting to the FT everytime he drove.
2 superstars and tracy mcgrady is really overrated the way he is playing. And the scrub role players are not getting it done also
RIET, I agree our roles are b-a-d, but those guys were acquired or drafted in the last 3-4 years and in that same time JVG has done squat. I am not sure who had the ultimate call in acquisition, but I do know who has the ultimate call in development. JVG does, and he hasn't, and he won't. With two men making the lion's share of the payroll you have to find youngsters who can be brought along at a resonable price. With the CAP problems the rockets have acquiring veteran help is near impossible unless they are on their last legs and looking for a last payoff.
Actually, both Magic and Barkley put it best... if this was the 80's or early 90's, a guy with T-mac's ability, and Yao's size+skill would be unstoppable. Nowadays, there's waaay too much athleticism... ALL teams/players stress conditioning and strength training, and its harder than ever to make an NBA roster (given the international players, and the increased exposure to all Div. I colleges/prep schools). Yao has a disadvantage when he can get outmuscled by some defenders, but outquickened by others. He's got height and shooting touch... and great court vision. But, in today's NBA... he needs to bring it every night to simply be all-star. In the 80's-90's, with older rules and less talented players, he would have been unstoppable.
The 2 superstar mold is very much alive!!!! The Shaq/Kobe lakers ....Was ALL SHAQ!!! Shaq was a bonefide beast! The team fed off of him. Yao IS NOT ieven n the same ballpark as Shaq. Tmac is very close if not better than the early Laker Kobe.
I doubt Yao would be as good. He struggles with Okur and smaller guys. He would of played against Hakeem, David Robinson, Ewing, etc. Yao would get destroyed.
