I've seen a lot of posts lately to the tune of "If we don't get so-and-so on our frontline, we'll do no better than we did this year, and we'll never win a championship". I find that kind of funny considering we just improved 11 games from last year, and the only significant change we made from that time was adding Mo Taylor. If Mo himself is responsible for that turnaround, I don't know why anyone would be jumping up and down for Webber. There were 2 teams in the NBA this year that broke into the upper echelon -- Sacramento and Philadelphia. Sacramento added DOUG CHRISTIE, and went from an 8th seed to challenging for the best record in the NBA. Philly added no one of significance, and ran away with the East from the opening tip after not even having home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs the year before. The Rockets went from the lottery in '91-'92, to the brink of the Conference Finals the next year. Their one major addition -- a rookie, Robert Horry. Here we are after our first full year of rebuilding, with 45 wins, and people are saying that we have to have Mr. Prototype at the small forward or power forward if we ever want to go any further. Huh? ------------------ "I'll be gettin real drunk and making fun of everybody"
I think we added Mo and we got an added bonus a (for the most part) healthy Hakeem. Hakeem's breathing problems made last season a nightmare. I agree though, that chemistry is one of the major cogs in a championship team. But, another important factor is defense, and right now we have way too many players (not to mention starters) who cannot or do not play good defense: Francis - Average to slightly above average Anderson - Good Williams - Below average Taylor - Average to slightly below average Olajuwon - Good Mobley - Average Cato - Slightly below average to below average Thomas - Slightly below average to below average Bullard - Well below average Moochie - Average to slightly below average Rogers - Average to slightly above average --------------------- To be serious contenders we need to have more defensive minded players. Webber would help in this area, but he's not perfect. Also, I think adding Shareef Abdur-Rahim, would not help us in this area at all. Well, slightly, but not significantly. ------------------ DREAMer's Rocket Page
And yet our beloved Rockets are in the West and will always be a first-round exit team without a good rebounder (a la Brand, a la Marc Jackson) and/or shot blocker (Eddie Griffin). ------------------
For every extreme argument there is a counter...as TheFreak often reminds us. Could Jordan really have won 3 more titles without the addition of Kukoc and Rodman? Is Doc River's chemistry really going to get the Magic over-the-top? Did the Riley chemistry at Miami get him to the Conf finals like expected? The Suns have excellent chemistry, but can they really challenge without landing a surprise coup in star-to-be Shawn Marion? Did the 76'rs really break into the "next echelon", or does the East suck this year? Most non-extremists say it is a mixture of chemistry, experience, and talent...and superstar talent in the NBA is first priority. Why the exaggerated polarization? This argument is just a simplistic means to argue by taking an extreme side and thereby defining the other side with no in between....forcing people to take one of two positions in your neatly defined argument. Also, Horry did not make the difference from slipping from 52 wins to 42 then getting back to 55 wins....Rudy did!
Actually <a href="http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/012638.html">my line</a> was "The Rockets have the backcourt, but until they get a serious player in the frontcourt they will just be pretenders in this Conference in my opinion." -- close enough though. Chemistry is indeed vital, and the Rockets have that right now (all accounts say the Rockets just love playing with each other and most are good friends off the court), but you have to have the players/roles on the floor to make it all work. I wouldn't want to add a player that would disrupt that chemistry, but I don't think all the pieces are in place for the Rockets at the moment. Their weakness in the frountcourt was made evident in many key games this season (Shaq going <a href="http://www.clutchcity.net/game.cfm?gameID=122">17-23 for 41 points</a> in just 31 minutes was an eye-opener, and yeah Hakeem didn't play but he's not going to be around long-term). I imagine without Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and 1995 the Rockets would have had pretty good chemistry, but it certainly wouldn't have been displayed in the playoffs. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
Pack and Van Excel own him so average is really pushing it. ------------------ "Repression never did me any harm (I finally ceased to include "stop masturbating" as one of my guilt ridden New Year's resolutions, but that's a different topic)." Achebe - programmer by day, Mrs Palmers Husband by night
Every point guard owns him, so "average" is just insane. ------------------ Well that's it, the season's over. Protrolls.com! I've got message boards up and running, feel free to Troll them.
Almost every point guard gets good numbers against each other, so average is actually accurate. There are plenty of point guards who play worse defense than Francis. ------------------ Founder and President of the Houston Homers Club(HHC) - Are you a homer? Join now! The Rockets will be NBA champions. Believe.
We all know Houston has the offense or at least most of it to score with just about anybody. They ranked #9 in points per game in the league. How about on defense? Houston ranked #10 in the league for number of points given up per game. That's 10th fewest. Every team ahead of them is a playoff team, the Clippers are at #11, then the next 4 are also playoff teams. So of the top 15 teams in terms of fewest points given up per game, 13 are playoff teams, and Houston is at #10. Not bad company. We did that with, from what others say, abysmal guard defense and no front line to speak of. Just food for thought... ------------------ Yugo grills, Yugo mills, Check out the oil my Yugo spills...
Sacramento didn't just add Christie, they also added Bobby Jackson, who has made a big impact on the team also. Granted they lost Tony Delk, but they needed Jackson's defense more than Delk's offense. Chemistry is important, but you have to have the right pieces to further capitalize on chemistry. ------------------ PrEsident of The Danforth Langhford FAN CLUB... He IS our future All-Star Small Forward
Every point guard owns him, so "average" is just insane. Have you guys ever taken the time to think that maybe the reason opposing guards score a lot on Francis is that he has no defensive enforcer behind him to back him up on penetrations? Iverson has Mutumbo. Kobe has Shaq. Carter has Davis. People always try and make Kobe out to be an all-world defender, but realistically he isn't that great. He just looks great because if anyone drives by him he has Shaq to back him up. Steve doesn't have that luxury, and thus the numbers the Van Exel's of the world put up. At the center spot, Dream cannot be counted on to be healthy for the whole season-- 60 games if youre lucky-- and when he's healthy he should only be playing 20-25 minutes per game. So for the majority of the time Stevie has Kelvin Cato as that enforcer behind him should a guard get by. Real comforting eh? Steve actually has very solid on the ball D-- the problem is some of these elite players or players with quick first steps (Pack) can blow by anyone; it's just Steve doesn't have the backup help up front, particularly that shot blocker and intimidator, that the players like Kobe, Iverson, etc. have. ------------------ President of the Mo Taylor, Jason Collier, and draft Richard Jefferson fan club! Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! ClutchTown.com
That excuse might be valid against some guards Cat, but what about guys like Ron Harper? I've seen Harper drive past Francis at will. We're talking about an ancient man with no knees. And what about all those open jumpers he gives up? The only thing Francis does well is steal the ball. He's also a good helper on the double team. Other than that, I usually fear the opposing point guard, even if he's someone like Harper, or Avery Johnson. ------------------ Well that's it, the season's over. Protrolls.com! I've got message boards up and running, feel free to Troll them.
You'd fear the opposing team's players if it was a high school team against the Rockets, and call it over if they scored one bucket. I watched every Rockets and Lakers game this year, and I never saw Harper drive past Steve. Maybe on a pick and roll or a screen, but never one on one... ------------------ President of the Mo Taylor, Jason Collier, and draft Richard Jefferson fan club! Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! ClutchTown.com
Maybe it was Shaw. ------------------ Well that's it, the season's over. Protrolls.com! I've got message boards up and running, feel free to Troll them.
It was Terrell Brandon All night long ------------------ "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."- (Aldous Huxley)
Not the last game Bobfinn. Beautiful post The Cat, People don't realize just how horrible the Rocket's inside D is. I lost count of how many times Kelvin Cato didn't even raise his arms when opponents went to the hole.The Rocket's big men are horrible at showing on the pick and roll for the most part. They don't even make an attempt to slow down the opposing team's guards. Also, their weakside D is horrible, so if an opposing player goes baseline, our nonexistent help D doesn't get the job done. Quit b****ing about the defense of the guards on this team. I somewhat agree to an extent with the Freak. I do not think the Rocket's need to make major changes to get to the level we, and they themselves, hope to get to. I've heard some media folks say if the Rocket's don't get Webber that it will be a "dissapointing offseason." Give me a break. For one, Mo Taylor took about half the season to get comfortable with his teammates and the new system. If you have that chemistry for the first half of the season, the Rocket's aren't struggling to reach the .500 mark. Do they make the playoffs if these things had happened? Yes. Do they have a chance? No, like Clutch said, they'd be pretenders. You can draft for size and inside D though. If the Rocket's could land a good big man in the draft he could fill MANY holes on this team. All this team needs is an intimidator who can outlet the ball well. With Kenny and this kind of rookie on the floor at the same time, we would work teams over with the fast break. The assumption around here is that we'll draft a small forward, but if we do, you better be damn sure that he can come in and play major minutes. I'm not too sure that many rookies would be able to fill Shandon's shoes.If you draft a 3, Shandon is already gone, and you are looking at a Langhi/Walt/Bullard?/Rookie rotation at the 3 spot, unless the Rockets go small ball. That rotation aint too appealing to me. I would NOT go after Antonio Davis. I would try to trade for a disgruntled star if possible. BUT OF COURSE, getting Webber would catapult this team to greatness, and I think the chemistry would be there with him on the team. ------------------
hp -- would you like to tell me how the below is an "extreme argument"? Here we are after our first full year of rebuilding, with 45 wins, and people are saying that we have to have Mr. Prototype at the small forward or power forward if we ever want to go any further. Huh? So saying we don't need to acquire a prototypical player on the front line this year in order to have a good future is an "extreme argument". Okay. Actually, I believe that you need to have the best player in the NBA to win the championship. If Francis is not that player, we will not win a championship. I've said that from the beginning. After that, you obviously need the chemistry. Hopefully you can make the jump here, but I am assuming that we already have our franchise player. Next we need to develop the chemistry. Clutch, I wouldn't say the Rockets already have winning chemistry after one full year together. That would be impossible. I do think they're out to a good start, though. As for your Olajuwon comment, please. As I alluded to with hp, I'm assuming the Rockets already have their cornerstone player in place. The Cat -- that's a great defense of Shandon Anderson's D, I wonder why you haven't used it? Instead you say his D hasn't been that great this year, but offer no explanations. Hmmm. ------------------ "I'll be gettin real drunk and making fun of everybody"
TheFreak, I considered your title as an extreme argument...in light of the other extreme arguments regarding Talent and Experience. Upon reading your explanation, I agree, except I think Francis having a chance of being the best player in the NBA is somewhat homey...but I've got to love you for that. Half of me hopes we don't get Webber, and Mo' has a break out year in a couple years. I certainly don't want SAR. I just want a shotblocker/rebounder.
The Cat -- that's a great defense of Shandon Anderson's D, I wonder why you haven't used it? Instead you say his D hasn't been that great this year, but offer no explanations. Hmmm. Because I'm not trying to say Steve's defense is great, as many are saying with Shandon. I'm just using that to refute the argument that Steve is a poor defender. Even though I don't want Shandon back (if it requires a raise), I will not go as far to say that he plays poor defense. Shandon is a pretty solid defender, but he is not in that elite class as many claim. If you want to know what I am talking about, watch Latrell Sprewell on the wing isolated defensively on a player, and compare that on tape to what you see Shandon do in similar situations. Sprewell is a great defender. Shandon is not in that class, and as a result, especially with his lack of offense, he is not an irreplaceable player, and he is someone we can get by without. That argument can support a defender being average rather than poor; however it cannot support the thought of a defender being great instead of average. The great defenders are able to step it up and hold down their men even with the softest of frontcourts; and Shandon unfortunately is not quite in that class that many of you make him out to be. ------------------ President of the Mo Taylor, Jason Collier, and draft Richard Jefferson fan club! Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! ClutchTown.com
"Next we need to develop the chemistry. " TheFreak, You and I watched 3936 minutes of Rockets basketball this season. After those 65 hours of basketball, I feel confident making evaluations of the Rockets basketball skills. I watched Shandon for 40 hours this season: I know how well he can finish/shoot/dribble/post-up. 'Chemistry' is ... what? ... the attitude in the locker room, the way the player feel about each other, whom the coaches trust, a whole bunch of other things ... Why try to evaluate chemistry? Have you seen 2000 minutes of lockerroom footage? 1500 minutes of Cuttino and Francis hangin' out buddy-buddy at Stevies house? 2200 minutes of team meeting footage? What makes you think you can evaluate the Rocket team chemistry? Stevie's facial expressions? Stevie's Outtakes/Cribs/The Life? Two Feigan paragraphs after 6 different games? Maybe we had phenomenal chemistry this year. Maybe without our incredible chemistry we only win 34 games. Maybe our improved chemistry was wholly responsible for this year's 11 game improvement. Who knows? Tell me, TheFreak: Of our 11 game improvement from last year, what %age was due to our better chemistry this year? We aren't in the locker room. We aren't eating dinner at Cuttino's mom's house before home games. We've never heard Rudy give a speech at halftime. We' can't diagnose chemistry.
