DaDakota ---------------- That quote somehow appeared in the "Positives? maybe" ... like DaDakota forgot where his thread was...thought I'd throw this trash out of my thread since Clutch took my delete away.
Oh and here is Rocketeer's response to DaDakota... boy, now we are talking about NBA history...fascinating
Not to pass judgment either way, but what team has ever advanced to the finals with only one star? There is no "I" in team It seems to always take at least two... ------------------
I also forgot about that team in Chicago, the Bulls, or some name like that. All they had was a guy named Jordan, cause we all know down here what kind of player Pippen is.
I stand by my statement. Great players...like MJ, Hakeem, Bird, etc..all turned their teams fortunes around IMMEDIATELY. The Rockets are still a below average team, and this is Francis' 2nd year. What does all this mean? Nothing really, just that Francis is not a GREAT player, yet. I just get tired of everyone proclaiming him the savior, when he is really just a very good player. He is not great, yet !!! He may well get there, but the Rockets will suffer a lot while we wait. DaDakota PS. HeyPartner, sorry, should have started a new thread!! ------------------ If Mankind evolved from Monkeys and Apes, then why are there still Monkeys and apes? [This message has been edited by DaDakota (edited November 06, 2000).]
I think what heypartner's trying to say is: stick to the damn topic. If you don't have anything positive to say in a thread titled positives, thats fine, but state it for the other 10 negative topics that relate more to your feelings, or else you allow people start debates that have nothing to do with the intended topic, hence rocketeers response. ------------------
Rocketball: Hakeem then WAS 2 men, ask anyone who played against him... I remember reading comments by other teams' big men along the lines of "playing Dream is like playing 2 men..." But seriously, I see your point. It's not like it is a rule of physics that a basketball team HAS to have 2 stars to win. He did have quite a few talented role players surrounding him, tho... Gotta pass it to someone who can finish. As for the second comment, Pippen was a star then. He still is in most markets - just not here. We are in a unique position here when it comes to Quitten: we know he's full of piss and is not a true superstar. Apparently, no one else seems to have absorbed that bit of wisdom. But if we're honest, we'll admit that he's had a star career in the past (as long as Jordan was there). I do doubt that Jordan would have all those rings had he not had a 'complimentary star' at his side, and that is my (only real) point. Like, who does Jordan go to when he's triple-teamed repeatedly? Or, who's the go-to when we're in a 4-guard set (like the Bulls of early so often did)? He was, in essence, their Mobley. But, being Rockets fans, we'll just take heart and know that Pippen's career slide is only going down... ------------------
Rocketbooster: What, I'm not being positive? I thought I was. I'm sorry. My last post compared the early 90s Bulls to the current Rox by analogue - Francis as Jordan and Mobley as Pippen. (This was implicit - sorry if it wasn't obvious enough)Now, all Quitten-hatred aside, is that really a negative comparison? I like it. It works, and it tells me that championship is not out of the realm of possibility for this team. Always look on the bright side... ------------------
Treeman, I got you with the Pippen thing, I just have fun bashing him, and thought it was a good opportunity for it. But I understand what you are trying to say...
Hakeem definitely made a HUGE difference his first year but it wasn't until his second year that the Rockets made the Finals, and he had Ralph Sampson, former Rookie of the Year, backing him up (who was in his third year). It's definitely possible to turn a team around quick... But as good a player as Francis is, I don't see him on the level of Hakeem in his prime. I mean Hakeem was just about averaging 40 points and 20 boards a game in the playoffs in '86. That's ridiculous and Franchise isn't near that dominant. ------------------
Rocketball: Okey Dokey. See what I'm saying, tho? I'll finish that by saying that Pippen is a washed up-lying-money-grubbing-deceiving-stealin-p***y-lickin-w****. But he used to be a pretty good ball player - which is why we got duped into paying his arse 60+ million... Right? I mean, we'd feel pretty stupid if... Oh, right. We did... ------------------
Another thing people forget - in 1994 the Rockets did have two stars: Hakeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell... A lot of people forget that Mad Max had a career year that year and was tearing it up for the Rockets from the three point line and was defensively unbelievable. That was the one year he managed to keep his noodle on straight for more than a three month period. Showed his true athletic ability at least for a little while, then disappeared again. Oh well... ------------------
I hereby repent for the remark about Vernon Maxwell... I got '93-'94 mixed up with '91-'92... My bad... But, I still miss old Mad Max. That's why I like Cuttino so much. He plays a lot like Max --- fearless and in your face --- without the psychotic tendencies. ------------------
Axeman - don't fret. Maxwell pays us back every time we meet... (How many Rocket-Killers are out there? Maxwell, Elie... OK, that's only 2. Forgive me for being paranoid, but the league is filled with ex-Rockets) ------------------
Let's see if I can get this thread on topic. How is this for a positive: The Rockets now have an identicle record as Portland, a team picked by many to win it all this year. It's too early to bail, everyone. ------------------ Kenny Thomas had a foul called on him in the Western Conference Finals.
Well, I understand people trying to police their own threads, but as a BBS, you post...you open up your thread to anyone and everyone. IF I get a bit off topic...ooops, no problem, but I won't lose a lick of sleep over it. DaDakota ------------------ If Mankind evolved from Monkeys and Apes, then why are there still Monkeys and apes?
