[Kelly Dwyer] The NBA's all-time starting five: Houston Rockets

Dwight
Hakeem
Barkley
Harden
Lawson

 

If we were competing, I would pick:

C - Dream (duh)
PF - Sampson (Twin Towers worked and Sampson was a beast!)
SF - Drexler (I don't know why people want to put him at SG and Harden at SF)
PG - Beard (duh)
PG - Smith (40+% dead eye shooter on team full of people who dominate the inside)

If we are just picking the best at each position...

C - Dream
PF - Otis Thorpe
SF - Clyde Drexler
SG - Beard
PG - Murphy

 

I like your picks!! rep!

 

On second though, even though I still feel Otis Thorpe had the better career at PF, Sampson was just such a superior talent. Even assuming he still flames out, I would put him at PF.

 

OT is always underrated.

One thing OT did better than anybody else was that he played like 500 straight games.

 

That is why I initially went with OT. Guy was just such a workhorse and was perfectly fine staying in the Dream's shadow and doing all the dirty work. Sampson though... he was like a poor man's Wilt when healthy. Pathetic shooter though...

 

No Moses Malone?
No Elvin Hayes?

 

There is only ONE spot at C. Great players, but the Dream was simply better.

 

Pretty excited about the future of this thread...

 

I think I probably agree with the OP.

Can't ignore guys like Mosas, Hayes, Yao, Maxwell, and Clyde though.

 

The thing with TMac is that his game in the 04-05 season is certainly worthy of an all time spot.

The issue is that he only had one year as good as that. Sure 07 he was good, but not at that level.

So the question is if that one season is worth it more than a guy like a Drexler or something who delivered a championship.

 

C - Dwight
PF - Dream
SF - Mcgrady
SG - Drexler
PG - Harden

 

Based on the best every player ever was during their career, not while on Rockets roster. And Lawson because I don't know any great PGs that played in Houston.

 

Are you sure? http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/murphca01.html

That has him at PG for every game of his career. Digging in, Allen Leavell looks like he may have split point duty with him, but he's listed as more of a point guard for most of his career. Of course, I'm only 36 so I never saw him play.

 

It's simply the matter of great, but not best. Moses, Hayes, and Yao were all great players, hall of fame level players, but Hakeem is arguably a Top 3 player in NBA history. If we are just talking about the best 5 players in Rockets history, it would probably look something like this:

1. Dream
2. Hayes
3. Moses
4. Drexler
5. Yao

If we are talking about fan favorites, it would probably be:

1. Dream
2. Thorpe/Sampson
3. Drexler/Elie
4. Harden/Mad Max
5. Murphy

It all depends on the conditions of the list. If competing, things like ego and chemistry matters. Point is, Dream is constant and everyone else is changeable depending on list parameters.

 

Good way to break that down. As much as TMac pisses me off, if we're getting him in his prime, it's hard to pick between Drex and TMac. TMac was more dynamic offensively, but Clyde was an all around beast in his best days too. Much better athlete (as good as Tracy was, Drex was like Hercules at times). I give Drex the nod, but it's pretty close.

Speaking of getting players in their prime, I'd take Sam Cassell from his Minn/Clippers days.

I think the original idea is while they were in Houston and at the position that they were known to play, so I go:

C Dream
PF Barkley (19/13 first year here)
SF Drexler
SG Harden
PG Steve Francis

Edit: haha... forgot about the great Elvin Hayes. Hayes is my PF hands down.

 

I'll ride and die with this team

PG - Moochie Norris
SG - James Harden
SF - Hey Bud Let's Party
PF - Dream
C - YAO

6th man Walt Williams

 

Clyde was a beast in the playoffs in 1995 during the second title run. He was definitely "GREAT."

 

Jesus this franchise has been starved of PG's.

 

you could argue you wouldn't need a playing making PG if you had both Harden and T-mac as the other two picks