No question. and while were at it, Don't tell me that the Lakers would use Robert Horry to body up on Dream. Although the Lakers Power forward Horry is stronger than the Rockets Small forward Horry.
Hey, kidrock8- the most amazing thing would be watching Horry play himself- lol! How would the Horry of today fare against the Horry of the Rocks? I think Dream would have still shaked and baked Shaq silly... but it would have been a much tougher task due to Shaq's experience. I would like to see pre-"goin' off the deep end" Maxwell put some D on Kobe. I'd pay a load of cash to see that matchup!
I agree that Kobe can create shots, but when has he ever met a shooting guard in a playoff series that on both ends challenged him? Who is the best shooting guard he has ever faced in a recent playoff series? Bruce Bowen? Bonzi Wells? Neither of these guys are even considered top 10 shooting guards, and even bonzi could post Kobe up pretty easily. I agree Kobe is clutch and he can create shots, but he would not be able to guard Drexler and score on him at will. I mean he really never has to play D against great shooting guards. Drexler was bigger and stronger, and had advantages over Kobe, while Kobe of course had certain advantages on him. Also Dream could make free throws down the stretch, and could create his own shot better than Shaq in the clutch, Shaq could dominate throughout a game, but when did he ever make a last minute/second type of clutch play on Hakeem? Atleast Hakeem hit his FT's and got that GAME 1 1995 NBA Finals tip to give the Rocks the win (thanks to Drexlers penetration and drawing Shaq in). I dont see why the Lakers have an edge over the Rockets. Rockets had tons of clutch players themselves, and almost everyone was tough on the team. Elie, Smith, Cassell, Horry, Drexler, Hakeem could all conceivably make a last minute/second clutch play much like the Lakers of now. Personally I see the Rockets beating them in 6. Kobe is great, Shaq can equal Hakeems stats or maybe do better, but he is no more clutch and effective relative to his team than Hakeem was. But Drexler would make it tougher for Kobe to dominate, and Hakeem and co would be able to hit clutch shots, not HIDE IN A CORNER like all the teams in the NBA do today when they play the Lakers.
First off, the Shaq of this year's playoff's is nothing special at all. Kobe is clearly carrying LA right now. I don't know if it's the injuries, excessive body fat, or laziness but Shaq isn't the same. I agree that Kobe would school Clyde if they matched up one on one. However, I'm sure the Rockets would use Elie to hound Kobe like Bowen is trying to do for SA right now. Bowen is defending him well, the Spurs problem is offensive ineptitude, they are holding Shaq and Kobe to mortal numbers and FG%'s. And at the other end, Kobe is really weak as a post defender against big guards like Bonzi Wells. Clyde would post him up at will. Horry of 95 was way better than the Horry of now and the Rockets role players, unlike the Spurs softies, were clutch and tough (Elie, cassell, horry). These Lakers are beatable. If the Spurs weren't such chokers, LA would be down 3-1 right now. Of course, after SA, no team in the NBA right now can beat LA, definitely not SAC. Going to be an ugly WCF, I see another sweep by LA and a very easy 3 peat.
So how is Duncan the reason for the Spurs ineptitude, like you've been preaching, if he is literally carrying the team on his back and getting triple and quadruple teamed? It's the supporting cast, like Steve Smith, who is taking the shots and missing them, not Duncan. And I disagree on the sweep by LA. Sacramento was a better team over the regular season than the Lakers and Spurs, and has more weapons plus a capable big man in Divac (and a backup in Pollard) that can at least hold their own vs. LA. Doug Christie is an underrated defender and with their depth, Sacramento could very well win the series. It definately won't be a sweep.
Well, this one sucked. I now know what it feels like to be an Oilers fan and a Blazers fan. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that today's result had more to do with the Spurs ineptitude than the Lakers. Honestly, it's been a problem all year against any good teams. In the April game against Dallas where SA was essentially playing for the division, the Spurs led by 12 with about seven minutes, before letting Dallas come back to tie. Duncan did hit a shot at the buzzer of that game. This happened several times in the second half of the season; even though the Spurs might've won the games, they should've never gotten as close as they did. Though I think a lot of the problem goes to the coaches for the lack of creativity in the offense, we also have to remember that the Spurs struggles in the fourth quarter really started when Steve Smith's game started to tail off. At the beginning of the season to the All-Star break, he was deadly... 57% on three's, did well in the low post, etc. He finished the season at 47%, so he had to shoot about 35% over the second half of the season. In the playoffs, he's shot about 25%, I believe. It's just easy to keep the ball out of a dominant post player's hands if there isn't a perimeter player who can be counted on to score. If Antonio Daniels could've made just one of those open runners today, the Spurs probably win this going away. It pains me to admit it, but the Spurs could really use Derek Anderson right now. I really did think the Steve Smith of the first half of the season was a fine replacement, and could do well right now... but I have no idea where that Steve Smith went. The Spurs have got to get a consistent creator from the perimeter this offseason to take the pressure off TD in the fourth quarter. Antonio Daniels has the capability, but as evidenced today, he's too inconsistent. Anyway, as crazy as it may sound, I still believe. The Spurs have been in, and arguably should've won each of the four games in this series. At some point the Spurs have to be due for some luck in the fourth quarter, and hopefully that comes Tuesday. The task of winning three straight games, including two in LA, is daunting, but all I'm trying to do is think of it as one game at a time. If the Spurs have heart, which I think they do, they won't fold. The Lakers aren't invincible at this point; it just takes better execution, and a couple of breaks. We can win on Tuesday. BTW: this is why I've always said that Kobe, not Shaq, is the MVP of the Lakers. How many times did you see Shaq touch the ball in those final five minutes, where the Lakers turned a ten point deficit into a win? I counted three or four times, with very limited results. He hit one of two free throws at the line, and found Kobe for the three at the top. The other two times, he was rejected by Duncan. As good as he is, it doesn't mean a thing if no one is there to finish. There's going to be close games in the playoffs, and in those final minutes, Kobe just seems to have that Jordan-esque quality of wanting it more than everyone else. Though he has all the physical talent in the world, that last bucket had little to do with it. It was all about desire, and Kobe is just remarkable at elevating his game at the most important moments.
He's badly injured---if this weren't the playoffs they said he'd be on the IR. I think that had something to do with it---normally he's able to power through the defender and get to the line...you couldn't even have fit a piece of paper under his feet with the elevation he got on those shots that were blocked. I think he's gonna think about retiring after this one...
That sure was a pretty ending Bruce Bowen knows, he stood and watched it like us great box out, kobe bother-er
LOL lpbman that Kobe bother-er was hilarious. By the way the Spurs are softer then Hostess and to think I watched the whole game, actually cheering for the Spurs makes me sick.
Who would we use on Shaq? Let me give you some of my personal favorites: Carl Herrera Hakeem Otis Thorpe Zan Tabak Kobe?: Vernon Maxwell Mario Elie Clyde Drexler Sure Otis wasn't on the same rockets team as Clyde but I'm talking about a Rockets 93-95 vs. Lakers 00-02.
The bulls never did. Rockets routinely beat the bulls in the glory days [not saying it was easy but] Rocket River
That was in the regular season, and with a totally different team. It's much easier to match up with Olajuwon when you have Shaq, instead of Will Perdue or Bill Cartwright.
You're making it sound like the 95 Rockets were unbeatable. Frankly, the Rockets played a bunch of mentally weak teams, who all had histories of doing nothing in the playoffs. Also, like I said before, the Rockets had pyschological edges against all of their opponents, much like the Lakers do now. The Rockets would no longer really have that edge. I would also take Phil Jackson over Rudy T 8 days a week. One factor you might consider, is that Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell rountinely played some of the worst defense in the NBA. They were almost as bad defensively as Francis/Moochie. What this means is that it wouldn't crazy to pencil Fisher in for 15 ppg against them. Also, the idea that Elie would shutdown Kobe is pretty crazy. Kobe is one of those "unstoppable" players who can be uneffected by the best defenders in the NBA, like a Bruce Bowen. Bowen is a better defender than Elie was, and Kobe is doing ok against him. One other factor to consider, is that the Rockets were a poor offensive rebounding team. While LA gets their fair share of offensive boards.
I wonder what Duncan would be able to do if his man doubled off of him to help on Shaq, like Bowen did multiple times while he was guarding Bryant. Let's put this in perspective here -- Bryant isn't triple-teamed. He isn't double-teamed. He often times doesn't even have the full attention of the one man that is guarding him. He can relax all game. Bowen was doubling off of him, for crying out loud. Can you imagine doubling off of Duncan?
When you say the Rockets played mentally weak teams, I must ask who have the Lakers beaten lately that were mentally tough and had atleast one dominant player with solid role players who could hit open shots? I have not seen one team the Lakers have played that had an Hakeem calibur player with role players who could actually hit clutch shots and not be afraid of a team like the Lakers. I dont see any solid teams the Lakers have beaten, atleast I have not seen them beat teams that were any better than the teams Houston beat in 95. Houston 95 was not unbeatable, but they would be a great matchup against these Lakers. I personally think they would win because they actually had solid role players a good second star in Clyde, and a dominant center like Hakeem. Nowadays the Lakers beat teams that are also MENTALLY weak and beat teams that either have ONE DOMINANT STAR and weak roleplayers or a couple solid stars (but who are not ALL NBA calibur). This is why I do not respect the Lakers as much as a typical three peat or back-to-back champ of the past.
After Drexler's first game with the Rockets, he said "I've never been so wide open in my entire life". That's what Bryant's life is like.
QUESTION could the 93-95 Rockets beat this Spurs team? YES! The fact that this spurs team is actually IN every game says that the lakers would have fits with the rockets. Rocket River
I think the 94 or 95 Rockets would probably beat this year's Lakers. They would destroy this years Spurs (they handled a much tougher 95 Spurs team in fact), that is for sure. Last years Lakers team was a different matter because Shaq was playing much better (as was guys like Fox and Fisher). The best Rocket team to throw at them would have been the 94 team. Max defensively was as good as Bowen and though streaky his shot and offense is quite a bit better than Bowen's, you could also throw Elie at Kobe off the bench. And Hakeem and Thorpe would be the best pair in the league to throw at Shaq, and KS and Horry were excellent at making you pay for doubling on Hakeem. That Rocket team was great defensively (perhaps even better than the Lakers of the last 2 years) and presented a world of match-up problems.
I just wanted to say believe the hype, Kobe is for real and may get even better !!! He has been simply amazing to watch the past two playoff seasons. Even when he's having a bad game, he can still change it. Playoffs MVP no doubt. Now if we could get him in a Rockets uni.....
