ive been saying this all year long.. we should keep the core of steve, yao, jj, cat.. we just need one or two aquisitions that we need the most, a point guard that can really get the team flowing and a power forward that can help yao with the banging, rebounding, and defense in the court. we do not need to break up our core, just a few acquisitions that'll compliment both yao and steve and help them carry the load.
It should not be a surprise to you guys that Horry and ellie and Cassell picks Dream over Duncan, Shaq and KG. A simple reason, dream is in a whole other level from these guys. I'm not saying Duncan Shaq and KG are not going to be on that level some day, they're not there yet. I ranked MJ, Dream, Bird, Magic on that same level.
Let Duncan finish his career first. Then we'll get a better view of where he ranks in terms of greatness. Duncan could very well finish his career with 4+ rings when it's all said and done.
Everyone is IMO too concerned with rings. Robert Horry has at least five and could have 7+ before he is done. Would that make him a better player than Duncan or the Dream? However, I do agree that we should compare players at the ends of the their careers, not before.
I was referring to the leaders (The leader and their legacy). Not the the supporting cast. Although, it's true that the supporting cast is a very important. In fact, it's the supporting cast that may decide whether you become a 1 or 2 ring team vs a 3 or 4 ring team regardless of the caliber of "star" you might have as your leader. It's all a factor that must be recognized. It's the difference between a true dynasty vs a single or two ring team. For example, I think it would be quite possible that the Rockets could have won 3 or 4 rings from 1986 to 1997 if Drelxer had been with the Rockets since 1983, rather than traded for in 1994 (towards the end of his career). Just as it's quite possible that Duncan wouldn't have two rings today (possibly three) if it wasn't for the assistance of guys like Robinson, Elliott, Johnson, Parker, and Ginobli and instead sounded Duncan with average players and expected him to "carry the team." Not wise. Duncan may have been able to get 1 ring playing in those conditions. But that's not the way to build a team with any longevity of winning.
Man we really had a good bunch of players centered around Dream. To this day I'm still annoyed with the Barkley trade..but it's done and over with.... Wish JVG got him on our staff too.. but like the barkley trade... it's done and over with too...
Yeah, and let's not forget in 94 we were "Dream and 4 other guys." 95 we had Clyde, but 94 was ALL Dream.
I fifth it. Whatever. I wanted to see the Rockets assemble a team of good assistants for both x/os and player development. I was hoping to get Mario and I wanted Kareem for Yao, and a triangle guy like Jim Cleamons as an offensive strategy assistant. Oh well. We got grumpy and little grumpys.
Considering that everone seems to value JYD's opinion, it's kinda funny that when he (Ellie) indicates that SF is great, but no one seems to be mentioning that.
I basically agree with this, though I've always thought that Cassell in particular played at an all-star level throughout most of the 94 playoffs. Unless you've got the luxury of having 4 Hall of Famer types on your team, you need a few surprises from the late first or second round. I'm glad to see Sam doing so well in Minnesota. He was always a big game player.
I don't think anyone believes that rings alone is what makes one player better than another. The comparison is between two men who had to carry their teams. As far as I know, no one has ever accused Horry of carrying a team. When it comes to Dream and Duncan, I wouldn't kick either off my team. They are both remarkable players. Hakeem, however, is my favorite (and not just because I'm a Rockets fan). Duncan gets the job done (and is my favorite active NBA player), but Hakeem made my jaw drop on a regular basis.
