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[OrlandoSentinel] Rockets won't win Title with Yao, TMac alone

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by yaomania, Jan 23, 2005.

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  1. yaomania

    yaomania Contributing Member

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    NBA CONFIDENTIAL: TIM POVTAK
    Rockets won't win title with Yao, T-Mac alone

    By Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
    Posted January 23, 2005

    With Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets will contend for an NBA title one day.

    But that day is at least a few years away.

    Their roster makes it obvious.

    The two cornerstones will be just fine. McGrady, 25, and Yao, 24, will grow nicely into their roles in the coming seasons. It's the worn-out journeymen around them now who will change in coming seasons like a revolving door.

    The Rockets must have been dreaming this past summer -- giddy from obtaining McGrady -- when they declared themselves ready to be contenders immediately.

    You can't finish a jigsaw puzzle if all the pieces didn't come in the box.

    When the Rockets traded three starters to Orlando for McGrady, it was like moving into a nice, big, new house but not having any money left to fill it with furniture. That's what the salary cap does.

    The signing last week of out-of-work, 38-year-old point guard Rod Strickland was an example of how desperate they are in trying to fill roles.

    Houston's roster is filled with guys who are so well-traveled, they can't remember the name on the front of their jerseys sometimes.

    The three other starters -- Juwan Howard, David Wesley and Bob Sura -- have a combined 33 years of experience with 15 teams.

    Strickland and backup center Dikembe Mutombo, both 38, have a combined 31 years of experience. Backups Jon Barry and Clarence Weatherspoon have played on a combined 15 teams in their careers.

    Experience might be important in this league, but too much experience is just old and tired. Veteran leadership is a wonderful thing, but this is not designed to be an old-timers game.

    "I've been to so many places," said Strickland last week, "that every road trip now seems like a reunion."

    When he made his Houston debut against the Magic last week, he became the sixth point guard they have used this season, still trying to plug the hole left by Steve Francis when he was traded to the Magic.

    "We're still a work in progress," Houston Coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...58329.story?coll=orl-magic&ctrack=2&cset=true
     
    #1 yaomania, Jan 23, 2005
  2. Plowman

    Plowman Contributing Member
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    Geez,what a hack.
    Rome wasn't built in a day.
     
    #2 Plowman, Jan 23, 2005
  3. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Contributing Member

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    Isn't that what the article is saying?
     
    #3 Oski2005, Jan 23, 2005
  4. bob718

    bob718 Contributing Member

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    Bulls didn't win Title with Jordan, Pippen alone.
    Lakers didn't win Title with Shaq, Kobe alone.

    You need to have the Zen Master too.:D
     
    #4 bob718, Jan 23, 2005
  5. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    Wow, "this just in huh"? ;)
     
    #5 Deuce, Jan 23, 2005
  6. deadlybulb

    deadlybulb Contributing Member

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    Thanks, Captain Obvious.
     
    #6 deadlybulb, Jan 23, 2005
  7. smoothie

    smoothie Jabari Jungle

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    i'm still lost. is this guy saying that we need role players? :confused:




















    :rolleyes:
     
    #7 smoothie, Jan 23, 2005
  8. Faos

    Faos Contributing Member

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    Orlando ain't gonna be winning one soon either.
     
    #8 Faos, Jan 23, 2005
  9. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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    Seems like there are more stories about the Rockets in the Orlando paper than there are about the Magic.

    :confused:
     
    #9 ima_drummer2k, Jan 23, 2005
  10. Cohen

    Cohen Contributing Member

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    It's a 'duh' article, except he claims that it's news to the Rockets. He claims we considered ourselves to be immediate contenders.

    Who, in the Rockets organization, said that we'd be immediate contenders? I don't recall that at all.
     
    #10 Cohen, Jan 23, 2005
  11. Cohen

    Cohen Contributing Member

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    Amusing, isn't it? I never realized that Orlando..nians ( :confused: ) were so sensitive.
     
    #11 Cohen, Jan 23, 2005
  12. solid

    solid Contributing Member

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    Eureeeeeka! A revelation of great magnitude! How would we have ever known this!
     
    #12 solid, Jan 23, 2005
  13. Gummi Clutch

    Gummi Clutch Contributing Member

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    These guys have more sour grapes than anyone I've ever seen.
    Honestly I wish you guys would quit posting it.
    It's disgusting.
     
    #13 Gummi Clutch, Jan 23, 2005
  14. dandorotik

    dandorotik Contributing Member

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    "The three other starters -- Juwan Howard, David Wesley and Bob Sura -- have a combined 33 years of experience with 15 teams."

    Didn't Wesley only play for 1 team? Isn't that the equivalent of Jon Barry saying when he scored 3 and T-Mac scored 45- "we combined for 48 points"?

    Favorite comment was when they asked Barkley about Danny Ainge and Vernon Maxwell- "Them boys are crazy. If you had both of them in an elevator and they needed to get to the 15th floor, one would push 7 and the other would push 8."
     
    #14 dandorotik, Jan 23, 2005
  15. codell

    codell Contributing Member

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    Yeah the Orlando media appear to be a lil obsessed with T-Mac and his new team.


    Since the season started, has the Chronicle had one article about Francis and the Magic?
     
    #15 codell, Jan 23, 2005
  16. KaiSeR SoZe

    KaiSeR SoZe Contributing Member

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    it's hard to win championships playing 2 on 5
     
    #16 KaiSeR SoZe, Jan 23, 2005
  17. hotballa

    hotballa Contributing Member

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    Thank you Captain Obvious!
     
    #17 hotballa, Jan 23, 2005
  18. Tdogg

    Tdogg Member

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    I know that I am probably stating the obviuos, but it's probably due to the bitterness they still hold for T-Mac. It just appears they want him to fail miserably, moreso than i guess the 21 win season of last year.

    I'll bet if T-mac was injured for a long period of time many bitter magic fans would feel redeemed.
     
    #18 Tdogg, Jan 23, 2005
  19. yaomania

    yaomania Contributing Member

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    Nets, Celtics, Hornets (in Charlotte and NOLA)
     
    #19 yaomania, Jan 23, 2005
  20. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
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    Wesley was on the Nets and Celtics before the Hornets ... the Rockets are his 4th team.

    Povtak is the one who said Yao had regressed this season. I don't think that's the case.... rather he just hasn't progressed as we would like.

    I just think it's more obsession for Orlando, to paint the Rockets/McGrady as huge disappointments and the Magic as incredible overachievers. It's all about the bar of expectations though, so this is the only year Orlando will be able to do this - let them have their fun. I do still laugh though at their cheerleader analysis of the "trade" with Orlando overwhelming winners because of the improvement in their record... completely ignoring the other significant changes made to their team.

    Hooray Orlando! You've proven a team of Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley-or-Doug Christie and Kelvin Cato, combined with the #1 draft pick (Dwight Howard), another first round pick (Jameer Nelson), a no-longer-injured franchise player (Grant Hill), a no-longer-injured three-point specialist (Pat Garrity), an acquired defensive specialist (Tony Battie) and a blossoming free agent pickup (Hedo Turkoglu) can in fact win more games than Tracy McGrady and Donnell Harvey. Whoo-hoo!

    What no one in Orlando wants to say is what this team would be like if they kept McGrady - instead they skip right to "look what the trade has done for the Magic!". Not only did it give them three starters from a West playoff team, it also heals the sick and performs miracles! Now THAT's a trade fellas! You know, when the Rockets beat the Magic in Orlando last year, and Yao had 37 points, the Magic started McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Keith Bogans and Andrew DeClerq.

    T-Mac... what a loser! :)
     
    #20 Clutch, Jan 23, 2005
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