Good point REN: The Jazz are stronger this year then they have been in the past. Regarding the front court: This season we have pretty good depth there. Cato has been getting fit. That should help in the event that Hakeem gets injured again and Cato has to play significant minutes. We also added a guy by the name of Collier in the draft. Sure a lot of people don't like him because he's not all-star material, but he's a significant role-player. He can come in and stretch the defence and play the pick'n'roll well and give us a strong inside rebounding presence. As far as I can see he's a MUCH better option that Pig if our big men are all hurt! At PF we suddenly have a legitimate starter and that leaves KT/ Carlos and even Bullard to provide different options as backups. I'm REALLY looking forward to the season and seeing how everything clicks together ------------------
>>I'm not quite sure bout this, but dint the Rox win the series against the Mavs 3-1 last season? I thought I heard that somewhere.<< That has nothing to do with who will have the better regular season record. -GEN Well, in theory, if the Rox can beat the Mavs, then they are a better team, which means they should have a better regular season record. The only reason Houston dint have a better rec than Mavs last year was cuz of all the changes they had to go through. 7th Langhi? vs. Mason -GEN As someone already said, Langhi prolly wont be our 7th man... more likely our 9th or 10th man. Kenny Thomas or Cato will more than likely be our 7th man, and that's pretty damn good. >>Is there a team with a pg of Francis's level?<< Nets, Suns, Sonics. Other fine western conference PGs: Brandon, Stoudamire, Stockton.-GEN Yep, the Suns and Sonics have a pg of Francis's level... while Brandon, Stoudamire, and Stockton are all good pg's, they are NOT on the level that Francis will be next year. >> ONly Payton and Kidd match up with Francis...<< Everyone matches up with Walt.-GEN Exactly... it evens out. And maybe our bench can put us over the top? The frontcourt and it's depth is the problem.-GEN My argument is that our backcourt makes up for whatever shortcomings our frontcourt may have. And as I've already said, our frontcourt isnt bad at all. Taylor and Kenny Thomas is an impressive pf duo... both are young and are extremely capable on offense. And Kenny is due to make a big improvement as it will be his 2nd year. IF, Hakeem is relatively healthy, then he and an improved Cato should be pretty good too. >> and Francis has been workin out and killing the summer leagues all offseason too. He's gotten better. Is there a team with a 6th man of MObley's level?<< Sure. Portland (whomever), Minnesota (if they decide to make it Wally), Phoenix, maybe Dallas. But I've already said Houston has a killer backcourt rotation. The frontcourt and it's depth is the problem. -GEN Well, Portland is just damn crazy. It's just sick to think of SHAWN KEMP as their 6th man. But last year, Mobley led all reserves in the league in scoring, and his fg percentage increased every month also. I still think aside from Portland(how can you even count them ) and Phoenix, Mobley is a top level 6th man. >> Only Rodney Rogers matches up with Mobley, and Mobley mite be even better. Pretty much, their backcourt makes up for their frontcourt shortcomings. And our frontcourt is pretty good too... Cato has been working out all offseason and he should AT THE LEAST the same level as last season. << Shawn Bradley has been working out this offseason. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.-GEN True. But Cato has more potential than Shawn Bradley does, so if Cato has been working out and maximizes on his potential, he will be pretty good(and better than Shawn Bradley). >> Taylor, I believe, will finally do the intangibles and play a lot better after leavin the Clipps. Taylor mite not be Garnett, but YOU CANNOT compare him to Garnett. Garnett is one of the top 5 players in the league... and Malone is one of the best pf's in the game.<< Nowitzki and Baker are better.-GEN If Baker is better, how come Seattle tried to trade him in order to make space for Taylor? I think MAYBE Baker mite be better than Taylor, but Taylor just has much more potential. I'll give you Nowitzki though, but isnt he a small forward? I thought he played sf? ------------------ president of the dan langhi fan club.
>>I addressed most of your issues on another thread - like the 3-1 series to the Rocks and the Rocks winning in April when the Mavs had the best April record in the NBA and your<< Again, why does this have any bearing on who will make the playoffs? Just because one team is better in a head to head matchup doesn't mean they'll have a better playoff seed. >> lengthy list of additions of only which Laettner vs Mo means anything.<< What? Why is that the only acquisition that "means anything?" >>Bottomline is this. The Clutch BBS is designed for FAN expression. It is the nature of most FANS to be optimistic (some overly, some cautiously). FANS and players with winning attitudes have at least one thing in common - belief in the renewal of the season and that anything is possible with some hard work.<< I'm a Michael Chang fan, but I'm aware that the chances of him winning another major are slim. ------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
N. 1. Nelson, enough said. If the quality of the coach is what determines a team's outcome, Sacramento would never win and Houston would have won 60 games last year. 2. Match-up problems. Finely plays SF and Dirk Finley can play the 2 and the 3. I'm not even sure what his best position is. plays SF(slow feet), I don't know where this "slow feet" thing came from. He's 7 feet, 250. I guess this somehow destroys his ballhandling and shooting in your mind. PF(not strong enough to out muscles guys like Webber), KG isn't strong enough either, but he's doing just fine. C(pity...). Please!!!How are you going to win when your best players are playing out of position. San Antonio's been playing Duncan out of position for a while now. Dirk and Fin are both multi-positional players. HE is not a bad point guard but there is no way hell he'll be matching up against guys like Steve, Cassell, Marbury, Payton, Kidd and Brandon etc. Bradley is just another walking stick. It's not even funny when you compared him with Cato. Cato looks like a bust at this point. One disappointing center against another. 3. No legitimate C. 4. Nobody that reliable from the coaching staff. Having two, three coaches on one player is not the way to improve your player. Instead of having 100coaches I would rather have one influential coach whom players are prepared to listen and follow. 5. No leader. Who's Houston's leader? We know who their best player is, but Fin's as good of a leader as Francis. P.S. According to ESPN report, Houston is a playoff team and Kings future is rather bleak. As long as they have Webber, the Kings will be a force. ------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
course. Also, comparing last year's records is really a bogus argument, as our record was incredible low due to injuries of 2 One of those players is gone forever and the other has done nothing to make me think he'll be more than a shadow of himself. The Kings: They have a great PF and little else. Jason Williams, I hear you cry. They've got Peja, Doug Christie and the perenially underrated Divac. If he would quit showboating so much, maybe He would be a upper second tier PG, but as it is, he turns the ball over more often than the highlight reels would let on and he shoots a lousy percentage. His defense is also weak. I agree, Jwill is terrible. Hopefully for the Kings Christie will help out. The Wolves: They most likely will be higher seeded than us. Thank you! The Spazz: One more year of age, one more year of Malone's whining to the media, and the loss of big time clutch shooter Hornacek. They're going down. I've said that for years, but I'm going to stop this year. They added Marshall and Starks and maybe their rook can contribute. Don't play down the loss of Ceballos for Laettner (an underachieving PF in his own right (and don't tell me he's a C; he's in the West now)). That was a big step in the wrong direction and a big reason why our off-season was better than yours. Sorry, I'll take picking up Mo without losing anything over that. Etan Thomas, Etan Thomas, Etan Thomas. Thomas will be good, though I'm not sure how much he'll contribute his first year and Alexander definitely has potential. He's better than Collier, I can tell you that for sure. Harvey on the other hand is great hustler, but he is undersized in both weight and height. So was Rodman! He also has an ugly jump shot that he's lucky to knock down at distance outside of 12 feet. Rodman..... ------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
It would appear that the regular season record is significant to you. I think it is very important to keep in mind that the Rockets played .500 ball in the new millenium. From January on, we had a .500 record including some remarkable winning streaks and some nasty losing streaks. We are not building on the record we had for the season- what was it? 33 wins? Here's the deal- the injuries to Hakeem and Charles meant far more than just injuries to the best players on the team. It required an entire new game plan, coaching style, play calling, and the official handing the reigns over to the young'uns. Did they suck it up through December? Oh, yes they did indeed. Big time. But January came, and suddenly the team was using the New System successfully- and winning very, very big games. It took the This is an excellent point. But the coma the Rockets went through with the injuries could be compared to the Mavs Rodman induced coma. You also seem to be a matchups guy, which really isn't very meaningful in the world of winning and losing games. Remember Orlando's cast. Remember Vancouver. Rockets have a coaching staff that completely changed the system of play in mid-season and showed tons of potential. The Rockets are a winning organization. It only gets better from here. I agree. I thought they'd make the playoffs this year until they had a pretty bad draft (through no fault of their own). ------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
Well, in theory, if the Rox can beat the Mavs, then they are a better team, which means they should have a better regular season record. Well, the Mavs had a better regular season record and they lost the season series, so.... The only reason Houston dint have a better rec than Mavs last year was cuz of all the changes they had to go through. Barkley's not coming back, so consider him still injured. Nets, Suns, Sonics. Other fine western conference PGs: Brandon, Stoudamire, Stockton.[/b]-GEN Yep, the Suns and Sonics have a pg of Francis's level... while Brandon, Stoudamire, and Stockton are all good pg's, they are NOT on the level that Francis will be next year. So? >> ONly Payton and Kidd match up with Francis...<< Everyone matches up with Walt.-GEN Exactly... it evens out. And maybe our bench can put us over the top? If it was good, maybe. The frontcourt and it's depth is the problem.-GEN My argument is that our backcourt makes up for whatever shortcomings our frontcourt may have. So Fin and Dirk can't make up for their team's shortcomings? >> and Francis has been workin out and killing the summer leagues all offseason too. He's gotten better. Is there a team with a 6th man of MObley's level?<< Sure. Portland (whomever), Minnesota (if they decide to make it Wally), Phoenix, maybe Dallas. But I've already said Houston has a killer backcourt rotation. The frontcourt and it's depth is the problem. -GEN Well, Portland is just damn crazy. It's just sick to think of SHAWN KEMP as their 6th man. But last year, Mobley led all reserves in the league in scoring, and his fg percentage increased every month also. I still think aside from Portland(how can you even count them ) and Phoenix, Mobley is a top level 6th man. No argument there, but having a good sixth man doesn't solve all your problems. >> Only Rodney Rogers matches up with Mobley, and Mobley mite be even better. Pretty much, their backcourt makes up for their frontcourt shortcomings. And our frontcourt is pretty good too... Cato has been working out all offseason and he should AT THE LEAST the same level as last season. << Shawn Bradley has been working out this offseason. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.-GEN True. But Cato has more potential than Shawn Bradley does, so if Cato has been working out and maximizes on his potential, he will be pretty good(and better than Shawn Bradley). Anyone 7'6" has unbelievable potential. >> Taylor, I believe, will finally do the intangibles and play a lot better after leavin the Clipps. Taylor mite not be Garnett, but YOU CANNOT compare him to Garnett. Garnett is one of the top 5 players in the league... and Malone is one of the best pf's in the game.<< Nowitzki and Baker are better.-GEN If Baker is better, how come Seattle tried to trade him in order to make space for Taylor? Because they'd get Ewing too? Because they're thinking about a youth movement? I think MAYBE Baker mite be better than Taylor, but Taylor just has much more potential. I'll give you Nowitzki though, but isnt he a small forward? I thought he played sf? He plays every position except point guard for the Mavs. God love ya Nellie! [/B][/QUOTE] ------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
Gen~ Say what you want about the rockets but your signature is offensive. There are kids that come in here and they really do not need to read that kind of material. If that kind of action is something you like then keep it where it belongs...in your bedroom. Grow up.... BTW, the Rockets are better than the Mavs. ------------------ Houston Rockets Forever!! In Rudy We Trust
I nominate this thread as one of the hardest to read in the history of this BBS. Gen, any points you may make are marred by your horrible presentation of them. ------------------ I am so exasperated that I could expectorate.
First of all, Gen, I pretty much agree w/ your playoff predictions for next season. All the teams that made it in the West last season will probably make it again. Perhaps one of the teams out of Utah, Seattle, Kings, Twolves will falter and not make it. We'll see. But, this thing about the Mavs getting the 6th spot? Come on now...you're just joking right? Cuban and Nellie are making a mockery of professional bball with that joke of a team their slapping together with has beens, never will be's, and flat out scrubs. Other than Finley (who I agree is top 3 in SF's) and perhaps Nowitzki, everyone else on that team is marginal at best. They have no NBA-caliber PG, SG, or C who would start on most other teams. Stockpiling 15-16 average players and adding a r****ded coach does not get you the 6th spot in the West. And by the way, Dallas may have had a better winning percentage than Hou last year, but you must also take into account all the injuries, transition of new offense system, and 7 new players Hou had. I think Hou and Dallas will probably compete for the 8th/9th spot in the West this year. ------------------
I second Crisco's assertion. Dang my eyeballs hurt ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
Im with Crisco and Bob!I was going to say the same damn thing but the kid mentioned it 1st! ------------------
This is exactly why they toss the ball up and let 'em play. ------------------ Save Our Rockets and Comets SaveOurRockets.com
First, let me say that I personally have the utmost respect for all of those teams (though I do hate the Utah Moving Picks, of course. Also, comparing last year's records is really a bogus argument, as our record was incredible low due to injuries of 2 of our star players and adaption to an entirely new offenseive scheme. Now, why do I think that we have a chance at beating out any of these teams? The Kings: They have a great PF and little else. Jason Williams, I hear you cry. If he would quit showboating so much, maybe He would be a upper second tier PG, but as it is, he turns the ball over more often than the highlight reels would let on and he shoots a lousy percentage. His defense is also weak. The Sonics: Vin is the X-factor. Will Gary hurt his widdle filwings sending him into another Haggen-Daas drowned depression. Also, if this guy is so much better than Taylor, then why were the Sonics, so desperate to dump Vin and pick up Mo? If Vin comes to play, and the Sonics can finally get over their chemistry problems, this will be a tough match-up (though not an unwinnable one). Otherwise, thr Rockets will be better. The Wolves: They most likely will be higher seeded than us. The Spazz: One more year of age, one more year of Malone's whining to the media, and the loss of big time clutch shooter Hornacek. They're going down. Don't play down the loss of Ceballos for Laettner (an underachieving PF in his own right (and don't tell me he's a C; he's in the West now)). That was a big step in the wrong direction and a big reason why our off-season was better than yours. Sorry, I'll take picking up Mo without losing anything over that. Thomas will be good, though I'm not sure how much he'll contribute his first year and Alexander definitely has potential. Harvey on the other hand is great hustler, but he is undersized in both weight and height. He also has an ugly jump shot that he's lucky to knock down at distance outside of 12 feet. I even go to the University of Florida and liked the guy okay, when he was here, but he could have definitely used a few more years of college ball to improve his game. He is a project like Collier, but I honestly believe that Collier has a bigger upside just due to his already developed offensive game and size. The jury is out on who will be better, El Hoopo or Langhi. I think I'll go with all the coaches who chose Langhi to be the SEC Player of the Year though. And why do people forget coaching. Dallas should have been a perenial play-off team with Jackson, Kidd, and Mashburn, several years back, but because of bad coaching and crappy chemistry, they sucked. Will Dallas break out of almost 2 decades of funk to make the play-offs? I'll believe it when I see it. ------------------
1) There's nothing Over-Optimistic about thinking the Rockets have a shot at the playoffs. 2) On Paper, the Mavs look pretty good. But then again on paper the Blazers were so absolutely superior to the rest of the league last year they should have just canceled the season all together - But funny things happen, teams with greater chemistry, better coaches and more desire come along and thats why they play the game. There in fact remains a good chance that the Rockets will not only be better than the Mavs this year, they will in fact make the playoffs too. ------------------ Who would've thought Don Nelson would pass up Olumide Oyedeji not once, not twice, but thrice?
Hey Gen...think of your post this way. The Mavs added a huge number of talented players this offseason. The Grizzlies have always had a lot of talented players (Abdur-Rahim, Bibby, Dickerson etc...) But have they ever made the playoffs? Did they ever come close of making the playoffs? Nowitzky=Abdur-Rahim Dickerson=Alexander Harrington=a younger, better Laetner And all those scrubs like etan thomas, najera, and harvey are gonna end up being the 10th, 11th, and 12th player on the benches respectively. And Finley is a great player but there's only so much rock to go around if you expect courtny alexander to get his 20 points a game or Nowitzky to improve on his already excellent game. It was probably a bad example to compare the talent of the griz to the mavs but hey, it's a pretty legitimate point. (I hope ) ------------------
Uhhhhmmm . . . I think you must have missed the point Keep in mind that our record was significantly worse the first half of the season, when Chuck and Hakeem went down. When we retooled the offense without them, our record improved in the second half of the season. Thus, the fact that one is "gone forever" and the other is a "shadow" of his former self is hardly relevant considering that neither player is emphasized in the newer more successful offensive scheme. Yawwwnn! By Peja, I assume you mean Predrag Stojakovic. Good shooter, little else. Doug Christie? Yeah, sure, you're really reaching now. Divac? He runs hot and cold and should be moving past his prime just in time for the Kings to decline. Christie is a natural SG and will see minimal time at PG, unless JWill is injured or in jail on possesion charges. Starks is nowhere near the clutch player Hornacek was and Marshall and "their rook" may be decent, but the jury is out on whether the Spazz can maintain their chemistry with these new guys. The only thing that has kept the Jazz near the top of the west for so long is their great chemistry. When (yes I did say "when") they lose that, you can call them the Utah Clippers. So what? So what? So what? Cedric Ceballos? Cedric Ceballos? Cedric Ceballos? You haven't addressed why this loss for Laettner wasn't a step in the wrong direction. He might be a better defender, but his offensive game isn't as good, so the jury's still out on that. Besides, Collier or Thomas probably won't see a whole lot of minutes this first year anyway, so the point is moot. As I said, I am from the University of Florida and Harvey is not now, nor do I honestly believe that he ever even has the potential to be as good of a defender or rebounder as Rodman. He is still light year away in both categories. Incidentally, he's about an inch shorter and 40 lbs lighter to Rodman, since my initial criticism was about his weight and height. ------------------
------------------ "Homosexuals are just trying to make their sodomy as morally acceptable as the sodomy I enjoy in my church-sanctioned marriage." Frank Brodhagen, The Onion
