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Prediction : Lakers will have better year than the Rockets

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004.

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Who will have a better record next year?

  1. Rockets

    502 vote(s)
    94.0%

  2. Lakers

    32 vote(s)
    6.0%
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  1. whiplashtony

    whiplashtony Member

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    The thought of Rudy T coaching in Lakerland just makes me ill. What's even worse is that I predict the lakers are going to have a better season with less talent. I still root for the Rockets, and always will, but there is just something about Jeff VanJundy that make it real difficult to watch his teams. Its not just style of play. I don't think that the players LIKE playing for him. And it shows in the their effort. I know that Yao is playing for his homeland, but he's made an obvious connection with Del Harris. I think a coach like Del, or Rudy T would have been a much wiser decision to bring along Yao's development. While I'll never forgive Rudy T for prematurely handing the team over to Francis over Dream, I think they should have stuck with him. Seems like a lot of posters have already accepted Van Gundy as the Rockets answer, I'd just like to know how many out there still question Van Gundy being the right guy for Yao.

    Who will have a better record next year?
    Rockets
    Lakers
     
    #1 whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004
  2. rich_argh

    rich_argh Member

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    jeff has led his teams to second round three times, once to finals, once to conference, and twice to first...

    dunno what im trying to say but yea
     
    #2 rich_argh, Aug 25, 2004
  3. snowmt01

    snowmt01 Contributing Member

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    :rolleyes:

    Then how do you explain our Gangs of New York?
    His assistant coaches denied Knicks extension to join him.
    His former players all have nothing but praise for him, including
    the twice traded Glen Rice.
     
    #3 snowmt01, Aug 25, 2004
  4. Severe Rockets Fan

    Severe Rockets Fan Takin it one stage at a time...

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    Who do you think would be the right coach for Yao?
     
    #4 Severe Rockets Fan, Aug 25, 2004
  5. The_Yoyo

    The_Yoyo Contributing Member

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    i honestly think the rockets will be better because even though we too had a pretty big change in the roster we have gotten veteran players who know the system and their roles on the team. We have two great young stars who require double teams and the rest can feed off of them. Our JVG system has been in place already for one year and all the returning players already know what they have to do in his system.

    now look at the lakers: only kobe is the remaining starter from last years team. thats a whole total lineup change while having vlade is a big boost, his age and condition will only allow him to log 30mpg or less (his last season in sac he was subbed quite a bit to 'save' him for the playoffs) while Rudy T is a great coach the whole team is gonna have to learn the system anew, and they have one PG only and he is a less than adequate pg at that (atkins) while the rockets have their own pg woes, ward already knows how jvg operates his system and will fit in quickly, sura is versatile on both ends and lue has some experience from being with the lakers. to sum our pg situation is in much better shape than the lakers which is the key position in terms of trying to run an offense. the lakers forwards are in good shape but there are too many SFs on that team and odom isnt not a pf in the west.

    what it breaks down to is chemistry and right now the lakers have too many similar pieces while the rockets are really only missing one (decent backup C) to be a serious threat in the west if they arent already.

    i predict the lakers to finish 6 or 7 but the rockets 4 in the west behind SA,Minn,Sac (1-3 because of the division seedings)
     
    #5 The_Yoyo, Aug 25, 2004
  6. solid

    solid Contributing Member

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    Here is a prediction: the Rockets will sweep the Lakers in the regular season and the Lakers will not make the playoffs. Kobe will discover that life without Shaq is more difficult than expected. The Rockets will discover that life without Francis is better than expected. Good days are ahead for Rocket fans, dark days ahead for LA.
     
    #6 solid, Aug 25, 2004
  7. Old Man Rock

    Old Man Rock Contributing Member

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    I know exactly what you mean. JVG is dry and emotionless. He shows no passion or heart for the game. He may have a basketball mind but he doesn't have the heart of a champion. Still he is our coach now and I will root for him even against Rudy. But this is the defining season for JVG. They must make it past the first round or he should be canned. Last year's team was much better talent wise than the year before and yet they barely made the playoffs.

    As for your question, the Rockets are much more talented than the Lakers. With their talent only San antonio and maybe the Twolves should do better. The Lakers lost the most dominant player in the league and they will be lucky to make the playoffs. If they do that Rudy will have had a good year. As for the Rockets... be aware JVG you are on a short leash. Anything less than the conference finals and go back to NY with all of your cronies...
     
    #7 Old Man Rock, Aug 25, 2004
  8. Severe Rockets Fan

    Severe Rockets Fan Takin it one stage at a time...

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    This is got to be one of the most JVG-hating statements I've ever seen posted. He's emotionless? I can't believe that you've seen even 1 Rockets game last year, because if you did you'd see him living and dying with almost every position. He's probably not the most likable coach(most aren't), still, he's anything but dry and emotionless.
     
    #8 Severe Rockets Fan, Aug 25, 2004
  9. whiplashtony

    whiplashtony Member

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    The Yoyo,

    You pretty much summed up the party line. The reason I posted my poll is while it may be popular opinon that the Rockets will do better, especially on these boards, I wanted to post my opinion long before the season so when its over next year I can point back and show what a smart guy I am ;)

    I think that Rudy T is very underated coach, and better than Van Gundy. Van Gundy has always inheirted systems and players, although I do give him credit for the squad that got to the finals with Sprewell. But when his players quit on him, he got out before he could take the rap. Rudy T has created two entirely different systems, winning a championship with Hakeem and a post oriented offense, and then creating a perimiter offense the league actually instituted rules to prevent - the steve francis iso era. You can argue they changed the rules for his post style offense as well. I think Rudy T is more creative, players WANT to play for him (which made Houston a desirable place for free agents), and the Rockets organization will regret the way his tenure ended. Van Gundy has probably 2 of the most dominant offensive players in the league now, and guess what he's going to try and make them do - play defense. If Rudy T and the Lakers exceed expectations in LA, just remember who told you so.

    *Shivers at the thought of Kobe in a ISO oriented offense*
     
    #9 whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004
  10. thegame_2234

    thegame_2234 Contributing Member

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    DA! ROCKETS :rolleyes:


    come on this is a Rockets fans site :cool:
     
    #10 thegame_2234, Aug 25, 2004
  11. dback816

    dback816 Member

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    How the hell is LA gonna be better?

    Kobe will be overworked, period. Because he cant do it all. Lakers fans are pure fanboys, they think their team is like the best in the world, they can win with Kobe and 10 random desert amigos. It's absurd how they think

    They will have a GOOD season by their talent standard, but no way in hell are they gonna be any where as good as Rox. UnlEss something major happens, Rox wins at least 7 more games than the Lakers.
     
    #11 dback816, Aug 25, 2004
  12. dback816

    dback816 Member

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    Some addition to my reply

    What is this crap? So you wanna make some absurd and farfetched prediciton, and then dig it out a year later if it comes true? If it doesnt come true, no normal sane person is gonna remember anyway so you're just gonna let it fade away? This is pathetic.

    You can count on the fact that Lakers will be decent but not better than the ROckets. JVG's way of playing may not be the most convenient way for offensive machines like TMac and Yao, but what matters is that JVG knows how to coach basketball. He has NEVEr had a wing player like TMaC and yes that does raise some concern on how to handle him, but there's a first time for everything, and I bet JVG has a million plays he dreamed up running focusing around a SG like TmAc in new york but never got the chance to run it.

    JVG is an emotional guy and I think that will put some juice in to TMac's defense and hopefully rest of the team. The defense is gone, but the offense is more powerful than ever. Expect to see a more balanced and well rounded team next season. May it be the jack of all trade but a pretty damn good one.
     
    #12 dback816, Aug 25, 2004
  13. Verbatim

    Verbatim Member

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    Frankly, I don't care where the Lakers finish. Rudy is a good coach but he's handicapped with the players he has (other than Kobe and Odom). As for finishing ahead of the Rockets. Doesn't matter how they finish as long as the Rockets are in the playoffs.

    The team up north is shaping up to be better than expected. They now have someone to play d in the middle. The race for the top just got a little tougher.

    JVG will be good for Yao, he needed the decipline and the push to better himself. Rudy would have been good with Yao also but the pass is the pass and now the coach of the Rockets is JVG.

    This will be an exciting season for the Rockets.
     
    #13 Verbatim, Aug 25, 2004
  14. thugLove

    thugLove Contributing Member

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    Lakers with Kobe carrying the team will be like Orlando with T-Mac carrying them. Rockets will be like the Lakers with an unstoppable Center-Shooting guard combo. How ironic. :D :D
     
    #14 thugLove, Aug 25, 2004
  15. Severe Rockets Fan

    Severe Rockets Fan Takin it one stage at a time...

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    If players wanting to play for coaches made as big a difference as you think it does then Rudy would be the highest paid, and most sot(couldn't remember how to spell it) after coach in the league. It doesn't and he isn't. Is there any other reason you think the Lakers will do better than the Rockets?
    BTW, you never answered my question. Who do you think would be the right coach for Yao?
     
    #15 Severe Rockets Fan, Aug 25, 2004
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2004
  16. whiplashtony

    whiplashtony Member

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    Staying with Rudy T originally is my point. Keeping Mr. Mean as interim coach if necessary.

    I can't remember everyone available when Van Gundy was hired, but I believe Doug Collins, Hubie Brown, and Dell Harris were all available. Probably the first think you have to ask yourself when hiring a coach is if the players will play for him.

    I'm sure the cell phone call from Francis to Mobley when Van Gundy was hired was something along the lines of, "Awww sh*t!"

    If Van Gundy does get canned after this year, Phil Jackson will be the obvious name as a replacement. Unfortunately, unless the Rockets really tank it, I think more mediocre playoff success will continue the Van Gundy era.

    I would never accuse Van Gundy of not being pationate or a hard worker. I just think his leadership style of berating players into doing what he says doesn't work with this generation of players. Didn't work with Mobley or Francis, I dont think its going to work with Yao and McGrady. He's a good coach for a verteran club not meeting expectations that needed a kick in the ass. If personel moves continue like they have, we'll have exactly that club. I think I already posted that we could have salvaged Griffin if Rudy T was coach.
     
    #16 whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004
  17. whiplashtony

    whiplashtony Member

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    Absurd, no. An absurd prediction would be the Clippers will win it all next year. I thought I gave some pretty valid reasons why my prediction will happen. Rudy T has proven he can tailor an offense around its stars, and he has the best perimiter player in the league now. And the point isn't to dig it up at later date just to say I was right, its to get toss the idea around that Van Gundy may not be the right guy for Yao's development. Predicting Rudy T's success is a way of supporting my claim.
     
    #17 whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004
  18. Davidoff

    Davidoff Contributing Member

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    Well how to you explain LARRY BROWN???
     
    #18 Davidoff, Aug 25, 2004
  19. whiplashtony

    whiplashtony Member

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    Rudy T is coaching in L.A. I'm pretty sure that puts him on the short list of most desirable coach's in the world. Look at the respect Shaq showed Rudy during the trade demands. Its also a reason why Malone may sign up for another year. I have no idea what Rudy's input into the payton trade was, but it was clear Gary was happy about how Rudy wanted to use him.

    The Laker Bigs are underated. Slava, Malone, Grant, Vlade aint so bad. Especially when you have Odom at SF cause he can board, and Kobe. Its the point thats gonna hurt them if anything.

    And .. scroll up, I posted the answer you were looking for.
     
    #19 whiplashtony, Aug 25, 2004
  20. DreamWeaver

    DreamWeaver Member

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    I would have predicted a better record for the Rox even if Shaq had stayed in LA. Without a dominant center, Lakers will be lucky to make it into the PS in 2005.
     
    #20 DreamWeaver, Aug 25, 2004
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