Don't be unhappy, this is all about the Rockets and how the pieces they have built somewhat resemble the team's that Adelman had in Sacremento. This is a happy happy day Declan !!! DD
pretty sure lowry is a great passer. he is one of the better passers in the league, at least top 20, AT LEAST
Easy say than done. You said it right there...you just need to make the right pass at the right time....but I do not think Rockets players have the timing down. This is all about awareness and part of your skills too...some players just don't have it. I seen Brooks failing to see someone wide open under the basket many times because he dribble too much.
Brooks could use a little more seasoning there for sure, but he has only started one year, and by the end of the year was much better than the beginning. I expect him to pass more this year and shoot a bit less. DD
I was really just kidding and i see ur point as failed as it may be. Christie in 01 was a better player than shane and i dont know if its even a debate. Christie could run the point and allow bibby to play off the ball. Go look at kobe's fg% vs the kings during those years. Webber was a former #1 and bibby was the # 2 and both were in their prime. Bibby had better years stat wise in memphis when we used to debate bibby vs francis vs miller v terry during those years. Peja was up for mvp because he kept the kings in it when webber went down. When peja went down, hedo could come in and they wouldnt miss a beat. I know what youre trying to say,youre just wrong for saying it.
There is such a thing in the NBA called defense. I think Martin has made it once and I don't see AB making it with the likes of Paul, DWill, and Westbrook out there. They're borderline all-stars. We need another player to contend with LA, Miami, or Boston. I'm not sure why DD is so giddy with the current roster. Ya, we should make the playoffs but I want to win it all!
It is easiest to look back and less risky than projecting forward. I think this team has a chance to be as good as that one, if Yao is healthy and all indications are that he is.... YES !!! ...One star...........Clutchfans has officially reached nirvana of cynicism. DD
I agree this has been Adelman's goal. Well played Rockets??? I think there are holes in your analysis. First during that season Bibby was an excellent passer, quite a bit better at running that 'Princeton' type motion, pick, cut etc offense than Brooks and Lowery can do. The point was the key position and Bibby was very good finding the cutter and distributing the ball, I don't see Brooks near that level as a floor general. And if you think Brooks range and scoring makes up for that it doesn't it disrupts the scheme of the offense. Second- Divacs at that time was a quicker player, more crafty rebounder, flopper, passer and face up shooter than Yao. Also Divacs wasn't coming off major surgery. Third- Peja was lights out - left open he was deadly from the ouside. That offense was designed for the quick release Peja had off back picks and double picks. We don't have anyone that deadly a shot off the pick. Our scorers are more transition open space slashers. Fourth- Webber was certainly a better overall threat than Scola but I would give Scola more hustle plays and points - actually call that even Fifth- Battier has had some injury problems but he still is a great effort defender, Christie was pretty lock down that season, call even Sixth and final analysis- Yao will have limited minutes at the start of this season. We are not the 2001 Kings by any means but we are certainly doing our best to copy.
Ok, I can see your view....and that to me is one heck of a place to be after only a couple of years. I am very excited about this team, it has so much potential, and so many unknowns. Just flat out gonna be a fun year. DD
We were tenth in the league last year in opponents points per game. With Yao back we'll be higher. I think AB and Martin are perfectly capable of playing solid team defense with the big man back in the lineup. I agree, they are border line allstars, but isn't that the same as saying they have allstar potential? I'm not sure if anyone's capalble with contending with Miami, but that's why they play the games. I don't think some of the people on this board are giving our depth it's due. Miami's lack of depth could play a factor late in the season. If you don't get somewhat "giddy" about your team each and every upcoming season, then what's the point in being a fan? Everyone here want's to win it all, trust me.
Minor Corrections Maybe the 1992 Blazers Starters: C. Drexler- -Martin K. Duckworth- -YAO J. Kersey- -Battier T. Porter- -AB B. Williams- -Scola BENCH: Robert Pack Clifford Robinson Danny Ainge Mark Bryant Alaa Abdelnaby Rocket River
Yes, it's cynicism that causes people to question your comparison to a 2001 Kings team that had entirely different personnel than us, despite your best efforts to convince people otherwise...
I think this team has a couple of 10 game winning streaks in it too. Maybe a team record 58 wins overall.... There are similarities between the two and the coach likes that style of play.....comparing them is fun. Wouldn't you be happy if the team gelled like that one? DD
Comparing them is fun, and I'd be happy if they gelled like that. But you could say that about any really good team. It's sort of a personal thing for me, because when I first got NBA LP, the Kings were the West Coast team I always watched. Their offense was aesthetically pleasing, and I loved their unselfish style of play. I just don't think that we have the players who can recreate what we saw in Sacramento, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. One of the weaknesses of a Princeton style offense is that it's slow developing, and doesn't really take advantage of the type of individual mismatches that a player like Yao creates. IMO, we pretty much have the PERFECT roster to run a pure version of the Triangle offense.
Ok, think of it like this then, we get out and run, and when things are not there we run some of the Princeton offense and some of the Low post triangle? I think this team has major abilities all over the floor....very versatile, IMO. DD
We'll be the Kings as soon as we acquire someone as good as Chris Webber was in 2000. He wasn't top 5 I don't think (Shaq Duncan Garnett Hill Mourning might have been my top 5 back then) but likely good enough to be in the next 5. The Rockets need someone, anyone, to be in the top 10. Yao has a chance to get there but he needs to stay healthy. Here's to hoping. And if you were curious, here's the list of PER's for 1999-2000: Shaq - 30.6 Malone - 27.1 Mourning - 25.8 Duncan - 24.8 Robinson - 24.6 Hill - 24.5 Garnett - 23.6 Payton - 23.6 Webber - 23.6 Carter - 23.4 Truly the Dark Ages of basketball for such oldies as Malone, Mourning, Robinson, and Payton to be dominating the charts! Stockton was #11, Kobe 12, and shockingly for as good as they were made out to be, AI and TMac tied for 19th at 20.0.
