I cant wait to see Steve break Parker's ankles. I remember one game against the Spurs last season on League Pass that I had to listen to the Spurs' broadcasters overreact every time Parker did something good. Hopefully this year it will be Calvin and Bill.
Francis is head and shoulders above Parker. But remember, Parker's team beat us 5 times last year and he contributed nicely in most of them. Francis will take those 5 wins over winning his personal matchup with Parker any day.
ginoboli, who has yet to play an nba game, is nothing to kenny thomas. while someday he might be it's not a guarantee even potential wise.
You are right on. Nothing is a guarantee based on potential. I wish all of us could keep that in mind when talking about Ming and Nachbar.
Maybe not, but consider how Robinson's back is going to hold up in that game. Having to run around and play defence on a guy who is about 6 inches taller than you is not going to do your back any good. I'm inclined to think that Robinson won't play that many minutes if his back isn't 100%. In what world did this occur? It certainly didn't happen in this one. The Spurs had a record of 58-24 last season. Last time I was in school 58 was less than 60.... (Unless you are counting pre-season game as well, in which case that is true..) How many games did Francis miss last year? Around 25 (I think). What was the Rockets record without their franchise player? Something along the lines of 2-23. If Francis was healthy last year, I think it would be safe to chalk up another 10-15 wins for the Rockets. Which by no means puts them in the tier of teams that the Spurs are in, but it does close the gap alot. For the record I am a Rockets fan, and proud of it!!
Rockets will win, but it won't matter, because the Spurs will be resting everyone. Any Robinson vs. Ming minutes will be very interesting though.
They Spurs won over 60 games in the regular season and playoffs and started a rookie point guard all season. I agree that if Francis was healthy all year, we would have won more games. No doubt. But teams like the Lakers, Spurs and Kings are still in a class of their own until proven otherwise. The thing about the Spurs is, Duncan is in the same situation as Olajuwon (i.e. hes surrounded by role players and not other superstars). So no matter what the Spurs do by moving players in and out of town, as long as Duncan is there and plays up to his capability, then its not fair to assume we can be as good as the Spurs. I definately hope I am wrong though. Im a spurs hater like everyone else. =) Also I think we are putting too much pressure on our team by saying that we can run with those teams just cause we have two highly touted rookies and two players coming back from season ending injuries. Yes, we will be more competive with them than in the past few years, but to say we are ready to beat them all on a consistant basis and claim one of the top playoff seeds in the west is stretching it.
I would really like to see Robinson in his prime vs. Ming. Robinson is still better than alot of centers in this league, but hes really a shell of what he once was, just like Hakeem. Once Ming develops and proves he can play in this league at a high level, it will be fun to compare him to the old Hakeem, Robinson and Ewing.
Why? We have Steve, Cat, MT, KT, EG, TMo, Rice, Mooch, Yao Ming, Cato, Torres etc. Hakeem didn't make us better than every team every year "by himself" with a cast of marginal players... What's this "not fair" crap anyway. All is fair. You shouldn't assume we can't be or are not better... Too much pressure? These guys are professionals that get paid huge amounts of money to accept pressure and perform. They should be better than the Spurs... We have more than two "players" coming back from injury. Both are better than any Spur save Duncan. Plus, the Rockets have Steve coming back healthy. That's three players, and in Francis absence we went like 2-24. Yao Ming will also make a significant difference both individually and on the boards and team defense. EG and TMo are a year more experienced. Robinson's back is shot. The pressure is on them if anyone... here we come! Wrong. 58 . The rookie was a professional from Europe. If Steve goes to Europe I guess he would be an excuse because he would be a rookie (technically)? Crap. I disagree (go figure ). It's a clean slate. There is no doubt we can analyze and speculate, but everyone starts 0-0. If The Lakers lost Kobe for 26 games and Horry and Fox went down with season ending injuries, would we say the Kings still had to prove they were better than the Lakers?
No, you are wrong. Count the wins, in the regular season and playoffs, the Spurs won over 60 games. That is an undisputed fact. I think we can just agree to disagree. There is no reason to think the Spurs are going to fall off dramatically from last year. Even if Robinson does stink it up. The same argument you make for the Rockets in that Mo, etc. have 1 more year experience under their belts, the same can be said for Duncan. Duncan has improved steadily over the years, and if he continues to do so, he might just pick up some more slack off of Robinson. And just like we all assume that the spurs new star rookie wont make a difference, then how can we assume that ours can? Their rookie's team beat the United States in the WC. So how can say he wont be a factor? People are saying that the Spurs are depending on him to keep up thair championship hopes, and we are saying the same thing about Ming and Nachbar. Even when Mo and Francis were healthy for a full season, we didnt even make the playoffs. So why would it be different this year? For the record, I do think we will make the playoffs and I do think we have a chance to advance. All I am saying is, in the end, the Spurs are set to compete for a championship this year and its not a stretch to say they have a good chance. Do the Rockets (Rudy and Carol) really have their sights setting on being better than the Spurs and competing for a championship this year? No way. I think their goal is to improve and gel as a team, make the playoffs and work towards a championship in the next 2-4 years. Yes they are millionaires, but as fans, especially the true fans, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment by saying we can be the #2 seed in the playoffs and that they Lakes wouldnt want to play us. According to what Shaq has been saying, he cant wait to play us. Absolutely every team has to prove they are better than the defending champion. Thats how the league works. The Lakers can lose Kobe and Shaq, but until someone beats them and knocks them out of the playoffs, no one has proven anything. Teams on paper and potential dont win championships. Look at the talent the Blazers have? In the past few years, they have had all sorts of talent that looked better than anyone on paper, but in the end, they did nothing. So until a team proves they are better than another team over the course of a regular season, then they just simply arent any better.
codell, when talking about nba records, you don't count the playoffs. remember the bulls record season? it was 72 and 10, right? the greatest single season ever, right? if you counted the playoffs it was even better, but you DON'T count the playoffs when talking about a team's record for the year. the playoffs are a separate entity... 82 games, codell. it's the only way you can FAIRLY compare all of the nba teams, seeing as how only 16 teams make the playoffs.
I said the Spurs won over 60 games last year. Period and they did. I never said they had won over 60 games in the regular season or what their "official" win total was. And yes you can use the playoffs when comparing teams. If two teams are both 45 and 37 and both make the playoffs and one team wins no games in the playoffs and the other team wins 7, then you wont say one is better than the other? In 1995, the Rockets were one of the lower seeded teams in the playoffs and beat teams with better records on the way to the championship. So if we are counting only regular season wins, then according to your theory, those teams were better than the rockets? What you do in the playoffs count the most and therefore you have to factor that in when comparing one team to another.
Quit making crap up. No one said we were #2 and the Lakers wouldn't want to play us. Are you delusional? Duh! You can't "prove" anything when you are seeding teams based on logical analysis before the season starts... Why don't you go watch sitcoms until next July and leave all this preseason, regular season and playoff alone until someone proves they are better than the Lakers? if they aren't trying to win a championship they should be fired. Winning as a 6 seed proves you don't give up before you start... Oh Lord...
Do your research before you call it crap. Ive seen it posted numerous times in other threads. Ive seen several statements made where people on this BBS say the Rockets will be #2 behind the Lakers and that Shaq and co. wouldnt want to face us. Fact buddy. Again, do your research before you call someone out. If we all start out 0-0 then why is one team favored over another in preseason? If your theory is true, then I guess Memphis has just a good of a chance to beat the Lakers as the Kings? Please. The Spurs are better than the Rockets going into this season until we beat them and advance farther than them in the playoffs. To go into a season and say we are as good or better than them is not realistic at this point. Do you really think Rudy's true goal last year was winning a championship? Do you think Dom Caper's goal this year is winning a championship? Obviously, ever team's wants to win a championship. But to go into a season and say that we want to win a championship instead of saying that we just want to improve and make the playoffs and build on that, is not fair. I can guarantee you, if you ask Francis, Mobley, etc. straight up, they would all say that they just want to make the playoffs and build on that.
You were addressing my post and I didn't say anything like that. Post correct replies on my posts or not at all. One team is favored over another in preseason because someone did a logical analysis of all the factors before the season starts. And no, Memphis is not because a logical analysis wouldn't place them there. If Duncan bolts for orlando next year, would SA and the Magic be rated the same preseason as what they did this year? You like talking for other people, "guarantee" me... please Make the playoffs and build on that. Build like second round. Then try to build in the second round to the third. Sounds like they are trying to get to a championship. Do they think they can win it right now today? Probably not. But if they think they can get to the playoffs during the season, they probably think that team next June will be significantly stroger and more competitive aginst the top teams than it is right now. Do they think they could jump a few places along the way? Ask them about MT, Rice and Francis' injuries...
I never once implied that you were the one who said the Rockets would finish #2 and that the Lakers wouldnt want to face us. So are you saying that a logical analysis places the Rockets at the same level as the Spurs? Thats the point im making. Spurs still have an MVP in Duncan and were one of the best teams. Will they be as good as last year? Maybe not, but its logical analysis suggests they wont be far off. The Rockets have added alot of pieces and have players coming back from injuries. We have alot more IFs than than Suprs do. In my mind, logical analysis or just calling it like you see it, but outside of houston or this forum and taking objectiveness into consideration, Houston is not rated in San Antonio's class going into this coming season. Will they be better than SA when the seasons is over? I hope so cause im a big Rocket fan and I hate the Spurs. I mean look at it this way, who has a better shot at winning the title this year, SA or the Rockets? Your last statement proved my point. Going into the season, the goal is to build on the little things as you go along. Once the Rockets make the playoffs would their goal be to win a ring? Sure. But before the season starts, I think its safe to assume that the rockets goals are not as a high up on the ladder as SA, LA or Sac. I think if they get to the playoffs and lose in the first round, Rudy would consider the season a success.
The way you reply sometimes... apology accepted... In the rating I saw last on this BBS it was Lakers, Kings, Mavs, Spurs, Rocks... I made the point that the Rocks were not in the league of the top three, but could match the Spurs and make it to #4. actually, I don't think we are that far from the Mavs either... Better shot? Rockets. The Spurs can't beat LA. The Spurs can't match the Kings and Mavs athleticism. The Rocks may not be able to beat LA or the Kings. But if they somehow got to the Mavs or SA in a title game they could advance. The East would not be as tough as the WC.
