I loved the chemistry of the 2004-05 team and the Sura/Wesley/Barry guard combo, but the frontcourt of that team needed serious help. JVG was relying on guys like Clarence Weatherspoon, Scott Padgett and Ryan Bowen to give him meaningful minutes. The 2007-08 team may have had more rookies, but their overall talent level is superior.
RR has 2 pages of replies since starting the thread at 11am today... I'd say he did pretty well. I'd go with the '04-'05 team, myself, excepting this year's squad. Yao and Tracy played the whole season, pretty much. Boki tackled Malone in a game that year, didn't he? That damn near made the season all by itself. Sorta like the time Charles threw Shaq to the floor. I've loved the clown ever since!
the 2007-2008 team looked good on paper. but everyone was either injured or inconsistent. TRACY MCGRADY - playing with shoulder/knee injury YAO MING - playing with foot injury (took the team a long to realize it) RAFER ALSTON - injured in the playoffs (offense is waaay inconsistent during regular season) LUIS SCOLA - played great SHANE BATTIER - playing injured. BONZI WELLS - overweight and inconsistent BOBBY JACKSON - waaaayy inconsistent CARL LANDRY - inconsistent and got injured LUTHER HEAD - inconsistent MIKE JAMES - waaay inconsistent STEVE FRANCIS - injured AARON BROOKS - inconsistent STEVE NOVAK - inconsistent DIKEMBE MUTOMBO - was amazing CHUCK HAYES - no offense. amazing defense
I agree. Back on the 04-05 team we had players who were great three point shooters and Mike James and that Bowen guy were fabulous stealers. Preferably Mike James though.
2004-2005 season. That was the only year, pretty much, that McGrady was in SERIOUS talks for MVP. Wasn't it also the season where Yao averaged 25 and 9?
I say the 2004-2005 was the most talented team. Granted the tandem of Juwan Howard and Ryan Bowen was not the best front court but if they had remained healthy I honestly do believe that team was suffice to win the ring. We also had the problem of the refs being paid off. Our back court was deadly behind the arc. David Wesley FG%-40.36% 3pt%-38.30% Jon Barry Fg%-44.67% 3pt%-45.11% Bob Sura-Fg%-42.66% 3pt%- 35.48% Mike James- Fg%-43.49% 3pt%-39.25% Add those guys with a healthy Tracy Mcgrady and Yao Ming you have one strong team. After that season though those players were never the same. 2006-2007 The Rockets were pretty talented but were not as strong as that 2004-4005 roster. Luther had trouble with Utah, Raefer is...well all I can say is Raefer is Raefer, Snyder had no outside shot. Vspan never saw playing time. Bonzi went AWAL. Juwan Howard was alright but he's still Juwana Man. I don't understand why so many people picked the 2007-2008 Rockets roster because that was not the 2008-2009 Roster. Raefer was our main pg. Bobby Jackson was our main pg off the bench and he's just old. Bonzi Wells? An older and less effective Mike James? Aaron brooks wasn't as seasoned as he is now. Luther Head was still our main 6th man. When Yao went down we didn't really get a replacement for him to make up for the offence that was lacking when we lost him. It was decent but I don't think it was as scary as that 2004-2005 team.
As far as talent the best imo is the 07-08 but the best overall imo was the 04-05 team. They had crazy chemistry but just couldn't close.
But this is what everyone has already been saying. No Grant Hill in Orlando. No Yao last year. Then he has his own injuries issues obviously. His teammates were unable to step up for the loss of those players. You can call it "throwing them under the bus" like you always do, but it's reality. The supporting cast that was provided for him in the playoffs wasn't good enough to elevate him and his team to the next round. It's a damn curse.
Was Boki even here in the McGrady era? That Malone tackle you're referring to was in the SF3/Mobley era. 2nd year for Yao. 1st year for JVG.
I think it had more with his inability to close. He's had homecourt numerous times and a 3-1 lead in 2003. And in 2005 he had a 2-0 lead and was up like 18 in game 3 at home. But the common denominator was they always lost.
Since you're too lazy to look at the list, I'll confirm that Boki was on the 04-05 team with Tracy. He wasn't here the entire season. Looking at the list, i'm still a little angry we let Posey go. I wish Morey was our GM back then.
07/08 for the talent.. 04/05 was the better team. Would of loved to see Sura playing with Battier and Scola.
I went with the 04-05 team even though the 07-08 team led to us the 2nd round and the Lakers only real challenge. That 04-05 team played with a swagger undermanned eventhough the Refs and our awful game 7 cost us the series. Outside of our superstars, I really liked Bob Sura. It's unfortunate his career ended that way but as many others, it seems as if guys like/forced to retire here.
the most disappointing loss ever how the hell could we lose to Dallas with that roster and after leading the series 2-0?? i do not understand!
yes he was, during the 04-05 season (the season the rockets traded for mcgrady) but he was shipped along with jim jackson to new orleans by december for david wesley
I was a season off (It was during the '04 playoff series with the Fakers), so my bad. I still love the guy for taking down Karla and, yes, he did play with McGrady for part of the next season.
People must be confusing '07-'08 with this year's team in the poll. Any team where Yao and McGrady both play like 80 games and McGrady isn't over the hill has to be the right answer.
