After watching the Spurs destroy the Jazz it just seems so obvious that the Rockets are not really that far away from contending. If the Spurs are the barometer of how the Rockets are building their team, they are just a PG away from competing for the big enchilada. I contend that the Spurs are not that loaded overall but are just one good player better than the Rockets. In a comparison..... Yao = Duncan Tmac = Ginobli XXXX= Parker Battier = Bowen Hayes = Oberto The Rockets are DANGED close to the Spurs blue print. IMO, they just need an attacking PG who can finish. Tony Parker came into the league as a driver with a bad jump shot, the Spurs realized this and got a coach to remake his jumper to the sweet shot that he has today. If V-Span, or Lucas, or a Free agent pickup can add that missing ingredient of an attacking PG, I think the Rockets are RIGHT there with the Spurs. No need to blow up the team, just add judiciously and develop the younger guys already here, ala San Antonio. Watching the Spurs just made me think of how close the Rockets are.......which, IMO is very close. DD
oberto is better than hayes, so is Elson, heck bonner gives hayes a run for his money too. and lets not forget the bench. wishful thinking. 1 pg and at least 1 more PF
Agreed but we need some bench help and a power forward too. We also need to pray for T-Mac's back to hold up another couple years...
come playoff time Duncan > Yao and Finley, Barry, Elson > Head, Juwan, rest of bench that hardly played so we need a good PG and better bench to be on San Antonio's level
Better, maybe a tad, but Battier is better than Bowen....so it is kind of a wash. The Rockets should try to upgrade a lot of areas, PF is one, and PG another. I just don't think we are that far away, particularly if one of the young guys develops.... DD
But a good PG makes the game easier for all the players and should help them excell by getting them easier shots. DD
DD: Yao < Duncan (too obvious) Tmac < Ginobli (Manu attacks the rim, and he's a better shooter, and a better flopper as well. And he is mentally stronger though he never says shhiitt like "it's on me") XXXX ? Parker (few PGs is better than Parker in this league) Battier < Bowen Hayes < Uberto
We are 1 good PG 1 good PF 1 good bench full of role players 1 leader with heart 20 fewer jumpshots per game 20 more drives to the basket per game away from being a CONTENDER!
Ok this is what I have been saying the whole time, this team is so close it's not even funny. Yao was not pre-injury Yao and we needed a spark off the bench for 20-25 min (Spanoulis) We also needed a little more size at the 4 (we can get that this offseason) Do any of y'all recall the early season loss to the Spurs at Toyota? We blew a 20+ point lead in the 4th ans freaking Span was going nuts on the bench begging JVG to let him in the game to take care of Parker.
IMHO Duncan > Yao - but not by all that much Tmac > Ginobli - especially when he attacks the basket Parker >>> Any Rocket PG Battier > Bowen - Nearly as good defensively and a much better overall player Oberto > Hayes - But only in Height, they are about equal in IQ and production I just don't think the team is that far away, and adding just ONE other creator on the floor and replacing Alston will hide a LOT of deficiencies. DD
Sorry DaDa - You are reaching bigtime. Yao is not Duncan's equal. I love Yao's game and ignore the dumb threads about trading him. But realistically, it's not that close. And even if it were? Duncan has way more endurance and no real history of injury. TMac is better than Ginobili...as long as TMac is healthy. Ginobili gets the edge in transition. That's important because the Spurs are a much faster transition team. Bowen is better than Battier. Not just my opinion. 30 NBA coaches have Bowen as 1st team All Defense. Battier can't crack the 2nd unit. Battier is like Bowen in that he is an excellent team defender. The difference between the two is 1on1 defense. Bowen is better. Oberto can stay on the court without fouling and is not under-sized. I won't even get into the depth factor. Even Rick Adelman will sruggle getting the Rockets to the 2nd round if Battier and Hayes fill out the starting lineup.
I think it would be great to get in to a heated debate on this topic but that the only thing we would be allowed to do is copy-paste DaDakota's past replies as our own. We could range from "one point guard away" to "flawed team" and everything in between. If everyone posted nothing but DaDakota replies, I think we'd have a wide range of opinions on this matter, creating healthy debate.
Thats an interesting way of looking at it; but I think this could have been said during the JVG era. Besides building a roster like the Spurs we were also playing their type of game, which would be a more defensive minded game. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Spurs can't play offense, they can...A lot better than us. Besides their roster, the Spurs are who they are because of their style of play. I'm not sure we can do that now. Just my thoughts...
I hear ya Gater, and know what you are saying, but the Spurs are not loaded with talent or athleticism as you like to point out, they are simply a great team because they compliment each other. The only speed guys on the Spurs are Ginobli and Parker. I know you don't like Battier, but IMO, if you offered GM's a choice between Battier and Bowen, almost every one of them would take Battier...you get good defense and a better overall game. If the Rockets can find a quick PG who can D up and create for others, they will become MILES better. Just look how much difference acquiring Mario Elie and Sam Cassell made for the Rockets in their first championship run. Hayes is not a starting PF, and lord knows I would love a bigger version of him that moves without the ball and finishes well around the rim..... An Oberto type would be awesome, but the bottom line is that Hayes played quality defense (just look at Okur in the playoffs this year) and was GREAT at cutting to the basket playing off of Yao and Tmac. Hayes is NOT the answer but he is part of the solution...... Now if you can find a 6'9" guy who is smart enough to move into open space and rebound, then I am all for it, but I hardly think Hayes was the problem. Rafer, IMO, was and is the biggest problem on the Rockets and the player that is holding them back.....and JVG's insistence on playing Rafer so much is what cost the team a realistic shot at growing this year. I still believe a good PG solves a lot of issues, maybe not all of them, but gets us a lot closer to the prize than a good PF. DD
Funny. And how exactly is being one PG away not being a flawed team? Oh, yeah...it isn't..... Rafer sucks, I figured you at least would agree with that. I just think the Rockets are really only one GOOD PG away from being a contender......they could live with the PF's we have if we have a good PG...IMO. DD
DD If you were Morey Les would have you shot for such a suggestion! This thinking leads to a first or second round exit. We must have a great Power Forward and Playmaker Point Guard, if Yao Ming is to develop into the true Super Star and lead us all the way.
I honestly don't know, I hope he can develop into the answer, and think he might, but all I can say for sure is that Rafer is NOT the answer. Just having an attacking PG that can finish would make this team 5-8 games better, IMO..... DD
