If Amare comes back at 85% there is no freaken way we can compete with them. I do think SA is slipping, but I am not so generous to say we can beat them. We are two major, major, moves, plus need great health of Yao and Tmac, to be playing with the Mavs. James might have been one such move, but we still need two right now (upgrade both starting guard spots assuming we want to keep Tmac where he wants to play). And sadly the Mavs have more of their core players younger than ours, the divide has got greater without clear signs of that changing.
If Amare comes back at 85%, it will be completely unprecedented. The Rockets will have match-up troubles with Phoenix, with or without Amare. That is a fact that we'll have to live with as long as Yao is around. I have little question that we can beat San Antonio with Tim Duncan as their starting center. The match-ups work in our favor just like with the Clippers.
I wish I could be optimistic but we have a few more weeks for our management to really screw this FA period up. The rooks look good but not sure they will be given enough playing time to make a difference - and they may not be able to for a few months until they learn the NBA ropes, anyway.
I would take the Rockets top 3 over any other top 3 in the league. No team has a #2 guy at the level of Yao or TMac. The closest is probably either Phoenix with Marion or Miami with Shaq. The Rockets problem comes in at 5-12. If they can get a decent player with the MLE, or if they get a greater than expected contribution from Head, Novak, ore even Sura or someone like that, they could really do some damage.
Current Roster...Where do we rank in the West ??? Where do you all think we rank in the tough Western Conference if we go to battle with our current roster ???? I say 6th to 9th . That's why i felt we needed Mike James more than Mike needed us. A trade kicker, imo, shouldn't have prevented him from becoming a Rocket. i thought he could've elevated us to a 4th to 7th ranked team in the West. Your opinions.
I'd take the Suns' top 3 (Nash, Marion, Stoudamire) over the Rockets' top 3 (Yao, T-Mac, Battier). The first three are the probably the most lethal offensive gun since Nash, Finley, and Dirk. But our top 3 aren't that bad. After that.....in terms of usefulness: Alston, Hayes, Head, hte rest are all on the same level, the scrubs' one.
San Antonio - Parker, Duncan, Ginobili Dallas - Dirk, Terry, Howard Minnesota - KG, James, Davis Phoenix - Nash, Marion, Stoudamire LAClippers - Cassel, Cat, brand I would not say outright better but all of these are in the conversation Rocket River
As a duo McGrady and Yao are better than the trios of the Wolves and Clippers, as a trio with Battier they're at least as good as Dallas', probably as good as Phoenix's too if Amare isn't as good as before. San Antonio is better but an argument could still be made for the Rockets if someone felt like it making it, I don't.
No. I consider James, Davis, and Cuttino good players, neither better than Battier, Cassell is the only player worth bringing into these comparisons and he's 36. So, you basically have KG and two good players, Brand and Cassell, who is a lot closer to coaching than his prime, and another good player, and McGrady, Yao and at worst the 6th best player in this conversation. It's not even close amongst these three teams, the Rocket's trio is clearly better than the other two.
Yao < Duncan McGrady> Parker Battier = Ginobili I would say Yao is closer to Duncan than Parker is to TMac. Advantage Rockets. Yao < Nowitzki McGrady> Terry Battier = Howard I would say Yao is closer to Dirk than Terry is to TMac, the disparities are more in the Rockets favor than in the case of San Antonio. Some might argue that Howard is better than Battier, but I don't think so. Even if Howard was slightly better than Battier, it wouldn't make up the gulf between TMac and Terry. Advantage Rockets. Yao = Garnett McGrady> James Battier = Davis The T-Wolves don't hold one advantage here. Yao > Brand McGrady > Cassell Battier < Mobley Even though Mobley is much better than Battier, the top two swing this one to the Rockets. Yao > Nash McGrady > Marion Battier < Stoudemire This is the only top 3 that I could see having an argument about being better than the Rockets. Nash has been great the past couple of years and really does make his teammates better. Marion is a bit of a do everything forward. Amare is totally overrated IMHO, as shown both by his team's performance in his absence and in his performance without Nash. Never averaging more than 9 boards a game in Phoenix's uptempo style raises a big red flag for me. This group will be great in the regular season but won't get anything done in the second season. I like the Rockets' trio better as far as building a championship contender. I stand by my assertion that the Rockets have the best top 3 players in the league. I think rhino's claim that there are plenty of teams with a better core is rediculous.
You mean to tell me Ginobili is Equal to Battier? You would trade Ginobili for battier? I would not. I think Howard is better than Battier. - this I all a draw T-wolves are definately second teir in 3 on 3 I think Cassel makes a difference Minor adjustment here: Yao = Stoudemire McGrady = Nash Battier < Marion THE BACK vs THE KNEE Stoudemire is a beast but now so is Yao MARION is far superior o Battier. . Marion *is* Battier. . except better at everything Rocket River
Uh... So uh... T-Mac would've been back-to-back MVP?!?! Really, Nash is the Sun's only player it can't afford to lose... I'd say Yao>Stoudmare (Amare after serious injury, Yao light injury but just burst out) Mcgrady<<Nash Battier<Marion Ok, we're doomed if we play Phoenix
............. o my god.... ok. is < after NASH not allowed or something??!? for god's skae it just doesn't appear!!
