I just hope that none of these national people start jumping on the bandwagon in March when they see that we WILL beat the "top teams" in the West. Stay the hell away, this is Houstons team, ROX Fans team, the PEOPLES team! We dont need any of those nay-sayers coming around and joining in on this fun ride. It will be much more enjoyable just shutting them up come playoff time. Dont over-analyze my words, or think im trying to say we will win it all this year, but just try to look at it from a Roster perspective. This team reminds me alot of the 94 roster that won it all. Dream-Yao 27ppg-20ppg 12rpg-10rpg Thorp-Scola 14ppg-13ppg 11rpg-09rpg Maxwell-Artest 13ppg-17ppg 05rpg-05rpg Elie-Battier 09ppg-07ppg 03rpg-05rpg Smith-Brooks 11ppg-10ppg 04apg-03apg Bench Bullard-Lowry 04ppg-8ppg 05rpg-04apg Cassell-Wafer 07ppg-10ppg 03apg-02apg Horry-Landry 10ppg-09ppg 04rpg-05rpg Brooks-Head 05ppg-05ppg 02apg-02apg Herrera-Barry 05ppg-04ppg 04rpg-02rpg I was just looking over that, and it amazed me how similar some of these stats are, nearly 15 years apart. Not only does the stats match, but some of these players are SO similar in the way they play the game, the things that you cannot put on a stat sheet. Battier and Elie are both great team players, making clutch shots for this rockets team! (and they both prefer the corners lol) Maxwell and Lowry are both hard nosed players who are great on the ball defenders and love mixing it up with the player they are gaurding. Scola and Thorp are both consistant players and the teams rotations would be completely screwed without them. They both play hard and will never show signs of quit before you hear the wistle. Wafer and Cassell are both fairly new to the Rockets and the NBA and general. Great offensive players that gave the Rockets an unexpected boost when the second group was in. Carl Landry and Robert Horry, drafted by the Rockets and although Horry had more range, you are slowly starting to see Landry move further and further back toward the 3 point line as he gains confidence. Love the athleticism in both and also great role players. Kenny Smith and Aaron Brooks, brought in to change the face at the PG position, both followed other PG that the Rockets were "sticking there" til the right player came along to claim the position. Both are not afraid to have the ball in their hands and I think AB's assist numbers wil just continue to rise as he gets starts. Great at moving to the basket and kicking it out to shooters. Artest is also sombody that I would put in the same catagory as a Maxwell of the early Rockets. He also is a hard nosed defender like Lowry of this team. Maxwell and Artest can both get the the basket through sheer will and determination, even though it always doesnt look pretty, they produce. They make clutch shots and you never underestimate their heart. Artest is about 10% points better as a three point shooter which lifts him over Maxwell. And then you have Dream and Yao. Im not about to start making comparisons of these two players, because in my opinion, Yao is about 1 teir lower in the "great centers" pecking order from Dream. But you cannot question the on the court leadership. Both of them play the game the right way, and are the leaders of their respective teams. We are just waiting on Yao to reach that next level, might happen, most likely not. But we should not ask Yao to be Dream, its an unfair thing to ask of a player like Yao. We just need Yao to lead us to the promiseland that Dream led us to, and then I believe regardless of what their numbers compare to, we will look up to Yao as a "Founding Father" of the Rockets organization, as we already do for Dream. So take it or leave it. I might have just wasted my time. Im not asking for you to agree with me or not. Its just a perspective I havent seen come across the boards. I leave you with this question. Does this 2009 Rockets team(minus Tmac) lead you to believe that the drive, endurence of distraction, and ability to play "team" ball give them "The HEART of a Champion"???? GO ROCKETS!
^^^^^ Like I said, this was merely an ironic thread descibing the way the 2 teams statistically matched up as well as the way certain players are so similar in the way that they play. This time of the season in 94 we had won NOTHING and that team came together toward the end of the year and completely gelled in the playoffs. This team in 09 has that ability to gel and the players we have are more than capable of getting the job done, its just up to them and how much they want it.
Dont over-analyze my words, or think im trying to say we will win it all this year, but just try to look at it from a Roster perspective. This team reminds me alot of the 94 roster that won it all. Dream-Yao 27ppg-20ppg 12rpg-10rpg Thorp-Scola 14ppg-13ppg 11rpg-09rpg Maxwell-Artest 13ppg-17ppg 05rpg-05rpg Elie-Battier 09ppg-07ppg 03rpg-05rpg Smith-Brooks 11ppg-10ppg 04apg-03apg Bench Bullard-Lowry 04ppg-8ppg 05rpg-04apg Cassell-Wafer 07ppg-10ppg 03apg-02apg Horry-Landry 10ppg-09ppg 04rpg-05rpg Brooks-Head 05ppg-05ppg 02apg-02apg Herrera-Barry 05ppg-04ppg 04rpg-02rpg This is so stupid. you could probably do this with almost every team in the league in any year. you have yao and dream. only realy similarity is that they are both big men. 7 ppg off, dream athletic different game. All of these ppg and rpg/apg are such a stretch. You have a PG lowry compared to bullard a 6'10" SF/PF. You can compare almost any team to another solely on ppg and either rpg or apg. I really dont see anyone from the championship team that is remotely similar to the person you compared them to. This post is like you were extremely bored and just wanted to compare this team to a great team. The team is looking great right now and i hope we continue to play this well without me-mac
Did you read anything lower than that at all? Or is your reading skills limited to Names/Numbers only. Well, dont answer, because I know you didnt read anything else because you would have seen that I specifically talk about how Yao-Dream are no statistical comparison. You might want to go check that out, along with the other compare/contrast between other role players. And the Bull/Lowry comparison was a misprint on my part, it was supposed to be Scott Brooks, which I put lower in the column. the PPG RPG APG was not even the bulk of my post, it was the "non stat" things our role players have in common. Try to read an entire Thread before you criticize it. Your points would be valid had i not SAID everything you told me later on.
Well, the year won it all, Dream won the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year. I don't see anybody doing that this year for the Rockets. But if you are talking about team chemistry, its getting better...hmm I wonder why?
Obviously you can't compare any of our teams to the 93-95 teams that won back to back rings. Yao will never be the dominant center Hakeem was...however, as far as chemistry and hustle is concerned...this new team has it. its going to take time to build that chemistry that the 90s team had but back then you didn't have so much free agency as you have now. There was more loyalty back then. I believe this if we keep this team together and they gel, then we might have a chance to win it all. You don't need superstars to win it all....i.e. Pistons team that beat the Lakers with Shaq and KB. No Rockets team will ever be as loved as the 93-95 teams were...but in due time I think this team will gain the respect they deserve.
so you compared stats between players that shouldnt match up (aka lowry/bullard) and then compare them to a different person in your essay/post? at least keep it consistent. players that are hustle players (hayes), scoring big men (yao/dream), shooters, rookies, etc are all part of the game. every team will have it, new and old. im not surprised at all at what you posted. many teams have followed the "get a big man and surround him with shooters and then some" type strategy.
Rick Adelman deserves respect for calling out Tmac. This dude got Doc Rivers and JVG the axe, but not Rick the Ruler. Tmac can go play la-di-da-di with his knee problem antics But Rick the Ruler rules this SHOW
I instantly apologize for putting Bull with Lowry. But if your going to read anything, try the "essay" under the clear statistical area. Its the mindset, and thats what I like about the new look Rockets team compared to the last time I LOVED seeing the Rockets play, thats all. DISCLAIMER-Bull/Lowry=accident This isnt saying we will reach the level our old Rockets did, just that the chemistry is starting to remind me of them.
Totally agree. Rick might be seen as being a "players coach" but dont mistake that for being a weakness on his part. He still demands the respect of his team and he was quick show this was still HIS team and Tracy wasnt going to make the rules.
to be honest...that championship team was 15 years ago and although I watched every game from 15-0 start to when we swept the magic, 15 years is a long ass time ago and it's kinda hard to compare...i occasionally pull out my old tape recordings of the final series and yeah that team played with energy and alot of heart...so if we can keep playing the way we are capable of playing than yes, there is alot of similarities, but Yao does not equal dream...Dream was night in and night out dominant...Yao has a few off games here and there.
Interesting, some similarities, but I agree with the poster who wrote that those teams have rings, a team in the Yao era has never made it out of the first round. No comparison, really. I like what I am seeing in the last four games, but this bunch has a look way to go. I would be happy with a second round series. And, any time you mention Yao and Dream in the same sentence, long time fans will likely go nuts. They are two very different types of players.
It was def. a risk putting Dream and Yao in the same sentence, but in order to put the full rosters out there i had to do it. This is why i made sure i put the disclaimer at the end stating that there is no statistical comparison between the 2, only comparison is that they are both "the man" on the team
I totally believe that Yao could be the dominant center that Dream told him he should be. Yao is just realizing this now. It's not all about numbers its about leadership and the faith your teammates have in you. it is important for the Rockets to have a team of players who respect each other.
