Thoughts for Les: aren't we similar to the pre-championship Lakers?

The only difference between the pre-championship Lakers and our Rockets is that i'm pretty sure the Lakers were getting to the WC finals just about every year.

 

Rileydog,

1) I really enjoy your posts. As a general rule your statements are fairly well thought out and well supported. I don't know why, but your threads seem to get an unusually high percentage of interesting responses, present company excepted.

2) I would be interested to hear any specifis of who you would add/subtract and how the deals would work.

3) Though I agree with much of what you said, the Lakers improved due to the maturation of Shaq and Kobe. Remember it took Hakeem 11 years to win a championship. Maybe Shaq just paid enough dues and/or finally got it.

Kind of the same for Kobe. As he got better the team got better. That was bound to happen considering his talent. I don't think Kobe's all around team play that is what is winning championships. Lakers looked pretty mediocre when Shaq was out.

Those two maturing may have occured no mater who their teammates were. However there is no doubt that Phil Jackson, at the lest helped that process along, and at the most caused it to happen.

 

True. We're being just a little too generous comparing this Rockets team to the Fakers of the late 90's. While nearly every one of their seasons was ending in a sweep, at least they were always in the playoffs, including the aforementioned Western Conference Finals appearance in 1998.

 

You can't start shipping everyone off because you don't know how good Francis and Ming can be. What if they never become great players? Then the team isn't very good. If Francis is just another Marbury and Ming is another Smits, and the players around them aren't that great, that's not a very good team. Francis and Ming must first become great, then you start worrying about minor tweaking.

 

The pre-championship Lakers needed a coaching change and a change in philosophy which Phil Jackson brought to the squad. He brought in role players, and his brilliant coaching strategy that lead them to success.

Unless Rudy T wants to change his coaching style as we transition from a guard oriented offense to what would work now with our roster, I don't see how things are similar at all.

 

Jim Jackson is a free agent next season right?

Just sign him!

Or Jon Barry. Sign him for the most possible as MLE!

Do something like Mobley and Griffin and a 1st rounder for Pau Gasol and Wesley Person. Or Mobley and Griffin and a 2nd rounder for Jason Williams and Shane Battier.

Just try to get good role players.

Get an Eric Snow. Of course we can't get him..but get someone like him. Who plays very good defense and can run an offense.

Then get a hustler who can shoot and defend at the 3. That could be Posey...or Battier or Najera.

Then at the 4...hopefully Griffin develops. Become like a Robert Horry. HOPEFULLY!

 

Excellent post.

Talent does not equal championships.

This team needs to trim the fat, big time.

Trade the "talent" for some workable 9 to 5 hustle players (KEEP POSEY!).

Mobley needs to go, an Eric Snow-esqe pointguard needs to be brought in, and if Griffin doesn't work out, bring in a new PF.

A new coaching staff might help too =\

 

Rileydog,

I fully agree. Ive been debating this point in another thread and agree100% with your take on this. The pre-championship Lakers lost 3 years in a row (2 times to the Jazz and once to the Spurs if I remember correctly). All three of them were second round losses if my memory serves me correct, two of them being sweeps. To go from that to three time champions is a SIGNIFICANT jump. Kobe Bryant would never have become the player he now is and was during the championship runs had Jones, Campbell, etc been on the team. He was basically averaging 20 PPG on about 12 shots per game. Once the other players eating up shots were taken out, Kobe starting getting the 18-22 shot attempts he deserves and took a HUGE role in the team's success. This is how Kobe can average 28-30 PPG. His FG% remained essentially the same, its just that he got MORE SHOTS. If Kobe were only taking 15 shots as opposed to 22, he would not be putting up the kind of numbers he now does; Francis needs this similar increase in shots and thus a scoring role that will allow him to take that.

Freak,

It is just not possible for Yao and Francis to prove themselves of this caliber with a player like Mobley taking 15 shots a night. This is why Mobley has got to go and players that fill appropriate roles put around Yao and Steve. Also, Yao Ming is already as good as Smits was (his rookie numbers are similar to Smits career stats were), and he has not even began to scratch the surface of what he can become. Plus, in order to win big in this league, you have to take certain chances. You could clear out all the guys that dont fit and Yao could get injured tomorrow, but thats the chance you take. What you do know for a fact is that if you stand a pat hand, Yao and Steve will never reach their potentials b/c they will not get the amount of shot attempts and such to do so, thus the dreaded mediocrity. Shaq and Kobe combine for 41 shots per game, that means the other 7 guys in the rotation can only average roughly 7 shots a piece among them b/c the total of shots is only a certain amount (roughly 80). This is why a third player cannot take 15 shots a game when the two stars combine for 40 out of the roughly 80 shots. This is how superstars are made, they get a lot of shots and they produce effectively when they get them. No superstar is made taking 12 shots a night.

 

What you said seems to make sense. People were putting the Clipps as the "up and coming team" because they were loaded with talent.

When the season begins, no one plays for the team and only for a contract.

If we trade for players who would feel lucky just being in the Rockets jersey let alone in the starting rotation, I think we will get more out of each position.

 

MManal:

I still disagree, no matter how many times you say the same thing.

 

Having watched the Lakers since 84, I completely agree with the initial posters thoughts. LA fans were furious after the Lakers got SWEPT by the aging Jazz even with such a star studded line up.

I know that Francis is no Kobe and Yao is no Shaq but this comparison does carry some weight. Guys like Horry, Fox, Fisher may not have great potential or ever carry all star status but they play their roles impeccably. We need guys like that...

 

This is why all the talking heads on tv were saying at the beginning of the year.. "Houston Rockets: 2005 to 20xx NBA World Champions "

 

"Loaded with talent, roll the balls out" wasn't enough for last yrs Kings, the Dunleavy Blazers, Bird Pacers, Barkley Suns, Payton-Kemp Sonics, Drexler Blazers, etc. It's a bad formula for winning. Too many chiefs, not enough indians. That's our team. Get me some guys that know who's the man.

I think Odom is a perfect guy.
I love Micheal Redd's j.
I'd like PJ Brown very much.

And a coach like Van Chancellor that can prep his team, call a game, and adjust midstream. No more Deer in the Headlights.

 

Logo also traded Eldon Campbell and Eddie Jones for Glenn Rice. Say what you want about how things worked out, but that was not a good trade of talent. We all have good and bad days. West clearly has had more good than bad, but we can still find reasons to pick.

 

Pat, thats the whole point of this thread. Chemistry is more important than having the best team on paper. There is no question that Blazers had more raw talent than the Lakers those championship yrs, but the Lakers worked so well as a cohesive unit b/c they knew who was going to take the shots and make the playoffs, who the main cogs are and who the support cogs are. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

 

Correction: I meant big plays not playoffs

 

No tweaking needed right now? It's cool if you enjoy watching other teams in the playoffs...because that's what we'll do for a long time to come if no drastic changes are made.