Tonight, I will be rooting for Rockets--a confession of a labled "YOF"

Very true.

The Lakers and the Rockets are at a completely different stage of development. We already have the core set in Yao and McGrady, but we're still a good couple of pieces away from becoming serious contenders. The Lakers, on the other hand, still live and die with Kobe taking 45 shots a game, and will most likely die with it in the playoffs. They're still looking to build up their core.

That's why it's absolutely pointless to compare the Rockets to the Lakers, because both teams have different concerns and different goals. The Rockets should only aim to be as good as or better than the Mavs, Spurs, and Suns. Only those three teams should concern us.