First off, let me just say that this has nothing to do with the current game or the last game (win or lose). I've been researching this for a couple days. In the history of the NBA, only one team has ever been led by one big man as the dominant player - the 1993-93 Houston Rockets. While Otis Thorpe and Kenny Smith, Sam Cassell and others were certainly instrumental in the title, there is no question that was all Hakeem. In every other championship team with a dominant center, there has been a second or third player providing perimeter support. The reality is that most teams have at least a couple of premier players (the recent Detroit Pistons notwithstanding) on the roster if they win a title, but this is particularly true when the star is a big man. David Robinson had Tim Duncan. Shaq had Kobe. Kareem had Magic. Moses had Dr. J. Wes Unseld wasn't even the primary scorer on his team despite winning the finals MVP in 1978. Bill Walton had the bruising Maurice Lucas and Lionel Hollins. The classic series in 1978 had Willis Reed limp through a performance for the ages, but Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the man on that team, a point guard. Even Wilt Chamberlin's Lakers were actually dominated by Gail Goodrich and Jerry West (yeah, THAT Jerry West for you youngsters). Jabbar (aka Lou Alcindor) led the Bucks to a title in 1971 in one of the most dominant years by a center ever, but his counterpart was the legendary Oscar Robertson. Even the great Bill Russell, who did everything from score and rebound to be the HEAD COACH for the greatest dynasty in NBA history in Boston, had hall of famers like Bob Cousy and John Havilecek. The point of this history lesson is that great big men NEED great perimeter players to both occupy opposing defenders and, more importantly, feed the big men in the post. Yao is absolutely no different. He NEEDS a player like McGrady to take the pressure off of him and to help feed him in the post. Yao can carry the team for short stretches, but modern defenses that pack the paint and surround post players create an even greater need for a strong perimeter game and not just shooters. It is the very reason we struggle more without T-Mac than we do without Yao. We need both, but it is harder to win with McGrady on the bench and impossible to compete in the grind of the playoffs.
I agree with most everything you're saying, but I have to say I believe Olajuwon had outstanding perimeter support. He is not the exception to the rule. Drexler, Horry, Cassell, Kenny, Vernon...all of those guys were, while obviously not the dominating force behind our championship run, crucial parts of it. Olajuwon is just as much a supporting example of your main theory as the other big men.
In the first championship year, he did not have any all-star caliber perimeter support. If you remember, Cassell only got playing time in the second half of the season. Scottie Brooks was the primary back up most of the season. I loved Vernon, but he wasn't a high percentage shooter and, as good as Kenny was that year, he wasn't a guy who could get his own shot. Horry, while one of my favorites, couldn't get his own shot either. Drexler? Agreed, but that was the next season.
Well, if the criteria is all star caliber, then I agree with you there. But there's no way that I would say, combined, those role players were any less important than any all star caliber guard the other big men had. They were still, IMO, outstanding 'perimeter support'. Their percentages might not have always been great, but those big outside shots were every bit as important for our run.
Looking at that team, it would be interesting to compare the number of all-stars compared to other champions... off the top of my head, I think OT was an all-star once and Cassell once many years after. If that's all, probably the lwoest of all the teams since before the Celtic run. Really, the Portland team with Walton is the only one I can think of that might compare.
Yao's a victim of his own size... the guy works as hard as anybody, but he takes more damage/contact (because he's so big), he gets more fatigued (because he's so big), and he will never be fast enough to blow by a double-triple team (which Olajuwon was still able to do at times, when his teammates weren't hitting open shots)... because he's so big. For all these reason, Yao DEFINITELY needs help.
I wouldn't sell 93-94 role players short. They might not be all-stars, but the team had fantastic chemistry and complementary pieces.
I agree that Yao needs Tmac.. BADLY. But, I disagree with you Dream. Dream has been surrounded by many players in long career. he CLEARLY was HAPPIER when he had good players he could trust in situations like TONIGHTS LOSS IN LA!! Dream KNEW that players like this dude: in CRITICAL SITUATIONS. Lets play QUANTUM LEAP now: lets QUANTUM LEAP in game 7 vs the KNICKS. lets replace MAX with: Max scored the LAST SEVEN POINTS OF THE NBA FINALS GAME 7. would Rafer do that???? Dream wanted to leave HOUSTON not because of the whole 'faking injury' mess, it was that his team wasn't any good! Then came OTIS..Vernon, Kenny, Robert, Sam, Mario Our Guards back in the day didn't turn the ballover 25times in a game like they do now.
I FOOLED YOU YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT ME NAW ITS ABOUT 5 BUT YOU'RE NOT A FOOL ARE YOU? <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bqRjFYoHfXc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bqRjFYoHfXc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
hakeem played under different rules. he didn't see near the defensive pressure yao sees and he was quick enough to get by his defenders.
But, Yao is not playing NEARLY the caliber of centers on a night-in-night-out basis. It's not even remotely close. Even the second tier centers during Dream's career were brutally tough defensively. Today's second-tier centers are power forwards.
Jeff, I was going to post something very similar, and you are 100% correct. As long as the Rockets do not have anyone with penetrating skills or perimeter support they are going to struggle. The only player on that first championship team that was like that was a rookie substitute named Sam Cassell and while he played a large role late in the season and the playoffs, he was a role player for most of that season. DD
But Jeff if the great centers were playing under the present rules they might not be considered as great.
Did anyone said Yao can single covered "this" team?We build on two superstars,Win or not depends on the team performance,especially the role player,and actually i thought if yao got a Charles Oakley type of player to release him form the big load,we could win tonight,yeah,right there in Staples Center,LA!
What Yao needs is fair officiating. Even JVG says that. I don't understand what the other fuss is all about.
