Sure. So could I, if the league mandated everyone be <6ft and slow as a tortoise. AT this point in his career, Yao is no better than Sabonis.
This is the reason why the two can not be compared because Dream was one of a kind. The total package. Yao is good but not like Dream.
c'mon tinman, wanna stop it with the ad hominem attacks? Seriously dude. If you can't address the criticism about the content of your posts, it's pretty lame to personally attack me. I recommend you show some of the character of the players you so love. Would Hakeem ever do this? No. Not even Vernon Maxwell stoops so low. Clutch let me back in by the way because he values me as a poster. So get it right.
Two years ago John Lopez from 790 and former chronicle columnists thought the same thing. what a joke
Don't let anyone tell you or imply that you are a lesser fan because you were too young to "feel the emotion". That's simply not true and it's a bit weird actually. In fact, your analysis is probably more correct since it's not biased by emotion. Watching the games on tape tell you exactly what happened. It's all there captured in a rich, colorful, and clear movie.
If Brandon Roy replaced Michael Jordan on the Bulls ........ If Steve Francis Replaced Magic Johnson on the Lakers........ I can throw some other outlandish threads out we can poll on if we are that bored. While Yao is good player, in his prime, Hakeeem dominated every facet of the game, offence and defence. Yao has never consisitently dominated any part of the game
I know I'm not a lesser fan...I think thats obvious by being able to post about stuff before my time. But there is a slight difference in watching a team in a city that has never won anything...to watching a city who has just underachieving a whole lot. I know there is some differenece, and I didn't get to watch every game back then, but I tried to. I agree with you on the weirdness part though...I just prefer not to live vicariously through the Rockets or any sports team...if they paid me I would, but until that day, not for me...I'll watch every game, but thats as far as I'll go...got a real life to live. I still don't understand the obscession with Maxwell though...I can understand Dream or Drexler, but Max?? Since when was a role player (other than Rodman/Oakley) ever so glorified? Especially one who LEFT THE TEAM AND QUIT on the TEAM... I do prefer stats and tapes though in analyzing basketball...I won't ever understand the struggle wtih Houston sports some here did, but I do know how horrible Max shot, I do know how great Dream played, I know how great Thorpe rebounded and finished at the basket, I do know all the hustle plays horry made, all the big shots cassell made etc. Stats NEVER LIE...whether you like it or not, neither does game tape...you can't use emotion and feeling in a court room, but statistics, proof, video evidence?? Sure, the judge will always give priority to that...thats why I use my stats/video evidence.
I grew up watching Phi Slamma Jamma and was so happy when the Rockets drafted Hakeem and then we had the '86 season and it was crazy - no one was picking us to beat the Lakers but then in the regular season we had this game where we beat them and I was watching it with my dad and we were laughing estactically. So I know the emotional element. But that was 23 years ago. And I can remember it, but it's the past. I know the new fans on here are Yao fans and they have a strong emotional attachment to him. they want to believe he is great - because they love the guy and connect with him. I think it's a shame for people to rip them apart when they want to believe he could have replaced Hakeem. Yao is awesome, but to me, it wasn't about talent but fit. No one could have replaced Hakeem, not even Shaq. I really liked Maxwell when he helped us win, but when he went off the deep-end he wore out his welcome. I appreciate his role in the first championship, but man, I agree with you completely. I was there my friend, with the emotion and everything, and I still don't get why he is so loyal to that guy. If you replaced Maxwell with T-mac, we'd have won 3 rings in a row.
You are right about Yao...my dad still expects him to be as good/dominant as Hakeem...we were spoiled by Hakeem. Anytime Yao makes a mistake (Hakeem was this and that...) but I knew better not to expect Yao to be Hakeem. He exceeded my expectations, considering his size and limitations. I'm a fan of both Yao and Tmac, because they made us contenders, but injuries and lack of talent/depth got in the way...and when that was fixed, more injuries came to both of them. Unfortunate to say the least. Honestly, I'm still more loyal to Pippen (was a huge fan in his chicago days)...and I don't blame him for leaving Houston...our future wasn't bright, he wanted to win, and he didn't fit Rudy's system. Well, if Clyde was traded a few years earlier without giving up Thorpe, then I think we could've definetily won 3 in a row...Drexler>Tmac. But I think Tmac would've made everybody's job easier...a long, skilled, athletic 6'8 shooting guard who can play defense and finish at the rim, and shoot the 3, and make plays in 1994?? Would've been way ahead of his time...Pippen with Grant Hill driving ability and better shooting touch...unheard of back then. Would've been something to watch...
Dude, you go on here and attack me, then you drop this 'stop attacking me'. This was between me and theBlackKnight, but you felt you need to stick your nose into it. You are exactly the same as you were before as the NewYorker. And you know I'm not backing down, especially from you. But go on dude, I'm not going to ignore you, that's not the tinman way.
Pippen acted disgracefully, you were old enough to remember that. You were old enough to remember that Barkley played for the minimum for the sake of the team to sign Pippen. then Pippen goes off on him? he didn't fit? no, he wasn't as good as people thought he was. That's why he never led a team to he Finals again without MJ. That's why Horry popped 3s in his face with the Blazers/Lakers series. I know CLUTCH REMEMBERS. "Thanks for nothing, Scottie" http://www.clutchfans.net/feature.cfm?FeatureID=26 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1999 12:00 AM CT By Clutch Copyright 1999 ClutchFans.net Scottie didn't always think this low of Charles Barkley. In fact he probably didn't think too low of Chuck until he realized that talks with the Lakers weren't going as well as he hoped At the time this article is being written, Scottie Pippen is technically still a Houston Rocket. However, the sooner he has absolutely nothing to do with this organization, the better. Being a diehard Rocket fan, or even a casual fan, you've heard it all the past 24 hours. "This is Scottie's fault"... "Scottie is a quitter!"... "Pippen is a selfish loser!"... "Get rid of him!" All justified. Every bit of it. To think Barkley did so much for Pippen, defending him at every turn and taking one measly (by NBA standards) million so the Rockets could fit Scottie, and then to have it all slapped back in his face just makes you realize the kind of character that makes up a Scottie Pippen. Scottie Quitten is more like it. Barkley was and is the easy target. Pippen and his agent Mr. Sexton no doubt created this spin doctoring ploy to truly push Scottie out of Clutch City. But what is truly eye-opening and reveals the type of person Scottie Pippen really is is to look back at comments and promises he made throughout the season. Most of the ones here were said on March 25 of this year in an interview with Cheryl Miller, but there are many more. Before we run by the past however, lets run over one more time Scottie's recent comments about Charles: "I wouldn't give Charles Barkley an apology at gunpoint. He can never expect an apology from me. ... If anything, he owes me an apology for coming to play with his fat butt. He's a very selfish guy. He doesn't show the desire to want to win. That's my reason for wanting to get away from playing with him anymore because he just doesn't show the dedication. I probably should've listened to Michael (Jordan) a year ago when he said that Charles will never win a championship because he doesn't show any dedication. I was very shocked to see what type of player he was by spending half a season with him. I'm a guy that's dedicated to winning, and I put out a lot of effort on the court. I expect that from my teammates, especially from a guy of his caliber. You know he's not willing to go the distance. There's no reason for me to put my last three or four years at risk of never winning. Charles is definitely one of the guys that needs to show more leadership for this ballclub to be successful, and he don't show that to me. ... He feels that if he gets 10 rebounds and double-figure points, he's done a good job. But that's not what the game's about. It's about defending, being professional and coming to work every day." And now... what Scottie said before he wanted to be traded:
I don't like the way you are belitting people as fans. Restating your views isn't personally attacking you. What you do to me in return is. You keep bringing up the NewYorker thing - that's great. Keep playing that sorry broken record. I don't think anyone cares.
We live in the current Rocket era where delusional fans comfort themselves with "IF YAO" or "IF TMAC" There was never a "IF HAKEEM"
well you obviously care, who made your the clutchfans police? fine if you don't care about it NewYorker, don't reply to my post and call it a 'personal' attack. cause i'm just restating who you really are before your moniker change. you throw a jab at me, i'm not backing down EVER.
But he didn't leave the team...he did what he could in a system he clearly didn't fit in and he did show up in the playoffs. I'm not saying I'm huge Pippen fan as a Rocket, but I can see why he wanted to leave from a basketball viewpoint...what he and Barkley had against each other goes back a long time ago. I don't know what that was about, but knowing how Barkely acts (atleast in public) it wouldn't surprise me if he said something or did something to upset another player/teammate. I'm not picking sides...I did enjoy Barkley as a Rocket and loved him as a player as well. But Scottie had to leave if he ever wanted a chance to win...he wasn't right in the 98 season...he had horrible back problems, but luckily MJ saved the title for them with 45 points and a last second shot. But you are right, he wasn't Michael Jordan, he wasn't a 1st option, thats why we brought him to Houston, he was 3rd behind Dream and Barkley...only problem was Dream and Barkley weren't as good as they used to be and neither was Pippen. We got Drexler right on time, we got Barkley a few years too late, and we got pippen a couple of years too late. But Pippen fit well in a system where he could handle the ball, move without the ball, and pressure full court...he didn't really do any of that here. He was spot up 3 point shooter and got the occasional iso...not his game. All I'm saying is Max LEFT THE TEAM TO DRY...and he QUIT ON THE TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS...thats just horrible in my opinion.
Everytime i correct one of your posts, you respond by all this "newyorker" talk that no one cares about. It's funny. You know what I say is true. Why don't you let people just be fans tinman? Why do you have to put them down for not having been there or being old enough?
What??? Pippen didn't leave the Rockets?? worse than Maxwell? Maxwell leaving the team didn't scream the team up royally for years. Pippen signed a massive contract that had consequences. Forcing the team to trade you is called leaving. Look for a thread soon.
