Is the Sampson/Hakeem comparison the UPSIDE I see Ming/Griff more compariable to the original Twin Towers than Duncan/Robinson. Athletic BIG MAN. . .and Versatal 6'10 guy. I think MoT/KT is an upgrade to Peterson Let's look at the '86 Rockets HAKEEM OLAJUWON 34 Center 6-11 250 22 1984 RALPH SAMPSON 50 Forward/Center 7-4 230 25 1983 LEWIS LLOYD 32 Forward 6-6 205 26 1981 JOHN LUCAS 5 Point Guard 6-3 175 31 1976 ROBERT REID 33 Forward 6-8 205 30 1977 RODNEY MCCRAY 22 Small Forward 6-8 235 24 1983 ALLEN LEAVELL 30 Guard 6-2 190 28 1979 MITCHELL WIGGINS 15 Guard 6-4 185 26 1983 JIM PETERSEN 43 Forward/Center 6-10 235 23 1984 STEVE HARRIS 20 Guard 6-5 195 21 1985 HANK MCDOWELL 8 Forward 6-9 215 25 1981 CRAIG EHLO 3 Guard 6-7 185 24 1983 GRANVILLE WAITERS 31 Center 6-11 225 24 1983 Hakeem, Sampson, LLoyd, Lucas, Reid [or did McCray start?] vs Griffen, Ming, [KT,MOT,Rice], Mobley, Francis NOW THAT IS A GAME! [bench for us - Cato, Tmo, #15, Moochie, Collier] Rocket River
that's not a game...that's a rout.... the current rockets fall short of the playoffs the 86 Rocket squad got to the NBA Finals beating one of the greatest teams in the history of the game and matching up with arguably the best single season team ever in the Celts that year. even if it looks to you to be a game on paper...it doesn't to me...games aren't played on paper....the chemistry the 86 squad had was remarkable.
I guess that is the point The young Rockets of NOW definately have ALOT of skill but no experience. .and maybe even not as much chemistry as they think If they can gel like we did in 86. . . definately will be a great squad Rocket River
Dead on, MadMax! A rout... but like you said, Rocket River, if the current team (healthy) plus Ming and whoever else we end up getting this summer gel- look out!
I think what worries me and most other Rockets fans nowadays is that having "good chemistry" is not as easy as it sounds, especially on a team that is run more by the players than by the coaching (Ok, 2 players). Talent is certainly not a problem; we can see that the Rockets are full of young talent. However, that 86 team not only had talent, but they also had a much more flowing offense. I'm not really sure how both Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin will develop their respective games...I have a feeling it will depend mostly on if Cuttino is willing to give up the ball (and maybe part of his big ego as well).
Talent-wise, I'd have to take the '86 team. Akeem was hard enough to defend, but what about Sampson? Sampson would've been one of the greats if he stayed healthy. How do you defend a guy his height with his skills? Ralph Sampson in those days was something unreal. Until Ming develops into something where he can cause matchup problems, the current team is not even close.
It's funny how time changes the perception of people. Ralph Sampson was one of the most vilified players in Rockets history. He never lived up to the expectations everyone had of him coming out of college (no fault of his own, really). Ralph had good numbers, but he was inconsistent and that irritated people. He would let people who were far less talented outrebound and outscore him. He was often criticized for having no heart and choking at the worst times. As for how hard it was to defend him, it never seemed as hard as it should be. He was content popping 15-18 footers all day at 7-4. I've seen poing and shooting guards block his shots. I felt sorry for the guy, to be honest. He's one of those woulda, choulda, shoulda stories...
