Record: 55-27, 3rd in Southwest Division, Tie for 4th in Western Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
4th in opponent scoring (92.0 ppg)
26th in three-point %
2nd in opponent field goal %
Others:
22nd in the league in scoring (96.7 ppg)
9th in ppg differential (+4.7 ppg)
21st in field goal %
25th in free throw attempts per game
25th in free throw percentage
15th in assists
15th in steals
8th in blocks
9th in turnovers
19th in opponent turnovers
Good offensive rebounding team
Good defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: Ron Artest, Brent Barry, D.J. Strawberry
Significant Subtractions: Bobby Jackson
Roster
Coach: Rick Adelman
Key Players
PG: Rafer Alston, Aaron Brooks, Steve Francis
SG: Tracy McGrady, Brent Barry, Luther Head
SF: Ron Artest, Shane Battier
PF: Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Donte Greene
C:
Comments
Covering the Summer League team in
It feels like the Rockets have reached this conclusion as well. For years they’ve been good at their game. They appear to have it all. Their defense is always at the very top of the league. They’re a good rebounding team. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are two of the more unstoppable players at their positions on offense. Every year they build on this base, tinkering with a point guard here, a small forward there. Every year a turn of the cards--an injury here, an unlucky playoff draw there--hamstrings them and sends them home empty handed. After so many backs and feet going south you legitimately start to wonder how long their stars can hold up. Their stack can start dwindling at any time. What are they buying with these incremental changes besides another good year and another disappointment? So it’s time to roll the dice and break the bank.
Enter Ron Artest.
The addition of the poster child for NBA lunacy is definitely going to make the Rockets a scary team. The question is, which definition of “scary”? He’s a huge intimidator, superb defender, and accomplished scorer. In a way it’s almost not fair that the best defensive team in the league outside of
Overall I like this
One thing’s for sure…if the Rockets do not make it deep into the playoffs this year for whatever reason, including the continuing string of injury troubles, it’s time to look in another direction. This team badly needs to prove itself, moving from paper contenders to the real thing. If it’s going to happen, it should be this year.
Read more about the Rockets from out friends over at The Dreamshake.
Record: 56-26, 2nd in Southwest Division, Tie for 2nd in Western Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
27th (tie) in the league in scoring (95.4 ppg)
3rd in opponent scoring (90.6 ppg)
5th in opponent field goal %
27th in free throw attempts per game
4th in turnovers
28th in opponent turnovers
Others:
8th in ppg differential (+4.8 ppg)
14th in field goal %
11th in three-point %
15th in free throw percentage
21st in assists
24th (tie) in steals
24th in blocks
Very Poor offensive rebounding team
Very Good defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: Roger Mason, Salim Stoudamire, George Hill (R)
Significant Subtractions: Brent Barry, DerMarr Johnson
Roster
Coach: Greg Popovich
Key Players
PG: Tony Parker, Jacque Vaughn, Salim Stoudamire
SG: Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason
SF: Bruce Bowen, Ime Udoka
PF: Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner
C: Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas
Comments
Pity the Spurs. 56 wins, tied for second in the conference, and everybody’s talking about them being washed up. A ton of teams would give their right arms to be so washed. They may not be the dominant team they were a couple years ago but as long as you field Tim Duncan you have a chance. Tony Parker is going to be fine too. The injury to Manu Ginobili is worrisome, though, as it exposes the relative thinness of
The Spurs are not done by a long shot. Every second year pundits predict their demise. Every year after that they win it all. That’s less likely to happen this year, but it’s still possible. The top of the West isn’t that secure. The Spurs will be in the hunt. Unless injuries gut them it would be nigh impossible for them not to be. Do they have enough ammo to finish the job? It’ll be down to the last shell, but don’t discount them entirely.
Read more about the Spurs at PoundingtheRock.com.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)