A Little Houston Rockets History

[Harry Callahan]

First of all, I will admit that the Scola trade did not excite me that much. Rockets posters have started to show up in these forums in large measure because of this trade.

I'm sorry the Spurs missed out on a good backup power forward who would have played 15 to 20 minutes per game in SA. The prospect of backing up future HOFer and BPFOAT Tim Duncan was (I think) not acceptable to Luis who would have been a 30 year old career backup by the time his NBA rookie contract would have expired. Don't discount the long term dollars potentially lost due to a lack of playing time in SA. LS can only play the PF position due to his 6'8" (not 6'9" BTW) height and 250 lb weight. He will struggle defensively staying out of foul trouble (much like Yao Ming) due to his lack of quickness and what appears to be a tendency to play zone D on his other teams (at least the Argie Nat Team). At least coach Adelman is not interested in playing winning defense, unlike JVG.

Back to my initial point, the old Inspector is going to provide a little history lesson for all those Rockets posters since they think they have pulled off the greatest trade in history this summer. Please review the following transactions:

Draft Picks (1st round 1st Picks)
1968 - Elvin Hayes. Played three years for SD/Hou franchise. ROTY in 1968 .Traded for an over the hill Jack Marin in 1971. EH Went on to become an NBA Hall of Famer and one of the 50 greatest players with the Washington Bullets (won a le with Bullets in 1978 and went to the finals in 1979). Sent back to Rockets in 1981 as a over the hill performer. NICE!

1976 - John Lucas - Terrific player (ROTY in 1977 I think) but only played three years in Houston. Sent to Golden State in 1979 when Hou signed a washed up locker room cancer named Rick Barry. NICE!

1983 - Ralph Sampson - Never lived up to the hype and was a huge disappointment. Played on the 1983 team (along with Elvin Hayes) that tanked games to get 1st pick in the 1984 draft. Thanks for that one Rockets, the Spurs would not have had a chance to draft either David Robinson or Tim Duncan without the draft lottery.

1984 - Akeem - No doubt a terrific player and a winner who worked out great for Houston. I still have to note that the Rockets are still one of only two NBA teams to pass on the opportunity to draft some guy named Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.

2002 - Yao Ming. A good (not great) player who is unable to stay healthy or out of foul trouble.

Not exactly shining track record there and lots of wasted potential with those five #1 #1s. Now, let's move on.

Other #1 draft choices:

1983 - Rodney McCray (3) . Remember him. Good not great player who became a journeyman.

1997 - Roderick Rhodes. Who?

1998 - Micheal erson (12) Bryce Drew (14) Misad Turckan (16) Strike One, Strike Two, Strike three and you're out. NICE!

2000 - Joel Pyrzbilla (9). Traded on draft day for Jason Collier (15) and a future #1 in 2001 (see below). Traded a servicable player for someone who is now deceased (that means dead, for the Mavie fans) and draft pick used in the disasterous 2001 draft (see below).

2001 - Richard Jefferson (13) Jason Collins (18) and Brandon Armstrong (24). All three players were traded for the fifth pick in the draft made by the New Jersey Nets. The 5th pick in the draft? A guy named Eddie Griffin . For the second year in a row, the Rockets took a guy who is now deceased. A cute little side note - the 28th pick in 2001. Tony Parker. Don't the Rockets still need a point guard. Could have had one. REALLY NICE!

Let's look at trades, shall we?

Moses Malone - (1982) Unwilling to pay the best center in basketball (in his prime at that time), the Rockets traded MM to Philadelphia. Philly won the NBA le the first year Moses was with the Sixers.

Vernon Maxwell - (1990) Hey, with all this info, I had to throw a bone to the Rocket fans. SA sold VM to Houston for $50,000. Never mind the fact he was a coked out guy who was an embarrassment to the Rockets and the NBA. He was baller who did help Hou win a le in 1994. CONGRATS - GOOD TRADE!

Charles Barkley (1996) - Traded a young Sam Cassell and Robert Horry (among others) for a few years of the declining and expanding Chuckster. NICE!

Scotty Pippen (1998) - Remember him? Wow! Hou did a sign and trade for Pippen - a $67MM contract he rode out until 2004. He lasted a year in HOU and was traded to Portland for various mediocre pieces like Walt Williams and Mark Bryant (I think). NICE!

Is it any wonder the Rockets have not won a playoff series in a decade. Good times MAY be on the way for Houston, but with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady being cornerstone players with their respective injury histories, future long term success such as seriously contending for an NBA championship year after year is not a given. By all means Rocket folks celebrate the Scola trade, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? A little history lesson should teach us that.

[ArgSpursFan]

I totally agree on the Rockets F.O´s ups in the past.
but since they signed Yao they seemed to be improving every year.
they also got rid of Francis,and now got him back for peanuts,while keeping T-mac and Battier in the team.
On the other hands,the Spurs F.O have been doing great as far as drafting and signing the perfect sup.cast to bild a team around Timmy.
But,just like It happened to Houston in the glory days,the Spurs F.O is going the same way.It just don´t shows right now,coze Timmy and Manu are still active.
The major test will be to still be compe ive once Parker becomes the franshise player in 5 yrs or so.
them,we´ll know if the spurs F.O. was right or not,on their scouting politcs every since we got Parker.

[screw_ston713]

last year yao didnt stay in foul trouble. and when did having an ingrown toenail and an opposing player falling into your leg and breaking it become injury prone. when i think of injury prone players grant hill, allen houston. stat have bad knees and missed a entire season yao havent.

[screw_ston713]

tracy mcgrady had 1 yr in his career where his missed significant amount of time with spasms, which i question because the year he was having those spasms he was having issues with his wife cuz he cheated on her and had a baby with another woman who is now asking for $800,000 a yr in child support

[Dennis Lindsey]

LMFAO. Damn dude, you guys must be mad about the Scola trade if it got you to go back and research all that. Think about it, you did all that for what? We know our history. Every team goes through their bad deals and draft picks. What is your point? I understand, as NBA Champs, you guys feel threatened by this new look Rockets. We didn't scare you before, but now with all this new talent, the Rockets are looking like a real squad.

Before it was just Yao & T-Mac, but now we are as deep as the elites in the NBA. And the fact that you guys gave us Scola for basically nothing adds to that fact. T-Mac & Yao gave the Spurs problems but would easily be stopped with a double/triple team on either. Now, that will not be the case.

Also, how dare you downplay the draft picks of Hakeem and Yao. Hakeem was a great choice, you always go with the better big man. Nobody knew how great Jordan was going to become. The Dream brought us 2 les along with a whole list of individual accomplishments (MVP,DPOY,Finals MVP in one year) and is one of the greatest big men to ever play the game, just ask DRob. Yao not a great player? He is easily the best center in the game today. One on one he is impossible to stop. Every GM would kill to have him on their team, this kid is the future. Also, YAO was an iron man when he came into the league. Didn't get hurt till 2 years ago where his injuries have been freak accidents. The kid was playing like an MVP after his toe injury and before his knee injury.

The past is the past. Nothing can change that. But that Scola trade is in the now. Until he stinks it up, we can talk about it all we want. But you can feel free to get in a time machine, go back and talk smack about all our past blunders all you want. The rest of us will stay in real time and wait for the new NBA season to begin.

[Dave McNulla]

i'm sure that somebody is scared by the rockets, but tracy mcgrady and yao ming never scared me. scola doesn't scare me either, although i'm wondering why the spurs couldn't just sign him.

[Switchman]

I totally agree on the Rockets F.O´s ups in the past.
but since they signed Yao they seemed to be improving every year.
they also got rid of Francis,and now got him back for peanuts,while keeping T-mac and Battier in the team.
On the other hands,the Spurs F.O have been doing great as far as drafting and signing the perfect sup.cast to bild a team around Timmy.
But,just like It happened to Houston in the glory days,the Spurs F.O is going the same way.It just don´t shows right now,coze Timmy and Manu are still active.
The major test will be to still be compe ive once Parker becomes the franshise player in 5 yrs or so.
them,we´ll know if the spurs F.O. was right or not,on their scouting politcs every since we got Parker.

Nah, Parker is gone as soon as he can get out imo.

[Flopper]

Draft Picks (1st round 1st Picks)
1968 - Elvin Hayes. Played three years for SD/Hou franchise. ROTY in 1968 .Traded for an over the hill Jack Marin in 1971. EH Went on to become an NBA Hall of Famer and one of the 50 greatest players with the Washington Bullets (won a le with Bullets in 1978 and went to the finals in 1979). Sent back to Rockets in 1981 as a over the hill performer. NICE!

1976 - John Lucas - Terrific player (ROTY in 1977 I think) but only played three years in Houston. Sent to Golden State in 1979 when Hou signed a washed up locker room cancer named Rick Barry. NICE!

1983 - Ralph Sampson - Never lived up to the hype and was a huge disappointment. Played on the 1983 team (along with Elvin Hayes) that tanked games to get 1st pick in the 1984 draft. Thanks for that one Rockets, the Spurs would not have had a chance to draft either David Robinson or Tim Duncan without the draft lottery.

1984 - Akeem - No doubt a terrific player and a winner who worked out great for Houston. I still have to note that the Rockets are still one of only two NBA teams to pass on the opportunity to draft some guy named Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.

2002 - Yao Ming. A good (not great) player who is unable to stay healthy or out of foul trouble.

Not exactly shining track record there and lots of wasted potential with those five #1 #1s. Now, let's move on.

wtf do you mean by the that sentences? "lots of wasted potential" on all those five #1 picks? Hakeem and Yao was the perfect #1 pick at the times.

[MrChug]

i'm sure that somebody is scared by the rockets, but tracy mcgrady and yao ming never scared me. scola doesn't scare me either, although i'm wondering why the spurs couldn't just sign him.

Honestly Dave...I just think you may have summed it up for many of us. We still don't really give much of a fu*k about the Rockets as they're too new and too volitile, but I would have still loved to have Scola...just gotta admit it.

[Harry Callahan]

Good Morning Spurs Forum,
Obviously my recent post is bringing out the Rocket trolls (Please note I am in an SA Spurs forum). You people are nowhere to be seen for what, 10 years, and here you come. I am mad that the likes of SAT and DL start crawling out from under rocks and start showing up on Spurs Boards in the last few weeks. Hmm. Make my day, punks.

To you Mr. fake Lindsay,
I did not downplay Hakeem. He was a terrific player who was one of the finest players to play in the league. It is a fact that Jordan was passed on by Houston. That is all I said. Nothing more nothing less.

As for Yao, Injuries are injuries, regardless of the cir stance. You can be an Iron Man when you play 40 or 50 games a year max as Yao did in China. Yao has had two fairly significant injuries early in his career. Will that mean he becomes Bill Walton? Probably not. We'll see. BTW, being the best center in today's NBA is faint praise indeed.

Tracy McGrady is an excellent player, no doubt. That was a good acquisition for Houston, for sure. A forced sign and trade with Orlando after he quit on the Magic in 2004 was the cir stance. Surely you know DL, a back issue is a tricky thing. You just never know when those things will go out on you. DRob can certainly attest to that. T-Mac is only 28 years old, but his back is probably a few years older. He has been in the league ten years now.

These two players (Yao and T-Mac) are the cornerstones for Houston. They have not been able to play complete seasons. Luis Scola is a fine complementary piece for Houston who did not want to be a backup in SA (which he would have been). The Rockets are a good team with their recent acquisitions, but future greatness in Houston is by no means a sure thing at this point given what has already happened health wise.

The point I was making about the recent and not so recent Rocket history was that there has been some yipping and yapping from the formerly silent Houston people. These posters are wanting to poke a stick in the eye of the Spurs over the Scola trade because they essentially got something for nothing, which is probably true. I just sense a wee bit too much iness to the east. The Rockets are five YEARS into the Yao Ming era, and they have won how many playoff series? Zero.

Hey, I know the Spurs will not be on top in a few years as Duncan and Ginobili get older. But the Spurs are playing with house money at this point. We can all agree their place in history is set.

One more thing, Mr. fake lindsey dude, I did not really have to spend a lot of time researching all that historical stuff (only the really, really crappy HOU #1 picks from a few years ago). I have been following the NBA for almost thirty years. I wanted to educate all the younger NBA fans out there such as yourself. I'm pretty sure even you did not know all of that long ago, trivial information since you probably still live at your parents home.

In closing, to all of my friends in the forum, please remember these three numbers -

4-2-0. I think you know what I mean.

[urunobili]

troll feeder

[DOMINATOR]

sampson got hurt... it happens.
you would take a guard over a dominant center? please hakeem had more moves than anyone. jordan may have never turned into what he was if rockets took him #1. plus who could match two 7 footers? that is unstoppable. looking back now the rockets could have traded sampson to blazers for drexler and the draft pick... hakeem/jordan/drexler wow.

[Dex]

2001 - Richard Jefferson (13) Jason Collins (18) and Brandon Armstrong (24). All three players were traded for the fifth pick in the draft made by the New Jersey Nets. The 5th pick in the draft? A guy named Eddie Griffin . For the second year in a row, the Rockets took a guy who is now deceased. A cute little side note - the 28th pick in 2001. Tony Parker

Nice. Maybe we owed them one, karmically or whatever.

I still think ours worked out better.

[T Park]

Parker is gone as soon as he can get out imo

link to the evidence that supports this please?

Or are you just talking out of your ass like you have been for the past couple months.

[sandman]

Honestly Dave...I just think you may have summed it up for many of us. We still don't really give much of a fu*k about the Rockets as they're too new and too volitile, but I would have still loved to have Scola...just gotta admit it.

Seriously. Just because Spurs fans are pissed about giving up a decent talent does not equate into being obsessed with the Rockets. More like being obsessed with a bad trade and trying to find ways to feel better about it.

[ShoogarBear]

Nicely done, Harry Callahan. Good research, good digs.

I still think the Scola trade was idiotic, but it's nice to have some knowledgeable guys around to beat back the inevitable Rockhead trolls.

[Stone Cold Hakeem]

Nicely done, Harry Callahan. Good research, good digs.

Nicely done? Its a list of digs, out of context, most of which are at best half truths.

[Roxsfan]

last year yao didnt stay in foul trouble. and when did having an ingrown toenail and an opposing player falling into your leg and breaking it become injury prone. when i think of injury prone players grant hill, allen houston. stat have bad knees and missed a entire season yao havent.

+ ing one.

And to the OP, your assessments of Yao being a good player and not a great player, is just dumb. Yao is greatness.

Rockets posters have started to show up in these forums in large measure because of this trade.

And I was on spurs talk MONTHS before the LS trade
Join Date: 03-01-2007
PostsTotal Posts: 556 (2.98 posts per day)

[pjjrfan]

How did the Rockets get Calvin Murphy, Robert Reid and Otis Thorpe? All three of these guys were great role players for the Rockets. Well, actually Murphy was a stud.

[Switchman]

link to the evidence that supports this please?

Or are you just talking out of your ass like you have been for the past couple months.

This is the internets...I don't have to prove .

You'll see. Parker WILL NOT retire a Spur.

[hsxvvd]

This is the internets...I don't have to prove .

You'll see. Parker WILL NOT retire a Spur.

I agree, how long until Eva turns him the the dark side.

Parker will retire in Purple & Gold.

[ThePrivateSpur]

I agree, how long until Eva turns him the the dark side.

Parker will retire in Purple & Gold.

I have to agree. I think he will get bored living in SA during the season and eventually want to go to the Lakes.

I knew Eva would get tired of catching all of those red eye flights to watch Tony play at home. Why did he marry her?