SA News: NBA's Best in Texas!

[SintonFan]

This looked like a pretty cool article:

NBA’s best in Texas
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 10:39 pm by dpils in Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
By DOUGLAS PILS
dpils@express-news.net

Now that the Dallas Mavericks have won a NBA title, a statistic that involves Texas teams and former Texas schoolboy star Shaquille O’Neal has been extended.

Either the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks or a team with Shaq has won 11 of the last 18 NBA championships.

The 2003-04 champion Detroit Pistons have a Texas connection with Texas Tech’s and Saginaw’s Darvin Ham, but most might find it ridiculous to fashion a streak that includes Shaq and Ham. Unless you love the Red Raiders, and then you don’t.

And we’d have to go add Beaumont Ozen’s Kendrick Perkins and the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, and then we’re just getting silly.

What’s not crazy is taking a look at the Texas teams’ best of all-time now that each can call itself an NBA champion. Here’s one man’s opinion of each franchise’s best five, plus a super sub:

San Antonio Spurs

PG: Tony Parker may rub some the wrong way, but he’s faster and a better scorer than Avery Johnson.

SG: Manu Ginobili is the engine that drives the Spurs, no matter if he’s starting or coming off the bench.

C: David Robinson saved the Spurs and helped create the good-guy image still prevalent eight years after his retirement. And the Hall of Famer could play a little, too.

SF: George Gervin still leads the franchise in scoring — if you include ABA numbers — and his 26.3 points per game will go unchallenged for years.

PF: Tim Duncan has been called the best power forward ever. Four rings and a decade of dominance in the tough Western Conference do little to dispute that.

Sixth man: Sean Elliott has the ring and the Memorial Day Miracle that pushes him over the likes of Mike Mitchell, James Silas and Larry Kenon.

Dallas Mavericks

PG: Jason Kidd gets the nod over Derek Harper for nearly three more assists per game in a Dallas uniform and because a ring eases the sting of Harper dribbling out the clock in 1984.

SG: Rolando Blackman was Dallas’ career scoring before a 7-foot German came around.

C: Tyson Chandler may only play one year in Dallas, but he gave the Mavs a title and a difference-making inside presence lacking since Roy Tarpley was sober.

SF: Mark Aguirre had the good fortune of getting traded to the Pistons and winning two NBA titles. He’s still Dallas’ best in points per game at 24.6.

PF: Dirk Nowitzki has coach Rick Carlisle calling him one of the top 10 players ever and now the best on the planet. For sure he’s the best to ever play in Dallas.

Sixth man: It’s funny that this slot comes down to Michael Finley or Jason Terry, since they once shared an intimate moment. But Terry’s 3-point numbers are better and he has that ring.

Houston Rockets

PG: Calvin Murphy made the Hall of Fame after 1,002 games and 17,949 points in a Rockets uniform and no other.

SG: Kenny Smith only played six seasons in Houston, but winning two titles and hitting seven threes in one Finals game puts him here.

C: Hakeem Olajuwon tops Houston’s charts in every key statistic and Nowitzki wishes he had post moves like the “Dream.”

SF: Robert Reid went from Clemens and St. Mary’s to two NBA Finals. He ranks seventh and sixth on Houston’s points and rebounds charts.

PF: Moses Malone gets pushed over to forward by Olajuwon.

Sixth man: Rudy Tomjanovich is third and fourth on Houston’s scoring and rebounding lists, and then he went and coached the Rockets to two championships.

Link (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/06/18/nbas-best-in-texas/)

Agree? Disagree? Your thoughts?

[SintonFan]

On a side note:
who would you consider the most dominate NBA Texas Champion?

I know who I would vote for.:cool:

[Matthew328]

Darvin Ham is from Saginaw, Michigan

[Phil C]

Strange that Robert Horry isn't mentioned when he was on 7 NBA championship teams the past 18 years which is more than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant (so far). He won twice with Houston, 3 times with Los Angelas Lakers and twice with San Antonio and all 7 years he was an important contributor for these teams. I think other than some members of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 50s and 60s that no one has as many.

[bobcat4life]

Originally posted by Phil C
Strange that Robert Horry isn't mentioned when he was on 7 NBA championship teams the past 18 years which is more than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant (so far). He won twice with Houston, 3 times with Los Angelas Lakers and twice with San Antonio and all 7 years he was an important contributor for these teams. I think other than some members of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 50s and 60s that no one has as many.

He is the only non-Celtic in the top 10 at number nine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NBA_players_with_most_championship_rings

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by SintonFan

Sixth man: It’s funny that this slot comes down to Michael Finley or Jason Terry, since they once shared an intimate moment. But Terry’s 3-point numbers are better and he has that ring.



Didn't Finley win a title with the Spurs?

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Didn't Finley win a title with the Spurs?
I think they meant with Dallas.

[eagles_victory]

Best of the title teams imo would be the back to back Rockets teams. Just from all the things Ive seen and studied (try to be an NBA student of the game) but keep in mind Im only 23 so the only thing I really remember from those Rockets back to backs was the OJ Bronco chase.

[Roughneck93]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Best of the title teams imo would be the back to back Rockets teams. Just from all the things Ive seen and studied (try to be an NBA student of the game) but keep in mind Im only 23 so the only thing I really remember from those Rockets back to backs was the OJ Bronco chase.

Those two Rockets teams were great. I can remember Hakeem outplaying both Ewing and Shaq in those two Finals series. Not to mention how dominant he was over David Robinson in the 1995 WCF.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Didn't Finley win a title with the Spurs?

Yes in 2007. He had left the Mavericks a year earlier and was depressed in 2006 when the Mavs played the Heat in the finals and thought maybe he had lost his last chance to be an NBA champion but Tony Parker told him "Stay with us. You did the right thing. We will get you a ring." Next year the Spurs won it and he got his ring.

[Saggy Aggie]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Best of the title teams imo would be the back to back Rockets teams. Just from all the things Ive seen and studied (try to be an NBA student of the game) but keep in mind Im only 23 so the only thing I really remember from those Rockets back to backs was the OJ Bronco chase. Wasn't the 2 years that the Rockets won, the two years that Jordan played baseball? Even though I'm a big Rockets fan, I think everyone can agree that things may have been different had he stayed in the NBA those 2 years.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by Saggy Aggie
Wasn't the 2 years that the Rockets won, the two years that Jordan played baseball? Even though I'm a big Rockets fan, I think everyone can agree that things may have been different had he stayed in the NBA those 2 years. He played about half of the 95 season and in the playoffs. Orlando beat Chicago in 6 then the Rockets swept Orlando.

[Roughneck93]

Originally posted by Saggy Aggie
Wasn't the 2 years that the Rockets won, the two years that Jordan played baseball? Even though I'm a big Rockets fan, I think everyone can agree that things may have been different had he stayed in the NBA those 2 years.

Yeah that's everyone's perception that the Bulls would have won those had MJ stayed. But...here is an interesting stat. During Chicago's first run at a three peat, the Rockets were 5-1 vs them.
It would have been great to see a final between them.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Saggy Aggie
Wasn't the 2 years that the Rockets won, the two years that Jordan played baseball? Even though I'm a big Rockets fan, I think everyone can agree that things may have been different had he stayed in the NBA those 2 years.

I think maybe one year. Remember Jordan came back in the Rockets second championship year and even though he played only part of the season he should have been fresh and ready to roll in the playoffs. Plus we don't know if he would have been injured those years. And the Bulls did get into the playoffs that year he came back but they got eliminated and didn't make the finals. But it did point out that they needed a good rebounder and they got one the next year when they got Dennis Rodman and then it was three more titles. I agree that maybe Houston might have got just one title if Michael hadn't left for baseball but I still feel that Houston had too much talent to have not got at least one of them.

The next year it was kind of confirmed. Charles Barkely came to Houston and Rodman to Chicago. We needed a game without those two to see. Well when they played a game Barkely and rodman were injured and we got it. Houston won a close one by six points. Maybe not conclusive but it was the best and only one we had.

[coach]

Originally posted by Roughneck93
Yeah that's everyone's perception that the Bulls would have won those had MJ stayed. But...here is an interesting stat. During Chicago's first run at a three peat, the Rockets were 5-1 vs them.
It would have been great to see a final between them.

reguar season doesnt mean a damn thing

[Roughneck93]

Originally posted by coach
reguar season doesnt mean a damn thing

Was simply stating that the Rockets would have been a solid contender with or without MJ in the league.

[Phil C]

It is an argument that can go back and forth but there is no solution because you can't go back in time and change things. Who knows maybe if the pro baseball season in play in 94 (?) had been concluded the Astros would have won the World Series.

[SintonFan]

One thing about Olajuwon. He(and his team) made these long runs in the playoffs after his Islamic fasting period. What he did was very impressive.

[SintonFan]

I think the Spur's 99' Championship is the most dominating of all Texas Teams.:cool:

[trojandad]

Originally posted by SintonFan
I think the Spur's 99' Championship is the most dominating of all Texas Teams.:cool:

thats the only team i think would have held a light to the 95 rockets....beat 4 teams with 60+ win seasons, beat each without a single home court advantage, and swept orlando in the finals after they beat mj's team............pretty salty........

[trojandad]

Originally posted by coach
reguar season doesnt mean a damn thing

oh, if mj was 5-1 against the rockets during that same time you would be using that record to prove michaels godliness, dont give me that "regular season means nothing"....

phil always tries to send messages during the regular season against teams they might meet in the post season, and he sure didnt get a message sent to the rockets back then....

if they dont meet in the finals, they werent meeting any other time in the playoffs, so all we have are the regular season.....in the times michael made it, rockets werent there......when the rockets got sam and horry, michael was gone....they traded them, they didnt make the finals against michael....but in the times they had against each other, akeem carried the numbers against michael, sour grapes not withstanding....

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by trojandad
thats the only team i think would have held a light to the 95 rockets....beat 4 teams with 60+ win seasons, beat each without a single home court advantage, and swept orlando in the finals after they beat mj's team............pretty salty........

Yes, pretty salty.
Got a schedule to compare to?
It would be cool to compare '95 and '99 side by side.

BTW trojandad, I don't vehemently disagree. It just would be cool to see the comparison.:cool:

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by trojandad
thats the only team i think would have held a light to the 95 rockets....beat 4 teams with 60+ win seasons, beat each without a single home court advantage, and swept orlando in the finals after they beat mj's team............pretty salty........


while the 95 team's play off run was very impressive I cant discount the fact they were just 47-35 in the regular season and was the 6th seed..IMO you cannot be one of the greatest teams and only finish 6th in the regular season, no matter what they did iin the play offs.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
while the 95 team's play off run was very impressive I cant discount the fact they were just 47-35 in the regular season and was the 6th seed..IMO you cannot be one of the greatest teams and only finish 6th in the regular season, no matter what they did iin the play offs. I agree to a certain extent when you talk greatest teams of all time regular season record does matter.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
I agree to a certain extent when you talk greatest teams of all time regular season record does matter.

and look at a team like the 06-07 Spurs as far as best ever in Texas...they won 58 games and only lost 4 games in 4 play off series

That to me is domination

even this past Mavericks team they won 57 games and only lost 5 games in the play offs

That Rocket team only won 47 games in regular season and lost 6 games in the play offs

[trojandad]

while i understand the numbers of their season and dont discount those at all, the numbers your not considering is that none of those opposing teams dominated by the 99 spurs, or any other champion for that matter, had the records the teams did against the rockets in 95...if regular season is supposed to mean something, it does with the level of opponents as well.....it even included that comeback against phoenix from down 3-1, another first at that time....

no team ever overcame the level of regular season record competition the 95 rockets did, that can never be discounted in the discussion, even if they went 1-81 in the regular season, they did something no other great celtic, laker or any other did, if that doesnt put one in the discussion, im goin fishing...

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by trojandad
while i understand the numbers of their season and dont discount those at all, the numbers your not considering is that none of those opposing teams dominated by the 99 spurs, or any other champion for that matter, had the records the teams did against the rockets in 95...if regular season is supposed to mean something, it does with the level of opponents as well.....it even included that comeback against phoenix from down 3-1, another first at that time....

no team ever overcame the level of regular season record competition the 95 rockets did, that can never be discounted in the discussion, even if they went 1-81 in the regular season, they did something no other great celtic, laker or any other did, if that doesnt put one in the discussion, im goin fishing... Win your regular season games and you don't have that problem.

[trojandad]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Win your regular season games and you don't have that problem.

first, that win total was with lots of regular season injuries, including akeem, but no excuses, the only thing that matters is winning it all, nobody ever will win thru that level of competition again, no matter how much you discount it.....

[trojandad]

Originally posted by SintonFan
Yes, pretty salty.
Got a schedule to compare to?
It would be cool to compare '95 and '99 side by side.

BTW trojandad, I don't vehemently disagree. It just would be cool to see the comparison.:cool:

yea, i think those 2 teams are the cream of that group, i do...i dont have a schedule on each but it would be cool to see.....

i heard akeem had a winning record against mj during his championship years, too, but i cant find numbers on that, either....

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by trojandad
first, that win total was with lots of regular season injuries, including akeem, but no excuses, the only thing that matters is winning it all, nobody ever will win thru that level of competition again, no matter how much you discount it..... Does someone need to read the whole thread?

[big daddy russ]

Regardless of regular season records, I thought the '99 Spurs and the '95 Rockets were the best championship teams by the two franchises. The Rockets spent half the year trying to figure out how to use a new number two option and the defense of the '99 Spurs was described by Mike Bibby as the most suffocating he's ever played. John Hollinger also ranked those Spurs as the eighth-best championship team of all-time.

I know Manu, Tony, and Bruce Bowen are a pretty significant upgrade from Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, and Sean Elliott on the perimeter, but the way those '99 Spurs played...and the huge advantage they had over every other team in the post...made them the most dominant of the Spurs' title teams as far as I've seen. That was the last year that David Robinson flashed his pre-injury dominance (or maybe it was the following year...either way, he was well into his mid-30's by this point) and that the Spurs could still ride him just as easily as they could ride Timmy to a victory.