How do the 2017 Houston Rockets stack up against the 1995 title team?
By Lachard Binkley
Power Forward
2017 – P.J. Tucker
P.J. Tucker was the defensive stopper for the 2017-18 Rockets. Like Ariza and Elie, Tucker is never asked to be an offensive superstar but can contribute in just about every way.
P.J. is frequently asked to shut down the other teams’ star players and help stretch the floor, both of which he does well. Tucker is one of those guys that does all the dirty work like dive for loose balls and chase down rebounds and is the type of player every championship team needs to win it all.
1995 – Robert Horry
Rudy Tomjonavich doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being ahead of the curve so often in his career. One example of that is when he placed Robert Horry at the power forward position. Horry wasn’t the typical power forward.
He could handle the basketball, create for others, guard almost every position and step out and score from downtown. Horry would, of course, go on to win multiple championships and rightfully earn the nickname “Big Shot Bob” but before that, he was a versatile do-it-all cog in the Rockets’ championship machine.
Advantage: 1995
Robert Horry made bigger impacts on both sides of the court and often made big play after big play. It’s no mistake that he has seven championship rings, and his role on the Rockets was crucial to them being two-time champs in the 90s.
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