Your top ten Rockets of all time

[K_chile22]

Since the GB is asking about Harden vs Hakeem and the PC board is, much more reasonably, comparing the two offensively, I was curious: Who are your top ten Rockets, when factoring in length and quality of their Rockets careers only?

Mine (reasoning in spoilers):
1. Hakeem.

Spoiler:

Duh.

2. James Harden.

Spoiler:

About to catch Murphy for second most WS while playing half as many games. Going to be all over the Rockets records when it's all said and done. Likely to be the third MVP in team history. Highest single season PER, Assists/gm, WS & WS/48, VORP in team history. Also projecting a bit here, as his tenure isn't ending any time soon

3. Calvin Murphy.

Spoiler:

12 year career, still leader in assists and until recently points in a game. Career avg of 18 and 4.4 on 54% TS, which is pretty dang high for that era

4. Moses Malone

Spoiler:

only five years here, but HOFer in his prime who won two MVPs as a Rocket. AVG 24 and 15 a game as a Rocket

5. Rudy Tomjanovich

Spoiler:

5 time all star who's career was probably shorter than it should've been. Spent whole ten year career as a Rocket. How is this guy not in the HOF yet btw

6. Yao Ming

Spoiler:

Played almost 500 games as a Rocket, shoulda been more but injuries , 19/9/2 on almost 60% TS, 6th in Rockets WS

7. Elvin Hayes

Spoiler:

Another HOFer who spent his first 4 years here, averaging over 27 and 16, then came back for three, less impressive seasons at the tail end of his career

8. This may sound crazy, but Steve Francis.

Spoiler:

In his 8 seasons as a Rocket, and nearly 400 games, he put up 19/6/6 on 53.3% TS. Three time all star, also 8th in Rockets WS

9. Otis Thorpe

Spoiler:

Big part of the Rockets first title team, spent 61/2 years here, putting up 16/10 a game

10. Ralph Sampson

Spoiler:

Large man who averaged 19.7 10.5 and 1.9 a game here, but so low because he played just 300 games as a Rocket, but was an all star 4 out of his 4 and a half seasons. Picking between he and T-Mac was hard for me

H.M. Clyde and Chuck only played around 200 games as a Rocket, on the tail end of their careers, so while they were good, they weren't good enough to climb over guys who were Rockets longer. T-Mac played 300 and almost got the tenth spot, but he was not the T-Mac people remember him to be while he was in Rockets red.
depending on CP3's ability to avoid age related decline and how long he spends here, could see him climbing up to 8th

[Mr. E]

I'll try to give more detail later, but here's my preliminary list:

1. Hakeem
2. Yao
3. Harden
4. Rudy T
5. Moses Malone
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Calvin Murphy
8. Mario Elie
9. Steve Francis
10. Elvin Hayes

[TMU]

Nice thread! My list would be something like this:

1. (H)akeem
2. Harden
3. Calvin
4. Moses Malone
5. Yao
6. Rudy
7. McGrady
8. Elvin Hayes
9. Franchise
10. Otis Thorpe

I think Hakeem is still #1 and it's not even remotely close.

[RaoulDuke79]

Chandler Parsons.

[Mr. E]

Chandler Parsons.

Only Rocket dreamier than Dream!

[ken6199]

Tmac with that 13 in 35 alone deserves to be a top 10. He also carried the load in that 22 game winnning streak, while being heavily game planned in that Utah series (they were throwing Harpring, AK, Brewer on him like what we do now on KD). And he is one of the few HOF we have. Or maybe it’s just me?

I swap him with either SF3, or Otis. Tmac is the type of guy that we shouldn’t let his career lows affect how we appreciate his highs, just like Harden, CP, etc...

[texasholdem]

Moses won 2 league MVPs as a rocket and led them to the Finals. No wonder Moses Jr hates Harden.

[K_chile22]

Moses won 2 league MVPs as a rocket and led them to the Finals. No wonder Moses Jr hates Harden.

He was really good, but he and Harden have spent around the same amount of time as a Rocket, while harden is under contract for five more seasons. I said I was projecting for Harden. As of right this second he'd be third, but Murphy is definitely ahead of him. He was very good and spent double the amount of games as a Rocket. Harden is almost a lock to pass both

[moofs]

1. Hakeem.
2. James Harden.
3. Moses Malone
4. Calvin Murphy.
5. Rudy Tomjanovich
6. Yao Ming
7. Shane Battier (5 seasons of karaoke)
8. Chuck M'fing Hayes (Let's hear it for our only full season 6'5" center!)
9. Elvin Hayes (He played 7 seasons for the Rockets - 4 great ones when young, 3 meh ones when old - and those teams ALL sucked. No knock on Hayes.)
10. Robert Reid

Honorable mention: Sam Cassell, who barely lost out to Robert Reid. Robert Horry, who barely lost out to Sam Cassell. Carl Landry, who literally took a bullet for the team. Tracy McGrady, who was mostly a shell of his former self while here. Deke and his FRIEND FROM ARGENTINA Luis Scola.

I could see Clint making this list if he stays here more than 5 years.

Certain members of the TNT Studio shall not be mentioned here for their prolonged turns as the bastard love children of Jane Fonda and Benedict Arnold.
YEAH, FATASS. YOU'RE BEHIND AT LEAST ONE OTHER CHUCK.

[King Roosk]

Any list without Vernon Maxwell cannot be taken seriously. Also, no love for Clyde?

[King Roosk]

1. Hakeem
2. Harden
3. T-Mac
4. Vernon Maxwell
5. Clyde
6. Yao
7. Otis Thorpe
8. Robert Horry
9. Mario Elie/Sam Cassell/Carl Herrera/Chucky Brown/Charles Jones/Kenny Smith/Pete Chilcut/Matt Bullard***
10. Franchise or Cuttino

*** The championship supporting cast deserves collective mention

[jwise44]

All I know is that number 2 for me is Chuck ****ing Hayes!!!! Don’t argue with me because it will not change my mind. The chuckwagon is a rockets legend!

And Mad Max would be number 3...again, don’t argue!

I want to see some bottom 10 lists (maybe to make it relevant the players had to get consistent playing time)

[K_chile22]

Any list without Vernon Maxwell cannot be taken seriously. Also, no love for Clyde?

For me, 200 games just wasn't enough. Ralph Sampson was last on my list and he had the fewest at a bit over 300

[moofs]

Bottom 10:

10. Melvin Booker
9. Vassilis Spanoulis
8. #BeWell
7. Kelvin Cato's Contract
6. Kenny Thomas
5. Scottie Pippin
4. Lew Lloyd / Mitch Wiggins
3. Eddie Griffin RIP
2. Shandon Anderson
1. Matt Maloney / Bryce Drew / Brent Price (Brent for causing the other two to happen, even if it wasn't his fault)

Honorable mention: Carroll Dawson as GM. Great guy. Lousy contract manager.

I REALLY hated the early 2000s.

[King Roosk]

Any list without Vernon Maxwell cannot be taken seriously. Also, no love for Clyde?

For me, 200 games just wasn't enough. Ralph Sampson was last on my list and he had the fewest at a bit over 300

I guess. Vernon played 442 games in Houston. Clyde played 270.

[King Roosk]

Bottom 10:

10. Melvin Booker
9. Vassilis Spanoulis
8. #BeWell
7. Kelvin Cato's Contract
6. Kenny Thomas
5. Scottie Pippin
4. Lew Lloyd / Mitch Wiggins
3. Eddie Griffin RIP
2. Shandon Anderson
1. Matt Maloney / Bryce Drew / Brent Price (Brent for causing the other two to happen, even if it wasn't his fault)

Honorable mention: Carroll Dawson as GM. Great guy. Lousy contract manager.

I REALLY hated the early 2000s.

Man. Remember how hype we were on here for Stromile Swift back in the mid-2000s? Good times.

[RaoulDuke79]

Bottom 10:

10. Melvin Booker
9. Vassilis Spanoulis
8. #BeWell
7. Kelvin Cato's Contract
6. Kenny Thomas
5. Scottie Pippin
4. Lew Lloyd / Mitch Wiggins
3. Eddie Griffin RIP
2. Shandon Anderson
1. Matt Maloney / Bryce Drew / Brent Price (Brent for causing the other two to happen, even if it wasn't his fault)

Honorable mention: Carroll Dawson as GM. Great guy. Lousy contract manager.

I REALLY hated the early 2000s.

Dear mother of taints, I had forgotten all about Shandon Anderson. The rest I remembered pretty well(hey, I kinda liked Kenny Thomas, damnit!), but Shandon frikkin' Anderson?! How did that Jazz bastard get to be a Rocket, and how in the HELL did he get to win a championship!

Also I want to nominate Mo Taylor to this list, simply because I remember his name and I don't know why.

[TMU]

Bottom 10:

10. Melvin Booker
9. Vassilis Spanoulis
8. #BeWell
7. Kelvin Cato's Contract
6. Kenny Thomas
5. Scottie Pippin
4. Lew Lloyd / Mitch Wiggins
3. Eddie Griffin RIP
2. Shandon Anderson
1. Matt Maloney / Bryce Drew / Brent Price (Brent for causing the other two to happen, even if it wasn't his fault)

Honorable mention: Carroll Dawson as GM. Great guy. Lousy contract manager.

I REALLY hated the early 2000s.

Man. Remember how hype we were on here for Stromile Swift back in the mid-2000s? Good times.

I remember some of us being excited about getting Stromile, myself included. Anyone remember Bouncey Whales? What about Skip to My Lou as starting PG launching those stupid floaters.

[RaoulDuke79]

1. Hakeem
2. Harden
3. T-Mac
4. Vernon Maxwell
5. Clyde
6. Yao
7. Otis Thorpe
8. Robert Horry
9. Mario Elie/Sam Cassell/Carl Herrera/Chucky Brown/Charles Jones/Kenny Smith/Pete Chilcut/Matt Bullard***
10. Franchise or Cuttino

*** The championship supporting cast deserves collective mention

Glad to see Cat Mobley get a mention, and I think he was a better player than Stevie.

[TMU]

Bottom 10:

10. Melvin Booker
9. Vassilis Spanoulis
8. #BeWell
7. Kelvin Cato's Contract
6. Kenny Thomas
5. Scottie Pippin
4. Lew Lloyd / Mitch Wiggins
3. Eddie Griffin RIP
2. Shandon Anderson
1. Matt Maloney / Bryce Drew / Brent Price (Brent for causing the other two to happen, even if it wasn't his fault)

Honorable mention: Carroll Dawson as GM. Great guy. Lousy contract manager.

I REALLY hated the early 2000s.

Dear mother of taints, I had forgotten all about Shandon Anderson. The rest I remembered pretty well(hey, I kinda liked Kenny Thomas, damnit!), but Shandon frikkin' Anderson?! How did that Jazz bastard get to be a Rocket, and how in the HELL did he get to win a championship!

Also I want to nominate Mo Taylor to this list, simply because I remember his name and I don't know why.

Mo Tay and his overtly aggressive post moves and picking up offensive fouls surely were painful to watch. V-Span has to be the worst of all-time, more because of his whining and that guy Compcomp.