[Project] Top 5 single season peaks by franchises: The Rockets

[Odinn21]

Paul can't be in the discussion for that thread since 2021 isn't available.

What order are you going in? Alphabetically by what?

What I tried to say was, even if 2021 was available for the project, I doubt that 2021 Paul would make the Suns top 5.
We’ve been going by alphabetically with franchise nicknames as in 2K video game style.

[Odinn21]

3 hours and 40 minutes left on the clock for this one.

[Doctor MJ]

1. '93-94 Hakeem Olajuwon - clearly
2. '17-18 James Harden - 2nd best player in Rockets history
3. '78-79 Moses Malone - the end of the top tier
4. '17-18 Chris Paul - as always, very good
5. '76-77 Rudy Tomjanovich - really a shame how his career got shattered after this year

[Odinn21]

The Rockets results;

Code: Select all

1. 9-0-0-0-0 / 90 points / 1.000 share / '94 Hakeem Olajuwon
2. 0-6-3-0-0 / 57 points / 0.633 share / '20 James Harden
3. 0-3-6-0-0 / 51 points / 0.567 share / '82 Moses Malone
4. 0-0-0-5-2 / 17 points / 0.189 share / '18 Chris Paul
5. 0-0-0-3-3 / 12 points / 0.133 share / '05 Tracy McGrady

6. 0-0-0-1-0 /  3 points / 0.033 share / '69 Elvin Hayes
7. 0-0-0-0-2 /  2 points / 0.022 share / '09 Yao Ming
8. 0-0-0-0-1 /  1 points / 0.011 share / '01 Steve Francis
9. 0-0-0-0-1 /  1 points / 0.011 share / '77 Rudy Tomjanovich

Results on Google Sheet

[Owly]

1. '93-94 Hakeem Olajuwon - clearly
2. '17-18 James Harden - 2nd best player in Rockets history
3. '78-79 Moses Malone - the end of the top tier
4. '17-18 Chris Paul - as always, very good
5. '76-77 Rudy Tomjanovich - really a shame how his career got shattered after this year

Noisy measure and career wide, versus single year but does his worst in the sample WoWY (671st in "prime" - though prime given as career in his case - and career) cause any concern? Admittedly '80 and '81 seem likely doing significant harm based on the earlier spreadsheet version.

Any reason on the year? Other years look better by the boxscore ('74 RS or '75 if one is a really heavy playoff weighter) on Reference box composites.

[Doctor MJ]

1. '93-94 Hakeem Olajuwon - clearly
2. '17-18 James Harden - 2nd best player in Rockets history
3. '78-79 Moses Malone - the end of the top tier
4. '17-18 Chris Paul - as always, very good
5. '76-77 Rudy Tomjanovich - really a shame how his career got shattered after this year

Noisy measure and career wide, versus single year but does his worst in the sample WoWY (671st in "prime" - though prime given as career in his case - and career) cause any concern? Admittedly '80 and '81 seem likely doing significant harm based on the earlier spreadsheet version.

Any reason on the year? Other years look better by the boxscore ('74 RS or '75 if one is a really heavy playoff weighter) on Reference box composites.

'76-77 was the last year of Rudy T developing his all-star career naturally. The following year Kermit Washington would almost kill him with that legendary punch. Also the following year the Rockets would be much worse, only to be good again the next year with Rudy.

My guess is that if Rudy's looking weak by WOWY it's because of a tendency to compare how a particular season's team did with and without the player rather than looking to compare year vs year, and there's a reasonable logic for that, but we are talking about a team who effectively had the only offensive dynasty of the '70s whose clearly fell off in the year without Rudy, and I don't think that's a coincidence.

Beyond this what I'll say is that I really respect the combination of team offensive effectiveness and Rudy's clear nose for efficiency. By contrast guys like Hayes & TMac are essentially flying blind.

Yao? Never healthy all year, typically broken when you needed him in the playoffs.

Stevie Franchise? Maybe in this era he'd be stronger, but back then, overrated.

My main debate was between Rudy and teammate Calvin Murphy. When with Rudy because this is about single seasons, and '76-77 was peak Rockets until the Twin Towers came along. (I know they made the finals later, but I consider that fluky.)

[Dr Positivity]

Surprised Harden beat Moses there and that 2020 was rated his peak

[Colbinii]

Surprised Harden beat Moses there and that 2020 was rated his peak

This board isn't high on Moses (Right or wrong) and I don't see much difference between 2018 and 2020 Harden.

[Dr Positivity]

Surprised Harden beat Moses there and that 2020 was rated his peak

This board isn't high on Moses (Right or wrong) and I don't see much difference between 2018 and 2020 Harden.

Why 2020 over 2019? 2019 playoff run is not that bad considering he played Utah in first round instead of OKC

[Colbinii]

Surprised Harden beat Moses there and that 2020 was rated his peak

This board isn't high on Moses (Right or wrong) and I don't see much difference between 2018 and 2020 Harden.

Why 2020 over 2019? 2019 playoff run is not that bad considering he played Utah in first round instead of OKC

I voted 2019.