If McGrady is not injured, can the 09 Rockets win the championship?

If the Rockets are the closest to the championship except Olajuwon, which team led the team to win two championships, then there is no doubt that it is the 09 and 18 Rockets. There is not much recap of the 18 Rockets, and many fans still witness it with their own eyes. If Paul hadn't fallen or scored 27 three-pointers, the Rockets would have reached the top. The 09 Rockets are the most regrettable, and Artest also expressed his views in a recent guest show.

Former NBA player Ron Artest (now known as Ci Shiping) recently visited the program "Gil 's Arena" and recalled his experience with the Houston Rockets in the 2008-09 season. He gave the Rockets a very high evaluation without hesitation, calling it "the team I have played for the most in-depth."

Artest recalled that when he was traded to the Rockets in the middle of the season, although he was at the peak of his career, he could only get about 5 minutes of playing time when he was just a young man. This is not because the coaching staff did not recognize his ability, but because the Rockets' lineup structure was reasonable and the chemistry was excellent. "Sean Bathir is still there," Arte specifically mentioned, "they have established a very good understanding between them (teammates), and before I joined, the team had just played a long winning streak (late and after 22 wins)." This forced him to patiently wait for the opportunity to integrate into the system.

However, what really made Artest miss the Rockets was their tenacious fighting spirit in the playoffs, especially in the 2009 Western Conference semi-finals against the final champion Los Angeles Lakers. That round of the series became the tragic history of the Rockets' injury struggle. "We played with the Lakers to the seventh game," Arte emphasized, "think about it, we did it without Tracy McGrady (McDy was reimbursed for a knee injury season), Yao Ming was reimbursed for a season bone fracture after the third game, and Deakinbe Mutombo also bid farewell to the arena with a knee injury in the first round." In the desperate situation of many core players, the team relied on the collective outbreak of role players such as Artest, Louis Scola, Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Sean Bathir, and forced the powerful Lakers into a tiebreak battle.

It was after experiencing such a bloody battle that Artest left a strong "if" in his heart. "If McGrady was not injured," he said firmly on the show, "that team (the Rockets) is very, very likely to win the championship." In his opinion, the Rockets, which has Yao-Mc core, plus he himself and excellent puzzles such as Bathir and Scola, already have the absolute strength to hit the highest honor, and the cruel injuries in the playoffs ruthlessly stifle this possibility.

data records Atai's contribution in that round of seven games. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, and was an important offensive and defensive pillar for the team after losing Yao Ming. However, Yao Ming fell seriously injured after only three games. In the end, the Rockets lost regretfully in the tiebreak battle at Staples Center, ending the season full of regrets but winning countless respects. Artest's memories once again evoke people's nostalgia for the Rockets, which is full of resilience, depth and endless "if".

Personally, I believe that even if McGrady is not injured, it will be difficult for the Rockets to overcome the Lakers. After all, Yao and McGrady are both injured, and the Lakers' desire to fight will be greatly reduced, which is also the main reason why the G6 Rockets can win the game. So just McGrath's play will not increase the good effect, he is not as strong as Kobe. If you can take a step back, even if you can overcome the Lakers, facing the Celtics led by the Big Three + Rondo in the Finals, it will be difficult for the Rockets to win the Celtics without Yao Ming. You should know that the 22 consecutive victories in the season are cut off by the Celtics, so Yao Ming is indispensable.