Bench (10) > (9 )
To tell you the truth, i might put this at 10-8 Rockets... i like Murphy, Shaq, and Finley and Ridnour... next year it might be even w/ Shaq and Finley falling totally off.
Just about dead even still.... Good job."
Now thats what I like to see Gaines! 
again I expect to meet the Blazers in the WCF a couple of times.
Haha. I think G.C. overrates the bench disparity. I like mine just as well as yours, and actually slightly better. Either way, though, it's close.
My take:
Mourning, Battie < Shaq, Swift (Mourning will slow Shaq, though)
Haslem = Murphy (different types of games; both are a good fit)
Webster > Thomas (Webster is just much more efficient)
Mobley = Finley (I'd take Mobley, but both fill a role)
Blake > Ridnour (This gap is wider than the stats make it look)
It's very close; I certainly don't see a "10-8" in Houston's favor, especially with the open question of how Shaq will adapt to a spot on the bench.
Everyone's a critic.... of the critic
Mourning, Battie < Shaq, Swift (Mourning will slow Shaq, though)
Haslem = Murphy (different types of games; both are a good fit)
This is the main area i see the difference, frontcourt depth:
1. Mourning is still injured and an unknown quanitity when he does come back. This 'aint your daddy's Zo... he's getting up there, harder to recover.
2. Shaq is still a mammoth guy and can move folks around.
3. I LOVE (former Gator) Haslem and you can't do anything but respect his work ethic to become the starting PF on a title team... but... Murphy is 3-4 inches bigger, and the better scorer, rebounder and passer (even per36). They might both be good fits, but I'll take Murphy/Shaq over Haslem/Battie (who's also coming back from injury) every day of the week.
Blake > Ridnour (This gap is wider than the stats make it look)
I'm not following you here... If you look at their stats both last year and over their respective careers (where they've played almost the same # of games), Ridnour beats Blake in: Points, rebounds, assists, asst/to ratio, steals, blocks, FG% and FT% (also true when you do per/min). The only category Blake wins is 3P%.
This is advantage Ridnour or a tie.
I'd agree and take Webster over Thomas and push on Mobley/Finley, so 10-9 or 10-8 depending on how big an advantage you see HOU's frontcourt depth -- i see it as big (helping to make up for the starting frontcourt advantage i think POR has).
it's tight between these 2 teams as 1/2 seeds thus far in the West... HOU def. has the experience advantage (Parker, Shaq, Finley, Odom to Haslem, Zo in the finals dept.)
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