Wait a minute. I though Yao, TMac and Artest were the new Big Three, and were gonna do exactly what the Celtics did last year?
Yeah, I thought the same thing. Even without green-tinted glasses, it seemed pretty obvious even before they started playing that KG, PP, and RA would mesh very well together. It seemed obvious that they were all guys who were team players at heart, but were burdened with carrying their own teams. It made too much sense, really.
In contrast, it seemed just as obvious that the Yao, TMac, Artest trio was a trainwreck waiting to happen. I don't blame Yao - I think he's as much a team player as anyone. But he doesn't have the leadership ability (maybe,in part, due to a cultural or language barrier) to bring everyone together. TMac has other-worldly physical talent (although not durability, obviously), but is severely lacking in just about every other aspect of the game. And Artest....well, Artest is Artest. Although I will say that I really still believe that he could really thrive playing in the right environment (e.g., playing alongside Duncan and coached by Pop).
All in all, I cannot comprehend how the media tried to make comparisons between Houston's "big three" and Boston's Big Three. About the only similarities between them are huge salaries and fan recognition/popularity. Basketball-wise, the two trios couldn't be any more different.
As I've predicted each of the last 3 years (including this preseason), I don't see Houston making it out of the 1st round. Call it the McGrady curse.