Close, But Not Close Enough

No offense to the Rockets but this is crazy. How in the world does a team without its two best players take the presumed champs all the way to Game 7. They came 1 game away from upsetting the best Lakers team since the Shaq and Kobe era. They came close but they couldn't do it and for that I'm grateful. Even though they lost the Game 7, the fact that they were able to push the series that far out is a testament to their resiliency and determination. Not to mention the Lakers complete collapse in games 2,4 and 6. In those games they let Houston dictate the tempo and run at their own pace. A pace that the Lakers no doubt couldn't keep up with.

The Rockets, even without Yao and T-Mac, had 4 main guys who became their core during this near playoff upset their names are: Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry. The 4 guys kept this team in this series from beginning 'till end.They each played different yet cohesive roles in keeping these Rockets in the air.

Ron Artest played the role of team enforcer. From Game 1 he set the tone for a very physical series that involved flagrant fouls, suspensions and even a little blood. Being the person he is and the way he plays his game Ron is the perfect guy for this role. Plus, the way he got all up in Kobe's face back in Game 1 was vintage Ron Artest, not letting anyone disrespect him or get the best of him ever. Whether it's punching a fan to teach him a lesson or telling Kobe to watch himself, Ron Artest is the ultimate team enforcer.

Shane Battier played the role of team defender. Shane Battier in opinion deserved to be on the All- Defensive Team every year because his the most tenacious and accurate defender in the league. The way he guarded Kobe should've left Kobe scoreless but as you all know he's Kobe and really no one can stop him. But the way Battier was able to put his his hand in Kobe's face almost every tme Kobe shot the ball was impeccable because his hand was only inches from Kobe's face and was never really called for fouls at all. Even though Kobe averaged over 20 points a game for the series the fact that Battier kept up with him and never lost confidence in his abilities is amazing in of itself.

Aaron Brooks played the role of the surprise guy. Who had any idea that Aaron Brooks was this good because I sure didn't. He came out of nowhere and shocked us all just like his team did. After that 34 point eruption I personally believed that he would become the key to this series. But hopefully, next year he can continue to show us his talents and how far he can lead this Rockets team.

Carl Landry played the role of the energy guy. With his high-flying, rim-rocking slams he electrified the Houston crowd and helped lead his team to victory, But hype can only get you but so far, and I hope he'll be back next year to electrify us once more.

So that's it, the Rockets came close but the better team won. Maybe next year but for now this is the Lakers' show and that's not going to change. You came close Houston, but not close enough.