SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
They're not the same team.
Yao is the only one left that can be credited to JVG. Hayes doesn't play, and Battier is the same player he was in Memphis and at Duke.
A lot of the same principals involved though, and that's undeniable. Last year you did have a lot of the same players and the ones that are there now most likely did indeed go through the same routine in practice. Having 3-4 pieces off of a very good defensive team, especially when they were key components at pivotal positions is most certainly a factor in the end.