The 2019-20 Rockets are going to win 60+ games... and it's going to suck

I’m not against ISO ball. But the notion that they are easier to defend without KD is a stretch imo. Green did play in games 6 and 7. If they were truly that impossible to defend or beat without KD they should have found a way to close the deal. I never said it wasn’t hard. But Cleveland proved that it was possible.

 

Yes, they proved it... by playing ISO ball. All the teams that have pushed or had success against GSW have been ISO ball teams.

 

The NBA is a pretty cruel mistress. If you don't get enough regular season wins to snag a 3rd seed, history says you're not winning the championship. The only exceptions are the '95 Rockets and one of Russell's Celtics teams (I get tired of looking up the year.) At the same time, the playoffs are an entirely different animal than the regular season. Moreso than any other sport I can think of. You can absolutely be a great regular season team and a poor playoff team. So, I guess I'd agree with the sentiment that even if the Rockets did win 60+ games, it could feel hollow the whole way.

I've just seen too many things I don't like about how the team plays to think that adding a big star is going to change things. Not unless that star brings some life and urgency and killer instinct to the team. The coach we're extending certainly will not. The Warriors simply look like they want to win. Whether Curry's injured or Durant is out or their shots are off, they try to pull it out and either make it close or do indeed pull it out. The Rockets play games like they expect the chips to eventually fall on their side by the end if they just do what they always do. Maybe over an 82-game season that'll consistently get you in the top 4, but it means absolutely nothing in any one 48-minute playoff game.

 

Will MDA play House, Clark, Hartenstein significant minutes and let them develop?
We need depth for the 7 man playoff rotation of 2019/2020

 

To me it's almost worse because at least with the "purgatory" you can have young developing players or be excited for free agency , maybe get lucky and draft a Kawhi / Giannis etc ....

With our current situation we are just getting older , more expensive , and still trying the same damn strategy lol

 

It just seems almost worse because we will be going into year 8 next year of it, more or less, and we made a WCF now 5 years ago.

It's less about where you are, and more about whether you're stuck and where you're going.... UNLESS you are winning championships....

 

KD isn't going to leave. He's a generational talent, but he is not a leader, except for the fake tough guy routine. He only does that because he knows he has 3 other all-stars to back it up.

 

Yup

After all this season is over . And we have no rings to show .

Close only counts in horseshoes right ?

 

The Rockets will win no less than 58 games barring injury
I think we will about 61 . . .. . with no changes


Rocket River

 

Guess we'll find out soon enough

 

What’s annoying is Durant’s ass might be gone, but they could add 2 bench players and end up even ****ing better. I hate the warriors.

 

Yes, that that team won 73 games was just an anomoly, with no relevance. SMH

 

I wouldn't discount the value of seeding, and home court. Do we want to face Warriors in the second round again? Depending on how the Warriors play (and they didn't play great this season), I would think we'd want the second seed if possible, or at least the 3rd seed. But other teams, like the Nuggets, are in that same mix. If you discount the regular season, getting a desirable seeding will be hard.

That said, is the regular season as important as the post season? No, it isn't. But get the kinks worked out in the first 1/4, and focus on winning the rest of the season.

 

Good post, and not to detract from it, but....hockey. Playoff seeding basically doesn't matter in hockey, and 1 seeds lose to 8 seeds fairly often. Seeding in the NBA matters a LOT more than it does in the NHL. Not even close.

One similarity, though, is that playoff hockey is different than regular season, just like the NBA. Defense matters more, and game to game adjustments, etc. Just like in the NBA.

 

Did you forget they were in the wcf in 2018? So twice in the last 5 years. What other team besides the cavs and warriors has been in a conference finals twice in the last 5 years.

 

He *should* but he won't. Would have loved to see Clark and House play instead of Gerald Green in the playoffs. I'd rather them be bad and get experience than just let Gerald Green continue to be bad for no purpose.

Warriors have gotten key minutes from both Looney and McKinney this postseason. That doesn't happen if they weren't given rotation minutes during the regular season.

 

No I didn’t forget lol. My point was they made it as far 5 years ago. So they’re basically stuck at this level. As I noted in prior posts in this thread that you didn’t quote, it’s not the nba purgatory of 40-44 win seasons, but there’s a similarity in the stagnation.

 

Never count out injuries and Father Time who is undefeated.

We had relatively gud luck with injuries this playoffs but with the Rox injury history you cannot count it out.

Rox is still too fragile to withstand injuries to JH, PJ, EGo or Chris. Even Capela.

 

Those guys had a team that didn’t have an Alltime top five scoring and playmaking guard, Nash needed closers.

I still do not see us as a complete, vastly talented team.

Harden outshines everyone, CP, Tuck, Gordon and CC are vying for the rest of the light while the role players are just getting by.

People dun get that it is one of the most successful one man shows in history but still a one man show and couple of henchmens.

If you want consistent success in the playoffs you have to build a more competitive team, otherwise it is just years of sponging off Harden’s Life force.

No other way around it. Actually draining his life force quickly.