To be honest I think the standings as constructed today are exactly how I would shape them if designing an ideal case for the Rockets. Take on a young Denver team with weak defense first. Beat them quickly and you only have to make one altitude adjustment. Winner of NO-Min next. We've shown the ability to handle Minny, and New Orleans is relying pretty aggressively on white-hot shooting from their non-AD guys. Won't happen forever. (I might swap Portland for the Pelicans if it's 3 weeks from now and they still haven't cooled down.) I'm not particularly scared of OKC or San Antonio but I think they provide the most interesting gauntlet to run GS through.
OKC is tricky at it's best, but the Pelicans are dangerous too, even without Boogie. Portland is more dangerous than the Jazz. Denver is better with Millsap, but Portland is a more tricky team. No one can ignore the Spurs, but they are hurting without Leonard. In degree of difficulty in the first round, in my opinion is OKC followed by the Pelicans, and the Spurs/Portland as the 3rd teams.
Anybody can get it at this point. This is the Rockets year, and they will go through who they have to
With Boogie out, I would say either OKC or GSW. OKC because they can wear us down with their defense. We will still beat them, but they are going to make us work for it. GSW, because if we meet them, that means something went devastatingly wrong with one or both teams. Given that they have 4 all-stars, if that match up happens in the first round, it is more likely that something went wrong for us.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22680411/bold-predictions-wild-west-playoff-race-nba Which teams should the Rockets and Warriors most want to avoid in Round 1? Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: Relative to the West's sub-elites in recent years, I'm not sure there's a particularly bad matchup for either team, but of the eight teams in question -- the Utah Jazz. They have the personnel and scheme to turn ballet into a tractor pull. If the Spurs were whole, they'd be the obvious choice If Jimmy Butler were healthy, a Wolves team potentially maturing into its own might be the answer. We're told the Thunder have the star power to thrive in the playoffs, but since Andre Roberson's injury, they're the only one of the West contenders with a negative net rating and have looked terrible in the process. Jackie MacMullan, ESPN.com: Does anyone want any part of the New Orleans Pelicans right now? Anthony Davis has muscled himself into the MVP conversation with video game numbers, including a cluster of believable 3-pointers -- not the gawky erector set kind that big men usually launch. Jrue Holiday has sported a 3.67 assist-to-turnover ratio and 25 points and 8.6 assists per game during the team's nine-game winning streak, and New Orleans is 20-14 on the road. Golden State and Houston should avoid the Pels at all costs -- and likely will (if Davis stays healthy) since they have shot up to the No. 4 seed. André Snellings, ESPN Fantasy: Golden State wants to avoid Oklahoma City in the first round. The Thunder have always been built more for the playoffs than the regular season. Plus, Russell Westbrook has no fear, massive motivation and complete belief against the Warriors. That's not really a battle the champs want in the first round. The Rockets want to avoid the Spurs, especially if Kawhi Leonard returns. The Rockets are extremely difficult to play but Gregg Popovich has the genius to game plan against them, experience with facing Mike D'Antoni teams in the postseason and, if Kawhi returns at full-speed, the Spurs would suddenly have championship-level upside. Andrew Han, ESPN.com: A week ago the answer would've been the Thunder. But with a potential Kawhi Leonard return, the Spurs would reunite their Rubik's Cube system with possibly the most feared two-way player in the league today. San Antonio's edge over Oklahoma City as the biggest barrier of the bottom belles is pretty simple: experience. The OK3 might catch fire for a series, but Pop & Co. won't beat themselves, the Dubs and Rox will have to beat them. Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Despite several stretches of struggles throughout the season, you have to believe the Thunder are still the least desirable matchup for anyone in the conference. In a playoff series, when play tends to bog down into more one-on-one action, OKC still poses a major threat through sheer star power. What first-round matchup do you most want to see? MacMullan: Even though Blake Griffin is not walking through that door, and even though in retrospect most of the details from Tunnel Gate were wildly exaggerated or just flat out incorrect, the tension is real between Chris Paul and his former team. So, bring it on: How will Doc Rivers scheme to keep Paul's streak of failing to advance past the second round alive? What's the over/under on technical fouls that somehow involve Austin Rivers? There are seven players in this Houston-Clippers rivalry that, at one point, played for the other team. That's a delicious, combustible recipe for drama, providing LA can slip into that eighth playoff spot. Pass the popcorn. Han: Chirping and peak pettiness is what keeps first-round matches interesting, so Rockets vs. Clippers would be the series for me. Blake Griffin's unceremonious departure steals some of the star power, but the Riverses with their "nothing to lose" attitude squaring off against a "this is why I left" Chris Paul seems ripe for drama. What in the West will be most intriguing the last five weeks? Arnovitz: Watching the Rockets continue to refine their defense, build familiarity offensively as they further integrate Joe Johnson and brim with confidence. We won't know until later this spring whether the Rockets are the legitimate equals of the Warriors, but the more you watch the ease with which they find shots and the proficiency with which they defend, the harder it is to conclude they're much of an underdog. What's your bold prediction for the West playoff race? Elhassan: Isn't any prediction out West bold? Kawhi Leonard will return to save the Spurs from impending doom. MacMullan: The only truly bold prediction in the West would be to forecast an upset that eliminates either Golden State or Houston from the conference finals. But who really believes that will happen? Not me. I do think the Thunder are teetering on the edge of a makeover as their truly bizarre season continues to tangle itself in knots. My prediction is OKC will move on from Billy Donovan and Paul George, and we will criticize them for the failed experiment, knowing full well we would have done the same thing. Snellings: The Spurs will end up with the No. 3 seed and the Thunder will slot in at No. 4. My secondary prediction: The Lakers will end up sneaking into the race at the very end, finishing within at most three games of the final playoffs slot. Han: The West playoffs won't be decided until the outcome of the 10:30 p.m. ET Clippers-Lakers game on Wednesday, April 11, the last day (and game) of the regular season. Arnovitz: The Warriors and Rockets will play Game 1 the third weekend in May, each undefeated through the first two rounds.
I’ll take any team. If we truly have a championship team then nobody in the 1st should worry us at all.
I don't wanna sound like a prick, but OKC's too dumb to be a threat. They have the talent. But WB isn't the type to read defenses or pick a opponent apart. Melo's not that type either. Their coach isn't smart enough to change his offense up. They're basically out there hoping one of the big 3 gets hot enough to pull off a miracle. The team I'm worried about is Denver. They can actually play our speed and put up points with us
If Carmelo gets hurts, OKC can win it... If Kawhi is healthy, Spurs have a chance... ...and why are the Clippers not listed? They are plotting a surprise attack on our locker room... and we are screwed if Capela, Ariza, Green, and company are baited into suspensions in the swift counterattack.
Popovich will pull some crazy scheme out of his ass to try to limit our offense. I don't want every other team to get a free consultation.
