Which team is your ideal first-round opponent for the Rockets?

I want Warriors. Once these chumps get into a groove, defending champions are hard to beat. A 1st round knockout is going to hit them hard, like a Mike Tyson 1st round knockout. Once they get knocked down, they ain't getting up again as a dynasty. The most vulenerable is the Clippers, I'd take Faried over M.Harrell. And I think the elder Rivers may want to let Austin shine. I avoid Jazz, their home crowd is no joke. Whatever road the Rockets led us, I'm all in. Bring them on.

 

The Spurs are absolutely ideal. They don't have as much firepower as the Rockets, but they are well schemed and well prepared. That is exactly what the Rockets need to get focused. Rockets biggest issues are lack of focus for full game, particularly defensive, and health. The 3 pointers won't always fall, but this team can still win with discipline.

Also, the Rockets probably won't face any defensive sets/constructs more complicated than they will see against the Spurs/Popovich. Good prep for stuff they would see in later series with more complete teams.

 

Pick a team, any team, and bring them on.

Rockets dont need to duck anyone, they are scarier than last season's team right now and they are not even healthy yet.

 

Not the Seattle Super Sonics

 

Okay, everybody together...it just doesn't matter...it just doesn't matter...

 

Rockets 4-1 over Utah in Round 1
Rockets 4-1 over Denver in Round 2
Rockets 4-3 over Golden State in Round 3
Rockets 4-2 over Milwaukee in Round 4

 

I don't like sa.

They usually outcoach and prepare us. Barring a sweep, what they learn then deploy over a long series generally becomes textbook counters for other teams to use in future series or future seasons.

I like the old man, but I don't care much about breaking his losing streak with Pop. Spare your ego better by improving the weaknesses he exploits against you everytime you've played before.

 

Clippers for me. They're still doing (way) better than expected, but they look like a regular season team to me, i still consider the Spurs more dangerous than them cause they have two all star caliber players and Pop.

 

I miss Beverley

 

It’s a wash!

 

I want a 3rd or higher seed, so I'm only going to consider teams that are likely to be first round opponents based on that. Right now, that's the Jazz in 6th, and I think that's who I'd want, anyway.

The Rockets have the best player in the NBA. Harden is an X-factor, and if the team is healthy and on their game, they can beat anyone. If team health isn't an issue, then it's going to be the mental game that decides the Rockets' fate. That is, they need to play like they WANT to win.

I would like to see them get the taste of blood in their mouths, and Utah Jazz blood is the sweetest blood. Let them build themselves into a frenzy by tearing the Jazz limb from limb, and then bring it on, <insert next team>.

 

Rockets have the Spurs number this year. No way they can beat us. Plus less travel helps. OKC needs to play the Clippers. Let’s get Beverly v. Westbrook again.

 

Just not OKC. They always seem to bring their A-game against us.

 

Regular-season Lou Williams, sure; that would be a problem

Playoff Lou Williams...not so much

http://bkref.com/pi/shareit/1pk8i


[thead][/thead]

Season	Tm	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	2P	2PA	2P%	eFG%	PTS
2007-08	PHI	6	0	22.5	4.0	10.0	.400	0.3	1.5	.222	3.7	8.5	.431	.417	12.0
2008-09	PHI	6	0	24.8	3.5	8.5	.412	1.0	2.7	.375	2.5	5.8	.429	.471	9.7
2010-11	PHI	5	0	26.0	3.4	10.4	.327	1.2	4.0	.300	2.2	6.4	.344	.385	10.8
2011-12	PHI	13	0	27.5	3.8	10.9	.352	0.6	3.7	.167	3.2	7.2	.447	.380	11.5
2013-14	ATL	7	0	19.0	2.7	7.1	.380	0.7	2.3	.313	2.0	4.9	.412	.430	8.3
2014-15	TOR	4	0	25.5	4.0	12.8	.314	1.0	5.3	.190	3.0	7.5	.400	.353	12.8
2016-17	HOU	11	0	24.7	4.5	10.7	.424	1.1	3.5	.308	3.5	7.2	.481	.475	12.5
Career	52	0	24.6	3.8	10.1	.376	0.8	3.3	.254	3.0	6.8	.434	.417	11.2
4 seasons	PHI	30	0	25.7	3.7	10.2	.367	0.7	3.1	.237	3.0	7.1	.425	.403	11.1
1 season	HOU	11	0	24.7	4.5	10.7	.424	1.1	3.5	.308	3.5	7.2	.481	.475	12.5
1 season	ATL	7	0	19.0	2.7	7.1	.380	0.7	2.3	.313	2.0	4.9	.412	.430	8.3
1 season	TOR	4	0	25.5	4.0	12.8	.314	1.0	5.3	.190	3.0	7.5	.400	.353	12.8

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/9/2019.

 

I like Lou Williams. The problem with him is that he scores for both teams. Dude is a sieve on defense. He will be posted up by all the guards in the playoffs.

 

aside from the obvious implications of seeding...
Assuming we're healthy going into the playoffs... then I'd think we want GSW in the 1st round - before any potential injuries....
If we had GSW in the first round last year and knocked them out before losing CP3 - we may have won it all....
it all boils to GSW - and us being healthy... whatever provides the best odds for our health....

 

Ill take it! But a game 7 against GSW might just be too much for me to take. Get it done in 6 at home would be ideal

 

If we start the playoffs today, we'd be playing the Clippers.

I do NOT want to see Wolverine D up Harden or CP. Isolation or not.

 

True professional scorer. Points for errbody.

 

I'm a contrarian. I want GS 1st round, when we are all equally rested. We have to get by them no matter what so unless we think there is a reasonable (20-30%) chance they lose to another team 1st or 2nd round, I don't know why we'd want to face them later. There is a chance they sweep through the early rounds and are totally rested while we struggle through more "grind it out" series. Or that we get dinged up with injuries on the way to facing them.

Of course, if we saw them in the 1st round it means we or they slipped to 7-8 in the west, so this likely won't happen.