[Wojnarowski] Rockets can't be contenders because of Yao's minutes

Brad Miller's arrival adds 8 wins to this team?

Wow.

 

is it too much or not enough?

 

**** YES IT DOES !!!

Then you add in a year of growth for AB, Bud, Hill, and a full training camp with Kevin Martin.

And the west being weaker than ever....

You guys will see.....you will come around.

DD

 

Look at the positive side. NO ONE expects Rockets to be a top team. That can be used as a pressure advantage.
Rockets have a young and perspective team that can be real dangerous at times. However to be truly taken in convo with Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Magic and such teams they need at least one more All-Star caliber player...or at least one that actually played ASG

 

i'd argue you SHOULD look at what he did against lopez (who's no slouch @ center) rather then what he did against DHoward. that was Yao's 1st game in over a year against one of the best centers in the leauge, who was pumped to show off his new offensive game. we've seen noticable improvement since then. and seriously, how many centers right now are as good as DHoward?

with no yao, a slew of injuries, no bigs, and very little chemistry at the end of last season, the rox almost made the play-offs. now that all that has been correctd, i think it would take an epic team melt-down to NOT make the play-offs, n once we're IN the play-offs, yao will be a HUGE game-changer

 

Some of you continue to confuse what we want and what we need. What we want is another superstar, naturally. We don't need another superstar because the Rockets now are ready to contend.

 

Utah will be a better team this year, in my opinion. Millsap can replace Carlos, and they add a low post scoring threat in Jefferson. Kirilenko will play minutes at the PF, where he surely better performs.

About the old&older Spurs... I watched them a lot last season because my brother is a Spurs fan, Ginobili is still an unbelieveable player (yes, better than Martin), Parker is 28 y.o., last year was injured or semi-injured the whole time and has had a summer to rest and prepare for this season. And they added Thiago Splitter, who will help them where they struggled the last season, inside presence. Plus he's another low post scoring option.

Then, George Hill, Jefferson, Blair, McDyess... I think we should be a better team in the end, because despite all, Duncan won't be again a superstar and I doubt Parker can reach his former level of confidence, but I respect them, they are hungry again, they are winners, and have a good team. And remember what was repeated about the Celtics during the whole last season.

At least respect.

 

i tip my hat to you, sir....and pass the Grey Poupon

 

When you say the rockets are ready to contend, do you mean the rockets can actually win a championship ie.(16 playoff games) with this current team?

 

No love from NBA Roundtable on ESPN, from what I saw.
When talking about the West, and contenders behind the Lakers, no Houston mention.
But Portland, Thunder and Mavs entered the conversation.
Even a brief mention of Spurs and.....Utah.

 

Someone mentioned Houston and Yao when they were talking about who else in the West has the size to beat the Lakers but everyone else just ignored it.

 

If Yao can average 18/8 on just 24 minutes a game, I'll be very impressed. Frankly, I'd take 15/7 if he's only playing 24 a game.

The question is, what do you think Brad Miller's numbers will look like this year?

 

No confusion on my part. We will do well,but I don't think that we can contend for the NBA Championship or the Western Conference finals.

 

Not meaning to jock DD, but I'm all in. I like the way this team looks, only concern is the defense at the PG and SG position. However, other teams have to stop AB and Kmart. Very difficult with Yao requiring double teams and you can't front him with Scola shooting the way he does.

 

**** ESPN! They too busy choking on LeBron, Durant, and Kobes balls!

 

Playing defense and getting the ball out of Brooks' hands for 90% of the plays will add at least 8 wins to this team. The defense is just gonna be a function of having two big men over 7'0 to funnel perimeter players into where before we had 6'6 Chuck Hayes.

 

Ole Woj is wrong on this one.

 

WOjo is highly overrated...

 

Watching the preseason so far, it's so apparent the impact Yao has on the defensive end. A normally high percentage shot around the block become a very low percentage shot with Yao's 7'5" body blocking the way. Just look at how bad Lopez and Hansbrough looked when trying to shoot over Yao. That just comes from size. Adding 24 mpg of Yao and sliding Chuck back to the 4 alone is worth 8 wins. A porous D, become a good defense. And Yao has looked smoother and quicker with each game.

On offense, Yao still commands double teams and I'm really liking Kmart's shot selection. When he catches it and someone shoots out to contest his shot, he takes one dribble in, looks if the shot is still good, drawing in AB's man, then passes it to AB for a wide open 3. I think these guys are developing some really good offensive chemistry. Plus, kmart's first step looks sharper than last year. We now have some serious outside shooters in kmart, AB, Bud, Battier, and Lee to stretch the floor with Yao and Scola down low and Hayes, Miller, and sometimes Yao in the high post facilitating the motion offense. Plus, there's the whole foul-drawing aspect of our guys in Yao, Kmart, Lowry, which will soften up opposing defenses too. I'm thinking 55+ wins.