Prediction: The Rockets will be a dark horse contender next season

I agree. What teams have won it all or even made it to the finals as a #6 seed?

Could the Rockets become a 4th-6th seed next year? Very possible.

Could the Rockets be a OKC or this year's Grizzlies NEXT year, a true CONTENDER as a certain top 3 team? Not too likely.

Rockets have their "Ibaka" or "Marc Gasol" in Asik, a solid contributing big man.

The star player in Harden like Z-Bo or lesser Durant.

Rockets need that other star Russell Westbrook or Rudy Gay piece like those teams have. (If it was Linsanity Lin then yeah maaaaaybe, but THAT guy isnt coming back, predictably so)

 

Weren't the Rockets "dark horse" contenders for like 6 years in a row? I don't think being dark horse contender means all that much.

 

You forgot to add the Timberwolves. I think they're on the rise and will be a very good team in the future.

 

It's not likely the Rockets become a potential contender next year... a legitimate playoff team, yes.

A dark horse contender? We're probably at least 2 years and one more star away from that.

 

worry about today not tomorrow

 

A good take. The nice thing about a young team that has good management and coaching is that you can expect them to improve. No one padding the stats sheets, causing locker room problems, b****ing about playing time. Built right following the OKC model and the Rockets will be much better next year.

 

That is, up until the last two weeks of the season when they officially play themselves out of the playoffs.

 

95 Rockets

 

YOU shut your mouth! BraveFox is awesome. I even quoted him on my facebook page! (Will Ferrell voice)

 

Current Rockets + an alum? I have to say, I'm proud.

 

Exactly


Its saying Rockets fans out of ANYONE should know that lower seeds generally don't win the title


There IS A LITTLE more PARITY in the league now from teams 4 through 12. You get the low seeders stealing a series now and then. Still generally the top 3 teams are the ones advancing and winning.

 

Minimum of three years in my opinion.

 

If the Rockets get anywhere close to a play off seed with this team, let alone in the play offs, it's a heck of an accomplishment given the youth, inexperience and turnover in the roster.

Young teams are like having children. Sometimes they make you proud, other times you smack your forehead and wonder what the heck they're doing.

It just takes a LOT of patience to watch them grow.

 

I'd trade our entire roster for Rubio and Love. I think the things that might put us in a better position are location and management.

 

Best case scenario, wherein a) Jeremy Lin develops into a productive/efficient (non-star) starting NBA PG and b) Darryl Morey successfully executes a quantity-for-quality trade before the February 2013 trade deadline for a very good PF (Paul Millsap, maybe Ersan Ilyasova), the Rockets are looking like a team that should win around 46-48 ballgames in 2013-14 but will still be pretty far behind the top tier teams. Let's take a look at the other teams in the West, going forward.

1 Oklahoma City. This team is extremely well-managed. The James Harden trade was ingenious as the Thunder are getting comparable production from Kevin Martin (thus far) as they were getting last season from James Harden and then there is Jeremy Lamb and the draft picks. Kevin Durant is, at worst, the second-best basketball player in the world, and he's still very young. Russell Westbrook is having his best season, by far. Oklahoma City is a whole lot better than Houston, now and in the foreseeable future. However, if Kevin Martin parlays a strong 2012-13 into a relatively large new contract, I'm guessing OKC won't be the team that gives him that contract, and that Sam Presti guesses that he can replace Martin's production internally and through the draft. And I'm guessing that he's going to be right. He's been right about everything so far. VERDICT: OKC is going to be a lot better than Houston in 2013-14.

2 San Antonio. Tim Duncan will be one year older, as will Emanuel Ginobili, as will Tony Parker. The Spurs are also extremely well-managed, as demonstrated by the brilliant George Hill trade that fetched the excellent Kawhi Leonard. Yet you can only go so many years without landing high draft picks before your talent level starts to decline. I have to think that the Spurs will no longer be a legit title contender by 2013-14. VERDICT: San Antonio looks to be a 4-6 seed in 2013-14 and about as good as Houston in 2013-14.

3 Lakers. Here is another aging team although you have to admire the timing on the Andrew Bynum trade that netted the excellent Dwight Howard. Steve Nash is showing his age. Kobe Bryant will surely be showing his age by 2013-14 although who knows. Pau Gasol is showing his age. The team lacks the financial flexibility or the assets to really do anything to upgrade the roster. This team is built to win now, as in right now, not in 2013-14. VERDICT: The Lakers figure to be a 4-6 seed in 2013-14 and about as good as Houston (we're talking best case scenario; see first paragraph) in 2013-14.

4 Denver. The Nuggets are extremely well-managed and the core is very young. A lot hinges on the development of JaVale McGee but the team will continue to win around 50 ballgames/year for the foreseeable future even if McGee never gets any better than he is right now. Andre Iguodala will be brought back. Denver figures to win 50+ games/year for the foreseeable future. VERDICT: Denver figures to be a 3-5 seed in 2013-14 and probably a little bit better than Houston.

5 Memphis. The Grizzlies are extremely good and all of their players are in the prime of their careers, pretty much. However, Zach Randolph is getting up their in age and figures to start declining as a player, probably by 2013-14. The team lacks the financial flexibility to really upgrade the roster. Memphis should be about as good in 2013-14 as they are this season and is a legitimate threat to win a championship both this season and next season. VERDICT: Memphis figures to be a 1-3 seed in 2013-14 and a lot better than Houston.

6 Clippers. I have been following the NBA for about 20 years now. Consequently, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop here. It all starts at the top, and Donald Sterling is the worst. Blake Griffin is a major injury waiting to happen, all the time, the way he plays. The supporting cast is questionable. The amount of money given to Caron Butler was idiotic. The same can be said for Jamal Crawford, who is what he is, and who is being grossly overrated this season. It is unlikely that DeAndre Jordan ever gets any better than he is right now. Chris Paul may or may not re-sign with this team, but even if he does, Paul himself is getting up there in age. Paul is awfully good, though. VERDICT: The Clippers figure to be a 4-6 seed and probably a little bit better than Houston in 2013-14.

7 Minnesota. Kevin Love is a superstar, in his prime (and he's not getting traded to Houston, ever, so please stop dreaming). Ricky Rubio seems like a good ballplayer. Andrei Kirilenko is having a monster 2012-13 but he's getting on up there in age. The supporting cast is not very good. David Kahn, the GM, is incompetent. Ownership has demonstrated that it will be overly patient with incompetent management (see the Kevin Garnett era for details). VERDICT: Houston should be able to quickly bypass Minnesota; the Timberwolves figure to be in the 7-9 range in 2013-14.

8 Utah. This is a very well-managed team but a small market team. Both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson will be unrestricted free agents. Utah can't afford to re-sign both players, plus, Utah has Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter waiting in the wings. Utah will pick one guy to re-sign and will either trade the other guy before the February 2013 trade deadline or during the summer, in a sign-and-trade. Utah has a bad PG situation in an era dominated by PGs, and they're unlikely to find a star PG between now and the beginning of next season. VERDICT: Houston should be able to quickly bypass Utah; the Jazz figure to be in the 7-9 range in 2013-14.

9 Golden State. I don't take this team seriously. Andrew Bogut is never going to be able to stay healthy for any extended period of time. I don't see this team really doing anything anytime soon. VERDICT: Golden State may or may not make the playoffs in 2013-14; Houston will be better.

10 Dallas. Mark Cuban has won his championship. Dirk Nowitzki hasn't even played a game in 2012-13 and his age is a big reason why. He's not getting any younger. Cuban does not seem to be adapting. Cuban does not seem to understand that star players do not leave $20-$30 mil on the table, star players either re-sign or are signed and traded. Cuban lacks the assets to acquire a star via a sign-and-trade. The moment last summer when Cuban didn't fly out to meet Deron Williams in person to make his sales pitch says it all, in my opinion. I think Cuban has grown bored with the Mavs and will be looking to sell the team sooner rather than later. VERDICT: Dallas may or may not make the playoffs in 2013-14; Houston will be better.

11 New Orleans. Anthony Davis is going to be really, really good. Eric Gordon doesn't seem to want to be here. Management blew it by drafting Austin Rivers, who appears to be a non-rotation player (at least on a playoff team), at #10 overall. Ryan Anderson, on the other hand, was a great acquisition. Management is doing a pretty good job here. New Orleans is probably going to be able to sneak into the playoffs in 2013-14. VERDICT: Houston is better in 2013-14 although New Orleans has a lot of upside.

12 Portland. The owner is kind of a crazy person. The team has not really accumulated good young talent. Depth is a problem. The owner stupidly fired one of the league's best GMs a few years ago and Portland never really recovered. The Greg Oden decision obviously set this franchise back quite a bit. VERDICT: Houston is better in 2013-14; Portland is not going to be making the playoffs anytime soon.

13 Phoenix. This is the franchise that gave three years, $18 mil to Michael Beasley, the worst basketball player in the league. I can keep going. Just a horrible organization at this point. VERDICT: Houston will be a lot better than Phoenix for the foreseeable future.

14 Sacramento. Just an abomination of an NBA franchise. No hope. VERDICT: Houston will be a lot better than Sacramento for the foreseeable future.

So, my best guess at the 2013-14 standings:

1 Thunder
2 Grizzlies
3 Nuggets
4 Lakers
5 Spurs
6 Clippers
7 Rockets
8 Timberwolves
9 Hornets
10 Jazz
11 Warriors
12 Blazers
13 Mavs
14 Suns
15 Kings

Rockets fans are really looking forward to 2014-15, when they will hopefully be able to leapfrog up to the #3/#4 spot in the West. Again, I am assuming best case scenario here (see first paragraph again).

 

We already are the Dark Horse contender...

 

not with Lin