I think we can all agree that we are disappointed to be the 8th seed and face OKC. . . and I know just about everyone thinks we will get swept. Even the ESPN sports nation poll doesn't have any options for Rockets winning in any games. It just has OKC winning in X games for most of the options and then Rockets winning in general - see link: http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013/matchup/_/teams/thunder-rockets Eff that shiz. We are the most unpredictable team in the playoffs. If we hit our 3's, we can beat anyone. 4 times, yea I know that is a reach with OKC, but we might as well have some positive energy for the Rockets. I am more concerned about Westbrook than anyone else on the Thunder. Parsons should be able to at least contain Durant, but Lin will get exposed against Westbrook. I think Beverley is our X factor in this series. If we hound Westbrook, we have a puncher's chance to pull off a huge upset.
Sweep. All these people who wanted to avoid Denver at all costs, well...the price paid was a 4 game series with OKC. Also, Golden State will take Denver to 7.
I would have more faith if I thought we had good coaching. McHale's decisions often lead directly to losses in very winnable games. Don't know how else to put it but McHale doesn't know how to coach in almost every respect.
Yea, its not like he took the youngest team in the league filled with a bunch of players nobody wanted and took them to the playoffs, what a scrub.
I was one of those people, and to be fair we didn't want to avoid them and play OKC instead. It was more about playing the Spurs... Westbrook is going to be a matchup nightmare, and I doubt Durant will struggle much against Parsons. That is what it is. I am really worried about a couple of guys going off... Ibaka, and yes, Kevin "F-ing" Martin. As much as Harden has something to prove, so does Martin. I also think that Ibaka could have a big time advantage over our tandem PF rotation...
Nobody wanted James harden or Jeremy Lin? The reason we are in the playoffs is because of the talent that Daryl morey brought in. McHale promotes harden iso which is inneffective. Rockets would be better with a new coach at the end of the season.
Lin has done fine against Westbrook time and again. If you watched the games you'll know that even when Westbrook went off, he was hitting contested, relatively low percentage shots that the Rockets were willing to give him. Lin is actually a good matchup with him physically and athletically. Of course you still need team defense to limit a top player, so if the bigs don't rotate or help well off the pick and roll, there's not much Lin can do there. Beverly is most valuable when giving Lin a breather with his energy, particularly against tiny PGs that like to run off of a bunch of screens. He is also valuable as a 2-guard playing alongside Lin. I think this is the eye test again. People keep saying Lin will get exposed when he has proven time and again that he is an excellent defender, and even the stats so that he is one of the top PG defenders in the league.
It's not about faith we can have faith but OKC will still kick the rockets butts four straight times in their sleep. This is playoff basketball people not the season anymore and we just did good enough making it out the season. We are inconsistent on all levels right now and don't even have a chance against these guys. I can't wait to see Lin out there what a wake up call this will be. Lucky we have Parsons to put on Durant.
Westbrook is actually a good matchup for Lin. Lin has problems against PGs that run him through screens. That is not Westbrook's game. Lin is fast enough and long enough to bother Westbrook. If anything Beverley will get exposed. If Beverley can't stop or slow down Westbrook then he will be useless since he can't run an offense.
No, you let westbrook be westbrook... let him score... but you need to contain durant and the other role players... if you bother westbrook, he will just pass off to durant which is much worse...
