upcoming schedule analysis: WE CAN STILL DO IT!

[RocketsMac]

here's our schedule for the upcoming 2 months. I am gonna provide a simple W or L prediction and estimate where our team will be right before the allstar break:

Dec
Tue 26 vs Indiana W
Wed 27 @ New Jersey L
Fri 29 vs Atlanta W
Sun 31 vs Memphis W

Jan
Wed 03 vs Seattle L
Fri 05 vs Utah L
Sun 07 @ Minnesota L
Mon 08 @ Chicago L
Wed 10 vs LA Lakers L
Fri 12 @ Denver L
Sat 13 @ Sacramento L
Tue 16 @ Dallas L
Wed 17 vs Phoenix L
Sat 20 vs Denver L
Wed 24 @ San Antonio L
Fri 26 vs Portland W
Mon 29 vs Philadelphia W
Wed 31 vs Seattle W

Feb
Sat 03 vs New Orleans L
Mon 05 vs Minnesota L
Tue 06 @ Memphis W
Fri 09 @ Dallas L
Sat 10 vs Charlotte W
Tue 13 vs Sacramento W
Thu 15 vs Dallas L


according to this worst case scenario prediction:

W= 9
L = 16

our record on Feb. 16th 2007= 25-27

this means we are right around .500 by the allstar Break. this leaves us at the 8th seed in the WC, assuming Golden State and Minny keep going at the same pace. but I like to think of it in worst case scenario, which would be 9th or 10th, assuming GS and Minny get on a little run. that's still not bad, we still have a great shot at going to the playoffs considering that we can get Yao back after the Allstar Break and get on a nice little run and get into the playoffs picture and possibly improve our position to 7th or 6th (if we can pass Denver, which is likely to happen because of the suspensions they have.)

so guys, it's too early to give up. forget Oden and the draft and ping-pong balls. we are doing it this season.

and I really felt better after seeing the "photoshop the pain" thread because it might a sign that we are NOT going to have one in the end of the season because we will be in the Finals and we will have a photoshop thread to make fun of the teams we beat in the playoffs.

[smoothie]

if by "we can still do it" you mean live up to your expectations of our january record, then yes i agree.

[RocketsMac]

Originally Posted by smoothie if by "we can still do it" you mean live up to your expectations of our january record, then yes i agree.

"we can still do it" means we can still make the playoffs and win a championship.

it can happen, and I am sure it's going to.

[YallMean]

The only game I see us wining, even that I am not sure, is the Cha game. The rest is crap shoot more or less. I bet you our opponents see us like steak on the plate when they play us. Sorry, like I said, hang up the dream, move on, 2007-2008 here we come.

[RocketsMac]

Originally Posted by YallMean The only game I see us wining, even that I am not sure, is the Cha game. The rest is crap shoot more or less. I bet you our opponents see us like steak on the plate when they play us. Sorry, like I said, hang up the dream, move on, 2007-2008 here we come.

with a semi-healthy Tmac, I am sure we can beat Memphis, ATL, Philly (AI-less), Seattle (no Rashard), and Sac (just one game), and we can have a "once a month" perfect game to beat Indy/ Portland or a really good team that has everything going the wrong way. I mean, who expected us to beat SA without Tmac in San Antonio?

[Coob5]

What do you guys think about Tracy playing like Orlando Tracy, do you think he can do it?

[xtint1n]

yea we tend to forget tmac will be back and lead us on.. he will lead us.

[YallMean]

Originally Posted by RocketsMac with a semi-healthy Tmac, I am sure we can beat Memphis, ATL, Philly (AI-less), Seattle (no Rashard), and Sac (just one game), and we can have a "once a month" perfect game to beat Indy/ Portland or a really good team that has everything going the wrong way. I mean, who expected us to beat SA without Tmac in San Antonio?

Semi-healthy Tmac? We need a healthy Tmac to win any game. 25 game is a long strech. We might be high for a game of two after Gundy whips hard, but talent wise, objectively, and honestly you really see us a 500 club at the end of Feb, the earliest when Yao can return. Also I am worried Tmac's out for the season if we load him up.

[RocketsMac]

Originally Posted by YallMean Semi-healthy Tmac? We need a healthy Tmac to win any game. 25 game is a long strech. We might be high for a game of two after Gundy whips hard, but talent wise, objectively, and honestly you really see us a 500 club at the end of Feb, the earliest when Yao can return. Also I am worried Tmac's out for the season if we load him up.

you have a good point in loading up Tmac, I am really worried about that too.

but come on dude, 11 game losing streak in January is not enough for you? :D

[YallMean]

Originally Posted by RocketsMac you have a good point in loading up Tmac, I am really worried about that too. but come on dude, 11 game losing streak in January is not enough for you? :D

Portland and Seattle might be fighting for that 8th spot with us then. The portland team is good. Seattle with Allen back is good too. Like I said I see us win two games for sure and crap shoot for the rest, gets maybe 3 or so after Gundy whips hard and about to explode. so 5 of 20, which is really on par with our record last year.

Also who says Yao will be back in Feb. It's at least 6 weeks. To me that is 10 week more likely. You know how they annouce the injuries recovery timetable just to give some yall false hope to keep attending games.

[MiniMing]

What's up with the 11 game losing streak starting in January?

Are you serious?

[RocketsMac]

Originally Posted by MiniMing What's up with the 11 game losing streak starting in January? Are you serious?

we are doing "wost case scenario", I mean, I am sure we are not going to lose 11 straight games, but I am just assuming that everything goes wrong with this team and we lose every single "close" game. I am sure we call pull out a couple of wins during that stretch, but people are calling me a dreamer already with only 9 wins.

my point is, we can hang around .500. and even if it goes the way YallMean suggested, we would still be only 5 or 6 games under .500. I mean, come on, I dont see any of the teams out of the playoffs picture right now making a run and "waking up". they are all on tank mode already.

[windfern]

Wed 03 vs Seattle L Fri 05 vs Utah L Sun 07 @ Minnesota L Mon 08 @ Chicago L Wed 10 vs LA Lakers L Fri 12 @ Denver L Sat 13 @ Sacramento L Tue 16 @ Dallas L Wed 17 vs Phoenix L Sat 20 vs Denver L Wed 24 @ San Antonio L

Were you shaking when you typed this?

[orbb]

Originally Posted by windfern Were you shaking when you typed this?

you read my mind :D . must be the xmas weed

[Danbury]

Bonzi will play better and T-Mac will be back sooner than later. If the Rockets manage to stay afloat by winning close to half their games, the playoffs and a finals run is not at all out of the picture.

[Nice Rollin]

yeah. where is yallmean? be a man. own up to your comments

[Ehsan]

I wasn't optimistic to think that we'd be 11 games over .500, but damn some people are VERY pessimistic.

Now we're being called the darkhorse for the championship. When Yao went out, everyone thought we'd be likethe Blazers apparently. Well we showed the difference between us and the Blazers last night.

This team has turned a corner. It is NOT expected to play well when you lose 50% of your franchise players. They are playing SUPERB basketball to make up for the talent they've lost.

This is with Alston playing like crap apparently, Battier barely scoring, while Head and Hayes have cooled off.

Like I've said before, I am very very impressed by the Rockets this season. I think we can win 32 more games from now till the end of the season.

[R0ckets03]

Originally Posted by Ehsan I wasn't optimistic to think that we'd be 11 games over .500, but damn some people are VERY pessimistic. Now we're being called the darkhorse for the championship. When Yao went out, everyone thought we'd be likethe Blazers apparently. Well we showed the difference between us and the Blazers last night. This team has turned a corner. It is NOT expected to play well when you lose 50% of your franchise players. They are playing SUPERB basketball to make up for the talent they've lost. This is with Alston playing like crap apparently, Battier barely scoring, while Head and Hayes have cooled off. Like I've said before, I am very very impressed by the Rockets this season. I think we can win 32 more games from now till the end of the season.

All that can be attributed to our defensive intensity. Though I disagree with JVG on his substitution patterns and playing time, the defensive pressure our team brings everyday is amazing.

[R0ckets03]

I also thought our season was over when Yao went out. Not to the extent of the hard-core pessimistics over, but it was not looking good. Tmac was not playing well and Bonzi was stilL fat.

But the people gloating over here about how good the team is can stop as well. Being optimistic is one thing, but whoever thought we'd be this good without Yao were just being delusional. Nobody thought Tmac would ever be healthy again. Nobody thought Mutombo and Howard would start playing like they found the fountain of youth.

Ahhh well.....either way....GO ROCKETS BABY!

[rockets-#1]

Originally Posted by R0ckets03 Nobody thought Tmac would ever be healthy again.

Ummm no. I disagree. I remember the article from before the season started in which T-Mac had a bunch of uplifting quotes explaining on how his back was healed. He said this season was gonna be special. I full-heartedly believed him. Since Yao went down and he started taking the bulk of the scoring load again, he has done everything he said he would.

With Tracy playing like that - even without Yao - I predict the Rockets will go 10-2 in February and will be at 40-18 soon.