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All The Evidence You Need: Why Rockets Aren't Championship Material

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by rockets94-95, Apr 2, 2014.

  1. OremLK

    OremLK Member

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    You have to adjust for pace bro
     
  2. rockets94-95

    rockets94-95 Member

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    Just a bit more evidence on the correlation between winning basketball games and the importance of holding opponents to under 100 ppg, in the 2013-14 season so far, the Rockets are 24-5 when holding opponents under 100 points. They are a mediocre 25-20 this season when giving up 100 or more...
     
  3. moreyonlyfan

    moreyonlyfan Member

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    And they are an impressive 49-0 this season when holding the opponent under their own score.
     
  4. rockets94-95

    rockets94-95 Member

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    I like the odds a lot more with a 24-5 team than a 25-20 team.
     
  5. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

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    Wait, how is this the first year the roster is together? 4 of the starters were on the team last year. Is it only realistic to expect a championship if your entire roster remains unchanged from the previous season?
     
  6. torocan

    torocan Member

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    If you're tinkering around the fringes, then no. If you're talking a foundational player like Dwight, then yes.

    Adding Dwight massively changes the offense.

    Just look at the addition of post passes. Remember how commentators were noting that our team didn't really know how to post pass yet? That's not something that you get perfect overnight.

    Or how about alley oop timing? Asik wasn't a go to alley oop guy. Now the team is learning how to read Dwight and maximize the use of his Oops.

    The same applies to running PnR's with Dwight. The range and speed of his motion and timing of passes that he can catch has to all be learned by his team mates.

    And let's not forget changes to defensive schemes. Dwight is not the same kind of defensive center as Asik. Asik is highly mobile and tends to challenge shots through footwork. Dwight is more of an athletic shot blocker and vertical space defender. Asik will move out to shade the PnR and help defend aggressively. Dwight rarely comes out to defend the PnR.

    You don't just throw in a 30 MPG Star player onto the floor and expect everything to work well, especially against the best executing teams in the NBA.

    Winning a championship is about a very high level of consistent execution on both ends of the floor. And our team just isn't there yet simply due to lack of reps.
     
  7. jtr

    jtr Contributing Member

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    I agree with most of what you said but I would not call Asik highly mobile. He plays defense using excellent positioning, with great anticipation and vision.

    Also the Rockets are a serious contender this season, one of the five teams most probable to take home the chip. If they can get everyone healthy. All it really would take is for the Rockets to get hot from beyond the arc for six weeks. One or two extra made threes a game that rattle home instead of popping out.
     
  8. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    19 years ago a team won a title giving up 101.4 pt/game.
     
  9. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

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    Adding Drexler to the Rockets changes things. Adding Garnett and Ray Allen changes things. Adding Pau Gasol to the Lakers changes things. Adding Barkley to the Suns changes things. Adding Nash to the Suns changes things. I could probably keep going. Didn't even mention the Heat. All of those teams were contenders. The change from Asik to Howard is just not that big by comparison.
     
  10. dharocks

    dharocks Contributing Member

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    It's 2014 and we're still using PPG instead of PPP?
     
  11. jtr

    jtr Contributing Member

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    Old habits die hard. As Morey said, the person who invented the box score should be taken out and shot. I would mention PER also, but the inventor is still alive.
     
  12. DarkRock

    DarkRock Rookie

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    Who actually expects the team to win this year? It's already a bonus the amount of fun and heartaches we received for the season so far. If we make it to R2 it's mission accomplished. Any extra round is at least extra 4 games to cheer for.
     
  13. jtr

    jtr Contributing Member

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    Do not fool yourself. Others are trying to do it to you. If the Rockets get healthy and rested they could go all the way. However no team is ever anywhere near 50% odds of winning a NBA championship before the playoffs start. So yes things have to go the Rockets way to some degree. As with every other playoff team to varying degrees.
     
  14. ForTheWinYes

    ForTheWinYes Member

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    Though I agree that the Spurs and Thunder might be on a higher tier, the Rockets have a noticeably higher SRS than both Miami and Indiana. Miami has Lebron so I'll go ahead and give you that, but the Rockets are a better team than the Pacers and every bit the contender.

    The reason Morey is adamant about adding a third star is because the Rockets have the flexibility to acquire one, thanks to the front office's genius, and that obviously should not be wasted. Why wouldn't Morey want to improve the team? And with only one more year of Asik at most, it is vital that the Rockets look for a long term upgrade that can replace Asik's impact.
     
  15. vator

    vator Contributing Member

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    I don't believe any of this without a graph.
     

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