Depends on what happens in free agency. But I'm gonna predict between 37-41 wins. Followed by Les making Morey the fall guy and the Rockets trading Harden before he bolts in 2018.
Not necessarily. If the Rockets are forced to trade Harden but are then willing to tank for a few years, they can be back in the WCF in a third of that time. But that's unlikely to happen with Les as owner.
Maybe the WCF was fools gold who knows? but how can that season as a whole with 56 wins be fools gold? I mean we won 54 games and got HC advantage the year before and Hardens first year we won 45 games. If we're being objective, which I get, nobody is right now around here. The reality is this was just a fluke year and we should be back to our 50 win a season avg since Harden has been here. My guess is we win 52 games and get the 5th seed and face the clippers in the 1st round. We have to much money available this offseason to not sign some key contributors. It all depends on Harden. If he comes into next season focused in shape and ready to change his perception this team can beat anyone not named OKC, GS, SA and the CAVS. Two years ago we went 27-14 without Dwight, keep in mind we were playing Tarik Black Isaiah Cannan Joey Dorsey DMO who had never been in the rotation in his career and old Terry a bought out Josh Smith. All those guys got heavy PT and even started. That team was bad but they bought into what Harden was doing and played hard. That's all we need Harden is going to man a top flight offense by himself we've seen it he'll get guys open looks and score his 30 points a game. But if the team is locked in playing for each other on defense this team will win a lot of games as they did 2 years ago. I personally think Dwight Howard leaving will help this team out in more ways than one. Imo he was the problem in the locker room and on both sides of the court. He played hard and we won for a 10 game stretch before he rolled his ankle. After that he and the team was never the same. The guys a cancer and leaves on bad terms with a team every where he goes. I think Jason Terry basically calling him out says a lot. Hes an addition by subtraction and we will be much better for it. Last year some of the best ball we played on both sides were the games he missed. Let's see if the team can do in there attempt to play like that for an 82 game season. Last thing. I'm not for or against the MDA hire but let's be clear he's still the best coach we've had since RA. Pringles is light years better than Mchale and JB so we should all wait and see how this team plays under Pringles.
40 - 42 I think we will be around that 14th pick again. I just can't see them landing anything of note in free agency and if Harden plays the whole year I can't see them being bad enough for a top lottery pick. We are stuck in no mans land.
With the current roster, probably somewhere around 35-40 wins with MDA as coach. A better coach could get 45-50 wins out of this roster.
42-40 9th seed. Les says head will roll and fires Morey believing MDA doesn't have the right players. Then he extends MDA's contract and promotes him to GM as well. MDA tries to get Steve Nash out of retirement because he needs a PG.
Just don't see us improving past a .500 season. Ignoring any questions about MDA, the roster is a huge problem. Just don't have the role players (shooters, wing defenders, interior defenders) to get close to a 50 win season. Instead, we are the island of mis-matched and broken toys. Don't have a first round pick that will add needed talent. And the returning first round player from last year isn't a good outside shooter or defender. And key players from two years ago that are still on the roster have declined. OK, I know I said ignoring the new coach, but he hasn't demonstrated an ability to coach up a bad roster. There is so much pressure on Morey and the front office to rebuild the roster. We need a new starting C. We need a new starting PF. We need a new starting PG. And we need new role players that shoot or defend. Just don't see 50 wins.
This sounds like the best case scenario to get the Rockets back on track. The problem with trading for stars with stockpiled assets is you have to give up those assets and you end up with a bunch of bums around your star. Trade Harden to the Celtics for a bunch of picks and ride this D'antoni guy to several lotto picks. In 3 years we could be looking at a bright future like the Twolves have.
