I've ignored the media most years but this time it's different. I believe we are the best team in the league tied with the Warriors. Cleveland has as good a chance of getting to the finals. Spurs need to gel, the core player and several role players have changed. OKC too. These teams are equally talented as us, but just a hair behind because they need to gel. Clippers behind them. We're a WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS final team even without two starters, then we added a tremendous complimentary piece in Lawson without giving up anything of significance. Dwight was not healthy, and unlikely to play less or worse than last season. Our depth is better too with Thornton and Capela and McDaniels raring to go. It's time to be confident Rockets fans. No more homerism. We genuinely have one of the best team in the league and I believe in our guys more than I believe in their guys. Now let's get the dynasty's first ring.
I understand the clippers got better but they didn't fix their weaknesses just added to their strengths aka more offense.
Rockets> Clippers in 7 then Clippers add: Stephenson, Smoove and Pierce. Rockets add Beverley, Motiejunas and Lawson. Now tell me who's better?
Their biggest weakness was their bench and they got pp and lance. In terms of starting 5 they probably have the best in the league.
For as good as pop is and imo he's the best, but the reality is you can only go as far as your talent takes you. No matter what people want to say about SA this postseason the facts remains the same.... They lost 1st round. I think what gets over looked a lot in SA discussion is that while they did aquire LMA they didn't get a franchise player. LMA is getting a little over rated because he suddenly plays on the Spurs now. He's not nor ever been a top 10 player further more leanord who's a very good player is not top 10 either and maybe not even top 20. Once again being rated higher than he should because he plays on the Spurs. Their core is really old and I admit Tim Duncan is still a very good player but Parker and even more so manu are not. I don't even think Parker is a top 10 pg anymore. If just being objective on the matter their are plenty of signs that the Spurs won't be a top 4 team out west like a lot of the media is proclaiming. The rockets on the other hand and I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible have the better number one player in harden who is undoubtably a prennial mvp candidate and top 5 player. Howard who's been the best big 2 postseasons in a row (maybe blake griffin was better this season) and you now put ty Lawson to run the show whos talent is of a top 10 level pg on offense and quietly was more effective then kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard. We've pushed bev back to the bench who now can return to his all defense ways and be the best defender of the deepest position in basketball, This can't be stated enough. We have two very talented yet flawed pfs a sf in ariza who is an elite 3 and d guy and one of the smarter defenders in the league. We got brewer off the bench who is a top 8 reserve imo especially on this team because of our offense. I just don't see San antonio being better then us I also don't see any team out west being better outside of gsw and I still think with health and te addition of ty Lawson that it's possible that the rockets are the best team in the league along with the cavs.
the under on chicago last year was the easiest money i've ever won, it was downright theft, lol 55 wins Due to the media pervasiveness the perceived odds (which Vegas uses, for obvious reasons) and actual odds are quite distant on several teams. If I remember, we had the 2nd most wins over our vegas line (behind Atlanta) last season
I agree completely. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the spurs don't scare me. I still see them as a top 5-6 team in this league, but I see us as top 3. And I think we match up about as well as you can against SAS.
I just think people are sleeping on us a lot. Our point differential wasn't great last year because we played a lot or 3rd string players and we weren't very deep the first half of the year till we got brew smith and prigs. Yet we still had a top flight record. Reason why? James harden is a freaking stud and imo the 2nd best player in the game behind lebron. The size and skills he brings is unlike any other player besides the king himslef. As good as Anthony Davis is he's never going to be able to lead an offense the type of way harden/lbj do and in today's nba you need to be able to create off the pick n roll score in ISO shoot the 3 and get into the paint and finish in contact. Nobody does those things better than those two. Add Lawson a healthy dwight and a lot more depth and growth from our young pfs and this team is going to be a real force and maybe the best team in the league. Gsw caught Everyone by surprise last season I think houston is going to do the same this year.
when i looked at the futures at the casino the other day, here in Vegas, we were 10-1 i believe after opening at 12-1... Where can I lay money at 22-1?
Getting to the WCF was tremendous, but you guys act like we smoked the Clippers or something. Didn't we lose two games by 30 a piece in that series? We basically benefited from the one of the biggest chokes in the history of the NBA.
17/2 for OKC. Does it mean if I placed a $100 bet on them to win it all, I'll get $850 when they win? Sign me up!
Except he was healthy in those last three games the Clippers all lost. He averaged 40 minutes per game and 26/10/4 on 63TS%. They were at full strength when they collapsed, while the Rockets were still starting Jason Terry in actual playoff basketball.
at Station Casinos, which there are 4 or 5 around town here in Vegas, odds are: CLEVE 11-5 (5.5-1) GS 7-2 (3.5-1) OK 5-1 LAC 7-1 SA 8-1 CHI 10-1 HOU 12-1 keep in mind, the casino just wants equal money bet on the various teams - so whoever wins they get their cut... Vegas being close to LA is gonna have alot of Clipper fans throwin money at their team - so you can cut back the odds (vs SA, CHI, HOU...)...
I'd put 100 on 22-1 if I was in vegas and saw that. Great odds, but that obviously changed as kjp said. Looking around the interwebs, I saw a lot of 16-1 and 20-1.
