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

The "old" Pistons and Spurs could really lock you down. I wish we could do that. Imagine how formidable this team would be with a ferocious defense. We miss Beverly in the worst way. Must add some "stoppers" for next season.

 

We will be ready next season. It is good for our core players to build chemistry and playoffs experience. Hopefully we get better defensively next season.

 

100% correct. It should be common knowledge by now, in the playoffs the pace slows down and every posession is more important than in the regular season.

The team has the potential to one day be able to defend at a Championship level, but not while the team is playing this pace.

The other 2 major issues are looking after the ball and being able to get good shots in the half court.

 

Wouldn't the points differential be a more telling number for champ potential as that would not be affected by pace?

 

Would this thread have been made during one of our winning streaks with a fully healthy roster?

 

But did any of these teams had Jeremy "Michael Jordan on steroids" Lin or a head coach even half as good as McHail?

I didnt think so.

 

Absolutely not. But at the same time... Do you think you would agree with this thread if it was written by Clutch?

 

I think it'd be interesting at least to check point differentials against avg pts made and allowed' plus team rankings of those respective categories.

 

We need one more key player before we think championship. This offseason and draft will be key to our future.

 

But if this team doesn't get it together soon, they're gonna flame out in the first round and they won't get any playoff experience. Sorry, but playing 6 or 7 games in Round 1 doesn't teach you anything. 16 out of 30 teams get that "experience" every year.

And if that happens, 2013-14 will have been a wasted season. Instead of going into next year thinking WCF or beyond, we'll be back at square one just hoping to get home court advantage and winning a single playoff series for the 2nd time in what will then be an 18-year span.

 

This. And also, the league's scoring average has changed widely in this time. I think a more valid conclusion is saying that only one team in the past 20 years (the 2000-01 Lakers) allowed more points per game than the league average. And even then, I don't think that definitely means the Rockets can't win it all

 

Exactly, team is a work in progress. Any fan who isn't happy with this season either had delusional expectations or has an agenda.

 

That contender look that we wore briefly when we won vs MIA, IND and POR now seems like a mirage.

Contending teams can deal with injuries. Their confidence and defense does not disappear overnight. It's like the team has gotten completely derailed without Bev and Dwight. Our soft underbelly has been exposed. You think POR or GSW are not keeping tabs. It doesn't take much for us to have a meltdown in the playoffs since we don't know how healthy our best defenders will be.

 

We have enough talent on the roster and enough wins in the regular season to be a contender in my books. Not the favourites, that would go to (in order) Miami/Spurs (equal), OKC and the Pacers (if they get out of there crazy funk). I would place us with the clippers level type of contender.