[Chron] High Praise for the Rockets from Musselman

anyone else think musselman is a bad coach? His substitution patterns were just whack and there just doesn't seem to be any consistency or cohesion with this team. Just looked dreadful out there.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2007&group=conference&seasontype=2


So why is San Antonio ranked better than Utah? They are not 1st in their division either. Why would that be any different?

 

Becuase the new rules states that the top 4 seeds will be made of the division winners and then the next best record.

 

thanks wiz

 

man, i really like the position the rox are in. it means we have home court advantage playing Utah in the first round. I hope we can stay at 5th. moving past the spurs will be tough.

 

so what exactly do the NEW rules say? right now we have the 4th best record in the west (1/2 game a head of Utah and Lakers), but yall are saying we're the 5th seed. why?

used to, the 1st place team in each division was the 1-3 seed no matter what. i thought that changed this year though. i thought they changed it to the top 8 records, no matter what place a team is within its division. so the rockets could be 3rd in the division, but still get the 3 seed in the west. correct or no??

 

The 3 division winners are automatically in the top 4, no ifs ands or buts about it. Then you plug everyone else in based on record. So this is what's happening currently...

1. Dallas (div. leader w/ most wins)
2. Phoenix (div. leader w/ 2nd most wins)
3. San Antonio (most wins for non-div. leader, and more wins than Utah but less than Phoenix)
4. Utah (div. leader w/ 3rd most wins, would be lower but is guaranteed Top 4)
5. Houston (2nd most wins for non-div. leader)
6. L.A. Lakers (3rd most wins for non-div. leader)
etc.

If we want to be in the Top 4 we have to win our division, or have to have the best record out of all the teams that don't win their division, which in our case means we'll have to finish above both Dallas and San Antonio which isn't likely. We're destined to be the 5th seed and no better.

 

If it comes from the Mussellman, that must be good.

 

Actually, we would only need to finish above Dallas OR San Antonio.

 

Utah has come down to the earth. Boozer is good and Williams is good. AK47 is doing his defensive thing but not much a offense threat. The rest of team are just not that good. The big wuss Okur is not helping them inside grabbing boards, posting up. Jacking up ill advised shots like his Ray Allen. I want us to play Utah in the playoff.

 

No. I think he is a good coach stuck in a whack situation. Sacramento does not have the players to do anything and their two best players have zero chemistry. Worrell and Matt kept saying Bibby and Artest were just taking turns shooting the rock last night. The coach ain't that dumb. Players have to want to play together. It's obvious that they don't.

 

With the team we have we don't need to be scared of anyone not spurs not mavs. Our team is made for playoffs bring it on!! With the players and coach we have its all about players clicking, playing hard, and a lot of willingness to win it all!!

 

Makes 0 difference if we are 4 and 5 seed respectively. We still get home court in the 1st round if we have better record.

 

You're right. Too bad I don't even see that happening, much less both.

 

then what the hell is the point of the "new rule".... that makes absolutely no sense.

 

The seeding still determines the matchups.

 

Wow, that is a good compliment. A real one.

For a opposing coach to say they played as hard as the Houston Rockets means that the word is out in the NBA. Houston plays very under control. They are disciplined. That is a big turnaround from the past.

Most teams fall apart because the players want to run the team. Here in Houston, Coach Van Gundy does things his way. Always has, but now it seems he has the attention of his players.

Nice!!!

 

Before, the division winners were guaranteed top 3. Now they are top 4, so you don't have teams trying to fall to the 6th spot to face the winner of a bad division. They should just get rid of the divisions if they are not going to unbalance the schedule, but the new rule is an improvement from last year, and in a case when the standing sit the way they do now (in the west), it is in effect just as if they had gotten rid of the divisions.

 

Also prevents the top 2 teams from meeting until the conference finals.