[ClutchFans] Podcast: As win streak continues, are Rockets legit title contenders?

That could be said for the Spurs, Clippers and Blazers. The only team that looks dominant is the Thunder. We almost have the same record as the NBA champions , the Heat. So how can you not be optimistic about this team.

Some fans are too picky.

 

Yeah, I think you or somebody already pointed that out. Doesn't change how I feel about my list.

 

Name enough players, and you're bound to be right!

Just kidding. I know these are educated guesses on your part.

 

On paper, James Harden and Dwight Howard appeared to be a perfect fit. Pairing a dominant big man with a preeminent perimeter player has long been a proven formula for NBA success, so it only seemed natural to expect that the Rockets’ new dynamic duo would seamlessly follow suit.

Still, it’s one thing to anticipate fit; quite another to make such a seemingly ideal meshing of talent become a reality. So many variables enter into the equation that fearlessly forecasting favorable outcomes in these hypothetical scenarios still entails a significant amount of risk.

It was a risk, however, that the Houston Rockets were only too happy to take. And 53 games into Harden and Howard’s first season together, the results have proven that their partnership looks even better on the hardwood than it does on paper. During the 1,413 minutes the two All-Stars have shared the floor this season, the Rockets have rung up a robust offensive rating of 109.6 and a defensive efficiency mark of 100.8 – the former number, by the way, would lead the league; the latter would fall just outside the top-5.

Little wonder, then, that Houston has taken several strong initial steps toward establishing its title-contending credentials. The Rockets hit the All-Star break riding a seven-game win streak that has helped them climb to third in the jam-packed Western Conference standings and they’re one of only four teams (the Thunder, Clippers and Spurs are the others) owning both a top-10 offense and defense.

 

Dang dude- did you write this or paste it? Well done. Especially like the alliteration

 

Jesus, dude. That's from NBA.com. Not presenting this as a quote, with the link, can be described with a word... plagiarism. That was written by Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. I found the quote on NBA.com. Took me less than a minute.

 

Those guesses were educated at DeVry.

 

Yeah, you PV Panthers look up to us.

 

Naw I can't take that credit pimpn. I should have posted the link.

 

Damn professor Deckard on here with the Eng 101 rules. Man my bad , I should have posted the link. Bwhahaha plagiarism like we are in school up in this camp.

 

It's the rules of this BBS, chump. If you don't care for the rules, you can always post somewhere else.

 

Mr. Sensitive chill out with this internet tough guy act. I got you chump alright lil dude. I didn't read that in the rule book and I said I should have posted the link. But I see your feelings all up in this thing Bwhahaha because you had to take it to another thread. Like I said I should have posted the link , get over the small stuff joker. Its not that serious.

 

There isn't a team that will probably win, but some team will win it. So the title will be won by a team that probably won't win it. The Rockets probably won't win it. Therefore, the Rockets will win it.

Name the fallacy.

 

Uh, I don't know the name of it, but "The Rockets probably won't win it. Therefore, the Rockets will win it." is where the fallacy occurs, as there are other teams who also probably won't win it.

 

I do not know if we are contenders yet because we still struggle against top teams but I will say that this team is clearly figuring things out quickly. It reminds me of the Heat when they played the first year.

I was at the season opener this year and the team played horribly. No one seemed to know what was going on and each person was just playing for themselves. I also just went to the game about a week ago against the Suns and it was like watching a different Rockets team. I am looking forward to the team we have and the direction that they are going.

 

I don't think we are. Need a trade for stretch 4 and consistent shooters. Casspi and Garcia are pure crap.

 

Posted this in another thread that's getting overrun with chatter about trading for D-Wade :

I'm as thrilled as any Rockets fan that we're on a roll lately, but I think it would be incredibly foolish to overlook major needs just because we're winning.

For a team that plays our style of basketball we have two MAJOR problems:

1) We're not shooting the ball well enough for a team that shoots as many three pointers as we do.

Just look at the 2008-09 Orlando team that D12 led to the Finals. They shot 38% as a team; we're shooting 35% as a team. That's a fairly large disparity and a lot of points we're sacrificing.

2) We have an overall lack of depth. Lin is a solid sixth man at the moment, but outside of that there's a lot of uncertainty between the Asik drama, minimum salaried players making up the bulk of our bench, etc. Playoff basketball is a long and brutal time period. Injuries will occur.

That said, other secondary issues we have:

1) We turn the ball over too much. Very reminiscent of the Francis/Mobley/Yao era where we're loaded with talent yet simply lack the skills and instincts to protect the ball well enough throughout the course of the game. That and a lot of sloppy crunchtime ball handling and decision making. Dribble, dribble, dribble...too much isolation and hero ball.

I've been calling for a Lowry or Rondo type for months, but obviously a move of that nature is a longshot at this point.

2) We give up too many second looks in the paint. We're one of the worst teams in the league at allowing offensive rebounds. This is troublesome for obvious reasons: it leads to extra possessions and put-back opportunities for the opponent.

Overall, it's going to be very difficult to address all four areas. In theory, getting Asik back helps with the depth issue and with our troubles on the defensive glass, but truth be told: we really don't know what we're going to get at this point with a semi-injured/crazy/unmotivated Asik. And unless we're going to try to infuse Covington or Canaan into the rotation, our shooting help is going to have to come from elsewhere. Garcia and Brooks need to be phased out, Casspi as well (if a better option presents itself) and I also think it's safe to say it's only a matter of time before Brewer is either traded or released.

Another concern (that kind of ties in with the depth issue) is the lack of a veteran 4/5. What happens when Jones has one of his Indiana or Dallas type games where he's completely in over his head and we need a veteran presence to come in and stabilize things? I think a logical play is to try to move Asik for a veteran 4/5 that can essentially backup both positions -- somebody along the lines of Hawes, Garnett, Frye, Josh McRoberts or someone like that. No, they may not be the rim protectors that Asik it, but what we sacrifice in that regard, we gain in versatility and motivation.

As for Lin, we can't really afford to trade him for a lesser player. He's been invaluable off of the bench and as Harden's emergency replacement. I'd love to move him for a Lowry type, but I doubt a move of that nature will ever come to fruition.

The next step would probably be to find some low cost/risk shooters. Ideally, we'll do what Boston just did and find a Chris Johnson type. Maybe Anthony Tolliver or somebody like that also. That catch, of course, is they have to be at least a respectable defender.

 

Both of y'all need to take it down a notch.

Htown, clearly, you should have posted a link to Jason's article with the thoughts contained in your prior post. However, what made your "offense" even more egregious is that you did not even type anything in your post to indicate that the thoughts/words were not your own.

However, as (I assume) Htown has no history of posting others' thoughts as his own on internet message boards, we should give him the benefit of the doubt and accept his mea culpa.

Deck, no need to get snippy. You're clearly better than that.

Htown, I understand that you didn't appreciate Deck's comment back to you after your apology, but no need to take the chippiness to another level with your comments. Deckard is one of the more reputable (and CIVIL, if you can believe it) posters on this BBS.

Mistake made. Lesson learned. Let's all move on. Thanks, guys.

 

If the Rockets start playing serious defense, I think they might even have a chance against OKC in seven. Otherwise, they won't make it to the WC finals. OKC will be there waiting for someone. The defensive intensity must be turned up NOW, during the stretch run. They have to sell out for defense el pronto.

 

any chance of a transcript of this being posted?