Does anybody WANT to face OKC? The best duo in the league and a rabid fanbase aren't a good combo over 7 games.
I don't think anyone wants a part of OKC. That being said, I'm sure people are saying that about the Rockets as well. We're a different..MUCH different team than last year. We're playing incredible defense most of the time with out our two best defensive players in Bev and Howard. But man oh man...could you imagine Beverley/Westbrook part 2?
lol No, everyone wanted SA. I knew Portland as well as any two bigs team would be a bad matchup for us. We still have not proven we can do so this year yet.
lol Memphis still beat us down earlier. What about the LAC game? To be fair though I was not impressed with LAC at all and felt we could beat them with Howard and TJ playing but they have to prove they can this year.
I remember that game far to well. I was just stating that we CAN match up with two big's teams. Especially when Howard gets back and you have D-Mo in their with them, two of the top 10 in rim protection.
We are not good enough to beat OKC, so we need to find someone else to wear them out to hopefully have a chance against them? That's a LOSER mentality! What about if we have a difficult first round series and we come out tired and banged up? Now we have a better chance of beating the almighty Thunder? Have you thought that it's not just us having to beat them, THEY also have to beat us! If you're scared to take on the best, you don't deserve to be the best! Bring it on OKC!!! Let the NBA hear the Rockets ROAR!!! ....... ....... .......
It doesn't matter when we get them. All the series will be a war. Just like when we won the titles before. Must jump the hurdle, and for us that is okc. No real advantage to waiting for a sho down.
lol I agree. I was not impressed with GSW either. That game I felt we would have won with one more starter back. I am just stating that we need to actually go and do it when we are healthy to prove it. It is still early though and teams are starting to get our measure as a team and we will start seeing adjustments soon. There are no more surprises.
HELL NO. The West is deep and every series will probably be tough when it comes down to it unless we just give someone a huge match up problem early on or an opposing superstar gets hurt. I'd rather play Portland again in the first round just from a revenge stand point. I also think that the roster is going to look different once the playoffs start which could change our opinions on who we do or don't play.
Actually the odds are that they won't be matched up against one of those teams. There are 7 possible opponents. The odds of us getting one of the other 4 are greater than the odds of us getting one of those 3. Once the season progresses and seeds become a little more locked in or closer to it those odds might change but at this point the odds are slightly in our favor.
I feel Portland would be a GREAT team for us to play in the first round. Yes, LaMarcus did a number on us, but our defense is no where near the same as last year. Bev - Leonard Ariza - Batum (Ariza is smart enough not to call himself the best SF in the series.) D-Mo - LaMarcus Dwight - Lopez, able to cheat off and help defend the rim. Not to mention Harden is now playing defense, it's just a completely different team than the one that got knocked out in the first round last year. Better leadership, better defense, better team chemistry...etc.
I don't think people are saying this at all. We are good, and we have pulled off some amazing regular season wins with literally half our team injured. But I don't think anybody FEARS us. The Clippers don't. San Antonio has already calculated what it would take to beat us even at full strength, though I don't know if they can do it or not. We've traded embarrassing blows with the Grizzlies, but I don't think they're quaking in their boots. The Warriors are the best team in the league right now, though I think we have a pretty good chance against them; we'll see on Wednesday. The Suns are dangerously unpredictable, but they know how they like to play, and nearly just beat us. OKC has the essentially unguardable Durant and the athletic freak Westbrook; I think we can match up in the paint, though. Dallas actually might fear us a little bit, since I'm sure they were expecting us to take serious dive when they took our player, and it's been the opposite. Still Dallas has the most soul-crushingingly good shooter in the NBA, even if he is getting on in years. Nobody fears us, because they know that we have been winning by sheer scrappiness. If our defense can stay as smothering as it has been at its peak, that may change, but it may be beneficial to be underestimated. Nonetheless, I'd rather not face OKC in the first round. We've tried it, and it didn't work out. Let them get a little worn down, and if we can get out of the first round, that might give us some serious momentum (and experience for the younger guys) heading into the second round.
I'll take the highest seed possible. Give me home court and let's play it out. The west is murderer's row, so there isn't going to be an easy series for anyone. I do want to avoid playing Chris Paul, though.
Who's scared of the Thunder when we have Beverley the Westbrook stopper and Garcia the Durant stopper?
Who is to say that OKC even makes it? I would put their odds at best at 50-50 now, as injuries could happen again to them...and they will not win at a 70% rate....for the rest of the season. It will be a dogfight for them to even get in. DD
