About 38-39 wins without Hakeem, assuming we don't get Mark Jackson, who I consider the only serviceable Center left on the market other than Dream. With Hakeem, about 52 wins. ------------------ Get Cato out of there...
This team will make the playoffs with or without Hakeem. I expect 48-50 wins. A big piece of it is the core nucleus playing together for a few years, maturing, and learning how to hold leads and win down the stretch (and THAT is why we should not allow Dream's demands/charades to undermine our keeping the team, with or without him, intact!). We blew more games than we stole last year; I expect Francis to really take command late in games. Also having another defensive presence like Griffin late in games will be a difference maker.
The main thing I'm worried about is Defense. No one on our team plays good D except Dream and SA. It seems both may leave. I just want someone that can bang with the big boys without fouling out like Rodman used to do for the bulls. ------------------
If we lose Dream and are stuck with Collier/Cato we will be lucky to be .500. I would guess 41-41 just because of Stevie & Cat and no playoffs.
Gater nice little reality check post. I still see the top four powers in the west being Lakers, Kings, Blazers, and Spurs. All of those teams have huge frontlines, so I hope Dream resigns. I could see the rockets winning between 45-50 games next season if all things fall in place this offseason. ------------------
I really don't understand some of these posts. Without Hakeem we'll be a .500 team or worse? Huh? Steve, Cuttino, Mo, and the rest of the team will be better. Their individual games will improve, and the chemistry will improve. And even when Griffin is 19, going from Dream to Griffin and Morris is not a significant dropoff. I want Dream back, but if you predict us at or under .500 without him, you really overestimate his presence and underestimate how good the rest of the team really is. 50-32, 7th seed without Dream or Jackson, 55-27, 4th seed with a serviceable center. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
I still think some people are forgeting that we went on stretches last year without having a center at all!No Cato,Collier,or Dream,we surely have improved over last season and will have just as good of a season or better and if we dont make playoffs as I said we need to restructure the league NOW! ------------------ AKA Rendiggler
I do remember when we didn't have a center last year and we were not that good. We weren't bad but not a .500 team. I think we did get better this year which is why I said we would make the playoffs. However, I doubt we will do much in the playoffs without Dream or a good defensive stopper in the middle. ------------------
B: Welcome and nice post. I think you are dead on about the east. I see the Rockets improving against the stronger teams, maybe only falling slightly under .500 against the best 6 or 7 in the league. I see them also learning how to beat the bad teams. I don't see that Dream makes THAT significant of a difference - from .500 to a 4th seed or something. I'll say 48 - 34 without Dream and 51 - 31 with him. Either way, I'm picking 8th seed in the west. ------------------ Who's your buddy? Who's your pal? I am, aren't I?
If the Rockets trade Dream to the Raptors for the trade exception and Keon, and then trade Cato and the exception for someone like LaFrentz or Brad Miller, I think the Rockets will be one of the top 5 teams in the West. But if we go into the season with Cato and Collier at center we could probably still slide into the playoffs. ------------------
A few thoughts: 1. As has already been pointed out, the Rockets were 25-5 against the East last year, including 15-0 against the Central Division. The likelihood of coming close to that record again next year, no matter what changes are made, is not good. The top 3 teams in the West only averaged 20 wins against the East. 2. The Rockets were not able to beat the top teams in the West last year -- their record against them was horrendous. They are still behind those teams (LA, SA, Sac, Portland, Utah). They only managed to beat the Wolves once in the last game of the year. There is no reason to assume that the Rockets are suddenly going to catapult above all the teams they faired so terribly against last season. 3. The team has actually gotten younger so far this off-season. If the team loses Anderson, where is the experience? There are just not enough guys on the team that have been through the wars. I fear the team getting cocky next year, thinking they're better than they actually are. It's a lot easier to go from being a bad team to a good team, than it is to go from a good team to a very good/great team. I think the Rockets surprising record last year may have a lot of people spoiled. It is going to be a lot harder to improve upon last year than most people think. You can't just look at the records from the last 2 years, and assume the team is going to improve this year by X amount of games. Few rebuilding teams follow that line of progression. I think the addition of Griffin has increased the chances of this being more of a learning year, which is not a bad thing necessarily. Of course we still don't know what the team is going to look like when the season starts. ------------------ "I guess that's YOUR theory"
This should be a learning year IN the playoffs. Rebuilding is not done with the intention of making the playoffs in 4-5 seasons, it is done with the intention of winning the title in 4-5 years. Making the playoffs should be a given. If they fail to do that, then something has gone wrong. There is no way the Rockets will do as badly against the west as they did last year. The Wolves, Jazz, Suns and Spurs have all gotten worse, while all the Rockets have done is add talent. Even without Hakeem, they should make the playoffs. Once there, that would be a different story. Let me just say that if they don't make the playoffs next year, I will cease being a fan. There is too much talent on the Rockets to not make the playoffs. If they don't make it, then that means that they simply don't care about winning. ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive! The ZRBucks! [This message has been edited by ZRB (edited July 23, 2001).]
you're right, considering TEN teams had better intra-conference records last year (or is it inter? i always get those confused). it's ridiculous to expect a team that was .385 against the WC last year to turn it around and be a title contender within a year. with hakeem, w/o hakeem, they're first round, 3-and-out fodder. ------------------ Ric Houston Pro Football.com
Just as everyone believes that the Rockets won't fare as well against the East as they did last year, I think it is safe to say that they won't be as bad against the upper teams in the West either. Both of those records were just anomalies, in my opinion. I'm sure that in '99, when the Rockets were a much worse team, they did not have such a hard time with the better teams. I do know that they were the only team in the NBA able to beat the bohemoths of the league that year, the Lakers and the Blazers, twice each. ------------------ "If you don't understand it, don't try to understand it." -Carl Everett
TheFreak: I agree with you about two of fourthings regarding last season's record: 1. It is true that Houston can't expect that stellar record against the East. 2. It's also true that there's no real reason to believe the Rockets will improve substantially about the elite. but you omit two other factors that might improve Houston's record: 1. It's unlikely that the Rockets will demonstrate such volatility in losing to bad Western Conference teams. Judging by their aggregate play, they're better than their record against the dregs might suggest. 2. Other teams have declined: Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Utah, and Minnesota should all weaken. Maybe one of them will buck this trend, but as a group those teams should prove weaker next year. Consquently, the Rockets should improve against that group. If I had to guess, I'd say 50-32 6th-7th seed provided the Rockets can find a serviceable C. If Houston gets LaFrentz, their record will be 55-27 4th seed. No, I don't think LaFrentz by himself is that good. however, C is Houston's major weakness. Fix it with a good player (as opposed to a stop-gap) and they're suddendly the most complete team in the West outside of Dallas. They'd have: PG - all-star caliber Steve Francis SG - near all-star Mobley SF - potential future all-star Griffin PF - above average MO - T C - substantially above-average LaFrentz and a DEEP bench. ------------------ Clutchcity.net... source for all your Rockets, Astros, political, music, humor, and Gordita news.
Cmon people. With a Center combo of Cato/Collier this team will be LUCKY to win 35-38 games. Don't underestimate how brutal both those players are. If the Rockets lose Hakeem and get Mark Jackson or Keon Clark somehow, they could still be ok and get into the playoffs as a low seed. But with Cato/Collier, this team is going to be a total joke inside. ------------------ Get Cato out of there...
The Wolves will be slightly better with Joe Smith & Loren Woods. Garnet is still not in his prime yet! Suns will be better with Marbury if they also add Dickerson & Big Country (for penny). Kidd is great at assist, but he is overrated. Jazz are the same, if not slightly better, with Amechi Spurs scw****d up by giving into Robinsons demands for money, and took a risk on signing Anderson to less money (AND LOST!!!). Still if they S&T for Steve Smith and another possible player from Portland, they could still be in the top 3 in the west. Duncan is not even in his prime yet!!! Rockets will make the playoffs, W/Hakeem or WO/Hakeem, I will agree with Jeff and pick 8th seed. ------------------
We are in major trouble if we lose Hakeem and don't find a replacment we have no one to play the 5 and the our starting 4 can't rebound or play defense so that means any team with a decent 4 or 5 will have 20 points and 20 rebounds on us night in and night out and we will go 30-52 next year having no interior defense and opposing centers and forwards having no troble scoring at will knowing just how to beat us . We should have drafted a center. ------------------
Have faith in CD, we will not enter next season with CATO/COLLIER as are only centers. If Hakeem walks, we will have plenty enough money to bring in somebody like Marc Jackson,etc.. or will make a trade with Chicago for Brad Miller. But that is probably unlikely, I think CD will pull off another one of his crazy KING KONG trades with Hakeem (if he wants out) and try to bring in Raef. ------------------
Cat- How do you realistically think with Cato/Colier at Center and Mo-T at PF that we can compete? I know your argument is we have Stevie/Cat but where did they take us last year? The Rockets played their best ball when Dream was playing well. Griff will not be the solution next year. Has their ever been a 19 y/o who made a significant impact and helped lead his team to the playoffs? KG didn't, Kobe didn't. No offense Griff has upside but he is no KG. My point is if our frontline is Cato/Collier, Mo-T, Griff/Walt/Tmo then we are in big trouble. Potentially you have 2 decent defenders in Cato & Griff. But face it Cato sucks and Griff is a rookie who (because of his attitude) will get every call against him next year. Cat, Stevie & Mooch will do greeat at the guard positions but with no good (and no Mo is an average PF in the west, Grif/Tmo are too young, and Cato and Collier well they just aren't very good). Just imagine a big man combo of Cato/Mo. Wow that's good for about 9-10 rebounds and 40 points. I mean them getting 9-10 rebounds between them and getting lit up for 40 a night. Anyways my point is our current forwards/centers (w/out Dream) are bad. Mo-T may get 14 points a night but he will give up 16-18 points a night, Cato/Collier are non-factors who will get beat every night even by average centers intoday's NBA, and a combo of Griff/Walt/Tmo/Bullard will also get beat on. Sure Cat/Stevie will be on for some games and carry us, but Stevie/Cat are not Shaq/Kobe who can support 3 other players along and carry them to wins every night. 41-41 is very realistic without Dream.
