Rockets & Opponents SOS schedule.. season to date and remainder of season.

The graph is a couple of weeks old now.

I think it might look quite a bit different if re-done now?

 

Never underestimate an easy trip to the finals. Miami and Indiana have an easy road to the Eastern conference finals.

 

More than our strength of schedule, to move up into the top tier of teams, we have to prove that we can consistently beat inferior teams and constantly compete hard, win or lose, against top tier teams.

 

We will. We definitely have improved over the season. Everyone including McHale.

Terrence Jones gets better every game although his defense still has lapses.

Parsons started off shooting poorly but he has improved over the season. Needs less minutes and I think his D will improve too. I think his poor D is more a product of being too tired at times than anything else.

Howard has definitely gotten more comfortable down low not making as many turnovers and he will only get better in that area. The Lakers are regretting more and more not catering to his wishes. The stupidest mistake in Lakers franchise history got to love it.

Beverly has probably shown the least improvement over the season but that is more a product of being injured twice and missing a lot of games. I expect his game to pick up a little more as the season goes on.

Harden looks like he's buying into the offense a little more and playing a bit more defense since his return. He seems to be ready to do whatever it takes to win.

Lin started off the most consistent and then turned into the most inconsistent and now has settled down again. I think he was more injured than we were informed with his back and other things but now he is better. He needs get his three point back to the high 30's but other than that they way he is playing now is very good.

Off the Bench DMo is still very raw and makes a lot of bone headed mistakes but his defense has mostly been a plus. I expect him to lose a lot of minutes when Asik returns but he is a definite plus off the bench with a skill that is nice to have for a 9th guy off the bench. Casspi hasn't improved from his hot start but he never has played that well his whole career so that was to be expected. What he is doing is playin better than he ever has his whole career and he is better at the three than Garcia. Brooks has shown he is a great asset off the bench when there is injury. Garcia is an unknown. His play has been pathetic but is it because of his injuries or his age or both. ANything positives he brings is a plus. Smith is just injure all the time but definitely looked better to start the season off.

As for McHale he may be the one who has improved the most. His rotation look as good as I have ever seen him since he has been Rocket. Call it letting all the Dogs out or just getting it but he clearly looks up and down his rotations to find the best combinations to win. He has played more small ball when necessary moved Casspi to the three with some success. Even benched Chandler and Beverly when he felt DMo and Lin were bringing more enrgy. I do not get the turn around but he definitely is doing a better job.

ANd don't think it's because I am happy he is using DMo now. I fully expect DMo's minutes to be cut back when Asik returns. But the fact is because of foul trouble and injuries and just match-ups DMo's services will still be needed and McHale seems more ready to pull him, Brooks and Lin off the bench as needed and seems to get better when it is needed. I am very impressed.

The Phoenix game was a perfect example of a team that we had easily let back in the game to win in the past. Their style of play is not a good match-up for us and Coach did a good job setting the tone in the second half and not letting get the idea they could beat us. Yeah they were tired and we were home but that never stopped us from losing in the past to even inferior teams. The offense is clicking and I expect it will only improve going forward. Coach has been screaming every game STICKY HANDS, move the ball and it seems like it is finally sinking in. And his ability to look down the bench and pick out the right rotation is near perfect as of late. He wins my most improved person on the team.

And here is the thing, the trade deadline is nearing and we will come away with one of the best moves of the season with the acquisition of Omer Asik. It's doubtful any team will get such a good player without given up anything as us getting Asik back in the rotation. The only other thing I would consider at the deadline is upgrading or back up 2/3 with a hot 3 point shooting wing player or a good stretch 4 for DMo. Yeah I love DMo but if Greg Smith comes back healthy he is a luxury and quite frankly the only asset we have that might get us that player. Couldn't have said that a few weaks ago.

I'm not sure I would trade him because he has a lot of upside and I really love the kid so in reality I hope it doesn't happen. But I am trying to be open to what is best for the team and a second tier stretch 4 or a hot 3 point shooting wing player would be a great addition off the bench.

 

What I noticed about our schedule is that the last two weeks are full of these mediocre, scrappy teams that we typically struggle against. Two apiece in the last seven against Denver and New Orleans for example. Minny's in there too.

The great thing about mediocre to bad teams is that they suck more the later in the year you play them. Morale goes down, GM's and players start eying the offseason, implicit tanking happens. Whereas playoff teams, and in particular the contenders like I think we are, get more focused, more hungry, more polished for the most important part of the year.

I expect that our disappointing performance against such teams will rectify itself by the last month of the year. Hopefully we can win the fluff games in between also.

We have a realistic shot at the #2 seed now. But we almost need to win out February to do it. It's not impossible, just unlikely.

 

The thing is who in their right mind thought we were just going to plug in Howard and take off running. Plugging him into a run and gun motion offense was a major adjustment that is still a work in progress. But it's a work that is working and will only get better.

We are not the same team that lost a lot of stupid games early on and pretty much until recently. Howard and Asik was a disaster. Getting T Jones to take over has been great but it was a work in progress as well. DMo was almost non existent. Beverly, Parsons, Lin, Harden have all been injured. Not to mention Asik wh has the biggest disappointment this season. And certainly we could have used Greg Smith while DMo was in McHale's doghouse and Asik was out.

All of that is turning around people are getting healthy. Asik will be returning. He will almost instantly bring us improved minutes at the back center spot. I even can see some situations where Asik and Howard would be beneficial together on the floor. Just not a permanent thing or a regular thing.

So all and all I think we will take on these so so teams regardless if they are apathetic or not. The only team that worries me is OKC but I think they're beatable if you we can just make it a little harder for Durant to beat us. Tough task but if that happens we will be facing the Pacers (yes not the Heat) in the finals. And we are a young team that will only improve next year. We could use another leader on the bench. I think Battier would be a perfect pick up on the cheap. The Heats last chance at a championship is now. Next year they will be in salary cap hell if they keep everyone. And that's if they want to stay.

 

Considering the strength of remaining schedule, home/away games and Eastern teams remaining plus possible key players addiction or out for the season for the WC contending teams, I am predicting the following changes in the remaining season:

1) The Blazers, Clippers, Suns and Mavericks will continue their slip down in standing.
2) The Grizzlies will catch up on the Mavs and gain 8th seed.
3) The Rockets will advance to as high as #3 in the WC standing

The best way for the Rockets to pass the first two rounds of the playoffs and reach the WC finals would be 1) avoiding meeting the Thunder, Clippers and the Grizzlies in the first two rounds, plus 2) getting home court advantage for the first round.

We have a much better chance of winning a 7-games series in the first two round against the Spurs, Blazers, Warriors, Suns, and Mavericks than against the Thunder, Clippers and Grizzlies.

With a little wishful thinking, I am also predicting the seeding at the end of the regular season as follows:
OKC
SAS
LAC
HOU (depending on Spurs or Clippers gaining the second seed)
POR
GSW
PHX
MEM*
DAL

This will also be the path of the least effort based on the following probabilities:

1) The best and easiest way to gain HCA is to win the next game against the Blazers on 3/9. We already have a 2-1 series advantage so far.

2) I am predicting that the Blazers will continue their slip to likely 4th or 5th seed. Or even a slight possibility of 6th depending on how well the Warriors perform in their remaining games, and they will have an easier schedule than the Blazers' with 5 more games remaining against Eastern teams.

3) We will likely end the regular season at either 4th or 5th, allowing a few slipped games.

4) There is a slimmer chance that we could catch up on the Spurs though it's possible depending on their performance in the last two weeks of the season and injuries. If that happens we would likely end up at the 3rd or the 4th seed. Margin of error will be very tight. And we will need Asik's full effort and McHale's correct lineup and substitution to achieve this.

The easiest path to the finals would be:
1) Get to the 4th or the 5th seed depending which team (Spurs or Clippers) will likely get the 2nd seed
2) Play the Blazers in the first round, assuming they would be either 4th or 5th
3) Play the Spurs in the second round

I am definitely against any talk of tanking. At this stage of the season, we should do our best to stay between #2 and #5 in the standing. My predictions above is based on the current roster we have and no change before deadline this month, and Asik returning to play with a right mentality.

Most important games to gain home court advantage would be: 1) 3/9 Blazers 2) 2/26 Clippers 3) 3/29 Clippers*

 

You do realize we would play the Thunder in the second round if we ended up as 4 or 5 right? So we need to finished 3rd to face the spurs in the second round given your standings.

 

I don't think he does. At least I hope he doesn't. For all the effort he put forth in writing his post he states the Clippers will slip down in the standings and not us and yet somehow they miraculously jump over us.

I just want us to win and let the chips fall were they may but I would most prefer to play San Antonio in the second round and that requires a 2 or 3 seed. Don't care if we win the division as much as long as we are winning down the stretch and get the 3rd seed. That would be fine with me. If we did win the division that begins the end of their dynasty.

 

Miami is gong to have it hard the second half of the season. Man they are so screwed. The East should have their own chart.

 

Only shot we have at the WCF is if we get the 3 seed. OCK is pretty much a lock for #1, so to avoid playing them in the second round we cannot be 4th/5th.

 

brooklyn is so BRO

 

NBA is rigged, how the heck some teams get easy passes all season long, and others get like us get the hardest. There should be a rule for scheduling, like the lottery pick system.

 

I am worried for POR.

 

Portland play the Clips tonight, so that's a win/win for us, but a Clips' loss and a Rockets' victory would see us blasting into the All Star break as the number four seed. Tell me again, ESPN, about this "disappointing" Rockets team?

 

Howard is the like the husband that abandons his ex-family. Everybody hates him now.

 

Leastern versus Western conferences?

 

There should be a loser league and winner's league for the division.