The reason that the rockets would win the first round playoff this year.

Right now I see us getting the third seed, with either San Antonio or Utah taking #2 (and the other one taking #4). I think it's unlikely we'll see either of those teams in the first round, and thankfully so. San Antonio is not as good as before but they still have the veteran savvy to turn it up in the playoffs, while Utah has basically pulled a Shaq this whole regular season, sitting out their regulars with "injuries" just to go on this synthetic surge late in the season when in reality they have had the guns to do so all year. Hollinger nailed it when he pegged them as the most dangerous team in the West to take down LA.

That being said, who then would we face? Portland Denver New Orleans and Dallas are next in line, in that order. If we face any of those teams I think we win. We are better than them right now, and we have a higher ceiling than them at any point in the future.

I feel great about the first round this year. In the second round, not so much.