It's too early to tell. I want to see how this team does with Dwight back. Can we start making our shots? Right now we are winning our regular season games but come playoffs, we are going to get exposed very much like that Utah series years ago. Can TJones and Dmo step their game up for playoffs. Can Terry, Prigioni and Beverly hold up against the elite PGs in the west? Against Dallas Houston will have Tjones, Dmo, Josh Smith against Dirk. Then there is Terry Prigioni and Beverly vs Rondo,Barea, Harris, and possibly monta ellis... we are depending on two 37 year olds and let's face it an injury prone pg against some savy vets. The Spurs are another team to not sleep on because how much they turn it on when it comes to crunch time. The Thunder are just plain freakin scary and do we really want to face Durant and Westbrook. The Clips are also just Huge in the front court. Blake, Jordan, and Glen Davis are just Monsters. Our tweeners when it comes to playoffs are going to get a beating come playoffs. They also have some good vet shooters which I would be afraid of. Portland is who I would love to Match up against again. We have improved defensively from last season and we have the vets to give Portland a better run for the money. Last year it was pretty much Dwight and Asik against Aldridge and Lopez. We have four guys that can bruise those guys. I don't think they have the vets that they had last season. Lilliard and Steve Blake are going to have their hands full against Terry, Prigioni and Beverly. What we added with Prigioni and Terry which we did not have the past post season was a savy vet who is not going to do a stupid mistake like Lin in the final minutes. Our two vet pgs, especially Prigioni, can freakin pass. Dmo and Josh Smith will also make Aldridge work on the defensive end. Plus I am sure Harden and Co still have a sour taste in their mouth from last year which ahould give them extra fire.
I think we're a much better and deeper team than last year. Therefore I like our chances against anyone in a 7 game series. Call me crazy.
Somehow, this doesn't feel ENTIRELY out of the question. I actually think the Thunder are so unpredictable now, that if Durant's healthy, they could upset the Warriors. It would probably take a lot out of them though. The Rockets can beat the Grizz if they can stop Gasol. Blazers beating the Thunder hinges on how tired the Thunder are if they manage to beat the Warriors. Everybody's good enough to beat each other if they want it bad enough. I'll take the Mavs in the first round, because even though we just lost to them, I thought they looked like crap. We just looked even worse, but that's fixable. From what I saw, Rondo is a millstone around their neck, so we can probably exploit that. There couldn't be a worse team to lose to, though, if we ever want to hear the end of it, so we HAVE to beat them.
I came here to post pretty much this exactly. Not necessarily because it gives the Rockets the best chance (althought it probably does), but I like the karma of Warriors getting beat in the first round and I think OKC could pull that off. Also obviously love the karma of Rockets beating Dallas, and I hope Jason Terry wins one game by himself. And lastly, Rockets definitely need to avenge first round exit at hands of Portland last year, but on a bigger stage.
I don't really care at this point. I want the spurs in the WCF so I can shut all my friends up once in for all But I think we have the deepest team in the west and believe we can beat any team fully healthy Josh smith and Corey brewer I think puts us in a exciting situation. Either one of them can pump out a 20 pt game. I think the smith/jones/DMo/howard rotation is going to wear down a lot of teams in the paint
I think anyone has a chance against anyone in this stacked West conference. The only team I would not want to face would be the Clippers. Not due to the fact that I don't think the Rockets could beat them but because I think they would be the most intimidating for us, provide us with a lower chance of success.
Be careful for what you wish for!!!! Spurs are a different team come playoff time and Greg Popovich vs McHale is a joke.
So Dallas is losing tonight. There's a possibility that they could see the 6th seed come playoff time. Will the Clippers have Griffin by playoffs?
