The Suns shut down their season with a month to go- meanwhile the Rockets were playing right up until game 81 Basically the Rockets strained and pushed to unleash 50 ugly turd wins last year Good luck repeating it
This is on point. I am not necesarily as optimistic as I was at this time last year - mainly due to my distrust in Ime/Stone - but the Rockets are BETTER than they were at this point last year. Amen, Sheppard, Jabari are better than they were a year ago. Marcus Smart is better than Holiday. Tari & Sengun still have opportunities to be better. FVV & DFS should give us more than last year. The whole league will be more competitive, but I still see a 50 win team and top 4/5 team in the West.
Wait, when discussing the odds of the Rockets getting the 1st overall pick in 2027, the Stone haters tend to discount the Rockets odds of getting the 1st overall pick by not counting the odds of the Rockets missing the playoffs. When discussing the playoffs, the Stone haters are basically saying the Rockets will miss the playoffs. Personally, I think odds are pretty good the Rockets make the playoffs with or without Durant. However, if things are looking bad, the Rockets are one of the few teams that can tank, and they will likely tank.
I appreciate you answering my questions and engaging in good faith. I disagree with your general assessment of the team, but we will see. Perhaps I’m being a homer.
Buddy my last memory of the Rockets was an eyeball searing destruction at the hands of a bunch of Luka placeholders and no Luka - then watching elite teams like the Thunder & Spurs & Knicks show how basketball can actually be fun to watch at an elite level. Even second tier contenders like Minnesota showed how far above the mediocrockets they are. We aren't starting from a blank slate & it's still early but run it back is trash (and I can't stress this enough, we said it at the time - the Rockets are not fun to watch - the miss & crash style & hope you hold on is lame,)
As a neutral perspective: we are currently projected 7th in the West in the betting markets, and 14th in the NBA. Sure betting markets aren't perfect, but they aren't homers or doomers. Subjectively, I think pretty obvious that the Rockets would be major major underdogs to win any playoff series against healthy OKC/SAS/MIN/LAL/DEN. Probably a toss up vs. GSW/POR/UTA. Stylistically we have hustled and scrapped reasonably well through the dog days of regular seasons (when other good teams have coasted), and accumulated some regular season wins, but our actual level when both teams are fully trying and gameplanning has been somewhere in that 12th-18th best team in the league range. That's what the sharps in the markets believe too.
how the hell does Danny Ainge get over on every team he trades with? Kessler can’t stay healthy. Incredible deal for Utah.
OK maybe Lakers had a pretty good free agency..... way overpaid for Kessler but Mamu, then Sexton and Grimes to replace Kennard and Smart. Barring the loss of LeBron that's pretty good.
The Success is all on Darryn Peterson's shoulders though, they are just a Play In team without him.....
Well, they lost their best defender, they get more Offense......still the same old Saga, outscore the Opponent but no lick of D. And also the lack of continuity certainly will cost them another year of gelling......
