LoL, so true. I think that other teams will put more efforts on defense for playoff spots after allstar break. That was what happened to us last year.
Go watch the Wizards, Kings, Bobcats for 5 years and then you can come back and tell us what "same story different year" really feels like. If the Rockets have made you this jaded, maybe you should go find a new hobby.
We are a .500 basketball team IMO, our best bet is to be a low seed in the playoffs and worst probably just missing, unless one of our younger players explode into their potential I see the later.
Seeing how the Rockets are the #1 scoring team in the NBA and #6 in rebounding I would have to say they are a very good team or at least can be. Excuses can come by the bunches for the 14-12 record but so what they are the #6 ranked team in the west. And considering the Rockets have five new guys who get regular minutes in the rotation (Harden, Lin, Asik, Douglas, Delfino) and all but Parsons pretty much came off the bench for their career or been in the D league and also the fact that Harden didn't get here till the start of the regular season and these guys have to get acclimated to each other is a testament on how good this team can be. And like I said the Rockets are #1 in the league in scoring so its not like they are just desperate for a low post player. A defensive minded athletic player that can play on the perimeter to come in off the bench in place of Delfino would be nice.
Barring injury, 2nd round playoffs unless we draw OKC in the first round. I'm not kidding. Hate away, I'll bump later. But it is SO early. It's so early the AARP Knicks are first in the east. The rox young legs will carry them through. Right now I see them sharing the ball and starting to find an identity. They are a run n shoot team out of Paul Westphal's wet dreams. If they stay that way, they'll be there after 82 and they'll make some noise. I'm not convinced Morey is going to keep this core together but I hope he does. With more time they'll get better on D as well. Less sticky more pace wins.
Last year we didn't have Harden, Asik, and Lin. You guys who keep comparing this year's team to last year's team are paying too much attention to the record and not enough attention to the team.
Can Rockets Prove They're For Real? http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/12/24/can-rockets-prove-theyre-for-real/
Rockets are number 10 on the today's ESPN power rankings. http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings
#10 according to Hollinger's. #12 according to Stein. With the youth of this team, at or above average is a win. :grin:
Maybe you're just easily impressed? We've ended up with the number 14 pick the last 3 years in a row. We're only 2 games above .500 and it sounds like you wanna party like its 1994. If we didn't have Morry the genius to land Harden this year at the last minute we WOULD be the Wizards, Bobcats or Kings. Luckily we're on pace to end up where we always do as of late (just outside of the playoffs)... Until proven otherwise. We haven't been really good since the Olajuwon era and that my friend was a long long time ago.
But we aren't going to go from "With the 1st pick of the draft, the Houston Rockets select..." to "Your NBA champions this season, the Houston Rockets" in one season. There is something in between for developing teams. What Morey did was skip ahead right to the middle part, which coincidentally is in a similar position as the Rockets were the last couple of season. The one major exception, the team still has SO much to improve upon, and the team is in absolutely great shape financially and cap wise.
http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings Rockets just beat #7 and #6 team last week. This week Rockets will play #8, #9, #2, and #3 team in that order. After this week, CF will have very good indication how good we are.
Yes we are in the similar spot as the previous few seasons which is why I said don't be disappointed if we end up just missing the the playoffs and end up with the 14th pick AGAIN. Not trying to be a Debbie downer but fact of the matter is we're 2 games above .500 and we have a brutal stretch coming up. Being in great shape financially and cap wise is great indeed but it's not likely going to help us from being mediocre to decent this year unless Moray has another miracle to pull out of his ass before the trade deadline this year.
Rox should overthrow the Wolves and Bulls soon but Grizzlies will jump back up. that would leave.... the Knicks. we're coming for you Fatty Felton!!
This team is a good team, but not a great team. We can make the first round of the playoffs and have a shot of upsetting a team thats vulnerable, but that's about our limits. We haven't shown we can win on the road unless it's Jlins return to MSG. In the NBA, more so than in other sports, home court plays huge. Our biggest problem is that we don't have the muscle to play a half-court game - no post up players, and everyone depends on JLin or Harden to create their scoring opportunities. Shut down the backcourt, and you shut down the Houston Rockets. We are fairly one-dimensional. Fast break all the time, and put the ball into JLin or Harden to create for themselves or their teammates. No post game, no dice. In a playoff series we'd be easy to take down once teams figure out our weaknesses which there are many. Chomers and Wade would contain these two. SA would cause problems. OKC has more firepower. My hope isnt that we move up in the conference. It's that JLin & Harden mature. It's that we find that front court player who can create a shot and demand a double team. Right now we have enough to be a 5th or 6th seed at best. But to be a contender - which is really the first or second seed....we got a long long way to go.
I agree with others that we are a 500 team. If we keep getting better, I could us winning 45 games and making the playoffs.
