2nd Fastest Squad to Reach 40 Wins..

Stop.

This is where I come for hopeless negativism.

 

They did it in a really tough Western Conference which is amazing seeing as how we know that they really have not reach full potential yet.

 

This is not a really tough Western Conference. Why do people keep saying that?

 

Because it's true.

 

This isn't a tough conference? Memphis was in the conference finals a year ago and may not even make the playoffs this season. The 8th seed will likely finish with a win total in the high 40s. And think about this. The top 5 teams in the West at season's end are likely to be(in no particular order) OKC, San Antonio, Houston, Portland, and the Clippers. It's guaranteed that at least one of those teams will be out in the first round. Maybe it's just me, but I think that's a brutal conference.

 

The East being so horrible doesn't mean the West is that great. In fact it helps the West when the East is bad. Westbrook has been out most of the year, and the Spurs have had significant injuries as well. Most of CF seems to think the Rockets aren't trying to Win Now, and they're right there at the top. The top two East teams are probably better than anyone in the West. How is this a "really tough" Western conference?

 

That 93-94 team didn't have the momentum that this squad has. These Rockets have won 25 out of their last 36 games while that squad had only won 18 of their last 32 games upon reaching their 40th victory.

People forget that after the 22-1 start, the 93-94 were only 36-27 to finish the season. While that is not bad, it's hardly championship caliber. To put in perspective that is about where Dallas and Phoenix are right now at the 7 and 8 seed.

 

That's exactly what it means...

 

Depth.

Not only are the top 2 teams in the West comparable to the top 2 teams in the East, the West has a bunch of contenders. The East has nobody apart from the top 2 teams.

The 5th seed in the East is only 4 games back of 44-15 OKC. The 5th seed in the east is 14.5 games back of 45-13 Indiana.

The West is stacked. The East is not.

 

That should say the 5th seed in the West is only 4 games back of OKC.

 

Just keeping it real, the Rockets franchise is crap when it comes to great records.
58 wins is a rather weak peak
.514 winning % is far from great

 

We're also above the "Jackson Line" for contending teams. PJ has said that the mark of a contender is winning 40 games before losing 20.

 

what does .514 winning % have to do with these Houston Rockets, the 93-94 team, or anything for that matter?

 

Five star thread my man.

Positive and relevant.

And, you're right, it's just the beginning.

 

I actually agree with you. In the mid-2000's, the Western conference was harder. Truly dynasty-quality teams in the multiple-time champion Spurs, the d'Antoni record-setting offenses on the Suns, and the Nowitzki-led Mavs. They had some epic playoff series too. Second tier in those times were the T-Mac/Yao Rockets, the Deron Williams/Evil Skull Dude Jazz, and the Roy/Aldridge Blazers (remember that one year they had Oden? yeesh). In the back half of the decade the Lakers stole Gasol and won two championships.

You might be bragging about the quality of the 8th seed this year and how screwed Memphis and Minny will be if they miss the playoffs. But in 2008 Golden State won 48 games and missed the playoffs, one year after winning 42 games and sneaking into the playoffs as the 8 seed only to unseat the 67-win Mavs as we can all remember.

So don't have such a short-term memory when it comes to how crazy the Western Conference can get. It's been worse. This year is bad but not as bad as the mid-00's.

 

He's just being a hater.

You're statement is far more accurate.