<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Spurs, OKC, LAC, Rockets, Blazers, Warriors, etc…the possibilities in the west in the playoffs are outstanding.</p>— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) <a href="https://twitter.com/daldridgetnt/statuses/441782919938719744">March 7, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> This. This is all a fan could ask for. We have a chance. Just excited to be in this position.
i actually do not fear OKC or LAC simply because all of the games we've lost to them have come off of a back to back scenario. The only thing i fear about LAC is their UTAH JAZZ of the 90s style of play...i.e. flopping and get away with it. Otherwise, i'm not worried. Nov 4 - Loss to LAC. Completely got outplayed. But was also very early in the season (only the 4th game of the season). Nov 9 - Loss to LAC. Had a great 1st half, but got out played in the 2nd half, especially in the 4th. But again, very early in the season. Dec 29 - loss to OKC was a 4th in 5 nights and on the road. No Beverly and the entire team played like crap. Jan 16 - loss to OKC in a 2nd game of a back to back. Again without Beverly and the 2nd half collapse where they scored only 19 (sorry to bring this horrific memory again) Feb 26 - loss to LAC was a 4th in 5 nights on the road. Clearly the team was out of gas in the 2nd half of that game. The next games with OKC and LAC are not going to be on back to back nights and we've got some great chemistry with playoffs right around the corner. Should be a fun end to the season!
We're not a legit contender.....yet. Right now, if the playoffs started today, we wouldn't make it to the finals. OKC, Spurs, LAC - we couldn't win a 7 game series against those teams. They will exploit our weaknesses too quickly - not in games 1 or 2, but by games 4 or 5, we'd be toast. Our players are not yet moving the ball as fluidly as a team needs to in order to break down a defense like we'll see in the later rounds of the playoffs. And the defense is good, but it's not playoff good. We are definitely still a work in progress. Which is good!
Both Blazers and Clippers go into a funk. Rockets get 3rd while resting starters for the last 2~3 games. 3-6 matchup against whoever. 2-3 matchup against Spurs. In the meantime, Clippers-Blazers winner upset OKC. Rockets beat that team with homecourt. Meet a tired, injured Miami team. Win title.
If we face the Clippers in the first round, we are doomed. OKC and Clippers will kill us. Other than that, we can beat anybody.
We're one more player away, though if the Asik/Howard pair would work for long stretches, we'd be pretty deadly against the 4 we're weakest against.
I think we shouldn't always think that we are lacking a star. When we finally have three star, then people will complain about one of them not performing and hoping for the fourth star. Greed never ends. I like to think that we have a chance this year, and not have too much stress if we don't win it all. With so much variability in sports, who knows what will happen? I am confident that with some luck, Morey will lead us to the promised land by continue to execute trades that get us closer. Why don't we be optimistic and not comolain so much?
The only teams that can defeat the Rockets are the Clips and Thunder. The rest of the season should be used to oil up the machine and tune it up for the play-off run. Just stay healthy, please.
I think so too. Our bad matchups are OKC, Clippers & Indiana. And I think we might be able to beat out OKC with a few lucky bounces. If we avoid Clippers/Pacers, we have a good shot this year. Right when we got Dwight I felt that the team wanted to go for the finals win this year and not just a conference finals appearance like Morey was advertising. Go and vote in this here thread!: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=240878
Ok, I will call you crazy. OKC has added just as significant a piece as the Rockets did with DH, his name is Russell Westbrook.
Right now I believe that the Rockets have the best starting lineup in the NBA. In the playoffs the starters become more important because they have fewer minute restrictions. With D-Mo and Asik the bench paint defense is probably superior to the starters paint defense. If two of Lin, Casspi, Hamilton and Garcia can step up the Rockets bench becomes very competitive. This could actually easily become the best Rockets team in decades. I know, big words, but they are very close.
It's just like the NCAA Tournament.... Get in...and you have a shot. Become hot at the right time...and anything can happen. Not to mention we have the talent to back it up. It's not like how we were last year banking on hitting 12-17 3's a night or we'd lose. We have a post game now. We have a dominating defensive presence down low in Howard and Asik for when Howard rests. We have one of the best half court players around in James Harden, for when the game does slow down for the playoffs. Last but not least, we have the most annoying...irritating...flat out pain in the butt point guard in the league, and I'm so happy to say he's one of us.
the NCAA tournament has a lot of Cinderella stories because it's a single-elimination tourney. It's a lot easier to pull an upset to win one game than to win a 7-game series. In a long series, teams adjust to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents. The teams with the fewest weaknesses will win it all. In other words, one-dimensional teams usually don't do well in a long playoffs series. You have to be able to beat your opponent in more than one or two ways.
As of now I think LAC or OKC has the matchup edge on us and we're going to have to beat one if not both of those teams tot get to the Finals.
I agree with that. But by the playoffs, I think OKC will have sorted through the Westbrook/Durant chemistry issues (hopefully not), Wade will actually play seriously, and Pacers will get back into a groove. Then I think it's just night by night performance that separate these 4 teams' starters. I think the switch will be Lin and Asik. If these guys (particularly Lin) can perform at their above average rates (Lin @ Jan/beginning of year, Asik being Asik). Then I think we have a real shot at the title. Garcia, Hamilton, Casspi are sort of known quantities. They might break out 1 or 2 games, but won't give you a streak. Here's to hoping that Lin's inconsistency will vary on the other extreme in the playoffs
If only our starters can play da whole game night in night out......cos our bench SUCKS! Lin cant shoot, he cant make plays for anybody else and then he jumps in the air and makes a beautiful fast break pass to the opposing player.....I think the bench should go with asik,d-mo, hamilton, troy daniels and cannon.....its upto stupid mchale to make that decision.
I like how everyone just ignored this post. We don't have chemistry yet, moreover, we have not been battletested in the Playoffs yet.
