On paper, it looks like that may be the case. However...last year looked MUCH more grim than this year, and we ended up being 2nd in the West virtually all year. Everybody had us 7th or 8th. Gotta play the games
Last year the entire NBA was injured and we made great pickups in the middle of the season. Like I said, if things stay like they are now, we will be a 5 seed and first round exit.
Rockets aren't sneaking up on anyone this year. As of now, they look like a 5th or 6th and staring at a 1st round exit.
My tiers: SAS GSW LAC HOU OKC MEM DAL UTA PHO NOP Our depth will probably get us to 58 wins and homecourt/favorable matchup in the first round. Without luck, we are probably out in the second round, but a Lawson acquisition gets us up to 62-63 wins and perhaps another WCF or Finals berth.
This. I think it's pointless to worry about where the Rox are right now, too many things can go wrong (Dwight injures his knee) to right (LMA collides with Curry and both are out for the season lol). We can only gauge the team after the first 5-10 games, and even then you need to look at possible trades done mid season and at the deadline before you can even talk about who will go in what order in the playoffs. Talking about 5th or whatever before the season starts is just silly IMHO, if you look at posters like Kwame's history they predicted the same doom and gloom prior to the season starting last year as well, now the new season is here and they're doing the same thing again LOL
We need a PG before the start the sason if we are to compete for the top spot in the west. The west is too good and having only PB and our other PGs just won't allow us to win against the PGs of GS, spurs, okc, clippers, or heck almost any other of the west contenders.
No playoff team had more injuries than Houston. My prediction is a top 4 seed and at least getting to the 2nd round. Like was said previously, last summer things looked much, much worse than they do now and we landed the 2 seed while being the most injured team outside of 2 crap teams. If we were relatively of full health last season I would be much less optimistic, but that's just not the case. People keep talking about all the other teams getting better and healthier and act as if The Rockets are exempt from doing either. I don't get it.
As each of the rosters are constructed right now and barring any catastrophic injury 1. Warriors 2. Spurs 3. Thunder 4. clippers 5. Grizzlies 6. Rockets 7. Pelicans 8. Jazz 9. kings 15. Mavs I love my team but Rockets will lose in the first round this year with the current roster.... as much as it sucks to admit in all reality it's really a 4 team race at this point in the West between GS, OKC, SAS and LAC.. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2525127-crowded-nba-western-conference-is-just-a-4-team-race
Last year, people had us at 6-8 or not even making the playoffs, so you know what? **** the haters, lets play the games, go Rockets!
I have a question? Everyone keeps talking about how all of these other teams got better, but which one got a player as good as or better than Harden? Only GS, Cavs, OKC and maybe NO have a player of his caliber. So these other teams can get all the new players they want, we still have a dominant big that can be the best big on the court any given night, and the best player on the court most nights. Another thing, everyone keeps talking about how we haven't added anyone, but I think picking up Dekker is just as good as picking up some of these other free agents. The only team just as good or better than us that picked as high as us is OKC, and no playoff team picked higher.
There are 4 teams that are legitimately better than us on paper. OKC, GSW, SA, and LAC now. Just gotta hope that there is injuries and we get lucky this season.
OKC is hungry; Golden State will get a hangover from winning the championship. 1.) OKC 2.) Spurs 3.) Golden State 4.) LA Clippers 5.) Rockets 6.) Memphis 7.) New Orleans 8.) Kings
Must feel good being an optimist. Clippers have CP3 and Blake in case you forgot. Dekker is a rookie and most rookies in this age don't make an immediate impact on a team unless they're chosen in the top 5. Spurs have Kawhi who is definitely someone to look out for and possibly the best guy to stick on someone like Harden. Not many people can guard Harden, and Pop didn't make Kawhi guard Harden much in the regular season, but he might have if they ended up winning that game 7 instead of the Clippers. Plus.. they have Aldridge who is a top five 4 in the league. Thunder have Westbrook and Durant. That's enough to make them scary. Plus they have a new head coach now who isn't as stupid as Scott Brooks. You saw what happened to the Warriors when they got Kerr. New coaches can either hurt or help. Personally, I'm not scared of any team right now other than the Thunder, Clippers and Cavs. Cavs are another story though. I feel like we can take the Spurs and Grizzlies. They're good, but not unbeatable. Spurs in 2014 was something different. That team right there was scary. But it's going to be 2016 if we see them in the playoffs and the hunger in that team is going to be Aldridge. The Grizzlies are a very scary team despite not having a star. They're like the bizarro version of the Rockets. Both teams could have put a much better fight against the Warriors. Only problem was health issues. Disappointing. I'd love a series with them. That team would push the Rockets. They're that team that is good enough to go to 7 games with the top dogs, and put up a good fight. In the end though they'd still come up short. The Thunder are scary to me just because the hunger they have. Those three guys over there. The pain that Harden has endured these last three seasons is nothing to the pain those guys have gone through. Nothing. Dwight has gone through the pain they gone through, but he's not on that level anymore. Still really good player. Those three are just younger though. and a whole lot scarier. Clippers never had a problem with their starting 5. It was their depth that was their downfall. Now they have something. Blake and CP3 are two monsters ready to prove the whole league wrong. Be careful. Avoid this team at all cost. Remember. The 2013 heat beat the 2013 spurs in dramatic fashion. One year later the teams didn't change much. The ending? Domination. The past is in the past. Cavs are almost perfect at this point. All they miss is that one back up wing for Lebron. Just one guy. No idea who it is. No idea how they get him. If they do though then it's game over.
I agree with a lot of this but I don't see where the Clipps have made themselves all that much better if better at all. They added Lance Stephenson but subtracted Matt Barnes. They added Paul Pierce but maybe I don't have enough respect for an aging 37 year old player see this as a great addition. I don't think Josh is a great fit for Doc's system. But that team is always though so we will see. I don't have the same respect for the Cavs as you. They made a serious mistake IMO, trading Wiggins for Love. No one knew just how good of a defender and rebounder Tristan Thompson would turn into and just how good Wiggins would be so early. Irving, Wiggins, Lebron & Thompson would have been just outstanding. Love seems like a mismatched part with that team. Mosgav is a serviceable center but outside of that They have very poor to no depth. Anderson Varejao is just too beat up to be of any real value. JR Smith generally hurts more than he helps. Matthew Dellavedova became a media darling for a few games but was then completely exposed as a total liability on offense. If the Cavs had been in the West I just don't think they would have even made the WCF much less the NBA championship. Houston, LAC, MEM, SAS and GSW are all better teams IMO. Take away Lebron and the Cavs would not be a play-off team in the West.
