Will this Rockets team with Juwan Howard healthy win the Finals and be the champions this year? If not, who will? Make your call now!
From the East it most likely looks like it will be the Heat. Of course, you can't write off the Pistons - they are one hot Chauncy Billups month away from playing in the finals again. The West really looks pretty open to me! The top 5 teams have got to be Spurs, Suns, Seattle, Mavericks and Rockets. Denver is on a real hot streak at the moment, if that holds up then maybe even factor them in as a chance. Memphis is slipping a little at the moment, and Sacramento has been struggling for a few weeks now. Minnesota looks like they probably won't make it, and forget the rest. But I can't split the top 5 teams in the West right now. The Spurs are the obvious choice - but they'll need a healthy Duncan to make them a class above. The Suns are dangerous scorers, and look most likely to push through, but a 7 game series will allow defenses to adapt to them! The Sonics are a tough grinding team - be interesting to see how they go. The Mavericks just have that air about them that they won't get the job done in the post season The Rockets lack the big 4 to match up with the other teams, but have the genuine game winner in McGrady, and a host of backup contributors. We're definitely a chance...
With several teams being so close IMO it will depend heavily on the 1st and 2nd round pairings, home court advantage, team-on-team matchups. A very hard call for the West, but I got an idea nobody is going to want to play the Rox. Miami in the East.
I honestly think if the Mav's and Rockets meet in the first round the winner of that series will win the whole thing. The winner will have so much momentium to carry their way through the playoffs. I'm not sure if the Rockets can beat the Mav's its rare teams win the whole title w/o paying their dues, the Mavs have payed theirs so I think its their year. I got Dallas beating Miami in the finals.
I dunno about that, spurs are set to report Duncan may not be available for the 1st round and is questionable for the rest of the playoffs.....
I'm gonna pick the Pistons in the East. I think they are laying in the weeds and will give Shaq all the physicality he wants with Ben and Rashweed. If Duncan isn't healthy, I think we have as good a chance to get to the finals as anyone. If Duncan is healthy, I am looking for a Spurs-Pistons matchup.
West 5 in west except Sonics,all of tem have chance to compete with heat. Only Houton more likely win 4 of 7.Other 4 can't do because them can't stop Shaq.
