How many games will the Rockets win during the 2016-17 Season?

How many games will the Rockets win this year?

Just for a reference, there are 82 games in the season. That means 41-41 is a .500 record.

Last year, the Rockets had 41 wins.

The best record last season was held by the Golden State Warriors, who finished with 73 wins.

The worst record last year was held by the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished with 10 wins.

Here are the official final standings from last year:

http://www.espn.com/nba/standings/_/season/2016

 

I am going with 48 games. This is seven better than last year, which is going to be a heavy lift for this team, unless I am mistaken.

In the off-season, the Rockets hired Mike D'Antoni, effectively doubling down on the offensive focus of the team. On the defensive side, they are just depending on everyone toughening up, working together better and make more of a commitment to playing good defense. I am skeptical.

So this feels to me like we are in for a few years of "Steve Francis" ball, for those who remember that. With Steve Francis as the focal point of the team, the Rockets went to the playoffs pretty consistently and went nowhere once they arrived. They played good offense and suspect defense.

James Harden is a great player, but unless HE commits to playing great defense consistently, nobody else on the team is really likely to either. We have seen how this goes the last few years. At this stage, I will believe Harden will commit himself on the defensive end of the floor when I see it. If he doesn't, then Steve Francis Ball 2.0, here we come.

 

I hope you are right. But I will not be holding my breath.

 

Second to last preseason game tonight. Rockets vs Mavericks. It is time to start getting this team fine-tuned for the regular season.

 

Rockets vs Spurs on right now in the last preaseason game. The Spurs will almost certainl be one of the top teams in the NBA again this year.

But what about the Rockets?