I know its early in the season but i still feel that our team is going to shock us all. As it stands right know our team has the best defense in the NBA and our offnese can only get better. Three things to look forward to: 1. Yao to only get better and better 2. The return of Pike, A. Griff, and maybe E. Griffin 3. The team to gel better and better under the JVG system I feel that the future is bright in Houston and although Rudy T did us good, it was time for a change. Come December Our Offense will kick it into gear, our team will start to gel, our roster should be set, and we should be looking at a top five team. The only teams that will be above us would be the Lakers, Kings, and Mavs(maybe). I think that we will be better then the Spurs and T'wolves. I expect the Playoffs to look somewhat like: #1 Lakers #2 Kings #3 Mavs #4 Rockets #5 T'wolves #6 Spurs #7 and #8 Suns/Blazers/Sonics/Grizz/Nugz(longshot) The last two playoff spots are going to be a War. I'm glad we got an early jump on these guys but I wish we beat the Grizzles. Just think we could be 4-0 going to Orlando and coming home to play the Heat. But hey you win some you lose some right, and will get them next time. I expect us to win the next two going into a tough back to back against the Mavs and Suns. I'll be happy to go 3-1 the next week but will be estatic if we go 4-0. I'm confident JVG will have the troops ready for battle. On a side note i'm happy we don't face LA till December because by then we should be able to take them.
.....please tell me when the appropriate time would be for us to suck each others diks, so i can mark it on my calendar
The only one team that we should fear is Lakers. Mavs and Kings can not stop us. We can check the stats since preseason. We will be #3 in West.
There's no way the Rockets get a top 4 seed this year. Once Parker and Duncan come back to full speed, the Spurs are going on a roll again, The Kings are winning WITHOUT Webber, Dallas owns the Rockets, and the Lakers might very well go 82-0 this year...
i tihnk u ranked the spurs too low. they are playing w/o parker right now. and now duncan is down. and pop missed a game. thats a lot 4 games into the season. im sure they will coe back to be top 3. it should be more like: 1. lakers 2. mavs 3. spurs 4. kings 5. rox 6. wolves 7. suns 8. grizz
I still cannot see the love affair with Dallas. I saw the game last night and I saw the problems I projected earlier. Defense is just not there and they are getting by so far purely on having alot of offensively skilled players. I know it is early but they are just not a team with an inside presense and unlike the Kings, their inside people are not the greatest passers. Until further notice it would be pointless and meritless to put Dallas at #2, Smoothie. I would say based on what we have seen so far only the #1 spot of the Lakers is a solid pick. The next five is wide open. There are a lot of teams that are still getting their act together but somehow nobody is allowing for further improvement on the part of the rockets. To me the most fundamental fears I had about our team has been favorably answered so far. Ming is more involved; the additions are fitting in nicely all the way down to Braggs; the defense is world class; player movement and ball movement are close to the best I have ever seen from this team which is further confirmed by the shooting numbers; resistance to the new system has vanished; and the poor habits the team has been known for has similarly vanished and replaced by intensity and focus of a deep playoff teams. Do not take my word for it, just ask B. Scott about the intensity he saw. We will have our bumps but our margin of error as reflected by the mind-blowing 14% fg % gap that we enjoy, is pretty large right now. FOLKS WE ARE THE BEST SHOOTING TEAM IN THE LEAGUE AND THE BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM TOO. Whoa.
You got five minutes? Seriously, though. We've played a Parker-less Spurs and a Webber-less Kings well a couple times in the preseason and showed some heart to beat a Martin-less Nets, but I'd rather we all waited to see how we match up with the elite teams on the road before making bold predictions. I think the Rockets will make the playoffs this year, but I'm not convinced they're going to own the league.
Hip, while we do not own the league, numerous indications suggest we have been significantly underestimated by many.
Anytime I read a thread that has the spurs out of the top five in the west, I automatically feel like the author has dilusions of grandure.... Do you guys remember how the Spurs turned up their game the second half of last season? Rockets will be good... but the Spurs at number 6? you can't possibly be serous...
barring a major setback to Parker or Duncan the Spurs will most definately be in the top 3. Best Case Scenario: The Rockets edge out the T'Wolves for the 5th spot and end up facing the Spurs or the Kings in the first round. We'd have a good opportunity to shock the world. Worst Case Scenario: We squeak into the 7th or 8th spot and face the Lakers or Mavs. We get swept (maybe win ONE game) and go home a little wiser and a little sorer.
I remember last year when we started off, a lot of people were predicting us being 3 in the west. LOL. The season just started, once thing get rolling and Yao decides how he wants to play, we'll know where we'll probably be. That won't be until Decemeber though...I'd say after the Dec. 25 Laker game we'll know how good our team is.
SRF, I was one of those predictors. However, I see very little similarity with last year. In fact, I see fundamental differences.
Yep. We were playing killer defense early last year. Then we just crapped out and started playing like an intramural team.
1. lakers 2. kings 3. mavs 4. ROX 5. Spurs 6. Wolves 7. Seattle 8. Golden State Minnesota is overrated. Suns are gonna lay an egg this year. They lost too many key players.
