According to http://playoffstatus.com/nba/westernstandings.html As of April 2, here are the percentages for who will end up the 8th seed: 8th seed Pelicans - 30% Nuggets - 15% Clippers - 14% Jazz/Thunder/Timberwolves - 12% Spurs - 5% And here are the percentages for who will end up the 4th and 5th seeds...our second round opponent: 4th or 5th seed Spurs - 64% Thunder - 41% Timberwolves - 36% Jazz - 34% Pelicans - 12% Blazers - 10%
I'll take the Jazz. Clint has played well against Gobert, and MDA has already mentioned using Ryno at center to pull Gobert away from the basket. If the Rockets neutralize him, then the series is over in 4.
When fans don't have a home town team it seems their loyalty to the closest team isn't always the case, even though you'd think they would show a little loyalty to the closest team. When I lived in Corpus Christi there seemed to be a lot more Cowboys fans than Texans fans even though Houston was much closer to Corpus Christi. But, I agree, to root for the Warriors or Thunder is just "Non-Texan" of them, unless they are students from that area.
I'm honestly surprised to hear that Austin isn't solid spurs country, they get all their games on local TV. I have an uncle who lives up there, born in Houston, and the general consensus is that Austin has always been a spurs town, with a marginal rockets presence and no Mavs fans to speak of, even though they also get Mavs games and no Rockets games. To personally like the Thunder over the Rockets, I can understand that mindset. But the Warriors? Now you are just dealing with a bunch of salty Spurs fans whom rather have the hated california superteam triumph instead of dealing with the inevitable red bandwagon that would sweep the state if we win. Seriously, even we cheered on the Mavs in the 2011 finals.
Austin is very pro-Spurs/Cowboys. I was talking about the ones who aren't; they basically pick and choose the day's $5 Footlong. They root for personalities and media hype to subsidize their swag. The worst part is that when I try and talk the game of basketball with them on a level that isn't about media narrative, not only do they parrot it EXACTLY, but they don't give any justification for their POV. They just shake their heads and avoid eye contact. I even offer them stats that show their teams in a good light. An unsatisfying win. If I try and point it out, they think I'm trying to rub it in. I think the fact that it's hard for kids to take basketball stats legitimately is a combination of the anti-analytics movement (my stats are NOT THAT good), distrust of authority, and the current political climate that has normalized just making things up and being rewarded for it. It sucks. I just wanna talk some basketball.
Yeah I go to UT as well and I have had the same experience. It's like talking to Colin Cowherd or Kellerman lmao
As a UT freshman, I remember taping Yao Ming's initial Chinese national team's offerings on VHS and hyping the Rocket's prospects to my fraternity (quit after a year). Everyone's reactions were like, "Oh, okay. BEEEEEER!" We were treated like the Pittsburg Pirates, but that's what a young man has to do (UT football after 2009). The championships gave me hope and eternal enthusiasm. I really think this year is special.
Hoping that OKC and Spurs are 6th and 7th and out of the Rockets bracket.... but i think the Spurs will be 4th. Just want a easy path to the WCF before GS.... and want GS to have the hardest. LOL. Wishful thinking. Rockets can beat anyone, anyways. So thats that.
Jazz for sure. Always fun to humiliate Utah, and it sets up harder matchups for the other top speeds.
Warriors rest the players against Thunder tonight. According to http://playoffstatus.com/nba/westernstandings.html Are you exciting with this? Rockets don't need to face Spurs if Thunder win. Thunder 4th seed Spurs 5th seed Now that Spurs and Thunder will be in 4 and 5 (highly likely)
We (Rockets) accept all challengers. Bovada has Rockets even with Warriors on odds to win championship (6/5) Are you exciting with that?
OKC and Portland will drain too much energy from the rockets.. Getting pelicans would be our best bet.. I have a bad feeling about OKC game as we may end up beating them into the 8th spot, they are already tied with the lowest loss total. I have a feeling if we don't beat them they could still climb onto 5th spot and trouble us in the next round.. I am glad the jazz are out of our potential first round match up..
