After half of our games, Top 4 in the west is very feasible

Shoot, let's just concentrate on being in the top 8. Once we're in the playoffs, anything can happen.

 

That's pretty optimistic. I'm shooting for 6th seed, which is higher than I was thinking at the beginning of the season. We're not better than the Kings, Lakers, Spurs, Mavs or Timberwolves. So, they get the first 5 slots.

 

Not making the playoffs is feasible also. We might break our own record.

 

If you look at Feb and Mar schedule we should only loss 4 to 5 games a month. That will easily put as in the playoffs. Where who cares---were in the playoffs Baby!!!!

 

Not a chance...The Rockets are 2-10 in West road games so far, and I count 11 West road games in March and April, including 6 of the final 9 games of the season...Plus, the Rockets have the most brutal April in the NBA with the Lakers, Kings, Mavs, and Nuggets twice...

 

Ill just be happy if we make it to the playoffs. Thats our first step...

 

Lakers? come on, we kicked their ass w/o only Karla, who knows how healthy they will be anyway by then.

Kings are good, however they have played the 29th toughest schedule in the NBA so far according to Sagarin; as they've played an extraordinary amount of home games (conversely, our schedule is ranked as the 5th toughest)

The Maavericks are beatable this year, though we haven't done it yet, and the Nuggets? We've whooped them before, almost did it again.

This underselling of us is getting kind of stale.

I guarantee you the Rockets will make the playoffs this year, barring no major injury to Yao or Steve.

 

3 things that worry me that have playoff implications:


1)our conference record:11-13
2)our division record: 4-8
3)our head to head record against Memphis


everyone in our division except utah who i am not worried about
has a .500 or better conference AND division record.


so we can really play the East, what good does that do when we are tied for the 5th, 6th , 7th, or 8th seed?

if we dont win the next 2 against the Grizzlies, then they will hold the tiebreaker.


just a couple of random thoughts.

 

I am hoping for a #6 seed in the West. That would be a great achievement in my opinion. Anything more than that would be amazing to me.

Incluing the Rockets, clearly the Nuggets, Sonics and Grizzlies will be teams fighing for the last 3 playoff spots (assuming Kings, Wolves, Spurs, Lakers and Mavs are in) and those are the teams we need to do well against. We are 0-2 against the Grizzlies, 1-1 against the Nuggets and I think 0-2 against the Sonics. Not good! We have some catching up to do there.

I am a bit concerned with our record against Midwest Division opponents. I think we are 4-8. Correct me if I am wrong.

A-Train mentioned playing the Nuggets TWICE in April. I have to believe those will be 2 HUGE games!

Neverthless, I think this team WILL make the playoffs.

 

Right now, the Lakers aren't a platoff calibre team. When they get Kobe, Malone & Shaq back, they will have 2 months to gell. I think it'll be a real dog fight between the Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets, Grizzlies & Sonics for the last 4 playoff spots.

 

I agree with Sam. We have proved again and again that we can beat Lakers, Kings and Nuggets (I don't even consider Nuggets as a such threat we should be scared of). The only team we don't have a chance to beat is Mavs. Again, we only have two games against them in April.

However, I do agree we must do well in Feb and March, these two months pretty much decide weather we make playoff or not. Based on our successful record against mediocre teams this year, I have that confidence that we can make it.

Once we go into the playoff, it is wide open, baby. Nobody expect us pass the first round including our fans. But I believe we could beat every team including big 5.

 

I think they can and will make the playoffs baring any injuries...But who knows which other teams could have main players go down. Look at the lakers. I think we may be making too big of deal with our Memphis losses. What can you say they have had our number so far this year. But we have put the clamps down on many a team this year and the confidence is building in this team...You add guys with playoff experience i.e. M. Jackson and Jimmy Jam and I guarantee you no one wants the Rox in the first round. Its too hard to score on us and teams know if they have a couple of off shooting nights they are in trouble. I hope to just get into the playoffs give them a taste and next year make a couple of moves like the small and powerforward positions and we will be on to something...

go Rox!

 

The Rockets have no shot at catching the Kings, T'Wolves, or Spurs. The Fakers are a possibility depending on how long Shaq and Kobe are out. So are the Mavs considering their struggles on the road. So yes, it is possible that the Rockets finish as the 4th seed in the West, but I ain't holding my breath.

Frankly, if they can lock down the 6th seed, I'll be impressed. It'll probably require at least 50 wins to do so, but given their soft schedule in February, they could pull it off. If that happens, I'll be interested to see who their first round opponent is.

 

Can we beat (without an upset) Dallas, Sacramento, San Antonio now? Getting closer?

 

It's funny, but if the Rockets had taken care of business against some of the sh*tty teams they've lost to, they would be right up there with the top four teams.

Nov. 1, Memphis- 8 point loss (how do you lose to them at home?)

Nov. 16, @ Toronto- double OT loss (before Toronto's big trade)

Nov. 21, @ Portland- 7 point loss (after blowing 15 pt lead)

Nov. 29, @ Seattle, 7 point loss

Dec. 20, @ Phoenix- 15 point loss (good God, how did they get crushed this badly?)

Dec. 29, Seattle- 1 point loss

Jan. 11, Boston- 4 point loss


All these losses were inexcusable, but if the Rockets had won just three of them, they'd be 27-14, and the fourth seed in the West. Just like in years past, the Rockets are not bringing a consistent effort every night, and it has cost them in games against mediocre teams, and therefore in the standings.

 

Considering they've only got one less loss than the Rockets, and are 3-1 against them, I wonder if Memphis and Denver fans are thinking their teams have a shot at the top 4 also...

 

How very true. With this team anything is possible...