will the refs make both team rockets and lakers to match up for the big show on tv ? well. it depends the standings in the last few games if there is a chance for the refs
There are too many shooters in Mavs to be all cold. Remember last year, without the injury of Dirk, They would already achieved the Champion! Mavs and Kings are the most dangerous teams for Rockets, which are not avoidable as long as we regard Championship as the goal! We can cost 2-games lose against them to learn how to beat them in the playoffs. As I said before, you just have to suffer from that growing pains.
I agree that the Kings and Mavs would be the hardest for the Rox to play in the playoffs. They play an uptempo run and gun game. One of the reasons the rockets dont run that often is because yao would be sitting on the bench 3 minutes into the game tired already. Another factor is that we are turnover prone so a half court offense limits those turn overs. I expect the Mavs this weekend to go small and literally run yao out of the game.
I think the latest win makes some of us underrated Lakers. They have one of the best mentality in playoff. If Malone is healthy, Lakers should be the one that all other teams want to avoid. KH
Memphis does not impress me. What's their ceiling? They seem close to it. Dallas-lite? A perennial "I don't want to face them in the first round" underdog? Unless they pick up Dampier and a legit star, they'll never contend in the West. In the playoffs, when the grinding starts, I honestly don't like any of the Rockets' potential first round match-ups. I think you can break up the 5 contenders into 2 categories: Jump-shooters and post-driven. The Rockets D is predicated on forcing jump shots. The offense, when succesful, is post-oriented. It's kind of what these teams do for a living. Jump-shooting Contenders Kings + Mavs = (Bibby/Any Big, Nash/Dirk) #1 and #2 pairs in the league at PNR shooting. It's what they want to do. Rox PNR defense is our weakest link. On the other side, if we can't consistently solve their zones on Yao without turnovers, we've got little chance. Wolves = Simple. KG + 8 years of hunger + Spree/Sam. There is no way they lose in the first. To anyone. Post-driven Contenders Lakers = I love Yao. But even if he nullifies Shaq, a playoff Kobe would be too much. Throw in GP and a gimpy Malone... I don't know, their chemistry would have to be seriously damaged. I don't see it happening. Spurs = We've got a chance. However, with Duncan and Popovich so solid in their principles, it will be so tough. They have weaknesses, though - FT shooting, Rasho can be beat down, and their guards can get loose/undisciplined. I'd say the coach-guard relationship will be pivotal for both teams. However, the Spurs are like the Carolina Panthers. They know exactly what they are: Great D, pound Duncan in the middle. Are we the mentally-tough Patriots? The Rockets can make all of this moot by establishing their own identity. Yao in the middle. At all costs. That will dictate play. In the playoffs, it will be the difference between having a chance and getting sent home quick.
Kobe is great. But how do we know that SF3 won't be great in playoffs/ Steve always plays out of his mind against the Lakers. I am hoping that Yao can neutralize Shark Fish, SF+Cat neutralize Raper+GP. That leaves a limping 41 year old Marlone. Hope somehow Mo can neutralize him. Realistically Lakers is the only West team that probably is not gonna DT Yao in the playoff, and sadly lots of us believe that Lakers is our best chance for a first round playoff win. And the funny thing is that the least team the Lakers want to face in the first round is the Rockets.
Playoff is a total different ball game. Half court teams wins, experienced teams wins, better team wins. So I like our chances against Twolve and Dallas. Absolutely no chance against the other three.
I think it's better to discuss about this after Thursday. I smell something fishy is gonna happen tomorrow on the trading floor.
I see the same. I do not see why the Mavs would not want to lure the Rocket guards into an uptempo game. Who guards Dirk? Nash usually outplays Francis. I fully expect a loss on Saturday to bring reality back to Rocket fandom.
Here below is a list thats Rockets's scores vs top5 so far!I know it doesnt mean anything.but at least it'll give u a glimpse of Rockets's circumstance in the playoff.I tend to be on Charvo's side. Sacramento Preseason W 82-78 Sacramento Preseason W 88-72 Sacramento L 103-74 Sacramento L 99-94 San Antonio Preseason W 84-63 San Antonio L 71-67 San Antonio L 86-73 San Antonio L 85-82 L.A. Lakers W 99-87 L.A. Lakers W 102-87 Minnesota L 92-75 Minnesota W 95-76 Memphis L 79-71 Memphis L 88-83 Dallas L 97-86
You throw regular season records out the window for the playoffs. The team you don't want to face 1) have great defense and 2) have multiple offensive weapons. The Lakers if healthy with Shaq, Kobe, Malone and Payton are a terrible draw for anyone. Kind of like drawing one of those regular season sandbagging veteran Houston teams from the mid-90s. Yao can hold his own versus any center except probably a focused Shaq with a chip on his shoulder--this is the one match-up we absolutely don't want. #2 worse match-up is Sac. Again though, like the Lakers team this team needs its vets healthy. This is the best, most well rounded, team, in the NBA when healthy. It is a close call with either SA or Minn as the nest worse match-up. I really think Minn is a greater threat to win it all this year because they have a lot more weapons. Wally should be returning soon too, only adding more outside firepower. They can be scary good on both sides of the ball now (though is Olowakandi ever going to play--they could need him against Sac or LA). I just think SA lost a ton of the toughness and veteran leaders off last years team, sorry I am not a believer in the current Horry not the current role players of Hedo, Rasha, etc. Still, SA can play good defense (though not as great as last year) and TD is best player in playoff style halfcourt BB. Dallas is a good draw for the Rockets. The Rockets can play much better defense, that alone gives the Rockets a chance to beat them in a slow down playoff type series. So in sum, the only teams I really want the Rockets to avoid are LAL or Sac if healthy. Thus perhaps the best realistic spot for them is the #7 seed, which would pit them against the MW #1-- Min, SA or if we got really lucky Dallas. The Rockets would be underdogs in all, but I think would have a good chance at the upset. Depending on what the Lakers do the #6 West seed could be the unluckiest b*stard of all playoff teams.
I don't know why folks think Dallas is a better matchup. Of any player in the entire league, Dirk Nowitzki is the one player who cannot be guarded by the Rockets. At least Pau Gasol is young, so he's not at the caliber of Dirk yet. Dirk Nowitzki is an all-star who is a proven ace marksman who can shoot off the dribble. Doubling him out on the perimeter is a bad strategy since he can pass it to a myriad of other scorers like Finley, Nash, and Jamison. Single-team man defense is the only way to play the Mavs. Who guards Dirk? The guys named Cato and Mo got torched so bad in prior meetings that a definite trend has been set in place. I remember when the Spurs beat the Rockets 5 out of 6 in the regular season during the 1994-1995 season. Rockets went out to beat them in the playoffs. However, Hakeem vs Robinson was the big matchup. The Rockets could count on Hakeem to outplay Robinson. This regular season domination of the Rockets by the Mavericks cannot be seen in the same light. Who guards Dirk?
Totally agree. We always have a game with half court offense team, and meanwhile, we always have trouble facing those gun-and-run teams. Like Dallas and Memphis in recent memory, our players do not have enough faith in our system, therefore, they are easy to be tempted to play other's flashy game. If we can not slow them down and force them to play our game, we have no chance at all against Dallas. However, if they do feel the sweetness of success by executing JVG's game plan, and they stick with it, we might have a chance to cool off Dallas. But we only have 29 games left to learn how to control the game flow. Tough.
rick flop is out of form by playoffs time the flop and malone will be getting serious. payton is being overburdened at the moment and he can't handle the pressure but that's going to change when malone gets back. hopefully the mavs and lakers will meet each other first off..
Pretty simple, like I said the playoffs is a different type of game. Forget regular season match-ups. The #1 key factor is half court defense, of which Dallas may be the worst of all playoff teams. Why do you think the only big series the Mavs have won lately in the playoffs is versus a Sac team without their best player (a series the Mavs still almost lost). The Spurs, Kings and Lakers are much tougher playoff teams, and IMO this year's Minny team will be as well. By the way Dirk is fine player but is not near as difficult to stop as TD or Shaq or Kobe. Further, offensively Sac and Minn present almost as many problems as Dallas does with much more formidable defenses.
Yeah, bring on Dallas, or the Wolves, or the the Kings......... Just so a lot of these naive fans would stop this nonsense of us beating(read: having a chance) against them. The only teams we could beat in the playoffs are Denver and Memphis......and I have my money on Memphis. Nash always does Stevie in the regular season.....imagine how worse it will get in the playoffs. Same for Bibby and Bobby Jackson. These three have been in tough playoff situations, and have made big plays in order for their respective teams to succeed. You're telling me that an overrated allstar that can't do sh[]t in the regular season is going to all of a sudden explode and become a franchise player under the supervision of an overrated coach?
I want the Mavs. We can take the Mavs. For these reasons: 1) We'll have lots of Rockets fans even in away games. 2) The Mavs will be forced to slow down in the playoffs. 3) In a slower game, Yao will destroy them. 4) Yao WANTS to destroy them, he'll step it up for the Mavs. 5) We've lost 5 in a row to them, there's no way we'll get swept. I can't see us beating anyone else in the Western playoffs but the Nuggets and the Grizzlies. Everyone else will eat us alive. Minny: Puh-lease. Spree and Cassell will eat us alive if Garnett leaves anything. We won't be able to stop these 3, and that's discounting Kandi and Wally. Lakers: Fully healthy, they won't lose more than 1 or 2 games throughout the entire playoffs. Sacramento: They've shown time and time again that we are their b****es. Then Webber will come back too. San Antonio: Actually, this one is interesting. This would probably be my second choice. Still, the only way to take this one is to have JJ light them up. The way I see it I hope we see the Mavs, and if not, I want the Spurs. The other teams are too good.
