Pat in San Diego: Dave, thanks for the chats. You are always honest and steadfast, not changing with every swirling rumor. 1. Will Mo Cheeks finish the season with the Blazers? I say no 2. Will the Nets make the playoffs? I say yes 3. The Rockets continue o improve after a sluggish start with many new players, JVG does a great job putting his team in a position to win. They held off the Lakers after a torturous and long Road trip. I say they will meet San Antonio in the Western finals. Your take on the ROckets Thanks David DuPree: Hi Pat. Thanks for the compliments. I certainly hope Cheeks lasts the season. A lot of it is up to him. I will tell you this. If he doesn't, he will be coaching another NBA team next season. He is very underrated and his major fault is that he expects his players to be professionals at all times. It just isn't that easy for some of them. I am very impressed with the Nets. Carter and Kidd together have really turned them around. If they still had Jefferson, I'd say they were a lock to make the playoffs, but even without him, it like they might pull it off. I like the way they play. The Rockets are are great example of patience and then making the right little moves at the right time. Bobby Sura beginning the season on their injured list with his bad back set them back, but after he came back and the trades for Weley and Barry really made them a different team. I don't think they are good enough to get to the conference finals yet, though. I'm not sure McGady and Yao can deliver night after night in a seven game series. They could prove me wrong, though. I have always been a big Jeff van Gundy fan, too, and I think he's done a marvelous job. You judge a coach when things aren't going so well and how he keeps his team together. Van Gundy did that when everyone was burying them. He's as honest and as fair as coaches come.
Say playoffs were today. We'd be the #6: 1 - SA 2- Pho 3- Sea 4 - Dallas 5 - Sac 6 - Hou 7 - Mem 8 - LAL First round, we play Seattle. Personally, I like our chances a lot in that matchup. They aren't built in the typical playoff mold (halfcourt offense focusing on the low post, strong defense), and count me among those that are still waiting to see them fall apart. They just aren't this good in reality. This year, jockeying for position will be bigger than normal. Especially in the East, with teams licking their chops to play the #3 seed (Atlantic winners) Evan
G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG 18 18 43.1 .435 .313 .783 1.80 4.80 6.60 5.4 1.44 1.17 3.17 2.70 29.4
