Reasons I think Rockets are championship contender

You're right. But it's not just the fact that we beat those teams it's how we played doing it. This team is playing great basketball, we could beat any team in the league right now. But I feel this team is only beginning to gel.

I know by the time the playoffs roll around we will be playing our best basketball of the season. That's why I'm excited.....

 

I think the role players this year have been great. Whether we can replicate the chemistry with such an old team in the future isn't clear now, but we should enjoy it while we have it.

The biggest question I have about this team in the playoffs is whether we can stop all the dominant PFs in the Western Conference. There are so many great 4's, and that will be the biggest challenge.

 

I agree with you to an extend. I don't think we will take the West this year.

However, our chance of getting into the WCF is as good as anyone. Then we will probably lose to the Spurs there. However, other than the Spurs, we are better than anyone in the West. Better than the Suns, the Sonics and the Mavs. I can honest say that.

Marion doesn't make up the 20 point deficit at home. McCarty went off on us, and it does offsets the absence of Marion. Marion is a good player, but he is not Duncan. He does make a difference, but he isn't THE difference.

 

Gater, I basically agree, with one caveat. If Yao elevates his game on a nightly basis, it doesn't matter that we don't have an athletic 4. We have a lot of pieces. If we're healthy and Yao elevates his game, we have a shot.

 

What I love about the team is that when they're down by double digits, and the game seems to be slipping away - they STILL believe in the system, and execute the offense. Noone tries to do too much, or start jacking up 3's (unless there are only 35 seconds left ), or throwing up wild shots. Even the superstars seem ego-less.

The other thing that stands out is their versatility. They're happily content to grind-it-out and score 80 points, or run-and-gun their way to 120. They are fast-breaking, taking care of the ball, and the games are enjoyable to watch now. All the perimeter players (Sura, McGrady, James, Barry, Wesley) seem comfortable at either running or finishing on the break.

 

I like how we are a very versatile team. We can beat teams in so many different ways.

- We can pound it down low to Yao and TMac in the post.

- We can shoot the lights out w/ TMac/Wesley/Barry/James.

- We can run and gun w/ the quickness of our guards.

- We can slow it down and run efficient half court sets.

- We play defense.

 

Yes .... but who is that player and can he be acquired without spoiling the chemistry? I am beginning to think that, with a few lucky breaks, the Rocks can win it all this year.

 

I love this team. At the beginning of the season they were stating that they lacked energy. Now they are very focused and showing alot of energy. The old vets are exited and eger to play.

 

I think the home court advantage balances out the injured players, plus Sura is not 100%. The margins of victory were also a measure. The Suns win was so impressive as to remove any doubts that this team is for real. Plus, the consecutive nature of the wins, all on the road, is another indicator.

In my opinion, the team is officially a contender. I expect them to improve even more. The vets "know" something special is brewing. You can see it in their faces and in their body language. Who ever gets the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs is in for a rough ride. The WC finals is not out of the question as it was a few months ago.

 

1. Rockets are taking care of doubters on the court.
2. Everyone has an analysis of the team but they are ignoring it and kicking the so called contenders right and left.
3. I don't think this team is going to be too worried about what anyone thinks as they cut the heart out of teams on their way to the NBA finals.

Just stay focused and stay healthy.
Nobody is playing better ball than the Rockets right now.- Fact.

 

Record is also a pretty good reason (for why we are contenders:

We started 6-11 - and from then we inserted guys like Sura and Wesley into the lineup, and have gone 31-14 since then.

Extrapolating that to our current number of games gives us something like 43-19 - which would be good for third in the West (I know that's 4th seed...)

It's not like we lost games at the beginning that we would've lost anyway - didn't we lose to the Bucks and the Bobcats (amongst others?) - shave off that bad start and you're talking about one of the best teams in the league!

And not only is it one of the best teams, but one with a genuine inside/ outside combination - guys that can take over and exploit the oppositions weakness!

In fact, the biggest reason I can see that we shouldn't think of ourselves as contenders is the rebounding factor - we're just not that dominant a rebounding team. Has any club ever won a championship being outrebounded?

 

I was thinking that "contending" was meaning that we were good enough to threaten for a title, i.e. there's a chance. A much better chance than the pundits have thought. This doesn't mean that we are shoe-ins. It just means that we are proving ourselves as part of the elite west.

Ya know...."If ya can't run with the big-dogs, stay on the porch!"



Anyways....GATER is right that we *need* "1 more athletic big man." And maybe a defensive/rebounding G/F that comes off the bench. We need lateral quickness, length and speed. Two more guys like that. Draft? A certain PF currently overseas? Maybe.

But we do need these type of players. We shouldn't want to just squeak by. We should want to crush the competition! We're not finished yet.

The Suns might get lucky and shoot the lights out. And the Spurs....well, they just *know* how to win. So, we need to learn how to beat the best in a 7-game series! And learning in the play-offs hurts! This is when Yao grows up.

Lets wait and see how this team reacts to adversity. Real pressure when it's all on the line. And we better start thinking about how this team will match up to the Spurs, Suns, Sonics in a 7-game series. Adjustments, adjustments, adjustments...

The Spurs are the ultimate opponents. And I know this sounds strange. But we should respect them! Then, beat them. That's how we'll learn to be champs. From them. Not the Suns or Soncis. And like I said before. If we can't beat the Suns/Soncis/Mavs/Lakers in a 7-game series. Then we don't deserve to play the Spurs!

And furthermore, we wont deserve to move on to play the Pistons or Heat.

 

i find it funny that franchise and cat were supposedly the more active, run and gun type players, yet they had almost no clue on how to run a proper fast break. That just drives home what is so great about our team now...fundamentally sound, unselfish team ball. I can't believe how we went from ZERO bench to a pretty damn good one, capped off by the acquisition of Mike James. Concerning James: I had no idea he was such a gutsy player. Our own Bobby Jackson...I've always wanted one!

 

Because Mike James said so:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3083513

 

What makes the Rockets serious contenders right now is their ability to win on the road. They are also showing they can win any type of game. I am not so sure that Seattle, or Phoenix can grind wins out when their shots aren't falling. The Rockets can. Since the Dallas victory on the road a few months ago the Rockets have shown they can win the shootouts, too.
The Spurs and Heat seem to stand above everybody else because their best players are the most proven playoff performers and are dominant big men, but the Rockets are getting there. I haven't enjoyed watching a Rockets team since the championship years, so I'll take 2004-5 whatever happens.

 

Hey, why is it that some GRAMMAR teachers don't allow us to start sentences with "because" and "well" and "but" ? I mean, who are they to say who's good at writing? Well, we are...

 

Agreed Bmoney. What often gets overlooked when we're blowing people out is that we're primarily a defensive team. When the shots aren't following we can always clamp down and pull something similar to what the Pistons did to the Jazz today. We did that in our 2nd win against the Spurs this year and I'm pretty sure in the slower paced playoffs, the Rockets can do the same thing.

 

i haven't seen so many 4 or 5 star threads for a while. when we win, everyone's happy hehe

of course u'll still get a couple of no star, 1 star threads...like the dude who had a dream that shaq would one day play for the rockets backing up yao ming.

 

i'm trying to temper my enthusiasm...but i can't. i think we've seen the birth of a legit contender. something we haven't had in the Rockets in many years. their focus and their chemistry are remarkable. beating the quality teams soundly in their own buildings...wow.

where's chuck barkley? soft?? please.