I don't know if this is still the shock of losing the dream or i'm not being quite realistic, but it's hard for me to imagine the rockets being in the top 8. Am i still in shock? Is cato going to take us to the promised 8? Is moochie going to keep the afro? Is Marc Jackson going start spelling his name correctly when he joins the rockets (Mark)? I just wanted to see how you guys rate the rockets and i'm hoping that i'm still in shock and am not giving the rockets enough credit to make it to the playoffs.
Seedings, imo, would be as follows: 1) Lakers 2) Spurs 3) Kings 4) Mavericks 5) Jazz (although that could change by the end of the season) 6) Rockets (assuming we re-sign Mo and can get someone other than Cato or Collier to start at the 5 like Marc Jackson) 7) Blazers (they have alot to prove to me if they want to move up) 8) Clippers (I liked what they have done--they will be the biggest surprise of the season) Yes, I didn't forget the Timber-jabronis or the Suns, but I think Phoenix will regret getting rid of Kidd (I'm glad that we only have to play him 2 times a year instead of 4) and signing Joe Smith doesn't make Minnesota any better than what they were last year. They were really lucky to make the playoffs last season. Also, a sleeper could be the Nuggets.
the nuggets? really? that would be a sleeper of rip van winkle proportions, imo. but i think you nailed the western conference, 1-8. that sounds just about right. although i think the blazers will do better than seventh, i agree that they have something to prove if they want to move up in a list like this.
Man the Blazers may have the best team in the league if they pull off the Bonzi Wells and Dale Davis for Gary Payton trade. Zack Randolph looks like he might be the real deal and the steal of the draft for being picked so late in the 1st round. Imagine this line up: Rasheed Zach Randolph Ruben Paterson Derick Anderson Gary Payton If Zach turns into a force in the NBA then this could easily be the top starting five in the league. BTW Rasheed, Randolph, Paterson and Anderson are all fairly young or real young!
2002 playoff rankings as follows: 1.Lakers: 2.Spurs: I think the'll turn it up a notch approaching the playoffs. 3.Kings: Very solid but will adjust slowly this season. 4.Jazz: Crafty veterans mixed with some good young talent will make them tough to beat. 5.Dallas: good team, but depth is a problem 6.Blazers: Will be better than last year, but will make mistakes and bicker in the playoffs solidifing that Pippen is not a leader. 7.Minn: Their improved front court will make them better and more defensive. 8.Rockets: They get in this year and prove they should have got in the year before.
drpepper -- exactly how will they prove that as the 8th seed?? by knocking off the Lakers??? i doubt it!!! I love my Rockets...but they're not going to the playoffs this year. In fact, they likely won't win as many games as they did last year. Hakeem made a big difference for this club down the stretch of the season when they started playing well...and it still wasn't enough.
1. Lakers - this spot will belong to the Lakers as long Kobe and Shaq are playing 2. King - already one of the top team last year, and with the addition of Bibby, they should improve 3. Spurs - lost DA through S&T with Portland, will hurt them quite a bit, but still a major powerhouse in the West 4. Mavericks - They could only get better with time 5. Blazers - this team is loaded with talents, acquired DA from San Antonio and Patterson from Seattle this offseason 6. Jazz - used to be a elite team, and with Stockton and Malone aging, should slip to the 6th spot 7. T-Wolves - now drafted a servable center in Woods, this improved their frontcourt with play along side with Kevin Garnett 8. Phoenix - dont' count them out yet, although lost Cliff Robinson and Jason Kidd, they've still got Marbury, Gugliotta, Marion, and Hardway returning from injury Unfortunately they won't be making the playoff this year, but they're definitely the team on the rise. They've got the most exciting backcourt in Francis and Mobley. And Eddie Griffin looking like he will be a superstar near in the future. This team will be challenging Shaq and Lakers in a few years.
Boy mad obviously you were watchng reruns of the championship years or just had Tivo on way to long Hakeem was not a factor last year he contributed but he was not the factor they won so many games. He stepped up,Francis and the whole gang stepped up. As far as us not making playoffs yet again another questionable Rockets fan. God I thought this site was for Fans not bashers. Is the bandwagon gonna be that full come playoff time? Anybody wanna buy my Tickets for the Raptors Rockets game in March?......HHAHAHAHAHA NOT! I will be their with a Raptors Jersey on Rooting for my Home team the Rockets! Why you ask? because I like the Uniforms! HA!
Despite my exaggerations, I still think that the Rockets will make the playoffs and get a decent seed. Hopefully, the zone will help their overall team defense. 1. Lakers- I believe they will lose in the WCF or Finals, but will be brilliant most of the regular season. 2. Mavericks- Dirk will go even crazier this year. Look for them to win the midwest and get this seed by default. 3. The Blazers will come back strong this season and make the WCF, with their new younger lineup. 4. Kings- Losing J-Will and adding Bibby was brilliant! They will be close behind the Blazers. 5. Softies- The Wimps from S.A. will get this seed thanks to another good regular season from Duncan, but will fold quickly in the playoffs. 6. Rockets- The Rockets will surprise this year thanks to brilliant play from Steve and Cuttino, and R.O.Y. numbers from Eddie Griffin (who will have more pressure to perform since Hakeem is gone). Cato will surprise and put up decent numbers as the starting center. 8-9-2 sounds about right. The Rockets are clearly better than the Wolves and Suns. They will get this seed by virtue of their talent. If they can step it up against some of the weak teams that always hurt them, they might do better than this seed. If they add Sabonis, or pull off some kind of blockbuster, they may go as high as 5. They will take the Blazers to five games in the first round, before blowing a 10 point lead with four minutes left in the fourth, and me in attendance. 7. Jazz- This is the year they finally show their age. 8. Suns- The Marbury and Marion combo will be good enough for the eighth spot. And a first round exit via Laker sweep. ---------------------------------------------------- 9. Wolves- Still Garnett surrounded by crap. Will miss out by 1 or 2 games. 10. Sonics- They will surprise this year, and put up a major fight until the last few weeks. 11. Clippers- Like the Sonics, they will be right there until the last few weeks. 12. Nuggets- Not much to say here. They haven't improved, or gotten worse. 13. Warriors- Another year, another hospital to be built for all the injuries this team will suffer through. 14. Grizzlies- Pulled off two of the worst trades in history. Trading Shareef for a rookie was bad enough, but then they went and traded a great point guard for the most overrated player in the entire league. They blew it. Williams will make them worse than last year.
I'm not brave/foolish enough to give position-by-position seedings, but how about if I make predictions based on tiers: <b>Playoff locks</b> -- whatever moves they've made (or not made), they've got enough left to guarantee making the playoffs, and are the favorites to meet (again) in the second round; no further comments necessary. <i>Lakers Kings Mavs Spurs</i> <b>Shaky playoff teams</b> -- All knocked out in the first round last year, at least one of these teams <i>won't</i> make it this year ... but damned if I know which. <i>T-Wolves</i> -- Probably the safest of the bunch, because no one on the roster died this offseason. Still not enough beef inside to be a serious contender, and if Brandon goes down with a serious injury ... <i>Jazz</i> -- The day they lose Stockton, they're no longer a playoff team. <i>Blazers</i> -- If they lose Sabonis, their smartest and least selfish offensive player, that may cost them their playoff spot. <i>Suns</i> -- Losing Kidd and Cliff Robinson may have already cost them their spot; only the rumors of a semi-healthy Penny Hardaway are keeping me from officially dropping them to the next tier. And unless Googs recovers just as fully, even Penny may not be enough. <b>Bubble teams</b> -- Again, at least one of these teams <i>will</i> make the playoffs, but exactly which one depends on which team has everything break right for them (especially in terms of development of their young players). <i>Rockets</i> -- Losing Dream hurts them a lot, and their isolation-heavy offense may suffer more than anyone else's from the new zone-defense rules. <i>Sonics</i> -- Huge questions about their chemistry and interior defense. <i>Nuggets</i> -- See Sonics. <i>Clippers</i> -- Great chemistry, great athletes ... but do they (and especially Lamar Odom) have the mental toughness to become a playoff team? If so, they'll be at the Mavs' and Kings' level in a year or two. <i>Warriors</i> -- Stop laughing, dammit!! If they're healthy (a huge "if," obviously), they have better interior defense and rebounding than anyone else in this tier, and Antawn Jamison, Larry Hughes, and Jason Richardson could be a potent perimeter trio. Still, they'll probably need a year to build chemistry before there's any reason to take them seriously. <b>Already tanking</b> <i>Grizzlies</i> -- As I posted recently, unless their first-round pick in 2002 is in the top 5, they'll forfeit it to Detroit. To guarantee a top-5 pick, the Grizzlies have to be one of the two worst teams in the league. They intend to keep the pick.
Maybe I am naive to think we might actually get in this year...but 1 thing I know for sure...watching Francis and Morris reunite should be really fun...and I am really eager to see how eddie come along...Id love to pull one of these years ala a Seattle *baseball lossing Jr and Arod* and just show what are guys can carry team...now that worrying about keeping hakeem happy is over with and done.....I cant wait
Troy -- I've never been called a bandwagon Rocket fan before...I had season tickets to the Rocks long before this website or the fanfare of the championship seasons. Nevertheless, I don't see how one could realistically say the Rocks are going to be a better team this year than they were last year. I don't see it. I hope I'm wrong. Hakeem contributed a ton. For a long stretch of games, he started looking roughly like the Hakeem of old. He had some tremendous games and took over many games (like the close game we lost in Dallas where Hakeem was all over the place). Hell, most of you here would still say Hakeem is in the top 10 in centers in the league...we lost that. We are now stuck, most likely, with Cato. Do I love the Rocks??? More than you can imagine! Do I think they'll honestly make the playoffs this year?? NO!! But I love them still..that's the measure of a fan....not someone who picks them to win the title every year.
You nail that ZRB!Rockets will be the most young talented and excitingteam. Too bad we don't get to see them a lot on national TV. What the hell!That's why there is cable channel!
MadMax: I think you're overlooking how much Hakeem hurt the Rockets early in the year. Before Rudy started sitting him for extended stretches, he was getting a good # of minutes and completely wasting them. If Houston can find an even serviceable center, then Hakeem's lack of contribution early in the year would wash out with his stellar play in the stretch run, and they'd be in the same position, center wise. By serviceable, I'm thinking Jahadi White-like. Griffin is the big ?-mark, imho. If he comes out like Odom, the Rockets are IN no matter what happens at the 5. If he's more Swift-like, they're in trouble.
The Rockets are going to be a better team next year, even without Dream. Why wouldn't they be? Mobley being in the starting lineup from the opening game, Mo already being acclimated with the system and knowing his role, having a real rotation for once with the depth we added this offseason, and the expected improvement from our two guards are all reasons why we should improve upon last season's performance. Locks Spurs Lakers Mavs Kings Blazers- I know it's been said before, but this team has too much talent, and I think Mo Cheeks can actually somewhat motivate the jailblazers, and that should be enough to get them in. Teams that could drop that made it last year Phoenix- Strong possibility of them not making it, even with Marion and Marbury playing allstar caliber ball. Googs will never be what he once was, and they traded away a cap burden in Robinson, which may help them in the long run, but hurts them in the short term. Minnesota-Team most likely to not make it next season,imo. Their only offseason acquisitions were Joe Smith and Loren Woods, with them losing Ellis, whose contribution I felt would be more valuable to them next season than what Smith brings to the table. If not for that 11 game tear midway throught last season, they don't make the playoffs. Utah- I want to write them off every year, but they find a way to get in. They seemed like a lock for a top 3 spot in the playoffs last year before their late season collapse. They lost Polynice and brought in softie Amaechi. For some reason, I still see them nabbing a 6-8 seed next year, with a very real possibility of them not making it. Possible playoff teams Rockets- best chance to make it of non-playoff teams from last season. Have the talent to where, if they play like we know they can, they'll be a lock. With this team though, you never know. Golden State- They have about as much talent as any of the non playoff teams, and though most of their players are unproven, I could see them sneaking in. Fortson is a beast, Jamison is an allstar caliber player, and if Hughes and one of their centers can show up, they should at least be around 35 wins to pushing .500 Denver- Overlooked by many, they weren't that far behind us last season while dealing with injuries to their star players throughout the season. Like the Rockets, you never know with this team though. Clippers- I find it odd that some think adding Elton Brand to the mix will catapult them into the 45-50 win range, but with the talent they have, and the way they lure teams into playing their kind of game, I can't help but list them.
I think it'll come down like this: 1) Lakers (Shaq and Kobe are still there) 2) Kings (pieces in tact or improved) 3) Blazers (another odd collection of talent that can bring them to the top or crashing to the bottom) 4) Spurs (As long as Duncan is on his feet they've got a chance,,,otherwise they drop). 5) Mavs (now more experienced and dangerous) 6) Jazz (will have another stellar record until around Mach when old guys get tired and record falls dramatically) 7) ROCKETS (After spending the first few weeks trying to find themselves, they will turn it up a notch in the latter part of the season. Their record will be fairly similar to that of the T. raptors 8) Wolves (dont really know how to rate this team) _____________________________________________ 9) Sonics (as soon as they find out who is on their team this year, they can begin preparing for another mediocre season 10) Suns (hey! Where did everybody go?) 11) Clippers (Getting good, getting scarey)
The trade exception...or Walt...and/or the Toronto pick could land us Jahidi White. We need a center; let's get him.
