I agree with you,however if we are not fully healthy for the majority of the rest of the regular season we won't make it, which might herald the end of the Yao-Mcgrady combination. Let's hope for the best.
I'll agree that we need a back-up center who is taller than 6'8". That said, NO WAY in hell we'd give up a guy like Shane Battier who is a pressure release valve by his ability to hit the three and make the pass down to the post for a back-up center to play 10-12 minutes a game. Not only that, but it is a nice luxury to have to premiere wing defenders especially in the West loaded with scorers. If we go for their back-up center, we should only be giving up bench players in exchange.
If Kobe gets injured within the next 10 games and is out the rest of the season, the Lakers WONT make it. The West is too tough to a Kobeless Lakers team to make it. They will be a contender for sure, but I would put ever other team on my list to make it before them. If it happens, talk to me about throwing some money down
Who ever voted Rockets has some serious health issues. My pick was Dallas, because Suns got J-Rich and look fine now, Portland might slip and Denver is playing some nice ball. Where's option Lakers? Oh yes, they're league pets, how could they not make the Playoffs?
Battier is a nice player and I like having him here with all the intangibles he brings but I think you are overrating Battier and severely underrating Joel Pryzbilla. Pryzbilla has started quite a few games this year and not just because Oden has been injured. He can also start for more than half the league. As we know Yao is not very durable and needs a lot of rest. Pryzbilla would be more than just an insurance policy as he would actually produce. In a mere 22 mins he gets you 6 points, 8 boards, and a block and a half. Most importantly he's 7'1, mobile (can run the floor) and protects the paint and plays physical. Battier's career numbers as a Rocket look something like this. 9 points, 4.5 boards, and 2 assists while playing a staggering 36 MPG. You can talk about lock down defense, drawing offensive fouls, good locker room presence all you want but those numbers are pretty bad. IMO the team could really use Pryzbilla a lot more than we could use Battier. If we plug in Pryz for 18 mins and Yao play 30 like he should be playing we should be pretty golden. Once again if Deke resigns my point would be moot however.
Man it must suck for whoever builds a 50+ win team and still doesnt make the playoffs. Damn this western conference!
OOOOHH, this is a tough one... I'll guess... ....Phoenix goes home early this year. I hate to say it, but the Suns have set. No one reason, really. But you couldn't get dominos to fall the way things have gone out there once Steve Kerr got the GM job and forced Mike D'Antoni out.... Talk about fixing what wasn't broken...!
I voted for portland, maybe they are hot now, but I dont think they last much. But maybe Dallas will miss playoffs. So why 21 people says rockets will not make playoffs??
Don't u know this poll is used by Clutch to identify those fake rockets fans and cleanse them from this board?
