Man,the division is gonna be stacked.Now that some free agents are making their minds about where to play we should stop and see, is our team is really good enough to compete? Look at it,I'm not even considering all the conference but just the division,and just one team is going down,the jazz( ),the rest have some good young players,even the spurs with one of the best right now.See the starting line-ups: Dallas-Nash,Alexander,Finley,Nowitzki,Bradley SA-Daniels,Anderson(Maybe),Elliot(Now have a defensive stud in carawell to replace him),Duncan,Robinson Van-Bibby,Dickerson,Rahim,Swift,Reeves Den-Vanexel,Wahad,Posey,Mcdyess,Lafrentz They all have potential,have talent so with some chemestry all will be tough to beat. Our backcourt is sure good but we just dont have it inside,lets be optimistic and say Cato is working hard and brings a good game this year every night,he would still be deficient at the offensive side.The forwards have potential(Collier,Thomas,maybe even langhi can turn out ok) but even if they fullfill it they would just be role players(I dont think they have a chance of being all-stars) so where is our complementary star?Francis wont be able to excell EVERY night,even Jordan wasnt able to do this and needed Quitten to step up,he as every one could get injured or in foul trouble so a back up plan is needed. Ok,so heres my point again,are we good enough??We are in the middle of rebuilding and we all agreed it look great and fast but if we dont make the right moves we could become a mediocre team.Right now we could end last in the midwest so the 2001 draft better be great to return to the top. ------------------ "Dont ever understimate the heart of a champion" Rudy T,1995
Who is coaching Dallas? Nuggets are the Nuggets Vancouver - Who is coaching them? I think Coaching will be what makes or breaks these teams. I think we have the edge there. I think if we can resign Mobley [and get Croshere] we have the Edge We have something those teams don't DEPTH! Francis / Moochie Shan / Mobes Croshere/ Walt/ Langhi/ Kt/ Los Cato/[collier]/ Mass/ Los/ KT Hakeem/ Cato/ Pig I think that starting Five is Awesome Depends on who we have to trade for Croshere but we should be ok with whatever is left Even without Croshere we are not going to be that bad off. Rocket River ------------------
Anyone that thinks the Rockets are going to the finals next year better wake up. We are rebuilding and Rome wasn't rebuilt in a day. We have a couple of years to go to be a contender. ------------------
I never said we're going to the finals. We're going to sweep the finals! We didn't go through hell last year for nothing. My slogan.. "It's our Year... again." ------------------ humble, but hungry.
We're going to have a tough time competing against these other teams. I am really worried about Dallas and Vancouver. Vancouver always had a pretty good starting lineup, and the addition of Stromile Swift had better put them over the top. That'll be pityful if the Grizz still can't have a good season next year with the addition of Swift. Dallas killed the draft, and they are pretty strong now. their main problem was rebounding, and now with the addition of Donnel Harvey, etc. they are a good rebounding team now. I dont really know whether we are good enough. I think we're actually pretty even with Dallas and Vancouver, but we're not a whole lot better. I think that MObley can be that complimentary option to Francis. I mean, he was this season... and he's only going to get better. And Mobley has a very strong Croshere-like work ethic. With a work ethic like that, he will get better by leaps and strides through every offseason. But he doesnt even have to work in the offseason that much becuz really, the only thing that Mobley needs is experience, and he's going to get it. ------------------ treasurer of the moochie norris fan club
I say we are the 3rd or 4th best team in the Midwest, until the season starts or we make another move August 1st. SA and Utah will be thr front runners. Minnesota is hard to tell with the untimley loss of Malik. We come in at a close 4th. Then you have the rest. I do think that the Grizz and Dallas had good drafts, but they are what they are. Until I see them play much better than they have for the last 10yrs(dallas,denver) and since they were created(Grizz), I am not impressed at all. The Draft is the Draft. Until those players show that they can hang with NBA Ballers and not College Scrubs, I AM NOT AFRAID! We have one year under our built with a team that is young. We will have the Dream back, hopefully 75% of the Old Dream. We must keep Cat. Steve knows what to expect from the NBA grind. Keep the Faith until the season starts or we make a roster move(aka Austin). ------------------ [This message has been edited by LOSDOG (edited July 13, 2000).] [This message has been edited by LOSDOG (edited July 13, 2000).]
We have more depth?!?The mavs have amazing depth:Trent,Thomas,Buckner,Davis,Ceballos,Muresan ,Pack,Harvey,Najera,ok you see my point,the draft is not certain ,but you can still predict some things. Dont understimate the spurs,Robinson can still play,Duncan is the second best player in the league and they too could have an exciting backourt with Daniels and Anderson(Former lottery picks} they just need good bench players to add to rose and walker. The Tpups may sign billups with 2.25 exe,he would fill the whole at SG very nicely and has shown some flashes of great playing(ala mobley),they have some depth(Smith,Garrett, Avery,Jackson,mitchell)and nesterovic is developing nicely. Dont expect the rockets to do many signings,they have spoiled us by recently making many moves to improve the team but that luck cant be had every year,Croshere is visiting,but has also gone to boston and atlanta so dont count that for too much.Mobley may very well jump ship when chicago offers the double of what we can so the rockets better start solving those problems and getting the second supertstar if they dont want to be second to last for many years to come in our division. ------------------ "Dont ever understimate the heart of a champion" Rudy T,1995
The Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Mavs are not going to have a better record next year IMO. It all comes down to coaching and heart (at least in this comparison), and the Rockets kick their a$$es big time in both categories. I don't care if Dallas has a lot of depth. Only five guys can play at one time. They might make for a deep bench, but it's a pretty weak starting squad. The Nugz and Grizz are going to find a way to lose - just watch! ------------------
Next year's standings results: San Antonio Minnesota Dallas Utah Houston Vancouver Denver It makes me sick, but there it is. ------------------ "I'll take a Dream Shake for two, please."
The Rockets do need that complementary 2nd option to Francis as was pointed, and Cuttino Mobley is not that. The ways for them to get that is either by making a trade for Marcus Fizer or trying to sign a key free agent on the 2001 market. If Austin Croshere ends up in Houston, the Rockets will have plenty of young role players that fit the system well, but will need to add that strong 2nd option to the team. As far as the Midwest goes, I think the Jazz and Spurs will start sinking soon. The Spurs may be able to hold it together next season but after that, I see them sinking fast. The teams that I feel could really become the Rockets competition are Dallas, Minnesota and Vancouver. The Grizz still have a good bit to prove, but I think Stromile Swift will upgrade their team in multiple ways. The Spurs core of players is just aging way too much, and I could easily see a potential collapse down the road. Mark Cuban is really doing an excellent job of legitimizing the Mavs into a potential powerhouse. In one failed swoop, they addressed all their needs on draft night and just have to let the players grow together. Not to mention, they have a ton of cap room in 2001. Minnesota I feel can be a strong team as Szczerbiak develops and becomes a solid NBA player. I also like how they have William Avery learning under Terrell Brandon, that should help them in the future as well. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
One "failed" swoop? Seems to me they did OK. If Dallas can keep up the momentum from last season, they could be good. But so could the Rocks. Each filled in holes and took the next step. Dallas pulled in more talent but also potential chemistry problems thge Rocks didn't. It'll take time for Vancouver, altho they too are starting to accumulate a lot of talent. Assuming SA picks up someone of consequence not that Tim is back (Derek Anderson? Ron Mercer?) here is how I see the division: San Antonio Minnesota Utah Houston Dallas Vancouver Denver Aside from my doubting Dallas, we're starting to see some consensus here... ------------------ If you don't remember the ABA, you don't know basketball.
We can beat any team in the midwest, soundly. Hakeem and Cato can eliminate any inside presence. Even Duncan. If our inside presence steps up we are tough to beat. We already know we've got the best backcourt in the division. Mobley and Francis, and Anderson. All that leaves is how we matchup at SF. I do think that most of the midwest can smoke us at small forward right now, but how many of those small forwards are really agressive. Almost none. so I'm not that concerned. Our bench is very weak, but not incapable with the additions of Langhi and Collier. They will need to step up with scoring punch. If we can add Croshere at the three we can match anybody at that position offensively. And defensively, like I said, those small forwards don't appear that agressive. We can win this division, but Hakeem and Cato must show up. That is the X-factor. No reason for doubt people, they will show. And we will win this thing. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
Humble but hungry, huh? I appreciate your optimism. Perhaps you are a bit delusional, but I would like nothing more than to eat crow at the end of the season. ------------------
Dallas = Don Nelson = Cannon Fodder ------------------ "Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight
Unfortunately, O cant see houston finishing anything better than 4th in the divison, more likely 5th (with Dallas ahead of us) and even possibly 6th (if Vancouver ever starts to play well). However, I dont see Denver ever turning things around. ------------------ When I die I want to go peacefully like my grandfather. Not screaming like the passengers in the back seat!
Anybody who thinks that Vancouver will go to the playoffs is highly overrating the potetential contributions of Swift. Last year, they had Bibby, Abdur-Rahim, and Dickerson and still only won 22 games! They would have to win twice this many games to even come close to the 8th seed and a lot of you have them going much higher than that. We're talking about a team with a history of losing that has shown little sign of improvement in their history in the league. At least Dallas and Denver had a shot at the playoffs last year. Bottom line: Will Vancouver be better this year than last? Quite possibly. Will they make the playoffs in a strong Western Conference? Only if 5 other Western Conference teams are involved in freak 5 plane mid-air collision, burst into flames, explode, and fall straight down . . . into an active volcano ------------------
Im not the most optimistic person in the world but by shear principle alone I cant predict Dallas, Denver, and Vancouver to place ahead of the Rox. By pure Hatred I cant place Utah ahead of us even if common sense tells me otherwise. So without further adue..... 1. Spurs ( We'll give em one more year) 2. Rockets (counting on Hakeem) 3. Minnisota (maybe KG will get hurt) 4. Dallas (dont know why) 5. Denver (VanExel still a punk) 6. Vancouver (Vancouver is Vancouver) 7. Utah (Hell yes, I hate em that much) The Spurs are not done just yet I dont think. Duncan will attract other free agents also in the future so they may (or may not) be a force for some time. ------------------
How many top 5 picks do you think Vancouver needs to get it together? I mean they got Shareef(was he a top 5?), Antonio Daniels, Mike Bibby, Stevie, and Swift. There's probably a couple more top 5 picks they got that i dont know of. At this rate, I don't think the grizzlies will be better than us unless they get about 4 more top five picks. ------------------ Hakeem, Hasaw, Haconquered.
Regarding Vancouver; Swift should take a little while to gel - he's a skinny PF playing in a conference chock full of outstanding PF's and I imagine that he'll get some grief from them, remember all the PG's burning Francis this year? That may happen to Swift, he'll get used down low and pushed around and bullied. If he stands up to that then I'm certain he'll be a good player, it'll just take more time than this 1 year. I see Vancouver winning maybe 5-10 more games this year than last. ------------------
