Looking at the final schedule, it really isn't that hard to imagine a playoff run for the Rockets. We can't realistically expect them to leap 15 or 20 games above .500 but getting 6 or 7 or even 10 probably isn't too much of a reach considering their second half. Check out the schedule: <font face="Courier New,Courier,Monaco"> JANUARY Tue 23 at Denver Wed 24 Philadelphia Fri 26 Vancouver Sat 27 at Charlotte Tue 30 Miami Home for Philly could still be a win despite their standing in the east but the back-to-back with travel is tough. Miami has been tough but the Rockets should start to turn that home record around. At Charlotte is the hardest to call because of it being on the road game and a back-to-back but the Rockets are money against the east. and home for Vancouver the easiest. Prediction: 3-2 FEBRUARY Thu 1 L.A. Clippers Sat 3 at San Antonio Mon 5 New York Wed 7 at Philadelphia Thu 8 at Detroit Tue 13 Washington Fri 16 at Orlando Sat 17 Cleveland Tue 20 Boston Wed 21 at Minnesota Fri 23 Orlando Mon 26 Portland Wed 28 at Chicago Losses at SA, at Philly, at Minnesota and home for Portland would not be a shocker but the rest of the month is not too bad. Only two back-to-backs including the trip to Minnesota and home for Cleveland. Both are travel dates however which complicates things. A couple of slip-ups are inevitable but a winning month should be in order. Prediction: 7-6 MARCH Thu 1 at Milwaukee Sat 3 at Dallas Wed 7 at Atlanta Thu 8 L.A. Clippers Sat 10 Golden State Sun 11 at Phoenix Tue 13 Indiana Thu 15 New Jersey Sat 17 San Antonio Tue 20 at Sacramento Thu 22 at L.A. Clippers Sat 24 at Seattle Tue 27 Utah Thu 29 Phoenix Sat 31 at Washington Some real ups and downs in this month. One back-to-back with travel cross country but the two teams (Atlanta and Clippers) aren't great. Good shot to hammer some low lifes and see how they do against the better teams in the west. The at Dallas, at Phoenix and home for Utah should be the most entertaining. This could be a pivotal month for the Rockets. They have a real shot to show what they are made of in the west. Prediction: 9-6 APRIL Sun 1 at New Jersey Tue 3 Dallas Thu 5 Seattle Sat 7 Atlanta Mon 9 at Utah Tue 10 Denver Fri 13 at Portland Sat 14 at Vancouver Tue 17 Minnesota Payback against Dallas for the loss in Reunion arena in March (unfortunately) and some tough games against the west are lined up in April. At least six of the nine games in April have potential playoff implications. Another back-to-back with travel will be tough. Being young could be a good thing as the schedule winds down and the team still has energy or a bad thing if they make mental mistakes. Prediction: 5-4</font> If those predictions came true, that would give us a 44 and 38 record. Of course, the Rockets have to learn to win on their home floor, pick up some tough wins against good teams, avoid injuries and eat up on the bad one's, but my predictions were VERY conservative. They could even pick up a couple more. The funny thing is that they still might not be in the playoff hunt at 44-38 because this is the west and it might take 48 wins to get in, but that is a heck of an improvement over last year. ------------------ I am very very sleepy.
I really see the Rockets going 9-4 in February. They simply own the east, there is no way around that. Hopefully the Rockets can win a few home games against some of the good teams. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
ZRB: You could be right and I hope so, but you've got to figure that SA, Sac, Utah, one of the games vs. Phoenix and possibly at Seattle will be tough. If you weigh in injuries and other things, it puts them closer to .500, but 9 and 4 is very achievable. Like I said, my predictions were VERY conservative. ------------------ I am very very sleepy.
You are confusing February with March. In March, the Rockets had better crush the Sonics. I will be there to cheeer them on. I will also have very high expectations after the great game they played here last month. I can only see them losing to SA, Minn, Portland and Philly in Feb. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
Oh, hell, my bad. The 7-6 mark I had was based on the fact that there are some hellish back-to-backs that month including a 4 games in 5 nights stretch from the 16th through the 21st. Every back-to-bak in the month of February is a travel date. Yes, they are against the East, but Cleveland at home after travelling from Orlando, Philly after coming from Houston against NYC and at Minnesota after playing home against Boston is a tough run of games. I totally agree that 9 and 4 is realistic. ------------------ I am very very sleepy.
I still do not thnk they will make it. Their schedule is easier, true, but there are some really good teams up above that would have to lose a lot. ------------------ EZLN
My rough estimate: 1.Kings 60-22 2.Jazz 58-24 3.Spurs 55-27 4.Blazers 55-27 5.Lakers 52-30 6.Suns 50-32 7.Mavs 49-33 8.Rocks 45-37 -------------- 9.Nuggets 44-38 10.Wolves 41-41 11.Sonics 40-42 12.Clippers 31-51 13.Grizzlies 30-52 14.Warriors 28-54 ------------------ Ceo of the Walt Williams fan club. Web site coming soon atheistalliance.org
There is no way there's gonna be 6 or 7 50 win teams in the west this year...I'm sorry, teams ALWAYS slow down at the end of the year...e.g. the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings the past year. ------------------ Who's ya daddy?
The question is: When (or if) do we get our centers back? And how do we use them? Certainly Stevie Franchise believes in the team, considering his comments in the Chronicle today. ------------------
We can get in the playoffs, i think that our major competition will be the Nuggets and Wolves. The wolves have owned us the last 3 years. and i think we still have two games against them this season and they could become critical. The nuggets have been playing well, but i think they will be the team to slow down and leave us against the wolves. With cato, rogers, and dream(or the player we trade him for) back we will pick up some MUCH-needed frontcourt help. ------------------ President of the Charles Barkley fan club...Oh he retired? When?
Most of these teams in the West are not going to play at that high a level all year long. I look for San Antonio, LA Lakers MAYBE, Phoenix and Portland to turn it up, while I expect to see Utah, Minnesota, Sacramento, Seattle, and Denver fade a little. Dallas is an enigma in that they play good in stretches, and bad in stretches. I can't get a good feed on them. That being said, health willing, I can see the Rocks winning 46 games and slipping into the playoffs. ------------------ Rocket fans UNITE to bring Pig Miller back home! WE NEED PIG! OINK! OINK! OINK!
Tue 23 at Denver Wed 24 Philadelphia Fri 26 Vancouver Sat 27 at Charlotte Tue 30 Miami Can't stop Dice, Phili i would doubt, Van yes, Charlotte have the speed to match the back court, Miami at home, maybe. Prediction: 2-3 FEBRUARY Thu 1 L.A. Clippers Sat 3 at San Antonio Mon 5 New York Wed 7 at Philadelphia Thu 8 at Detroit Tue 13 Washington Fri 16 at Orlando Sat 17 Cleveland Tue 20 Boston Wed 21 at Minnesota Fri 23 Orlando Mon 26 Portland Wed 28 at Chicago Agree with you Jeff on 7-6, with losses to NY, Spurs, 76ers, Wolves, Magic (once), and Portland Prediction: 7-6 MARCH Thu 1 at Milwaukee Sat 3 at Dallas Wed 7 at Atlanta Thu 8 L.A. Clippers Sat 10 Golden State Sun 11 at Phoenix Tue 13 Indiana Thu 15 New Jersey Sat 17 San Antonio Tue 20 at Sacramento Thu 22 at L.A. Clippers Sat 24 at Seattle Tue 27 Utah Thu 29 Phoenix Sat 31 at Washington Prediction: 8-7 APRIL Sun 1 at New Jersey Tue 3 Dallas Thu 5 Seattle Sat 7 Atlanta Mon 9 at Utah Tue 10 Denver Fri 13 at Portland Sat 14 at Vancouver Tue 17 Minnesota Prediction: 4-5 So that leaves us at 41-41, which won't even be close ------------------ CUT Tino These Heaves are just getting Ridiculous!
basically my opinion is that our playoff destiny is 50/50 in our hands and oour opponents play. seattle, minnesota, phoenix ( i say them cuz of kidd) mavs, nuggets, and wolves all are wild cards for the playoffs along w/ us. ------------------ --TEX
Hey Dice dropped 40 something on the Rocks last time and Houston won. Jamison did the same thing, Rockets win. The entire team will have to come to play. Philly will be tough, they're definitely not a onw man show. Miami will be looking for payback, but they are kind of slow footed. Grizzlies Rocks can beat, and Charlotte's backcourt may match up speed wise with the Rocks, but the Rocks overall speed will cause them fits. I think the Rocks will go 3-2 on this trip. ------------------ Rocket fans UNITE to bring Pig Miller back home! WE NEED PIG! OINK! OINK! OINK!
What we need, is for the east to play better. I wish Portland would dissolve, and release their starters to the East where they could all be franchise players. A few teams in the west have .500 or better records, and wouldn't make the playoffs if they started today. A few teams in the east are under .500, and would make the playoffs now. The imbalance is out of control. Something needs to be done to strengthen the east. Trade Garnett, Payton, and some others over there.
There are really three tiers of teams in the west. The contenders: Blazers Lakers Spurs Kings Jazz The spoilers: Mavericks Sonics T-Wolves Rockets Suns Nuggets The rejects: Clippers Warriors Grizzlies That makes 6 teams who will fight for 3 spots. Here's our record against those five other teams. We still face each of them twice more and all of them are one at home and one on the road. Mavericks: 2-0 T-Wolves: 0-2 Nuggets: 1-1 Suns: 1-1 Sonics: 1-1 We have the edge on the Mavs while the Wolves have the edge on us but everyone else is a split so far. At worst, we could end up losing the season series to everyone except Dallas. At best, we could win the season series against everyone except Minnesota. Realistically, we are looking at split records with everyone except Dallas and Minnesota. ------------------ Me fail English? That's unpossible.
You reallly think the Jazz are contenders? They will be very lucky to finish in the top 4 this year. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
just as a reference he are the current records Contenders Kings 27-10 Blazers 30-12 Lakers 26-12 Utah 24-14 Spurs 23-15 The spoilers: Mavericks 27-16 Sonics 21-21 T-Wolves 23-18 Rockets 20-20 Suns 23-14 Nuggets 24-17 The rejects: Clippers 13-29 Warriors 12-27 Grizzlies 11-28 For me the Contenders are all lock and in all likely-hood so are the Mavs and Suns, so i think it is more likely a battle between and the Wolves, Nuggets, sonics and maybe us for the last place. Smeg ------------------ CUT Tino These Heaves are just getting Ridiculous!
What we need is........Hakeem and cato. I really that if we can somehow get rid of the injury bug that we've had, we can definitely beat some of the really good teams out there even the Lakers, Portland and Philly. We just got to get healthy because right now we are just getting killed in side. Deanbcurtis:- if your prediction come true and the rockets make it in as the number 8 seed while the Kings as number 1, i think we're gonna see a very quick 3 and out for the Rocks. I would rather face the Lakers or Portland in the first round. ------------------ Baseball is wrong, a man with four balls can't walk.
The fact that clutchdream is allowed to post here is definitely not funny. His poor grammar is also, horribly, not funny. ------------------ EZLN
