A top four spot in the West is available - why not take it?

When Dallas shots are off, they just don't have anything else. do you think all their starters are gonna shoot like last year? Trust me, Dallas is not gonna be as good as people think they are. When all is said and done, Rockets will overtake them this year.

 

What firepower? Like the one they displayed last night? I'm not impressed.

 

Nice to know that you can tell so much about a team after one game on the road...

 

You need some f*ck*ing glasses...

 

oops! one too many letters there...

 

Oh, Yeah. I shall cut your f*ck*ing eyeball if I had glasses.

 

threats of physical harm?

thats going to far noob, take that sh*t to the ESPN boards...we dont put up with it around here.

 

I don't like to spread Bad Karma, but the top 5 teams have a total of around 20 ESSENTIAL CORE PLAYERS. Aside from Jamison and Antoine Walker, if ANY of those stars get injured, one of those top 5 teams will drop dramatically.

Why?

Because these teams have sacrificed a LOT of depth in exchange for the stars they've acquired. The dropoff from their starters to their bench players is MASSIVE (save for Mav's F positions). Aside from this, can you imagine how HAMMERED the Mavs would be if Fortson goes down as usual? How about if Walker and Jamison continue to combine for 2 assists? What if Garnett suddenly goes down, or if Kandi man doesn't recover?

Sure, we can have the same problems, but here's my point: These 5 teams are head and shoulders above the rest. However, luck is a HUGE factor in the NBA, and it's entirely possible that one or 2 of these teams will suffer unlucky fates, while we stay relatively healthy and problem free all season. This is the ONLY case in which we'd capture a 4th seed.

DearRock, it's great that you support the team and believe in them. But if you expect our team (barring any coming trades) to top 2 of those 5 teams in the wins category, then you MAY be stretching it a bit.

 

DR,

You are reaching. You are doing the same thing you did last year. "Everyone else is worse and the Rockets are the only ones that have improved". That is your motto.

Also, quit gauging us against the Kings based on head to head matchups. That is so flawed I dont even know where to start. We were 2-2 against the Kings last year, but we don't play them 82 games a year. The Kings were 57-21 against the rest of the league, while the Rockets were 41-36??? It doesnt matter how we matchup with the Kings or how they match up with us. Its how both teams matchup with the whole league during an 82 game season. The Kings core remains intacted while various role players have been replaced by other capable role players. I don't see how anyone can predict a 17 game swing based on role player changes.

I don't see the 2 preseason games as aberrations either. However, it should be noted that their best player missed those 2 games and Peja isn't going to miss wide open shots all season long.

 

The Rockets were one of the healthiest teams in the league last season. The only player that missed significant games was Rice. Don't expect that kind of good fortune two years in a row...

 

I think the Mavs will be in the top four, no way the Rox overtake them. But I do think the Rockets will overtake the Kings. I just don't see them as being so good this year. Here's what I think:

Lakers
Spurs
Mavs
T-Wolves
Rockets
Kings
Blazers
Suns

But for real, any of the top four teams above can be interchangeable with each other.

 

Having EG back will be a definite plus, if not just for the fact that he can sub in when needed for a little while. I doubt he plays much at all though, and really we don't need him unless Cato goes down.. then we're screwed. I'd actually play Braggs over EG right now. He's too screwed up to concentrate to be any good right now. But all in all, having EG will not make or break our season. In fact having EG play could swing us slightly in the direction of either more wins or losses but probably not by any significant number of games.

 

WOW first off stop the physical therats, not coo, & i think the rox will make the playoffs so even if we get the 8 spot oe th 1 spot we gota chance to go al the way, cuz once your in anything goes.

 

So naturally, you must conclude that the Rockets margin for error is reduced too. Or are we exempt from that?

Then how come you don't want exemptions for Cato or the rest of our depth?? Losing EG is may not necessarily hurt us more than losing Mo, or Pike, or Jackson or Mobley or anyone else.

You are so gaga about how we did against Sac during the preseason and went as far as to say that it wasn't an aberration. Well, those games were won WITHOUT Eddie.

Avery Johnson??

See, this is what I mean by reaching. AJ usually only played garbage minutes, if at all last year. Also, you point out the loss of NVE, yet fail to see the aquisitions of Jamison and Walker as being positive and making up for that loss.

NVE was a good player, and brough alot of scoring off the bench for Dallas. I am quite sure Jamison can make up for quite a bit of that though.

 

Dallas will win it all due to their defense.....opposing offenses will be blinded by their new shiny happy uniforms.

 

Dearrock,

Im done with this discussion because now you are just getting ridiculous.

Sac has one of the best low post/big men rotations in the league in Webber/Divac/Miller. I hardly see this as a problem for them. Especially considering the fact that they were #1 in Def FG% and #1 in Total rebounds a game.

I am not giving you an exemption for EG. Too easy for you to weasle out of the bet that you know you will lose regardless of whether he plays 0 games or 82 games.

Ill have your sig ready for you by Thursday.

 

The Lakers do look dominant and they have yet to add one of the best players in the league.

Dallas is better than what they showed, but you got to bring it from day 1 like the Laker vets showed them. They'll be there though, just too much talent.

I'm not sold on SA yet, but I was part of the bet last year and got creamed so what do I know about SA?

The Kings on paper appear to have slipped, but they know how to win and are still a strong team.

If the Wolves can gel, they will be tough. On paper they appear to be better than SA and about even with the Kings.

The Rockets just are not a top 4 team - yet. Maybe by the end of the season and with a trade. EG and the trade exception for a real good small forward and we might be good enough to reach the top four - not in wins but in the quality of our team at season end. A lot depends on Yao actually becoming the dominant force he appears to be...