No - but very close. We have one huge weakness. And that's when Harden goes to the bench. Against a great defensive team, we will struggle to score. We need another playmaker.
Lol @ the premature ejaculation..no we are far from favourites, since we are not a finished product. Let's see first if: - Dwight can buy in - Josh & Brewer can produce on a regular basis - D-Mo can be the guy he's been off the bench - McHale and co. can incorporate D-Mo, Smith & Dwight post ups into the offense where it won't disrupt the flow - Egos are kept in check (looking at Dwight, but also D-Mo with a bench role and Josh) - Papa, TJ & Canaan are given the opportunity to show they can be at their best again
Does anyone have a non-homer/unbiased opinion about how deep the Rockets are now compared to the rest of the league? People keep saying "deepest team in the league" but it's hard for me to see that since I see/root for PatBev, Ariza, DMo and Papa more than other teams role players.
Better ball movement really. Josh Smith is actually a capable "Point Forward". I think DMo is also very capable of handling anyone in the post.
My Gosh, this is some serious bipolar stuff here. First, you imply that team chemistry will be ***** up and basically doom the Rockets season. Now you have them as the favorites for the title? Do you not have a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th gear??? First, you are overvaluing the bench- they are good, but the jury is out on Canaan, Papa, and TJones in terms of consistent delivery. Plus, we do have a problem with scoring- even our best player, Harden, is shooting 42%, lower than any of the top 15 scorers in the league excluding Mamba. No, I would not say we are the favorites. Can we win? Of course. So can the Spurs (although I doubt it), the Warriors (also doubt it, especially without Bogut), the Bulls (depends on Rose, as always), the Cavaliers (definitely doubt it but I never count Lebron out of anything), the Clippers (depends on if Chris Paul can last through the playoffs) and the Thunder (my pick to win the championship if Durant and Westbrook are healthy- their 6th man, Reggie Jackson, is better than anyone we have, and I'd take their 2 main guys over ours - Harden and Westbrook are even, but Durant is better than Howard, and Ibaka-Smith are equal. Plus, Steven Adams is solid for them). I would say that, right now, barring any new injuries, I would rank teams to be favorites as the following: 1. Thunder 2. Bulls (only b/c the West champ might be too tired from the WC playoffs) 3. Rockets 4. Clippers 5. Blazers 6. Grizzlies 7. Warriors 8. Cavaliers 9. Spurs 10. Mavericks
For me the biggest issue is finding another playmaker, Harden is carrying too much of the load and when Playoffs come around that will be a huge problem. And I still have my doubts about Mchale, the offense still stalls to much, but year, I'm excited the team is really deep and all in all are playing at a very high level.
Looks like you've gone through the five stages of grief in record time and have made it to acceptance. Well done.
Unless we run the Spurs offense which we can't because the personalities on this club are a bit too stick ball (and that especially true of Howard) we need another playmaker. Smith is not a playmaker. He can pass but that's more of a opportunity pass to the open guy or cutter. He's not going to drive and pass like a Harden can. Smith can either take it to the hole or pass it. Same with DMo. That's why I am so big on Dragic because not only can he pop the 3 ball as a spot up shooter next to Harden, he can take pressure off and drive and get assists as well.
One way to guesstimate is to see who have the rockets let go this year but is starting on other teams or coming off the bench. Ish Smith, Robert Convington. Also, who have the rockets picked up that was a starter but now coming off the bench. I say we have a deep bench when looking at LAC, POR
Not as well as Harden I agree, but he had a few nifty passes in the opener. If I recall right, he averaged almost 5 or 6 assist one year.
We're close, I think, but at this point, I'm in a "see it to believe it" state of mind. I still think we need a facilitator at the point (Dragic), but regardless, I'm very impressed with what Morey & Co. have been able to accomplish with this team.
Best team we have had since 2009. Are we favorites, not yet. Would I be surprised if we win the Championship, absolutely not.
Healthy OKC are favorites. Peak Durant and now peak WB are simply too much for any team to handle, and they have the best defense.
That could be Dwight. When Harden sits, we can run it through him in an ideal world for stretches of 4-5 minutes.
The west is as tough as it's ever been. Rockets could be the first seed and still lose in the first round. Spurs, thunder, Grizzlies, mavs, blazers, clippers. Those are all potential WCF matchups. We are not the overwhelming favorite to beat any of those teams.
I have nvr really watched J Smith b4... I was shocked at his passing...especially that kick out to Ariza in the corner.
I would emphatically argue against your point. I don't think that statement could be further from the truth.
As a general rule, I don't think any team that hasn't won a playoff series in 6 years can ever become the favorite just like that. When was the last time a team won a championship without some previous playoff success? Maybe I'm missing a case.
I'm not going to argue your point but I will point out that there is a lot of NBA championship experience on this team. Jason Terry, Corey Brewer and Trevor Ariza all have championship rings. Both Howard and Harden have either been the best player or one of the best players on conference championship teams.
