Are we the team all other Western Conference teams want to play?

I disagree. I have read other teams' boards, and they all seem to think the Rockets are a tough out.

 

I'd guess the order is whoever finishes 8th, Dallas than a toss up between Houston and Portland.

 

Compared G.S. and SA? Sure. Compared to the Grizz, considering we have a few injuries, maybe. Compared to the Clippers? Probably.

Compared to Portland? Questionable.

Compared to the Mavs or OKC/Pels? Of course not.

 

I bet you Pop don't want us in the first round.

 

Near the top for sure.

Pelicans/Thunder
Mavs/Rockets
Blazers/Grizzlies(injuries at the wrong time here) /Clippers
Warriors
Spurs

 

Outside of the #8 team which will be GSW-fodder, I think people want to play Portland the most because of how hobbled they are. Second would be the Mavericks because they have an inside man named Rondo who is actively sabotaging everything they try to do. Third would be the Grizzlies, because they have no momentum right now and because the injury report on Conley is not sounding good.

Probably the Rockets are next. We do have two superstars in the form of Harden and Howard. Forget everything you saw from Dwight Howard in the regular season; come playoff time, he still has the chance to beast, and fans of other teams realize this.

Nonetheless, it's hard to make arguments for us over Golden State or San Antonio. Between the Clippers and Rockets it's pretty much a wash. The Clipps don't have a bench; the Rockets don't have a second playmaker who can attack from the perimeter. We are generally also fairly undisciplined, shooting free throws poorly and giving up many turnovers and being comically unable to pull away from other teams because once we are up by double digits, it seems like everybody decides to jack up horrible threes out of rhythm with the offense. It's not just Josh Smith, but he sure ain't helping. All of this reeks of poor coaching which is why we won't be favored against GSW or SAS going into a playoff series. Nonetheless, Doc Rivers is pretty much just as bad as McHale, but no one realizes it because he's so overrated from his Boston days. So if the Rockets end up getting the Clippers, look for Vegas to declare it a pick 'em series going to 7 games with the deciding factor being who has home court.

 

In order of 'Avoid at all costs' to 'PLEASE GIVE US THEM'. So yeah, I'd say we're on the lower end of the power spectrum.

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Houston Rockets
6. Portland Trailblazers
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. New Orleans Pelicans/OKC Thunder

 

I think we are on par with Portland, Memphis is maybe a bit above us but not that much considering how much they have slumped compared to beginning of the season

everyone probably want to play Mavs the most out of the top 7

 

I wouldn't mind Portland given how that team is falling apart right now with all these injuries. Who knows what Memphis' situation is either with Gasol, Conley, and Allen?

 

Don't even care

 

This. Whoever we play, let's play hard and motivated basketball. What ever is supposed to happen, will happen.

 

have to be. two rotation players are out. dwight just came back from a long injury. we're gonna have two old pgs to defend the west's stacked pgs. and harden is burned out carrying the team.

after okc/pels, and blazers if they dont have wes, batum, and whoever else, then rockets. mavs are going into the playoffs healthy and have a top 10 offense, thats harder than facing the injured and tired rockets.

can still start brewer at pg, have terry backup sg 10-15mpg, and priggs get around 20 at pg. they need to change the rotation i dunno what the rockets are thinking, hopefully they're waiting till the playoffs so team s have less time to prepare

 

i think the teams that other WC playoff teams want to play is:

1a/1b) thunder/pelicans
2) mavs
3a/3b) blazers/rockets
4) grizz
5) clippers
6a/6b) spurs/warriors

i think Clutch is right that missing dmo and bev make us a target. same as portland missing matthews and afflalo, and now lma, batum, and mcallum. the grizz are banged up but not as injured.

i think we will be ok if we end up 5th with HCA playing the blazers, or 3rd against the grizz, or second against the mavs. all 3 times i think we advance. the only scenario where i dont think we win is if e are 6th without HCA against the clippers or spurs.

as long as we win the next game, and the grizz lose against the warriors tonight, we don't have to worry about being 6th.

 

Batum was carried helped off the floor tonight.

 

This year's Blazers are not as good as last year's Blazers. Lillard had a better season finishing at the rim and defending. His three point shooting was way down. Batum has been ineffective and hurt. Ariza is an upgrade over Parsons.

The Blazers are a solid team. They have injury issues just like the Rockets. Howard is rested, Harden quite frankly is the best player in the works right now and the Rockets have added Josh Smith, Cory Brewer, Prigs and Ariza. McC has stepped up for the Blazers but they are without Matthews and Wright.

If the Rockets lose to the Blazers again in the playoffs, then the coaching staff needs to be fired and the players around Harden and Howard need to be changed.

 

Might be. Rockets are hardly clicking on all cylinders. Shooting percentage is falling, and they look slower. They aren't exactly rolling into the playoffs. Harden has much to prove in the playoffs. If he "fades" again, his rep. will be forever tarnished.

 

With the injuries and the free throws and everything, it feels like that, but I think the other teams are too smart to take the Rockets lightly. The Rockets are a real unknown, and that's always going to be a little scary to any team. Teams know that if we come out with James, mostly-healthy Dwight, and the rest of the team hitting on all cylinders, that we'll be extremely difficult to simply outplay. And there's no guarantee that any particular clever strategy is always to going to work against us (though free throws would still be where I'd look first if I was any other team).

There's also the possibility that the team just doesn't show up in playoff mode, and every team is hoping that's what happens. It's a very good possibility given past experiences, but Houston has some additional unknowns like Corey Brewer or Terrence Jones who could ignite the team all by themselves if everyone else if flagging. No one's taking us lightly, but they are aware there's a higher-than-normal chance we'll beat ourselves.