Everbody is favoring Portland, but to me Portland seems like an easy team to beat. What do you guys think
it appears so... even a lot of clutch fans posters seem to favor portland... Its strange because I feel we match up the best against Portland... I actually feel we have a good chance of sweeping the series
HYPE, They were frighten after the last beating we gave them, their coach,players and fans. The only reason they are getting this little fake HYPE is because they beat the lakers twice at home that's it and that's all. I am thinking sweep,This all placebo and what the fake media espn do every year.
I don't know about easy to beat...especially at home, they're supposed a killer home-team, we'll see. If that's true, then they obviously have the advantage with home-court and I'm hoping we can take a game at their house early, like game 1 or 2. I don't think they're any better of a basketball team than we are, if anything, I think our strengths outweigh theirs so I think we should be ok. I have a feeling this first round series with the Rockets is going to go one of two ways, either we'll lose dismally and fall apart and it won't look good, or we'll find ourselves and surprise a lot of people in the process, and do something amazin things. Go Rockets
We're definitely underdogs in the national perception. The Rockets have gained a reputation as being easy to dismiss, kind of like Minnesota in the 90's and Denver in the always. Until we break that trend people will continue to discount us. That's fair though. We finally have a team this year who, IF they show up, should be able to knock around their first round opponent. Unlike Utah the past two years, the Rockets SHOULD be bigger and tougher, and we SHOULD be able to impose our will on them. It's all about showing up, and until we actually do it people will continue to assume we can't. Home court advantage and Portland smoking everyone besides us in the past month have not helped.
We have to get a win at the rose garden so that makes us the underdog. The Rockets have stunk on the road all season long. In fact, our last road win against a worthy opponent was almost a month ago.
Home advantage is really really important for both of Houston and Portland,another problem is damn fronting defence.
We haven't really stunk on the road alot of our stinking was because of injuries and the in and out of the lineup thing. I mean we beat the hornets,nuggets,we should have beat the blazers if it wasn't for the kucky three pointer and if you look at all of our games against them they really don't REALISTICLY match up with us. Their fans on blazers edge were like it would be a nighmare match up with us drawing the Rockets.Their coach and players were mum about matching up with us in the playoffs. But as soon as they get a little win against the lakers who they match up with now it's all they have the advanatge and blah blah blah. HYPE man I mean we shoudl have swept them in the regualr season we took 2-1 games if the lucky roy three didn't go in we would have swept them.Why can't peopel be realistic and look at match ups. Just like we don't match up with the lakers the blazers don't match up with us.
you must be one of the people who voted Portland as the team you want to face most...they are NOT easy to beat, just because they haven done much in recent years and we almost swept the season series doesnt make them easy to beat. A few weeks ago we would have been favored to beat portland. Even now, had we clinched homecourt, some people would be picking us in 7, but given how bad our second half was against dallas and how hot the blazers were/are to end the regular season, the momentum has swung in their favor. Now that doesnt mean they're definitely better, but any non-biased fan would think Portland is the logical choice as of right now. Either way it should be close, personally i think Houston will in in 6..
It looks as if everyone has predicted Portland in 5 or 6. The playoffs is all about matchups and we matchup against Portland really well. We can pretty much nullify Brandon Roy with either Battier or Artest. I think its more Hype about Roy than anything else at the moment. The Portland press has been more realistic than any of the national press, i.e. CNN, NBA, ESPN. The way I see it is if we take the 1st game, Blazers panic and we sweep the series. If we lose the first game, we'll take the series in 5. The only inside track is thate Nate McMillan did play for Sonics back in the days and he knows what he needs to do with Yao. Though this team is much more balance than the championship teams back then. The biggest difference of course was that Hakeem was the best basketball player in the world period during that time frame and made up for everyone's mistakes and shortcomings. We certainly do not have Olajuwon in Yao.
It's only logical because they beat the lakers . They played the clippers and thunder and beat a tanking nuggets team. They also beat a spurs team without manu and a tim duncan who didn't play in the second half. Their last L was to the rockets who took 2 out of 3 games agains them this season. The only reason they have confidence is because of the media, because if you REWIND after their loos agains the rockets they were saying how they din't really want to fact the rockets.
Do you think Ron Artest really gives a **** what people think? That's what I love about him, just less fade away shots.
From the seedings, we are. However, everyone says Houston is a bad match up for Blazers. Anyway, I don't care if we are underdogs or not as lonf as we win the series.
only to their own collective self-imploding psyches.. to the Jazz.. no.. Portland certaintly not.. they are truly their own worst enemy..
Yes we're underdogs. They have home court and not many people outside of Houston pick them to win. But I think it's good thing. This team has shown that when the national media writes them off, they play with a chip on their shoulder. They did it last year when Yao went down and extended the streak to 22 and again this year with the McGrady situation. They are doing us a favor. Now it's up to the team to respond.
I see the series as being evenly matched. The Rockets have the edge in terms of matchups and experience, but the Blazers have home court advantage and a buttload of energy and talent. The fan in me says Houston should wipe the floor with these guys, but in truth, I think the series can go either way. Given how close these two teams are, it really comes down to who wants it more.
