Looking at their schedule coming up, 6-9 at best heading into December is a reasonable expectation. If they're .500 by January, they've all but locked up a playoff spot as the schedule gets much easier from there.
We can beat La without AD. Can beat Pelicans without cj and Adam. Can beat Memphis. I don’t think Denver will sweep all 3 games. Not in that short amount of time. Wouldn’t be surprised if we beat the clippers. We can seek out Westbrook and harden in defense and feast. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us at 8-8 heading into December
So.. like small sample size of 3 games? Jabari is now 50% FG and 38.2% 3FG Jalen is 37% 3FG I assume your position is now that the situation is saved? Given you dont think the 2 guys are busts, my assumption is that you are ecstatic - but I would caution 6 games as still a small sample size (but personally I love the numbers they are producing early AND see room for improvement in both of them!!
My position from the start was that the shooting issue was overblown : I'm not worried about the sample size since my bet is that Jalen and Jabari aren't total busts, so I'm assuming they will eventually learn to shoot. If that's true, then the rest of the starting lineup actual has plus shooting. The shooting issue was always exaggerated by bad posters like @ApacheWarrior and guys like Roosh on Twitter who were looking in the rear view mirror.
I am shocked that Ime has gotten settled on a rotation so fast, and that the team is buying in on the Defense first philosophy, we have one of the top 5 starting lineups in the league based upon plus/minus.....that is a shock to have done this so fast. Ime is the real deal. DD
Which teams in the West will finish ahead of the Rockets? After Denver and Golden State, it gets pretty tough to pick them.
EVERY TEAM in the West improved this offseason they said. The Rockets CAN'T SHOOT they said. Just going to leave these receipts here.
I did not have this one as a win (of course at the time I thought AD was playing) - Thank you Rockets!
Trying not to get to high and embrace the eventual low that happens with all sports. Current Western Conference standings: 1 Denver Nuggets 2 Golden State Warriors 3 Dallas Mavericks 4 Minnesota Timberwolves 5 Oklahoma City Thunder 6 Houston Rockets 7 Phoenix Suns 8 New Orleans Pelicans 9 LA Clippers 10 Portland Trail Blazers 11 San Antonio Spurs 12 Los Angeles Lakers 13 Sacramento Kings 14 Utah Jazz 15 Memphis Grizzlies Phoenix will leap frog us once they get their ish together, so the question is can the Rockets stay ahead of the Pelicans, Clippers, Kings, and the Spurs (not sure what to think of the Blazers right now)? Friday's game against a Pelicans team at full strength will tell us a lot.
Zion and CJ are probably out we will beat them but Jokic will slap us so we are entering the break 5-4.
The schedule remains brutal all the way up until January, but the way Ime has got the team playing is exceeding even my high expectations. I said I would be ecstatic if we end up 13-20 in the first 33 games, which would be on course for a 40 win season given the lighter schedule in the second half along with a more gelled team. While opponent injuries have helped, just the way we have looked has been above this pace. If for some way some how we are hovering around 0.500 at the 33 game mark, we may mess around and push 50 wins. For now that's not what I'm expecting, I still think 40, but crazier things have happened. Ime has blown away my expectations and what I expected was basically the second coming of Greg Popovic so that's saying something.
CJ has a collapsed lung, so I doubt he plays. Zion was supposed to be having a baby soon (shut up, you know what I mean), so he may not be there, either.
