I think they can. All we have to do is win 6 more games than we did last year, and we're almost guarenteed a spot in the playoffs. For every three games we loose, we have to win five, and that's managable.
stop smoking the crack. If the Rockets can eliminate half of their inexcusable losses to clearly inferior teams (Denver, Atlanta, Clippers, Knicks (2x!), Cavs, Grizz, Heat, Wizards), they would have been close to making 50 wins this year. But now they're lucky to win 43 games again? Right.
How much credit. I would have to assume that if Rudy was here next year they would win 6 more games. The team would finally be a few years into the league with a few years of playing together.
The Western Conference will probably get alot tougher next year. And it was SUPER tough to begin with. Spers will be Spers. King will be Kings. Mavs will probably get better. Lakers will get better; especially if they get some big name free agent. Minnesota already got better with Sam I Am. Suns will be better as Stoudamire matures. Port, Seattle and GS will be good. Denver and Memphis will also get better with experience. The only team that will get worse is the Jazz. I will be happy with about 46-47 wins and think that will be enough for a sixth or seventh seed.
They can easily win 50 games. The trick is to keep the number of losses to 32 or below. If they lose 33 games or more, the chances for a 50 win season go down significantly IMHO. Actually, 50 will be tough. In the East, absolutely but besides utah, all the teams in the West are coming back as good or better than last year. Including us.
Take off the rose-colored glasses. They also have to continue with the big wins over the Kings (x2), Lakers (x2), Spurs, Minn (x2), Seattle (x2), Suns. Given the limitations of a new, lesser coach and a new system, all of those could turn into losses.
Oh, I see, you are just a bitter Rudyball fan venting your frustrations, carry on. BTW, since you brought it up, against Western playoff teams (not that splitting two with the lotto-bound sonics wasn't a tremendous accomplishment) the Rockets went: 2-2 vs. the Kings 2-2 vs. the Lakers (w/o Shaq, twice) 1-3 vs. the Spurs 0-4 vs. Dallas 2-2 vs. T-Wolves 1-3 vs. Portland 1-3 vs. Utah 3-1 vs. Phoenix ________ for an incredible record of 12-20 vs. West playoff teams, with an awesome 5-11 vs. the four Semifinalists. Yeah, they will be hard pressed to match that .375 winning percentage vs. playoff teams and losing 11 of 16 to the big four again under Van Gundy.
50 wins will be tough. 46-48 wins is my guess......assuming good health and some growth by Griffin, Ming and maybe Snackbar
Most of the fans are skeptical. Last year we had an unknown Yao to contend with. We had a "Francis" seemingly over the inner ear defect. We had our core players back (minus MoT). And we bought into the "this team is young" excuse to have great expectations that we "weren't young anymore..." Result. Four less losses than in the three years past. Sigh...it all depends on how Jeff is able to make this team into a cohesive group. Is Francis able to buy into Jeff's system. How much Yao will be integrated into the offense?. And will Yao be at training camp? I think it's a given that Yao will be stronger. He knows what to expect. So, I'm sure he's going to be prepared next year.
It all depends on Yao Ming. If he has not improved in any areas and is about the same type of player he was last year then it's going to be tough. But I have a feeling he is going to be a much better player and I also have a very good feeling about Van Gundy and what he is going to bring to the team. So yeah, I think 50 wins is possible.
ah...no way they win 50 if they lose more than 32 that's not just you're honest opinion but the limits of mathematics, being we only play 82 games a season. We've had some games that slipped away from us last year. the OT Utah game, i was certain we had that game in the bag, stupid putback by Fizer killed us against the Bulls, the game vs. Washington, and many others. but that being said, we won some games with last minutes heroics from Francis also: Miami, Memphis, and others. I would look for us to be better than last year, but only by a couple of games. We can kill most of the Eastern teams, and maybe take 1 or 2 from the Western playoff teams, win the games we're suppose to win, and head into the playoffs with like a 45-48 win record. Pretty optimistic view, but very, very achievable.
You are making my point for me. The Mavericks embarassed the Rockets all four times they played. Subtract team unity, add JVG's "charisma," and an unknown, unfamilar system, and they could easily go 0-4 against healthy Lakers, Spurs, and Kings as well.
I rarely do this, but.... that was the official world's worst spin job. Yeah, we'll be lucky to go 0-4 vs. Dallas again. JVG will be so disruptive and bad that the space time continuum will be altered and past years victories against dallas will be altered into losses we will end up 0-12 vs. the mavericks in one year. Do you actually believe that the 5-11 vs. the top teams in the West was an OVER achievement? Even the freaking clippers and grizzlies won 2 or 3 games against playoff teams. Rudy is gone. Deal with it.
The Clippers beat San Antonio once, and Sacramento once. The Nuggets beat San Antonio once. The Grizzlies beat San Antonio once. [gee, a pattern. ] I believe that a healthy Lakers could've swept the Rockets. The home win in particular was 100% emotion. I believe a healthy Kings could've swept the Rockets. The Mavericks swept the Rockets rather easily. I see no reason they can't do it again. I believe that every victory they pick up against a lesser team could be countered by a loss against a better team.
