(Debbie Downer) How Much Do We Really Over-Rate the Rockets?

Call me crazy but actually am happy they lost on Tuesday. Every preseason they kick ass only to disappoint in the regular season. Meanwhile, the contending teams seem to be mediocre in the preseason and turn it on when the real thing begins. I suppose that is because the Rockets always seem to have the best borderline NBA talent on their preseason roster.

As far as contending, the Rockets CAN win a title but they need everything and I mean everything to go right. Yao has to return to form and stay healthy, AB has to take the next step, Martin has to stay healthy and return to his former efficiency, Chase has to progress, Battier has to find the fountain of youth and either Patrick Patterson or Chuck Hayes needs to be a more than competent back up for Luis.

It's possible the Rockets can win it all but I wouldn't put my money on them being more than a 52 win team that gets bounced in the second round. I hope I'm wrong, of course.

 

I agree, I feel that is about the limit of this team. We just don't have the pieces for a championship run imho. And thats if everything goes perfectly..which will not happen of course, we are the Rockets lol.

If we made a move for an allstar, w/o losing alot of talent, then things could be different. Don't see it happening though

 

this is like going to a movie and trying to predict the end, just watch the movie.

 

Hakeem is not the greatest plyer in the league. And DD's right, we were underdogs in '95. Not sure about '94.

 

I only have 2 worries.

1. Yao's health

2. Chemistry

I think without Yao this is a 50 win team as assembled....but with him healthy they are a 55+ win team.

Now, there is no way I think you can play a 10 man rotation...so I think there is a lot of risk for a lot of players this year of not playing as much as they think they should.

DD

 

You can in the regular season, but not equal minutes. This team without yao is not a 50 win team and you can say that till the cows come home. They may not be a 50 win team with yao.

 

They were on a 50 win pace last year before the injuries....and this year's team is better.

So, yes, I can say it, because it is true.

And I don't think you will get a great rythmn by playing 10 guys.....I think someone good will be left out....and some others that were good last year may struggle this year with less minutes....

DD

 

I have this team minus Yao as a 45 win team. What say you?

 

what do you mean not sure about 94? did you watch the season or were you alive then?

we have the MVP and DPOY in 94. we had one of the best records in the league plus we started off 15-0.

hell freaking yes Hakeem was the best player in the league.

again in 95, there were a ton of injuries and Hakeem missed tons of games.
we also had a major trade.

the Spurs had Rodman and Robinson on their frontline. Robinson was the MVP and Rodman the best rebounder.

 

i'm with you. it's revisionist history to say that people didn't realize that was one of the best teams in the league.

they came into the 1994 season on the heels of a division winning, 55 win season where they lost in OT of Game 7 on the Road in the Conf Semis. i'm certain the Knicks were THE favorite. but we were among the favorites to win the title that year...certainly to win the West...behind only Seattle.


the next season...we came in as THE WORLD CHAMPS!! with the same roster intact. I don't know if we were THE favorites or not..but we were damn sure in the discussion before the season started. then we had a disappointing regular season exacerbated by some injuries...which lead to a major trade midseason that made all the difference in the world.

as as you say...WE HAD THE BEST PLAYER IN THE GAME!! in the NBA, you are always among the championship contenders if you have the best player in the game.

but suggesting "we weren't favorites in 1994 or 1995, so it doesn't matter that we're not favorites this year!" is absolutely ignoring the contexts of the situations entirely. you might as well say the clippers are real contenders this season because in 1994 the Rockets weren't the favorites.

 

Maybe they were redlining and the injuries just brought them back to reality. They were playing way,way above their talent and eventually, the lack of talent will catch you. The blazers of 07 were on pace for 50 wins too with the hot start, but they got balanced out.

Dave78, even with yao, i think they're a 45-50 win team. I think people ae under estimating the impact of trying to fit a guy like yao in, the huge rotation they will try, and the quality of teams throughout the west and even in the east. They will play hard as usual and they will win some games that we probably didn't expect them to win which is always a good thing. I just see the obvious, but i will always come here and post and root for my squad.

 

God it baffles me when people underrate Hakeem!

People laugh at me all the time, but I seriously believe that Hakeem is probably the best single athlete, winner, defender, etc. in the history of the league, even better than MJ was.

Hakeem will go down as the greatest center in the history of the league.

We, as of right now, have no one even a fraction of close to him on our roster.

 

Well, I think that it....

Wait, what?

 

In '94, they had the 2nd best record in the conference, they were not the favorites, because Seattle was.

Yes, Hakeem was the best player, but his supporting cast was fairly average outside of OT, they just gelled as a team because the year before Hakeem went out and the team went on a 15 game winning streak.

Dream came back and finally learned to trust his teamates, and they took off.....

Now is it revisionist history to say all those things...hell no, it is the truth.

That team was not the favorite but they WERE a contender.

This team, this current team, is not on their level, but before that 15 game winning streak when Dream went out, that team was not on the same level either.

This team's rosters is deeper than that team, the question is one of chemistry, will this team gel like that team?

Granted we do not have the best player in the league, nor is one available for trade....but we have near all star talent all over the team....more so than the 94 team.

To blatently give up before the season is weaksauce.

You can say, I don't think they are contenders.....that's fine....but to say it like it is written in stone is stupid.

DD

 

He's up there, and thats subjective. If we polled everyone in the US I doubt he would come out on top.

 

especially in 94. what human being with a brain would think that there was a better player in the nba that season?

if you question hakeem in 94 then you might as well question if the earth is round and if water is wet.

 

Tinny, remember when people called Dream "Injury prone"?

Broken eye socket - sprained knee - Iron deficiency, phlebitis (sp?) etc....

Hakeem had his share of health issues...and he came out ok...let's hope Yao does the same.

DD

 

Read my post..I said Seattle was THE favorite.

But comparing the expectations for this current squad with Mr. 24 Minutes returning from major injury...to the 1994 Houston Rockets coming off 55 wins with the best player in the game anchoring the middle...is just beyond ridiculous.

And again...give up what? I don't get to give up or not give up. I'm a fan. We root for the team. We don't bring the ball up. We don't play defense. We don't take shots. If the players aren't trying...that's giving up. But the fans? None of us said we won't be watching and rooting...none of us.

But I don't have anything to give or give up with respect to the Rockets being a championship contender. It's beyond me and everyone else on this board.

 

Hakeem never ever never ever never missed the stretches of games in consecutive seasons the way Yao has, until he was past his prime and an aging player.

More revisionist history.

Hakeem had one season where he missed 56 games in 1990/1...the Larry Smith year.

He followed it up with seasons of 70, 82, 80, 72, 72 and 78 through the 96/7 year.

Yao's last 5 seasons go 57, 48, 55, 77 and 0

The injury prone comparison....like the "they weren't the favorite in 1994" comparison...is entirely revisionist.


look...you can think they're contenders this year in their own right...and you can hope for Yao's injuries...but to do it with these revisionist and incorrect comparisons is just ridiculous. i feel like timan defending the honor of those champioship squads. what we have is very very different from what we had then. and calling hakeem injury prone? please.

 

Max, toss out last year and this team is a 53 win team.

That is only 2 games less than the 55 game team you are talking about.

DD