(ESPN)Sheridan,Arnovitz believe Rockets is the number 5 team going to next season

Man the Thunder got overated quick.

 

Lakers-Heat-Mavs-Orlando-Houston

 

I'll say this about the Miami Asterisk, every team in the league is gunning for them.

.

 

Lakers
Celtics
Magic
Heat
Mavericks

 

The Fakers are the defending champions....what did you expect?

 

You'd think they'd be making the classic mistake of underrating a team that played without its impact player last season and posted a mediocre record as a result. Actually, several still made that mistake and it'll be great to see them proven wrong. Kudos to Sheridan and Arnovitz for being sharp.

 

so that's somewhere around 55 wins?

sounds high, but hopefully yao will be 100% and it will be reality.

 

Yeah I like being 5th but on what league could you leave out the spurs. They dumped crappy jefferson and got a great draft pick and if the get Splitter they are better again. How could you put thunder over them.

 

Last year we were a 50 win team if it weren't for the injuries. And I am not talking about Yao and TMac. Injuries to Lowry, Ariza, Budinger, Battier and more stopped us from making the playoffs. Add that with the midseason big trade that always makes teams get worse before they get better. And we closed out the season strong beating playoff teams like Utah, Charlotte and Boston on the road when those teams needed wins. All of that with Chuck Hayes as our starting center.

And now we come back with a better Jordan Hill for the full season. A better Cbud who has been working hard on D, a better Ariza who understands his role and is comfortable with it, A better Brooks who will start this season like he finished last, a better Jermaine Taylor who's defense and shooting has reportedly improved. Oh and did I mention this 7'6" guy we are geting back! Yes 55 is very doable if we can stay healthy and limit our transactions to just a couple of key moves.

 

What this guy said ^^^^^^^^

 

I don't get how so many people are buying into the hype machine in Miami without thinking logically: they have no depth. They have no center. They have no PG.

They'll fill out the roster, but it's going to be a major work in progress. They won't beat Dwight Howard in the playoffs.

Therefore, El Heat this season are no higher than the third best team in the league.

 

Good post. Rep'd...

 

another good line from arnovitz

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=Heat-100709

 

Agreed. I would just add that no team in the league will be better positioned in dealing with injuries than the Rockets, except for one position (you guessed..).

This team is talented, fast, hard working and stacked at almost every position.

 

Before I opened this I thought - 5th in the West? Yea that is probably close if Yao is healthy. I know the East is weak but I think that is a pretty rosey picture.

 

The two guys who have them 5th have them as the second best team in teh west, which would require them winning about 55-60 games....I don't see how that happens, unless maybe 2006 era prime Yao invents a time machine and shows up. Otherwise, that's a lot to expect out of broken down 2011 yao.

 

Such is the Los Angeles fetish. Any team that plays them well will become overrated, by virtue of the Lakers being akin to sports analyst deity.

Also, the Heat are the overrated team of the century until proven otherwise, to me.

 

So much is riding on Yao. If he can play 30 minutes a game and average 19 and 9 with his usual high efficiency, then I can see it.

 

Don't forget, Ariza will be playing his natural position (SF) the entire season. I like it - this season will be way more exciting than last season and the anticipation level will be through the roof.

We still have a scary team that no one wants to play, especially with Yao on the floor.

WOOT!

 

OMG!

OMR starting to sound like DD!
:grin:
its all true though, i'm looking forword 2 next season already!