I expected the Rockets to be a lottery team this season

Not here. I expected the Rockets to be a 6-8 seed after the Harden trade, and here we are.

 

It was a toss up, I frankly expected a few other Western conference teams to be better but thankfully they weren't and we can finally get rid of the 1st round pick obligation that the Terrance Williams trade put us under.

Good that we are in the playoffs but the fact is there are no good match ups so the best we can hope for is a good showing and not getting swept.

 

Our team is severely underrated by many. Unless your team has a Lebron, you shouldn't be able to get into playoffs (in the west) without a really good core and solid bench. Just look at Portland. They have a 5 starter who most look all-starts to superstars but they didn't get anywhere.

Harden - superstar - the only one not underrated in our starting core
Asik - heavily underrated offensively and kind of underrated defensively as a lot of people still don't see him as a team changer
Parsons - kind of underrated defensively as people think he sucks there where as they don't know that he's usually assigned to the toughest person to guard.
Lin - heavily underrated defensively and kind of underrated offensively. A lot of people outside still thinks he can't go left or hit 3s. And they don't see his effective probing and hockey assist to make the offense go. Defense is obvious why he's underrated

The bench - heavily underrated offensively, the bench could easily pack a punch in their energy spark and high octane rim damage.

Without any one of these, we would not have made it to the playoffs. But I guess that's what the Rocket represents. Underrated underdogs who no one notices until they light fireworks up their foes ass!

 

After Harden trade, I expected to be 7th-9th seed.

Teams I thought would be better:
OKC, Spurs, LAL, Memphis, LAC and Denver.

I figure Utah and Phoenix would be in the running for last 2 spots with Rockets.
GSW was a surprise.

After Sun's replace Nash with Goran, I thought team will still be around .500
For 25 games last year Goran average 18/8 on 49% FG, 39% 3pt, 83% FT%.
I'm pretty surprise that Goran had such a big drop off this year.

 

Just looking in our own division...everyone expected the Rockets to be the worst team in our own division...no one expected the pathetic start from Dallas...everyone crowned the Hornets as the ones to challenge the Spurs...

The Spurs are still the Spurs
Memphis played well enough to trade Gay and still be right in the middle of the pack...
The Hornets dealt with on and off injured players and still a very young Davis...
Dallas is getting so old, that parts of the ship are just falling off...

The Rockets were the team everyone thought was gonna be the bottom dweller...and even after the Harden trade, no one expected Harden to put the numbers he has in his first season as a go to starter...Lin started off so slow that everyone thought it was a total bust, but Lin has slowly improved and has been a consistent Starting PG on this team...Omer has been a double double machine, and just a beast inside...Delfino and Garcia have been rejuvenated playing with a young and high flying team...they shoot with confidence and they have just produced with their time on the court...and Parsons...man what an amazing year he has had...i thought he was a steal last year...this year, Im starting to think that he is the Rockets equivalent of a Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker (a diamond hidden in the rough)...and finally our Rookies...

we started with Lamb, White and Jones and it turns out that Jones was the best player in that class so far...Smith has had a yo yo year, but still fouls like crazy...DMo has had a decent start to his career...Beverly was a total steal...TRob has some ways to go, and Brooks will help provide the right guidance to this young team...The jury is still out on Tim Ohlbrecht, James Anderson was a solid pick up and Royce White was a total joke...

The Rockets midst the total roster revamp has made this city right...Morey has proven to be the best GM and Les has shown that he will do the things financially to bring the Rockets back to the top...

Go Rockets...cant wait for playoffs...

 

Dirk Nowitzki had knee surgery right before the start of the season. I believe Oct 20th. How is this a surprise that Dallas was bad w/o him.

 

Agreed,
at the start of the season my playoffs team were:

OK
SA
LAL
LAC
DEN
MEN
MIN
in the 8 place GS or UTAH

Minny totaly colapse,
and I think nobody predicted this Lakers season.
And the Rockets step up big.

Congrats specially to Harden, Parsons, Asik, Lin and Delfino.
And McHale (great coach)
And Morey. Sometimes I wasnt agree with his desition (mostly I like it), but at the end he was right, we have a exelent young team with a great future.

 

Yes. This accomplishment is not about one player, or coach or management... this was a collective team effort from top to bottom. Everyone should be proud!

 

Our bench for the most part has done their job or better, Delfino, Bev, Smith, Garcia are all very solid. The new guys, TJones, Dmo from game to game will give us some sparks. OTOH, I think TRob needs to figure out his game. The guy obviously has ton of natural ability, but he cant play the way he has been playing in the NBA.

 

I think our main reason for making it is health. When was the last season we avoided a significant injury. Im surprised a lot of you guys aren't saying you expected Dallas to make the playoffs. Let's be honest, if dirk was healthy to start the year there would be a lot more competition. Same can be said about minnesota but that isnt as clear as dallas' case. Thats not discrediting what we have accomplished. Injuries are a part of the game and we've had our share of bad luck in the past.

 

I expected at least 40 wins before Harden.

 

I expected Rox to contend for a playoff spot, but little did I expect this rox team was so exciting to watch.

 

Haha I remember right after the trade I told my friends that Harden would average 20 ppg on 45% FG shooting. Not once did I think that Harden would be a 26 ppg 6 apg 5 rbg player (while still shooting a respectable 44.4% from the floor, which is pretty much what Kobe has done for 18 years).
Not once did I think that Asik would be competing for leading rebounder in the league. Nor did I think that Parsons would be a 15 ppg 3 apg 5 rbg player in his SECOND season on this team. I love our core group of guys with Harden, Lin, Asik, and Parsons. I know that not all 4 guys may be here when we begin to pursue the 2nd superstar, but I really hope we only lose one of these guys. Hopefully we won't lose any, but I don't think that possible, seeing as these are easily the 4 most attractive pieces we have to offer.

 

I expected a repeat of Linsanity & playoff chance, but Lin's injuiry and slow start kind of lowered my expectation. Then Lin took off and showed his former Linsanity form. Anything is possible when the team is in sync and well run with the type of exciting, ball sharing, and attacking style of play. That is why even good teams got blown off by the Rockets. It should be even more exciting next year with the young players maturing.

 

im proud of this years team, they exceeded my expectations and will continue to get better barring any serious injuries, Good times are ahead for this rocket team

Playoffs! lets go rockets!

 

Lol, do you ever stop stroking yourself?

 

I think the biggest surprise of the year to me was LAL sucking so hard. Father Time caught up much faster than it did with the ringchasing Lakers of 2004 (with Malone and Payton et al).

Golden State was also a surprise a bit; I suppose they were close last year, and trading for Bogut (actually more like trading AWAY Ellis) really helped. So -1, +1, and the Rockets are right where they are supposed to be now.

 

My prediction was 45-37 at start of season and the 7th seed of the playoffs. I'm feelin good. Love this team

 

Me too.