[Kansascity.com] NBA pro-con: Rockets will make playoffs even without Yao Ming

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NBA pro-con: Rockets will make playoffs even without Yao Ming

The popular opinion is that the Houston Rockets will not make the playoffs because center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season because of a foot injury.

This is just further proof the majority sports opinion is often wrong.

The Rockets will definitely reach the Western Conference playoffs. That’s a guarantee.

Tracy McGrady doesn’t know how to lead his team to a first-round victory, but the talented guard regularly gets his team to the playoffs.

A 14-game winning streak has given the Rockets a lot of confidence. Expect role players to play above their ability the next couple of weeks to compensate for the loss of Yao.

Houston also has a very intelligent player in Shane Battier. His calming influence will prevent younger players from panicking.

The Rockets have some tough games in March that could hurt their playoff chances. The one team that could take advantage of Houston’s misfortune is the Denver Nuggets.

On paper, Denver now has the more talented team. But the Rockets have better team chemistry. It’s easier to trust the play of McGrady down the stretch than Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

Houston will continue to play around .630 — and that will be good enough to secure a playoff spot.

And really, the playoffs don’t start until McGrady’s team is bounced out in the first round.

| David Boyce, dboyce@kcstar.com

 

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NBA Source Weekend Wrap: Injuries, buyouts and playoff predictions

By Jon Burkett | March 1st, 2008

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It’s March 1st - the day that teams have to set their playoff rosters. With only two months left in the season, money owed is no object. There’s been a flurry of activity this week as teams pay for players to go away.

Sam Cassell and his agent negotiated his way out of L.A.’s second place team. Theo Ratliff got his walking papers from Minnesota and is heading to Detroit. Other players currently available are Tyronn Lue, Flip Murray, Dahntay Jones, Ira Newble, Viktor Khryapa and Gordan Giricek.

Brent Barry was waived by the Sonics on February 21st and decided this week to choose to return to San Antonio after the 30 day waiting period. The other choice was Phoenix, who needed another outside shooter to balance the floor following the addition of Shaq. It looks like they will be turning their efforts toward Giricek, or perhaps they should just play Eric Piatkowski?

Other players took their services elsewhere after being waived by their teams. In case you missed it, Jamaal Magloire went from the Nets to the Mavericks after the Jason Kidd deal. He should help backing up Erick Dampier. Nick Fazekas went from the Dallas Mavericks, where he was mostly playing for the D-League affiliate in Ft. Worth, to the Los Angeles Clippers.

P.J. Brown’s signing with Boston on February 27th took the best available big man off the market. Most of the players on the waiver wire are forwards and guards. New Orleans is looking for some beef to back up Tyson Chandler, and are apparently interested in bringing back Chris “Birdman” Andersen. Yeah, it’s that bad. Hilton Armstrong is the primary backup at the moment after surpassing Melvin Ely in the rotation.

As it turns out, the Spurs acquisition of Kurt Thomas could be the best non-blockbuster move that was made this month. The combination of Francisco Elson, Fabricio Oberto, Robert Horry and Matt Bonner didn’t give Tim Duncan the physical presence he needed to help battle the beefed up west. With Thomas, you’re getting a guy who can step in for Duncan and muscle Shaq, Gasol and Boozer. For the Suns and Lakers, you really need two guys who can battle down low. Duncan has owned Amare Stoudemire in the playoffs, and no one is quite sure what to expect of a vastly improved Andrew Bynum when he returns from injury and the game really count.

As for the red hot Rockets, they are going to have to rely on the ageless wonder, Dikembe Mutombo, to keep them in the playoff race. Yao Ming went down with another foot injury and is done for the year. The Rockets went 13-0 in February and are on a 14 game winning streak. The last two were against the Wizards and Grizzlies, without Yao. The last time they lost, Luis Scola started his first game of the season at center for Yao. Yao returned the next game and Scola stayed in the starting lineup, moving Chuck Hayes to the bench.

The guy who is going to be big for the Rockets is neither Scola, Hayes, nor Mutombo. Carl Landry is averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes per game this year, and he is tasked with backing up Mutombo. They will need big minutes from him. Tracy McGrady is going to have to carry the scoring, which is something he is capable of doing if he stays healthy. After a miserable start to the season, Rafer Alston has straightened out his game. Bobby Jackson should provide better backup help.

However, the health of McGrady has always been a fragile proposition. With only a few games separating the top nine teams in the west, the Rockets figure to be the ones who will miss out. They can’t keep playing like they did in February without Yao. Denver and Golden State will likely get the final two spots in the west.

It’s hard to make any predictions without knowing who is going to face who in the first round. The Lakers hold the top seed today and have been winning without Andrew Bynum. It looks like the Lakers will take the top seed, and the Warriors are my pick for the eighth seed. If that happens, could the Warriors pull off another first round upset of the top seed? I don’t like their chances, but anything can happen.

The winner of the Southeast Division would then take the two seed. The Spurs are starting to hit their stride, but I wouldn’t overlook the Hornets. At this point, I’m leaning towards the Spurs. I’d love to see the Hornets take it though because I’d rather see them play the Lakers in the Conference Finals than the second round. I’m looking at the Nuggets as the seventh seed, which would be a great matchup with the Hornets. The team that finishes fifth would have to face either the Hornets or the Spurs. Neither is not a favorable matchup for the Mavericks or the Suns.

The team that gets the sixth seed would get the winner of the Northwest Division. The Jazz really need to win their division because they hold the biggest disparity between home and road records in the NBA. If they don’t get home court in the first round, then they will start the first round at a disadvantage. Denver and Dallas also have a losing road record. Utah would be much tougher as the three seed, especially if Denver or Dallas is the sixth seed. However, I think the Nuggets will overtake the Jazz.

So, my prediction is that the Lakers will play either the Spurs or the Hornets in the second round. The one that they don’t face will then defeat the third seed and be playing in the Conference Finals. The way that the Lakers are playing right now, I’m not sure that the Hornets will be able to upset them. While it would be nice to see them crash the party, you have to pick Lakers or the Spurs for the Western title. I’m going with the Lakers.

In the East, the top three seeds are pretty well set with Boston, Detroit and Orlando. Cleveland and Toronto will face each other for the 4-5 matchup. Washington currently sits in sixth, but they aren’t getting Caron Butler back since he has a labral tear in his hip and Gilbert Arenas is still trying to come back and likely won’t be in playoff form anytime soon. I wouldn’t be surprised to watch them slide all the way out of the playoffs with the Hawks sneaking in as the eighth seed.

So, my pick for the sixth seed is the Sixers. They have been playing well over the past month and have the chemistry to pass the competition. I see the Nets as staying in the hunt with Devin Harris getting more comfortable as he goes. They will get the seventh seed.

If you look at those first round matchups, the Hawks could present problems for the Celtics. That would be a great series. However, without the experience, it’s hard to see Bibby leading them over the top team in the league this year. Sam Cassell would outplay Bibby in a seven game series.

The Pistons will have no problem with whomever they draw in the first round. Seeing as how the Magic have owned the Sixers this year, it looks like they would face Dwight Howard in the second round. The Magic would be a tough matchup for the Pistons, but the veteran guards should prevail for Detroit. While the Cavs would have no problem with the Raptors, I would predict that they get swept against the Celtics. That’s a bold prediction, as some people like the Cavs in a seven game series and I can see why. However, guard play is going to be the key and Paul Pierce will get help defending LeBron in the form of James Posey. So, Celtics-Pistons would be the matchup for the Eastern Finals. I would lean towards the Pistons right now in that battle.

So, my pick is Pistons-Lakers in the NBA Finals. Unlike 2004, the Lakers would take the Pistons in six games. Kobe wins the regular season MVP, the Finals MVP, and ring number four. That’s my prediction, and I’m sticking to it.

I have to say that this playoff race is exciting. The rivalries of the league’s golden era in the 80’s are being renewed. When the Celtics, Pistons and Sixers are in the playoffs and the Lakers are the top seed out west, all is right in the world. Let’s hope all’s well that ends well and Kobe finally gets the respect he deserves.

**Check out Respect Kobe for more reasoning on why Kobe Bryant has the competitive advantage over his peers. For more details on player movement over the past month, you can check out the February transactions here on NBA.com.**