Gary, come back anytime. 2 reasons why we have a better than 50/50 shot at the playoffs. a) Our best players are young and improving individally and as team players (thus at worst we should be a little better than last year). b) two of the 2nd tier West teams got weaker. Utah is just another year older with now less favorable rules. Phx traded their engine (anyone who thinks Marbury can fully replace Kidd right now in terms of all the things Kidd does to make average players look good) and got basically nothing in a trade of the 3rd best player form last year (Cliffy). Also, I think the Mavs and Rockets make a very interesting comparison, even if the Mavs are better overall. Dirk is outstanding and the difference right now, but he really isn't much of an interior force on either end, and outside of him your frontcourt players are just as mediocre as ours. IMO neither of us will be serious contenders for a long playoff run until we have much better interior defense (Bradley and Cato are not the answers at C and Willis is the only decent position PF on ether team but he doesn't block many shots) and preferably a little post-up offense mixed in occasionally too. We are hoping Griffin can be this player, if he does I would say our ceiling is slightly higher than the Mavs. Until so of the above happens, that is why IMO neither the Mavs nor the Rockets right now have the capability to match the elites Lakers, Kings or Spurs in a 7 game series (though the Spurs are at risk from falling out of this group if they haven't already because of their dogmeat guard and wing players). I also thought before this season that the Wolves were way underrated based on what they had done over the last few years and their nice complimentary additions this offseason, this seems to be panning out. I would say the Wolves (and maybe even the Blazers too) have a better chance for a long playoff run than either the Mavs or Rockets. The Wolves finished ahead of us last year and added more immediate help (Smith, Woods-sure would like to have him backing up Cato, Billups, Trent), I don't see why so many people penciled us ahead of them and even to some degree the Mavs ahead of them, I think they paying far more attention to the last 40 regular season games or so from last year than they were to the big picture.
I think your posts are essentially about the Mavs being better than the Rockets at this stage. I agree, though I am a rabid Rockets fan. After watching many Mavs games last season and watching some this season, you are right. Right now, I believe the Mavs would win a seven game series with the Rockets. Enjoy that while you can, because I believe that we will catch and pass you guys. I am sure of that, but I am not sure when! For now, Dirk is unreal and you are serious competitors in the West. Nice posts.
GA: Nash and Mobley comparable???? Get a clue - you lost a lot of credibility with that statement. You come across as a dopefiend w/ your ranking of Nash as a top 6 or 7 PG in the league!! Payton Francis Kidd Marbury Brandon Cassell Miller Davis Van Exel Bibby J Williams Stockton Just to name a few. In fact Nash is such a pathetic sub-par PG I would rank T. Hardaway ahead of him. Top 6 my ass.
GA. You sure got some folk's attention; way to hang in there. And for anyone out there who somehow believes that Dallasites cannot be Rocket loyalists, well think again. And GA, welcome to the fray.. Dallas Rocket
Maybe he means top 6 or 7 in Dallas (high schools , jr colleges etc included). The last good game Nash had was when Santa Clara beat the Terps in the NCAA tourney a few years back.
Morning! Thought I'd check in, and I find lots to comment on. First of all, thanks to all for making me feel at home. The slams and nicities both are appreciated... reaction works. For the most part, the responses were thoughtful, direct and constructive - and I came away a little more than convinced that I need to rethink/revise my playoff predictions for this season. Secondly, I'd invite a little "cross-polination" - I've been a regular poster on a good board in Dallas called the Lone Mavs Forum. http://www.sportsonly.com/boards/mavs/ I think that Houston has the youth, the talent and definitely the organization to be a contending team over the next decade, and I feel the same way about the Mavs. It should be a neat period for a natural rivalry, and if we can simply get Shaq some really cool scripts to work on, the two teams could clash for a lot of Western Conference titles over the coming years. As tempting as it is to jump on the Nash argument (and trust me, it's tempting) I'll guess that it's enough off of the starting topic on this thread to warrant a new one. I'll get my act together later in the day, and post a couple of player evaluations separately. Who knows... we might disagree on a thing or two. Sincerely, the quality of posting that I've seen on this board (I started lurking) is impressive. It will be a pleasure to jump in here from time to time. Thanks for the invites.
A few reasons why Houston will do better than their near playoff record last year: <ol> <b>Chemistry:</b> This is the biggest factor that makes the Rockets a special team. It has all fed off the friendship between Francis and Mobely. They just know what the other guy is going to do before he does it. They live and breath basketball all year. They aren't just professionals, they absolutely LOVE the game, and that spirit is catchy. They believe in themselves and each other. Each of these guys have their own connection to other players, with Steve close to Wiz, Morris and Norris, and Cuttino having a Philadelphia connection with Griffin. Cato and Anderson didn't fit last year, and Dream wanted the offense to flow through him. Those distractions are gone this year, with Dream and Anderson traded, and Cato has been included in the chemistry, along with Rice. They all are loving to play this game. Its not just collecting a paycheck to them. They can't wait to get into the finals for the absolute thrill of going all the way. They BELIEVE nothing can hold them back! This takes them farther with their talent than normal. <b>Improving backcourt:</b> Last year, some were already saying that Francis and Mobely are the best backcourt in the league. Well last year was the first year they started together, and they are very young. They are better this year, and now MANY are saying they are flat out the best backcourt. <b>Improving defense:</b> The Rockets are known for having an incredible offense. They even had to change the rules this last year because of them, and their impossible to defend ISOs. This summer, they focused on DEFENSE. And it really shows. They are swarming all the time, and wear people out by the fourth quarter, where they take over the game, and are closing people out. That clearly wasn't there last year. They are actually winning all their games so far with defense. Wait until their offense gets on track... <b> Dream gone:</b> As much as Dream is beloved by the fans and this franchise, he became a distraction and obstacle to our current success. For whatever reason, a year after the last 2 championship seasons, Dream has coasted. It was very obvious, when he wanted to be traded last year, and then stepped up his game dramatically. Why didn't he play like that all the time, even though he had a few injuries. When Dream was dominating, it made sense for the offense to go through him, but now that he isn't he became a disruptive influence on the team. The Rockets are actually better off without him this year. <b>Willis back:</b> Willis brings us some muscle on the front line, and hustle play. He plays within the offense, and brings down a lot of rebounds. His attitude is wonderful, not only adapting to the wonderful chemistry on this team, but mentoring the younger players. Even though losing MO was a blow, Willis is the silver lining of the medical exception. <b>Anderson gone: </b>Shandon Anderson must have had some kind of agreement with the coaching staff that he would start when we traded for him, because even though Mobely was clearly better, they started him anyway, and then put him at the 3 when Mobely started, which was not his natural position. Anderson didn't click with the guys, and was up one day and down the other on offense. We got someone who's offense is on most of the time, and will fit better into the offensive scheme we have. Anderson was picked up when we had Pippen, Dream and Chuck, and were pursuing a different type of game, and just didn't fit, even though we had to play him. This is subtraction by addition. <b>Rice Added:</b> I know you don't have much confidence in Rice, but he's perfect for this team. The 3 was our weakest position last year with Anderson and Williams. But with Stevie and Cat creating opportunities, he's a perfect zone buster with the new rules in effect. OK, the trainers kept him out all preseason. They want him as healthy as possible all season. Even if he is only as good as he was in LA and NY, and never returns to his All-Star form, he'll be an improvement over what we had. Even though he doesn't have his legs and is totally rusty, we're still winning. Give him a few weeks to get his legs back and adjust to his new team, and he'll seriously improve. I think that later in the season, you'll conclude we stole him... His game doesn't depend on athleticism, but on his pure stroke. He can spot up and the guys will feed him the ball. He fits here, whereas he didn't fit where he was with LA and NY. <b>Griffin drafted:</b> Griffin probably would have been the first guy picked in the draft based on talent, but there were questions about his attitude, and past fights. People pegged him as having a bad attitude, and shied away from him, dropping him to #7, where the Rockets snapped him up. So far, Griffin has shown a wonderful attitude, with no evidence of the things people feared, and flashes of brilliance, even against the top players. They guy can play almost any position on the court, except PG. I believe he'll be the next Kevin Garnett, and could even develop into a 5. He is still growing, already an inch since the draft, and hit the weight room hard, already gaining 20 pounds of muscle, and simply plays effortlessly. It'll take half the season probably for him to get used to the NBA, but when he does, LOOK OUT! He'll make a huge difference later in the year, and become a franchise player for us. <b> Morris drafted:</b> If Morris would have come out the same year as Francis, he might have been picked higher. The next year, many actually had him pegged as the first pick in the draft. No doubt his stock fell. But is was because he was learning other aspects of his game. He is a mature player. Similar to Griffin, he has great court sense, and plays within the flow of the game. He is so smooth, and a great defender. He'll probably be our future 3, and can play 3 different positions. He'll create lots of matchup problems. If KT or Rice go down, he'll get even more playing time. He's an NBA ready rookie. He doesn't have to be the star. He does all the little things that glue a team together. We've already got our superstars coming ... he won't have to be the star with a relaxed ego... He'll provide depth for us this year. <b> Cato improvement:</b> We all knew Cato has the talent to be great, just not what's in his head. The fans have just about given up on his sulking ways and bad work ethic. This year, he had to improve, or he was gone. Well, so far, he's dramatically improved. This is a huge missing piece for Houston. Rice and Willis have both taken him under their wing, and the guys have included him this year as part of the essential nucleus of the team. As his confidence grows, and Willis stays healthy, we'll have a two-headed monster at center. This is obviously our weakest spot, though, due to injury potential and his attitude falling apart. But so far, so good. Some forcast Cato as winning the most improved player award. I hope so. <b>Torres addition:</b> What a coup! Noone knew who this guy was we signed out of South America, and we didn't have to use a draft pick to get him. He is being compared to Clyde Drexler, he is so athletic, smooth, and fast. He shoots well, defends well, has great court sense, and is NBA ready. He ads some great depth at the 2 and 3 position for us. <b>Norris re-signed:</b> He was expensive, but worth it. He is possibly the best backup PG in the league, and would start for some teams. But he has that same chemistry and athleticism, so that there is hardly any letoff when one of the starters is out. And he is one year better and much more confident. <b>KT improved:</b> Kenny Thomas is so much better this year. He lost his baby fat, and is much faster and stronger. His footwork is amazing, and can play a lot of guys hard. But, he's short for a PF. Great for backup, but I'm not sure as a starter. He could surprise us. Obviously, it hurt us to lose MO Taylor, and Kenny isn't as good as MO offensively, but he's a much better rebounder and in defense, and he's there until Griffin develops to replace him around midseason. If KT doesn't hold his own, it'll be earlier. Once Griffin or Mo start, we'll be strong at that position, because KT is a great backup PF, giving us depth. <b>Depth:</b> Last year we had good starters at every position except the 3, but not a deep bench. Well that has all changed this year. With Willis, Griffin, Morris, Torres, Norris, and Williams coming off the bench, there is very little reduction in the quality of who is on the court. And since they are all young bucks, they can just plain exhaust the opposing team. <b>Peaking:</b> Rudy has a knack for when to have his team peak for the playoffs. Last year, we wanted to get close to the playoffs, but we needed to dip into the lottery one more year for rebuilding, without discouraging our players. So, we got as close as possible. But, the years we won the championships, Rudy had us peak perfectly at the end of the year, after we made significant additions to the team. This year, we have a lot of new pieces we have added, so things are rusty right now, and he will let them develop naturally over the year, so they will peak in time for the playoffs. This year, the management wants us in the playoffs, to gain experience, and get a taste for what it takes to go all the way. They might go farther than people think. <b>Coaching:</b> Noone gets more from his players than Rudy. He's a player's coach, and knows how to speak their language. Players love to play for him. We have more talent this year and pieces for him to work with than before. He'll take us farther. [/list=1]</ol>
I took a look at your Mavs board. It's absolutely halarious how Mav fans are already calling Griffin a flop, or eluding to it. Sports fans in general are funny. Mavs fans haven't seen Griffin play, especially in the Timberwolves game, yet he hasn't done anything. In the T-Wolves game he single handedly kept us in the game. In the second half and fourth quarter he held KG and just about stopped him on each posession. KG did most of his damage on KT. Griffin has the potential, I hope that mavs board is still up in a year or two, going to enjoy asking if Griffin is a flop.
