The Lakers will, this team is not the same as the after-Shaq (or only Kobe) period (including last year). They are really impressive, I think they will have around 50 wins. The Blazers, I really don't know, cause they play really well at the moment, but the schedule is going to be tough for them. But they are capable of beating nearly any team. On the other hand they are young and inexperienced, this could play them tricks. I really would like to see the Jazz NOT make the Playoffs. And for our Rockets, I think that 50 wins is way possible. Especially if the team plays like right now, add T-Mac and this team will have more wins. I think we can aim 55. But I would be happy with 48-50, considering some eventual injuries and being realistic. I'm confident about the Rockets making the Playoffs. Anyway, the top 10 WC teams that have a shot won't play the same until April. Golden State, Portland, New Orleans (they always struggle in the end and don't make the Playoffs), Denver... This will be very interesting and entertaining. GO ROX
Well, we are now about 2 weeks from the time I made that post when we were 17-17...and low and behold, the team is 22-19, and a win against Seattle on Wednesday will push us to the 23-19 record I targeted before the 3 tough games to end the month. T-mac is back and looking pretty good, and we have won 7 out of the last 9 games. 48 wins is only a 26-15 record away.
Lakers won't have Bynum for the next 2 months, Blazers will fall off, Warriors haven't played great ball and injuries a big concern with them, Hornets also have injury concerns and are likely to fall off, Denver has been inconsistent all year and have a much tougher second half schedule, etc... 48 wins will guarantee a 6th-8th seed.
Same winning % as we had at the end of last year, and it will be a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way.
Forget who they play or when they play, watch HOW THEY PLAY. That tells me that they are not a playoff team. I am predicting 41 wins, but the 30's are a distinct possibility. I don't think Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in their prime could take Rafer, Battier, and Hayes anywhere but out to eat. That has to be the least athletic, most offensively challenged, untalented group of supporting starters in the NBA. JVG worked a miracle last year, Adelman is incapable of doing the same, even with a better bench. Like most of you, I expected a great deal more. But, then again, I would never have guessed that the Rockets would still have the same starting lineup.
They have 2 wins against the Spurs, and 1 win against the Pistons, Suns, Jazz, Lakers, Magic, Raptors, Blazers, Nuggets, among other top teams in each conference. With T-mac in the lineup and not leaving the game with injury they are 7 games above .500.
ever since our slide and our turn around game in denver, we've been playing .7333. we've won 11 out of 15. we've also done this with Tmac out. We are at a halfway point. 41 games done with. we've been .537 for the 1st half while dealing without tmac, learning a new system with new players, AND having the toughest starting schedule in the league. Rockets will finish with 50-32 .610 W Wed, Jan 23 @ Seattle 10:00 PM L Fri, Jan 25 @ Portland 10:00 PM W Sun, Jan 27 Utah 7:00 PM W Tue, Jan 29 Golden State 8:30 PM W Fri, Feb 1 @ Indiana 7:00 PM L Sat, Feb 2 @ Milwaukee 8:30 PM W Mon, Feb 4 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM L Thu, Feb 7 Cleveland 8:00 PM TNT W Sat, Feb 9 Atlanta 8:30 PM W Mon, Feb 11 Portland 8:30 PM W Wed, Feb 13 Sacramento 8:30 PM W Tue, Feb 19 @ Cleveland 7:00 PM W Thu, Feb 21 Miami 8:00 PM L Fri, Feb 22 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM W Sun, Feb 24 Chicago 8:00 PM W Tue, Feb 26 Washington 8:30 PM W Fri, Feb 29 Memphis 8:30 PM L Sun, Mar 2 Denver 8:00 PM W Wed, Mar 5 Indiana 8:30 PM L Thu, Mar 6 @ Dallas 9:30 PM L Sat, Mar 8 New Orleans 8:30 PM W Mon, Mar 10 New Jersey 8:30 PM W Wed, Mar 12 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM W Fri, Mar 14 Charlotte 8:30 PM L Sun, Mar 16 LA Lakers 7:00 PM L Tue, Mar 18 Boston 9:30 PM L Wed, Mar 19 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM L Fri, Mar 21 @ Golden State 10:30 PM W Sat, Mar 22 @ Phoenix 10:00 PM W Mon, Mar 24 Sacramento 8:30 PM W Wed, Mar 26 Minnesota 8:30 PM L Sun, Mar 30 @ San Antonio 1:00 PM W Tue, Apr 1 @ Sacramento 10:00 PM W Thu, Apr 3 @ Portland 10:30 PM W Fri, Apr 4 @ Seattle 10:30 PM L Sun, Apr 6 @ LA Clippers 9:30 PM W Wed, Apr 9 Seattle 8:30 PM L Fri, Apr 11 Phoenix 8:30 PM W Sun, Apr 13 @ Denver 9:00 PM W Mon, Apr 14 @ Utah 9:00 PM W Wed, Apr 16 LA Clippers 8:30 PM Golden State will only win 22 more games 47-35 .573 W Thu, Jan 24 New Jersey 10:30 PM W Sun, Jan 27 NY Knicks 9:00 PM L Tue, Jan 29 @ Houston 8:30 PM L Wed, Jan 30 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM W Fri, Feb 1 Charlotte 10:30 PM W Thu, Feb 7 Chicago 10:30 PM W Sat, Feb 9 Sacramento 10:30 PM W Mon, Feb 11 Washington 10:30 PM L Wed, Feb 13 Phoenix 9:00 PM W Tue, Feb 19 @ Utah 9:00 PM L Wed, Feb 20 Boston 10:30 PM W Fri, Feb 22 Atlanta 10:30 PM W Tue, Feb 26 Seattle 10:30 PM W Fri, Feb 29 Philadelphia 10:30 PM L Sun, Mar 2 Portland 9:00 PM W Tue, Mar 4 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM Wed, Mar 5 @ Charlotte 7:00 PM W Fri, Mar 7 @ Miami 7:30 PM L Sat, Mar 8 @ Orlando 7:00 PM L Wed, Mar 12 Toronto 10:30 PM L Thu, Mar 13 @ Phoenix 10:30 PM W Sat, Mar 15 Memphis 10:30 PM W Tue, Mar 18 @ Sacramento 10:00 PM L Wed, Mar 19 @ LA Clippers 10:30 PM W Fri, Mar 21 Houston 10:30 PM L Sun, Mar 23 @ LA Lakers 9:30 PM L Mon, Mar 24 LA Lakers 10:30 PM L Thu, Mar 27 Portland 10:30 PM L Sat, Mar 29 @ Denver 9:00 PM W Sun, Mar 30 Dallas 9:00 PM NBA L Tue, Apr 1 @ San Antonio 8:30 PM L Wed, Apr 2 @ Dallas 9:30 PM W Fri, Apr 4 @ Memphis 8:00 PM L Sun, Apr 6 @ New Orleans 7:00 PM W Tue, Apr 8 Sacramento 10:30 PM W Thu, Apr 10 Denver 8:00 PM TNT W Sat, Apr 12 LA Clippers 10:30 PM L Mon, Apr 14 @ Phoenix 10:00 PM W Wed, Apr 16 Seattle 10:30 PM Utah Jazz will only win 24 more games 48-34 .585 W Fri, Jan 25 Sacramento 9:00 PM L Sun, Jan 27 @ Houston 7:00 PM L Mon, Jan 28 San Antonio 9:00 PM W Wed, Jan 30 NY Knicks 9:00 PM W Fri, Feb 1 @ Washington 7:00 PM W Sat, Feb 2 @ Memphis 8:00 PM L Mon, Feb 4 New Orleans 9:00 PM L Wed, Feb 6 @ Denver 9:00 PM W Fri, Feb 8 @ Sacramento 10:00 PM W Sat, Feb 9 Chicago 9:00 PM W Wed, Feb 13 @ Seattle 10:00 PM L Tue, Feb 19 Golden State 9:00 PM W Fri, Feb 22 @ LA Clippers 10:30 PM W Sat, Feb 23 Atlanta 9:00 PM W Tue, Feb 26 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM L Wed, Feb 27 Detroit 9:00 PM L Fri, Feb 29 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM W Sat, Mar 1 @ Memphis 8:00 PM L Mon, Mar 3 Dallas 9:00 PM NBA W Wed, Mar 5 Minnesota 9:00 PM L Fri, Mar 7 @ Phoenix 9:00 PM W Sat, Mar 8 Denver 9:00 PM W Tue, Mar 11 @ Chicago 8:30 PM W Wed, Mar 12 @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM L Fri, Mar 14 @ Boston 7:30 PM W Sat, Mar 15 @ New Jersey 7:30 PM L Mon, Mar 17 Toronto 9:00 PM L Thu, Mar 20 LA Lakers 10:30 PM W Sat, Mar 22 Seattle 9:00 PM W Tue, Mar 25 Charlotte 9:00 PM W Fri, Mar 28 LA Clippers 9:00 PM W Sun, Mar 30 @ Minnesota 3:30 PM W Mon, Mar 31 Washington 9:00 PM W Wed, Apr 2 Minnesota 9:00 PM L Fri, Apr 4 San Antonio 9:00 PM W Tue, Apr 8 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM L Thu, Apr 10 @ Dallas 8:30 PM W Sat, Apr 12 Denver 9:00 PM L Mon, Apr 14 Houston 9:00 PM L Wed, Apr 16 @ San Antonio 8:00 PM
I know you have watched them play. I have watched almost all their games this year. What do you think? Honestly. In your heart of hearts do you really, really believe that they could beat any of the teams you have listed above in a seven game series based on they way they have played thus far? Do they really look like a playoff team? Even their GM says they don't. Do you think besides Yao and TMac that their starting lineup matches up with ANY other team in the NBA: PG for PG, SF for SF, PF for PF? Do you really? I don't, and they won't make the playoffs, they won't win more than 41 games, and they won't get much better this season UNLESS they make a major trade, or significantly change their rotation. I'll tell you what, let's make the next four games the turning point of the season. If they go 0-4, even the wildest optimist will probably throw in the towel, if they go 4-0, I will get on board the playoff express, or if they go 2-2, they are a .500 team. What do you say? They face three teams that are above them in the rankings, they need to beat them all to gain ground.
In the first 7 games they played elite ball. Since the Denver game without T-Mac the team has looked terrific. Basically, the team has been very inconsistent, and we have went through about 10 different 8-10 man rotations since the season started. But since that Denver game it looks as if things have finally settled in. The rotation, the offensive sets, how the team goes about their business each game...it looks as if they finally have an identity. With the upgrade of talent that they have from last year (when they won 52 games and should have beaten a tough Jazz team), and with many of the young players continuing to improve, I think this team can not only make the playoffs, but be a serious contnder to win the West. I think that as long as they don't have to play the Suns, Mavs, Warriors or Hornets in the first round, they can beat any WC team in a 7 game series, including the likes of the Spurs, Jazz, Nuggets and healthy Lakers.
i believe that youve watched most games like you say, but still, dood, incredibly bad timing. you say all this gloom and doom stuff, what?, after beating the spurs, after going on a 11-4 run WITHOUT mcgrady, after rafer found his shot, after brooks, scola, and head are getting into rhythm? what i want to know is, show me where you think those 22 losses are going to occur...
The Spurs win was incredibly lucky, the Rockets tried hard to lose in the second half. They faded in the third and fourth quarters. The 11-4 run without McGrady was perhaps the weakest stretch of schedule for the whole season. Rafer found "a shot" for about two weeks, back to normal, 30+% during the last few games. Brooks isn't getting much time, Scola can't hit anything right now, and Head's shooting has also gone south. The losses will come from the upcoming schedule: every time I look at it, I think they will likely lose more than 22. There are 19 away games, and our home record is not one of the leagues' best. My prediction is based on seeing the Rockets as basically a .500 team. (41-41, about as .500 as you can get). I don't do doom and gloom, just try to face the realities of the game. The Rockets are not really playing very well.
We beat Seattle today BARELY but we won! Now all the Rockets have to do to get themselves firmly planted back in the playoff picture is win at least 8 or the next 10. Upcoming games: @ Seattle, @ Portland, Utah, GSW ALL must wins! Then, the schedule REALLY gets a lot easier for us. @ Indy, @ Mil, @ Minn and then, the final 3 to complete are at home: Clev, Atl and Portland. Theoretically speaking, how do we not win 8 of the next 10 but, then how did we get swept by the Sixers? Same question Dallas fans are asking pertaining to the Wizards. Winning 48 games with this talent should not even be a question they should win more like 50-55 games. The answer is NO I'm not on crack. We have a good blend of youth and veterans who have largely played down to their opponents and have not played with the competitive intensity it takes to be a playoff team but, we know potentially it's there and it's up to Brooks, Landry and Scola to ignite the passion in this team and for us to finally start playing to the potential we all thought they would back at the beginning of the season. For those of you who persist in bellyaching about the Rockets, here's some food for thought. Anybody seen the Heat lately? It's not a pretty picture. Potentially that would be us if we traded either Yao or T-Mac away like some geniuses have proposed. Man, Shaq's game has deteriorated! Wow!
Hatemavsforlife, you might find this hard to believe, but, I sincerely hope you are right. I don't see it, but nobody will be happier if what you say comes true.
