Myth: The Rockets ceiling this year is the 2nd Round

Last year's performance against elite teams doesn't concern me much. DWH/Asik combo at center position for 48 minutes is a huge upgrade on both ends of the floor. Our aging curve suggests big improvement one year later.

I honestly believe we can beat anyone, and I'm cautiously optimistic mostly because of our youth and depth(means more likely to be healthy all the way).

I wouldn't be surprised that by playoff time, Spurs/Heat/Chicago/Clippers all have some troubling injury to deal with. Pacers is the only team can match us health wise except for maybe Granger.

 

I can't figure out how to put it, but if we play Clips or Spurs in the second round then we'd lose. I, for whatever reason, think we're better than OKC soley because of our depth at each position now. The Grizz I think we'd house them right now. They go bully ball, well we have twin towers that will bully their bullies.

 

We have the best SG and best C in the league. A top 10 SF. Another top 5 back up center. Two starting quality PG's, a shooting bench

Anything less than a conference final and it's on Mchale and his staff. Morey has done all he can at this point to establish a contender.

 

This is what I feel like our next upgrade should be. Even more so than our PF situation. I wanna like Mchale I really want to, but I just can't. I haven't grasped any of his coaching methods. I just never know what to expect. Maybe it'll be different this season since we have a better cast of players. I dunno. I just think we need a vet coach already.

 

Who knows what will happen this year.

Reality has often shown that almost any playoff team in any given year can lose in the first or second round, no matter what the predictions or regular season record.

At the same time, anyone who says that they can predict with any certainty the ceiling for this year's Rockets team is speaking foolishly.

League experience....hmmmm. The Rockets team back in 86-87 went to the finals and had three frontcourt starters who at the beginning of the season had less than 2 years average experience in the league (Sampson 2, McCray 2, Olajuwon 1). They had a pretty good year, too...and a great playoff run.

 

I like that ceiling haha

 

I like the optimism. But my rational side tells me that young teams don't win championships. It's not about gelling. It's about experience, composure, and calm confidence. The only real championship veteran we have is Howard. Harden is only 24 and was not a lead guy in OKC. All the other players are extremely inexperienced, not to mention our head coach is also inexperienced in coaching.

 

this is his strenght not weakness

 

Dont mind him, he is a Lin fanboy who constantly hates on Harden and Mchale. (I have nothing against Lin, i love him and want him to stay. But posters like Hikanoo need to GTFO)

 

I don't understand all this optimism.

We've had the same team for the past three or four seasons, and we can expect the same results from them.

 

Yes, the Rockets could win the title this year but a lot has to go right:

1) Stay healthy (goes for every team).
2) Harden has to be a good a last year.
3) Howard needs to be the 2008 Howard.
4) Parsons needs to keep improving.
5) Lin needs consistency and flashes of Linsanity.
6) Asik needs 25 mins/game. This means Howard needs to be able to play the 4 for 10-15 mins/game.
7) Casspi needs to be able to play like he has in pre-season.
8) Beverly and Lin needs to co-exist.
9) Garcia continues to shoot the 3 very well.
10) Brooks needs to be the 4 guard off the beach and provide some scoring in stretches.
11) Either D-Mo, Smith, Covington or Jones needs to become a reliable 4th big to use when others are in foul trouble.

That's a lot of things that need to go right. All of these don't necessarily need to go totally right, but most of them do.

 

I think we can definitely win a championship this year. We have amazing starters and a great bench and to add on to that we have the "Death Reaper", Patrick Beverly. As long as Bev plays hard def in the play offs and everybody else do their job we are seeded to win.

 

not even Miami could win it all in their first year. and they had 2 top 5 players in the NBA that year against Dallas.

I don't put Harden and Howard over Wade and Lebron in their prime. It's going to take some time--unless they make another significant acquisition that just puts them over the top and hastens the process.

 

Agree...

Injuries are the main concern

 

Adande is right. Newly formed teams don't win championships straight away. The 2008 Celtics were an exception because they were already so experienced. Hopefully we will be an exception too, but I'm guessing we win in 2015 or 2016

 

We have 2 top 5 players in our team too + a great shooting bench +
and 3 or more potential all-stars. I really think we can win this year and I'll bet Clutch fans' lives on that; except me.

 

This Rockets team is right about where OKC Thunder was in '12 when they made it to the finals. A young athletic team that can run, score, and defend the paint. They managed to beat the Spurs in the playoffs, who are the same contender team every year. So the key is to beat the Spurs.

 

I think you won't see growing pains of young inexperienced players in the playofffs because they have both already made it to the finals.

 

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