National Media don't seem to be buying into the hype....

Los Angeles is a media center.

 

i never cared about what the media says

except for TNT and Kenny Smith, he's good

 

I also like NBATV, but only with Chris Webber. He's like the Dwight Howard of basketball analysts. Dude knows how to chill, have fun, but also be exceptional at his job. Oh yeah, and anything with Brent Barry also.

 

They're probably still a bit skeptical about Dwight based on what they saw last season. Some may feel like we're still a deal or two away from having the perfect and balanced cast of role players for Harden and Howard. Youth and unfamiliarity. This team looks good on paper as is but hasn't jelled nor built chemistry yet.

 

1. They are not sold on Dwight being able to perfom at a level he used to be. they have been preaching that he has been on the decline.

2. They are not sold on lin as a starting pg.

3. They still don't like beverly for causing injury to westbrook.

4. They are still not sold on Moreyball.

 

I'm more a skip Bayliss fan myself, because he tends not to have any biased opinion or hold unnecessary grudges over time

 

this.

 

5. They don't believe Harden a top 10 player despite average 26.5 PPG in his first starting season

 

I cool they are not buying the hype. It's best that they be surprised anyway.

 

well, that's a first for me! A Skip Bayless fan! Who knew? Good on ya!

 

Midway into the season... they'll come around.

 

There's a reason for all this you know...

Because Houston's not a basketball city. No fans=No money=no love from media

 

Well for one, this team hasn't proven anything yet. they look good on paper but thats about it right now.

On a side note, can someone tell Dwight to stfu about the lakers already? Stop stirring the pot and play. It seems as though every other day he has something to say. Dude, the spotlight isnt going anywhere for you shut up and play ball. If you have time to bump your gums you have time to practice a couple of hundred free throws a day or work with the Dream. And he's not a winner, he's successful until he proves otherwise and wins a championship. /endrant

 

1. After the Lakers fiasco, the pundits are more cautious of heralding teams until they have proven that they have chemistry, and rightfully so. IMO, I don't think it has much to do with Howard. Noone will be surprised if Howard kills it out there methinks.

2. For all the talk of how the Rockets were fun to watch last year, I don't think they actually watched many of our games, and thus they don't know the chemistry that we already do have and the hunger all of our players, coaching staff, ownership, and fans have for true glory. All they've heard is how Lin and Harden don't fit and that our defense sucks. BUT, imo, that is far from the truth.

3. Great, don't expect much of us. I guarantee though that they will be on our nuts 3 months into the season. Our chemistry and offense was too good last year for us not to get even better. We aren't even close to the Lakers situation. And on defense.. fuggedaboutit. 48 minutes of tough defense with Howard AND Asik, with Harden, Parsons, Lin all dedicated to becoming a better 2 way player, and with Young Bev coming into his own.. We're gonna win it all baby!

 

As biased as they both indivuslly are, I also really love Stephen Smith and Skip Bayless.

Many people don't like them. But they always have interesting things to say.

 

If Dwight had chosen to stay in LA, the media would be telling us about how Dwight is back to his old self.

 

The national sports media dissing the Rockets?

Never!

 

Look, fans don't give credit to writers for being right. They give credit to writers for writing what they *think* is correct. There's a difference. If the prevailing sentiment is that the Spurs are old, then writers will underrate the Spurs. If the prevailing sentiment is the Lakers and Kobe are super good, then they're rated highly. And this offseason, Howard is considered a cancerous p*ssy that don't want to win. So of course you can't write that the Rockets will be awesome.

Besides, do fans truly look back on preseason rankings 9 months later and debate whether a writer is smart or not based on it? Of course not. Anyone can say in 3 months, "Well, I had to see whether Dwight was Dwight. But now that I have 20/20 hindsight and watch Dwight playing like a superstar, I can say for sure that the Rockets are good. I wasn't wrong, I was just prudent."

In a way, Vegas is actually the most objective observer of team projection. Because they have money on the line for being good at predictions. Vegas has the Rockets as 54.5 wins and 3rd in the west. Which is fairly close to where I project them as a 2~3 seed and 55~60 wins.

 

Ha ha! There aren't many Skip Bayless fans around is right.