[nba.com] Most Disappointing in the West: Rockets

The Rockets are 7.5 games over .500

 

We're 3 games back of the Spurs.

 

Harden really hasn't been healthy this season.

He has played with injuries which made it difficult for him to recover quickly. Not sure if his ankle is still an issue (since he barely rested it despite being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain).

Still, this team could be a lot better, but saying this team is the most disappointing team in the West is kind of reaching.

 

we're also 3 games out of playoff contention. the west is tough.

 

You can say we're below expectation but most disappointing? We're just 1.5 game behind the Clips and they sounded like we're the worst team in the west.

 

I'm not gonna argue with the fact that the Rockets can look like world beaters one night and a first round knockout waiting to happen the next night. The two things that plague this team right now are their lack of depth and their inconsistency.

The first can hopefully be mitigated starting with the upcoming trade deadline and what I hope is the eventual trade of Asik. The starting 5 is fine and the bench is somewhat improved now that Lin is regaining his early season form and McHale has been formally introduced to D-Mo(yes, Kevin, the guy can play). But they need backup 2-3 and 4-5 guys.

The second problem though I'm not sure what can be done about it. Granted, a better head coach being hired in the offseason might help, but there are no guarantees there. I do think if there was a stronger commitment to defense, that would go a long way towards preventing these losses to bad teams. There will always be nights where you don't have it offensively, I don't care who you are. But if you play good solid D every game, you allow yourself a shot at winning in spite of poor shooting.

 

Memphis would destroy us

 

How are we the most disappointment...?? didn't they have the warriors at #3 going into the season...?

 

Completely agree. What's crazy is how obvious it is. They don't even try to hide it.

They don't follow the Rox out of spite, then form ignorant opinions from the few games they've seen.

All the elements don't need to click right this season, much less right now. We have the right potential to win a title, which is what matters the most.

 

Their love affair with GS makes me laugh. They don't even have one legit superstar, much less two.

 

thanks for the reply great post! yeah like you said on bad shhoting nights “Heart and defense” can still grind you out a win or at least keep the game close. I feel like that’s something the rockets need to work on when they have these bad shooting nights. This will happen in playoffs were not going to be shoot lights out every game.

There is no reason to just get blown out if we aren’t shooting good against an elite team that’s when we need to fight, run P&R, and lock in on defense.

 

The Rockets can lose every game to PHX, LAC, GS, MIA, OKC, SA, IND, POR and DAL and still win 51 games.

Although the Rockets have some tough games left (PHX2), LAC (2), GS, MIA (2), SA, IND, POR..... they also have some very easy games on the schedule.

If the Rockets beat the teams they should, they will be right there.

 

The Lakers are well expected to not do great this year lol. No one has any expectations at all of them.

 

Memphis made the WCF last year and has brought back the same roster more or less. I don't see how they aren't the easy choice. Yes Gasol was hurt for awhile but if were going by that the Rockets have had a lot of injuries as well.

Every single preseason article I read had Houston in the 4-6 seeds in the West and we are 5 right now I don't get how we're the #1 most disappointing team. We only have one true superstar in Dwight and a bunch of other nice players, what do they expect right now?

 

Completely this. We might not be tearing up the league, but to call this team the most disappointing is just trollish garbage. They're just pandering to the haters for clicks.

 

he's speaking of Harden only. he's HOF.

 

I agree that the media is falling all over itself to praise the warriors - and simultaneously crap on the rockets. I think theREALDEALkid hit it on the button when he (or she) said it's because they're still collectively p.o.'d that Dwight would dare leave the almighty lakers and their history of big men and excellence and kobe and blah blah blah for the *nose upturned* Houston Rockets.

However, I would also argue that Steph Curry is a legit superstar. He gets a lot of love from the media, admittedly, but he can bring it, and defenses key on him every night.

 

Curry?

Let's not be homers folks.

In some ways this team has under performed in certain aspects but there is a lot of basketball to play. Injuries have also killed the team. Okc has been playing great without Westbrook so I can't say we are the only ones.

 

Yeah, the lack of defense I think is what's really hurting the Rockets and stems in part from their propensity to take nights off mentally when a seemingly inferior opponent comes to town. It's not exactly a problem unique to this team. Shoot, even the Rockets during the early-to-mid 90s during the championship era had that problem. Remember that loss to the 17-65 Clippers before the Clyde trade? Or to the 11-71 Mavs at the end of the '93 season which cost them Game 7 at home against the Sonics?

I hate to say it, but they may have to learn the hard way like a lot of teams do. It may take them missing out on home court by a game or two and losing a Game 7 on the road to drill it in their heads going forward that they need to treat each regular season game with the importance it deserves.

 

I don't know about the MOST disappointing. i think the majority of why its extremely disappointing is because of how many games we lost that we should have won.

We have 17 losses, we legit should be 39-10 right now AT LEAST, if not better. Thats whats so frustrating as a rockets fan right now. So we are pretty disappointing even though we aren't really doing bad.