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nba.com Teams likely to fall #1 HOUSTON

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by ebu, Jul 29, 2009.

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ebu Member

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/john_schuhmann/07/29/072909schumann.fiveteams/index.html

Five teams that could be headed for a fall

By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted Jul 29 2009 11:06AM

Monday, we brought you the five teams most likely to make the jump from the Lottery to the Playoffs. For every new team that reaches the postseason, there's an empty seat on the stage in Secaucus. And somebody's got to take it.

It's always easier to find teams that are likely to improve than ones that are likely to get worse. And this summer, it seems like the ones likely to get worse are mostly teams that were bad already. But there are a few teams that made the Playoffs this year and could have some trouble getting back.

Who are they? Here are the top five candidates, with last season's record in parentheses.

1. Houston Rockets (53-29)
Yao Ming is out for the season. Tracy McGrady might as well be. And Ron Artest is now a Laker. In the competitive Western Conference, it's hard to imagine the Rockets holding on to a playoff spot.

With Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier, they should still be solid defensively on the perimeter. But without Yao, they have no center to keep guys out of the paint and challenge shots at the rim. Offensively, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola can do work one-on-one, but they have no anchor who can draw double-teams and get other guys open looks from 3-point range.

A Rockets team that doesn't defend as well and doesn't get open shots from the outside is going to struggle. Houston will need to take its lumps this season and hope Yao makes a full recovery from surgery on his foot.

2. Detroit Pistons (39-43)
With loads of cap space this summer, the Pistons had the opportunity to reload and bounce back from a terrible (by their standards) season. But was signing Ben Gordon for $55 million and Charlie Villanueva for $35 million the best way to spend their money?

Both players are talented, but limited. Neither seemingly does anything to help the Pistons restore their reputation as a tough, defensive team. And the Pistons are still lacking any sort of interior presence in the paint.

Allen Iverson and Michael Curry are gone, and hopefully, they take the chemistry problems of last season with them. But new coach John Kuester will need to establish a new identity in Detroit and get his players to buy in, because with Toronto and Washington getting stronger over the summer, reaching the Playoffs will be more difficult this season.

3. Miami Heat (43-39)
If they don't convince Lamar Odom to come back to Miami or the Jazz to send them Carlos Boozer, the Heat are looking at essentially the same roster that relied too heavily on the brilliance of Dwyane Wade last season.

It probably isn't smart to doubt Wade, but can he pull off another amazing year with little help from his supporting cast? His 79 games in 2008-09 were one of several career highs, and it was clear that he was on a mission to prove that he's still one of the best players in the game.

The Heat also fed on the weaker teams last season, going 27-12 against teams below .500. This year, the East figures to be a little stronger, and if they don't get Wade some more support, Miami will need to improve from within to stay afloat.

4. Philadelphia 76ers (41-41)
The questions with the Sixers start at point guard, where they lost Andre Miller and will now need to count on Louis Williams and rookie Jrue Holiday. Williams is talented, but not a true point guard, which will make things tougher for Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. Further, Philly's running game won't be as potent without Miller leading the break.

The Sixers will be getting Elton Brand back, but the questions continue there. Will the addition of Jason Kapono help give Brand the space he needs in the post, or is Brand just a bad fit with slashers like Iguodala and Young?

With a lot of youth, this team still has room for improvement, especially if second-year big man Marreese Speights can step up and take Samuel Dalembert's spot in the starting lineup. But with a lot of questions to be answered, a third straight trip to the postseason is not a sure thing.

5. Atlanta Hawks (47-35)
This spot was reserved for a second Western Conference team (perhaps the Jazz or Hornets). But last year's gap between the top nine and the bottom six in the West makes two changes hard to fathom.

A more likely scenario is the Raptors and Wizards returning to the postseason, and either the Sixers or Pistons hanging on. In that case, either the Bulls or Hawks would have to slide out. Chicago lost Ben Gordon, but will be getting Luol Deng back from injury and will have Derrick Rose with a year of experience under his belt. Further, the experience of taking the Celtics to seven games should help them like it did the Hawks a year earlier.

Atlanta could be set for a letdown. They clearly improved last season, but just aren't ready to take the next step. The addition of Jamal Crawford (who has never made the Playoffs in nine seasons, by the way) could make things easier on Joe Johnson, or it could create a chemistry problem. And they're still playing Al Horford at center.
Click to expand...

#1 ebu, Jul 29, 2009

napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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Gee, thanks NBA.com.

#2 napalm06, Jul 29, 2009
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The pistons?

#3 GlenRice, Jul 29, 2009
ItsMyFault Member

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Well.. he's pretty much right... I don't think we should be expecting anything great coming out of this season... hopefully we can win the lottery though and get John Wall.

#4 ItsMyFault, Jul 29, 2009
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Right about Rockets, but #1? Jesus
Wrong about Detroit, they shopped for the best talents this summer, and still got cap space for next summer. Pretty much 1 deal away from a great team: send out Rip or Prince for 1 big guy.

#5 dragonz, Jul 29, 2009
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well on paper, we look like scrubs...time to execute

#6 RedRowdy111, Jul 29, 2009
desi tmac91 Member

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I hope they're right. Next year's draft is strong.

#7 desi tmac91, Jul 29, 2009

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1000% spot-on.

Clutchfans need to get their heads out of the clouds -- the season is going to be brutal.

Be prepared...

#8 ApuN, Jul 29, 2009
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Well, that was insightful. No Yao, no T-Mac, no Ron-Ron = no playoffs. Obviously the Rockets are going to drop, but do they need to keep shoving it down our throats? Had this been the Lakers or Celtics and if Kobe and Gasol or Peirce and Garnett were both going to miss the upcoming season, would they keep writing these crap pieces about teams on the fall? Seriously, we get it. Just let us go in peace.

#9 Fyreball, Jul 29, 2009
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ItsMyFault said:

Well.. he's pretty much right... I don't think we should be expecting anything great coming out of this season... hopefully we can win the lottery though and get John Wall.
Click to expand...

There's a rare chance we even have a chance to get the #1 overall pick. Adelman is a coach that WINS and he will NEVER tank a season. I expect this team at worst to get the #10 overall pick.

#10 TheGreat, Jul 29, 2009
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Why is anyone suprised we would be the #1 team expected to fall?

We don't have a single guy that is a legitimate 20ppg threat. And Ariza has a LONG way to go to proving he is worth the 5 year contract he was given.

#11 RocketsPimp, Jul 29, 2009
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Water is Wet

www.nba.com/duh

By Frank Obvious, NBA.com
Posted: Today, sometime

We think you'll find water is wet. It's liquid and and it steams when subjected to hot temperatures. It can quench your thirst and cool you off. Some people want to swim in it, but we suggest pouring massive amounts of it all over your body.

#12 MadMax, Jul 29, 2009

2 people like this.
t_mac1 Member

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so same people who said we wouldn't make the playoffs when yao went down 2 years ago? or tracy mcgrady ended his season a year ago?

watch the team hold down the fort, tracy returns and we make the playoffs.

#13 t_mac1, Jul 29, 2009

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desi tmac91 said:

I hope they're right. Next year's draft is strong.
Click to expand...

The number one pick?

Yes we can!

#14 Raven, Jul 29, 2009
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t_mac1 said:

so same people who said we wouldn't make the playoffs when yao went down 2 years ago? or tracy mcgrady ended his season a year ago?

watch the team hold down the fort, tracy returns and we make the playoffs.
Click to expand...

We are losing our 3 best players. If we had Tmac or Yao it might be ok, but with neither this team is in trouble. If this team makes the playoffs RA should be coach of the year.

#15 Air Langhi, Jul 29, 2009
napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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MadMax said:

Water is Wet

www.nba.com/duh

By Frank Obvious, NBA.com
Posted: Today, sometime

We think you'll find water is wet. It's liquid and and it steams when subjected to hot temperatures. It can quench your thirst and cool you off. Some people want to swim in it, but we suggest pouring massive amounts of it all over your body.
Click to expand...

Yes. A much more creative version of what I was thinking.

#16 napalm06, Jul 29, 2009
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man, its a good thing there isn't a season yet to be played to determine this sort of thing.

#17 shipwreck, Jul 29, 2009
csux Rookie

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We are #1!
Suck on that, the rest of you #2-#30.

#18 csux, Jul 29, 2009

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This is actually a good thing. Every season we're rated pretty high and we tend to underachieve. This could change things.

#19 rawool, Jul 29, 2009
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haha this is tight. then prove everyone wrong.

#20 thino, Jul 29, 2009

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