I'm trying to word this right so the poll results reflect accurately. Obviously virtually all of us here want the Rockets to win the NBA Finals, but that's not what I'm asking. I want to know what you consider a good enough result in the playoffs. In other words, anything less is a "disappointment". This is Yao Ming's and Tracy McGrady's third season together. Jeff Van Gundy is not under contract for next season. Bonzi Wells and Dikembe Mutombo are both free agents. Many here are considering players like Luther Head, Juwan Howard and Rafer Alston untouchable. On the flip side, the Rockets have not won a playoff series in 10 years (they clearly would have in 04-05 if not for the NBA playoff seedings flaws that no longer exist, but another thread, another time), and I can see many thinking that winning just one series is enough progress. So what's a good enough result for you? Where do you balance the great chemistry this team has with the end result?
I don't think a first round playoff series win would make me or others happy. If we are all healthy, I expect nothing less than a WCF appearance.
depends on who they play. if they play phoenix second round I can't expect them to win, due to matchup problems. if they play dallas at full health then i expect them to go to the wcf
The playoff will expose our deficiency and we do have a few. I am just hoping we could at least win a series.
That's what I think, too. I can't conceive a situation in which they can beat Phoenix right now in a 7 game series. They just don't have the small lineup depth to keep up with Phoenix. Getting Dallas, with a healthy Yao, would make for a great series in which I believe the Rockets can win.
hard for me to answer. It depends who we play. I would be disappointed in losing to anyone other than Phoenix. I feel very confident the players and coach expect to beat Dallas and SA...so I'd be disappointed losing to them. I mean that. We should beat Dallas. We will definitely beat SA. What we need to do is avoid the Suns. If we make the Finals, I will also be disappointed in losing to any East team. in short: I'd be fine with a 2nd rd loss to the Suns...in a competitive series. I woud be disappointed in anything else.
I believe they must play for all the marbles. However, if there's a Round II ostensibly it's v the (seemingly) invincible Mavs. If there's a WCF it's v the matchup nightmare Suns. Those two, and the ever 'there' Spurs are the only teams I 'fear'. But that's more than enough. Play well. Stay healthy. Roll out the ball and take the chances.
No shame in losing in the 2nd round to the Mavs or Suns. The good news is Phoenix's window is rapidly shrinking each year Nash gets further into his 30's. Dallas(and their own health) is the only real threat to the Rockets' title chances over the next 2-3 years.
Obviously a first round exit would be a colossal disappointment. But I have faith in the team and will undoubtedly go into the playoffs expecting the title. We have all the pieces in place, and if everyone can play up to their potential, there's no doubt in my mind that we can beat anybody.
I would be upset if the rockets didn't make it to the WC finals. They traded for Battier to win now, lucked out in signing Bonzi for peanuts, T-Mac is in his prime, the rockets have the most dominating center in the league and the best defense. Barring any injuries there should be no excuse.
Just making the second round is progress enough for me... Time for T-Mac to rid himself of the title of the only NBA player to win a scoring title and not move pass the first round. I have an honest expectation/prediction that we will see at least the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix/Dallas deserve their praise but they aren't nearly as unbeatable as some make them out to be.
I have to say that realistically as good as this team is and the level Yao and Mac are at right now, anything less than a title is a failure. It is note so bad to lose to the Mavs or Spurs or Suns BUT this team has more than enough to beat the Mavs or Spurs and while the Suns are an absolute nightmare matchup............ You still have McGrady Yao Battier in their primes and role players like Howard Wells Head Alston Mutombo And a guy like Hayes that can scrap and D up for you, plus there is always a guy like Novak could drain a 3 or two for a couple of possessions in a match game between coaches. JVG is a top-notch coach and then in the case against the awful Suns matchup I still believe guys like Spanoulis and Lucas can be useful. You look at that team and the entire organazation and fans need to be thinkg nothing than championship............I am convinced the organazation is but the fans are stuck in a loser mentality from so many years or failure. In other words the Rockets are not the favorite to win it, but they are more than the "darkhorse" people call them they are the most dangerous team come playoff time. The entire mindset should be anything less than a title is a disapointment.
Lots of good points so far that I agree with. I chose the 2nd round, as I expect them to make it there at the very least. I would be in utter shock, totally perplexed, and severely dissapointed if they don't make it out of the first round. I would go insane because I just cannot envision them not winning a series (if everyone is healthy). The only team I don't wanna see in the second round is the Suns; I believe the Rockets can beat anyone else. A 6 or 7 game series loss to the Suns or Mavs in the second would be really dissapointing, but 'good enough' seeing as the Rockets haven't won a playoff series in 10 years and the roster collectively doesn't have hardly any playoff experience. If they remain healthy and the role players play above average, I don't think this team can be stopped. I could see them becoming only the second team to beat 4 50+ win teams; you guys miiiight know who the other team was. It won't be because they're a lower seed; it's just due to the fact that the west is so stacked this year they could end up playing UTH, DAL, PHO, and DET, all 50+.
Assuming they secure home court advantage in the first round with at least the fourth seed, I would be disappointed if they lost to their first round opponent, whoever that may be- Jazz, Lakers, whoever. Making it to the final four in the west is a big, big deal this year. Making it to the WCF is essentially like making it to the NBA finals. This conference is brutal, Mavs and Suns are playing incredibly, and Spurs are still an experienced, tough team that plays well in the playoffs. If my Rocks lose to one of those three teams in the second round, I won't consider it a 'failure', so long as they make it competitive. Four-and-out vs any of them would be a failure of sorts. Don't get me wrong- I'll be disappointed if they lose any series. But soundly beating their first matchup and taking the Mavs or Suns to 7 games would show 'enough' improvement to believe they are poised to continue towards a championship.
I submitted 2nd round exit. For me I feel this team needs to win a 1st round series. Especially with our "win now" mode with the Battier acquisition. Winning a Playoff series is important for this team psychologically. Especially for guys like Tmac and Yao. So to do that, I think is important. This team needs to get as much playoff experience to know what it's like to play in the playoffs and what it takes to WIN in the playoffs. I think if we could have added James, I would have been optimistic not only to get to the 2nd round, but at least get to the WCF if not more. I think our team is pretty good, just a player away this season. I think the Rockets can beat anyone in the West except Dallas and Phoenix. That's where I think we are a player away. They can beat the Spurs, but I admit that the Spurs will be tougher in the playoffs. If the Rockets get a 4 or 5 seed and end up playing Utah or the Lakers or someone like that in the first round, they need to beat those teams. If they play the Spurs in the 1st round, that will be a tough break to get them, but I still think we can beat them but it would be a serious war!
The wording of the first option is almost where already are... it would take a lot for the Rockets to not make the playoffs. Assuming health... I would be OK with close losses to Dal or PHX, regardless of round. Slightly upset at a close series loss to SA, as I think the Rockets are better. Disappointed with series blowouts from the above teams or any kind of series loss to any other team, including UT and LA and the East champ.
I would have said Finals appearance, but since the East is so bad, and in order to get to the Finals we'd have to beat 2 of the following 3 teams, SA, PHX, Dallas, we couldn't possibly be happy just to be there!
Anything less than winning at least one series should be and will be considered a disappointment. Personally, given the level of the guards the Rockets will face, I look for both Alston and Head to be "savaged" in the playoffs. The PG spot and the lack of consistent outside shooting was an obvious weakness that management has not addressed over the last two seasons. Chemistry is great, glad the guys are having a good time together, but if the Rockets are bounced out early, I will consider it yet another "failure" of management to put the right players around TMac and Ming. It will be even harder to forget that the Rocket's "brain trust" traded away James for Alston, and then spent the last two years trying to get James back. That pretty well defines "dumb" to me.
