There's always a chance and never say never although the Western Conference is about as good as i've ever seen it. Maybe even better than the 93-95 seasons with Spurs, Jazz, Suns, Rockets, Sonics, Nuggets & Blazers. The things right now the Rockets got to do is run the offense, move the ball, go to Yao as option #1 and let it go from there. The shots do have to fall though and the three point shooting has got to improve by 200%. No more quick three, forced threes, contested threes etc. The only player who can shoot threes all night imo is Brooks. He's got a great touch and will be like Kenny Smith was to the 90s Rockets. I think a trade has to be made if Battier, Head & Bonzi if they don't stay consistent. Mike James is certainly included in any package and maybe Hayes too because we need a scoring PF. In my humble opinion every basketball player has got to have the ability to make shots and Hayes just can't. He can make a lay-up from time to time but that's it and let's not start on his FT shooting, that's a reason right there to send him back to college to work on. I like the effort of almost the whole team but if only Yao (and McGrady before he got injured) can be consistent then we got to have 5 guys on the floor who can shoot. Maybe a trade isn't even necessary, but just throwing things around in rotation. Just start Scola and put Hayes in for some defense, same goes for Battier if he doesn't start making his shots. I wouldn't mind seeing Rafer along with Brooks / Francis at guard + McGrady & Scola at forward + Yao. I don't see it happen though because i think (maybe i'm wrong) Adelman is not the kind of guy to throw things around. He's an easy kind of guy who lets things come to him and lets people play even though they're not up to par. So in all honesty, if we keep playing this way even with T-mac back we won't make the playoffs and it's going to be a 30-40 win year. Which would be sad because i think next year McGrady or Yao wants to be traded seen the circumstances. You can't even blame them for wanting to play on another team after so many good records and 1st round knock-offs. Both guys are scoring and almost every night do what they have to do, only McGrady has to step it up at D and go with RA's system but that's it. Any1 agrees ?
We have no realistic chance of making the playoffs... <br> I have seen crazier things though... <br> but, we won't make the playoffs
Yes it's gonna be tough, but you have to believe even when things get tough, other wise your just a quiter. There's a million things that can happen between here and there, one is growing a pair of balls and not rolling over like a rock. If we countinue to play like we have no balls, sure no playoffs. Things can change in a hurry and then everyone will be back on the bandwagon or maybe not. To this point in the season, I consider the season a big bust, but it's not over until the fat lady sings. I've seen stranger things happen. I continue to "Believe". With or without you know who.
Chris Paul, hasn't play a full season yet, and if he get a little bit hurt, Hornets are done, they are nothing without him, every time he seat to get a break they team look like crap. Plus we know about Peja and Bobby Jackson health. Last year 26-13 at this point This Year 26-12 Some players got hurt they end with a 42-40 And if thing about Baron Davis been healthy for a full season, think again he already is playing with a bad shoulder and knees, and he need to play so hard and so many minutes every game for them to win that I don't think he will last effective the rest of the season and they are in striking distance
Wow 2 game different in the lost column from the 8 seed 43 games to go and the easiest scheduled in the NBA is Sooo Unrealistic.
The Lakers' self-destroying 10-game losing streak to weak Eastern teams should begin right about...NOW. Also...there's no way the Rockets aren't making the playoffs. 7 or 8 seed, yes, but it only takes like a .500ish record to get there. I may be a bit stoned out, but I think 45 wins is largely possible, so hell, .500? I'm not even going down to that.
What is the value of an easy schedule if you can't beat teams like the 76ers at home, with or w/out McGrady?
Coolstandings.com agrees. We only have a 37.5% of making the post-season now. Every game counts since our expected number of wins is a couple of games less than the 8th seed. You wouldn't be able to tell that based on the way we finish 4th quarters. The Rockets are way too happy after 3. They think winning three quarters is the NBA championship.
Several of those teams are known for their injuries in the past couple of years. Lakers: Odom and Kobe (and now Bynum) Portland: Roy goes down every so often, Oden, Aldridge here and there NO: Pretty much the entire team Denver: Camby is ripe for a good injury (Although every other big man they own is also out) If the Rockets could get a good run going, stay healthy, and beat the teams they are supposed to; then we should have a chance. If any of the above teams has a big injury (which the odds are in favor for), we might squeak in.
The odds are at least as good that Yao gets injured or McGrady sustains another injury. If we are banking on teams ahead of us losing key players, that further proves we have little chance of making the playoffs.
I'm going to guess that this is Brooksball's first year as a Rockets fan, because he's obviously not aware of the Rockets' tendency of exploding in the 2nd half in recent seasons. And considering how easy our 2nd half schedule is compared to the first half, a monster 2nd half run is imminent.
The Rockets are going to have a huge February ... I see 10-3 or even 11-2. The schedule caters to it. I think they will be in the top 8 at the end of February, but will that surge be enough to help them win games that they shouldn't win in March and April? Here's my breakdown of the schedule... not really predictions, just putting a win next to games we should win, and a loss next to games we should lose. Some were very hard to call, like @Portland or at home against Utah. I tried to balance it out. As we know, it never goes that way (cough -- at home against Philly)... but gives an idea. My guess is around 45 wins. May not be enough. If we don't make a huge surge, it's going to come down to how we perform against teams like the Blazers and Nuggets. 1/19 San Antonio L 1/21 Seattle W 1/23 @ Seattle W 1/25 @ Portland W 1/27 Utah L 1/29 Golden State L 2/1 @ Indiana W 2/2 @ Milwaukee W 2/4 @ Minnesota W 2/7 Cleveland W 2/9 Atlanta W 2/11 Portland W 2/13 Sacramento W 2/19 @ Cleveland L 2/21 Miami W 2/22 @ New Orleans L 2/24 Chicago W 2/26 Washington W 2/29 Memphis W 3/2 Denver W 3/5 Indiana W 3/6 @ Dallas L 3/8 New Orleans L 3/10 New Jersey W 3/12 @ Atlanta L 3/14 Charlotte W 3/16 LA Lakers L 3/18 Boston L 3/19 @ New Orleans L 3/21 @ Golden State L 3/22 @ Phoenix L 3/24 Sacramento W 3/26 Minnesota W 3/30 @ San Antonio L 4/1 @ Sacramento W 4/3 @ Portland L 4/4 @ Seattle W 4/6 @ LA Clippers W 4/9 Seattle W 4/11 Phoenix L 4/13 @ Denver L 4/14 @ Utah L 4/16 LA Clippers W Injuries and trades will occur between now and then, so never know how the landscape will change. I am usually Mr. Tank when things look grim ... but no way do you throw in the towel now.
Your guess about this 2nd half run is probably going to be as accurate as your first guess about how long I have been a fan. Plus, there is no real tendency for 2nd half runs. It happened a couple of times in recent years with different players/coaches making up each of those teams. That is a mythical trend not a legitimate one.
I respect your opinion, Clutch, but I am not looking at it from a perspective of our remaining games. It is simply too hard to predict the outcome of 40+ games, even if the schedule appears favorable. I am simply looking at the quality of the top 7 teams in my original post and making a general prediction that we will not surpass any of them. Of the remaining teams, I don't see any chance of us surpassing the Warriors. They have played well most of this season (24-11 since Jackson returned) and will likely rip off a couple of big winning streaks in the second half of the season. Unless we are banking on other teams facing injuries, I don't see any hope. The players shouldn't throw in the towel but I am throwing in mine.
They look pretty reasonable. I'd say we lose a few more (Portland comes to mind), so I'd say about 43 wins.
