Even if we get swept out of the first round I always look at it as extending the season and making the off-season that much shorter. November seems forever away with no playoffs.
Not so sure about that. The schedule isn't particular tough, but 22-7? Looking at it realistically, I think we could go 18-11, maybe even 19-10, but it sure won't be easy:
cool story bro, i'm not bashing you because only a true Rockets fans will still believe we will make the playoffs. I doubt Houston will make the playoffs this year. And even if they squeak in #8, whats the point of getting knocked out of the first round again. I'm not one to suggest tanking, but since the starters or the current roster are not getting done, while not let develop our young players on the court now, and who knows, we might even end up in the lottery or something, as opposed to making the playoffs and being on the cusp of the lottery year after year. There is absolutely nothing fun about mediocrity
I agree with ThaShark and HMMMHMM. 1) Win one road game and you have home-court advantage. Who says we're going to get stomped? Have we played those games yet? Chances are low we'd beat a top 4 team, but there would still be a chance (and it would be far greater than our chance at winning in the lottery). This is why you play the games. You should know that, already. 2) I've never understood this whole, "if we're not a top 4 seeded team then we aren't winning a championship" thing. I mean, especially not from a Houston Rockets fan. 6th seeded and we won a championship because we pulled together as a team. It's times like those that really pull a city and its fans together. Us against the world. David and Goliath. We play the part well of the underdog. 3) Stars are born in the playoffs. It is here that players are tested against do-or-die situations. Their perseverance shines bright, willing their team to victory. There are very few regular season games that have this kind of an effect on players. And it is under this kind of unrelenting pressure that players grow into legends or fade from history. So let's give our players the chance to grow. Does Kevin Martin have what it takes to make that next step? Will Scola's champion pedigree push us over the limit when everything is riding on his next shot? Is there any other player on our squad that's ready to explode onto the scene, blossoming into that next All-Star? That growth happens here, not in the regular season. 4) Even if a player doesn't grow into a superstar, he will still grow from being in such high-pressure situations that only the playoffs can provide. Low playoff experienced teams generally don't do well in the playoffs. So let's get experience now so that we're ready when our times does actually come. Prepare our players by fighting it out in a 7 games series or two against the league's best competition. 5) Making the playoffs is a good financial benefit. This may not mean much directly to us fans, but what it means to the owner has an indirect impact on how the team is ran down the road. More money generally means building a better team down the line, taking more chances for bigger payoffs. 6) Trade values improve. Houston Rockets don't generally get much national airtime. But every game is on national television in the playoffs. Our players earn name recognition. They build reputations here for the whole world to see. And if a GM hadn't already known what kind of player an undrafted point guard or center might have been before the playoffs, watching a 7 game series of him will certainly open his eyes. ***************************************** I could actually go on. But my bet is that you are like a ton of other clutchfans posters. You've already made up your mind. Either tank or go home. 8th seed in the playoffs means mediocrity to you because you don't want to see the true value of it. There is actually a very significant drop off in value from 8th seed in the West to the bottom of the lottery. But if you wish to sulk that we're not getting a #1 draft pick this year or the next because we aren't tanking, or that we'll forever be stuck in mediocrity, then there's really nothing anyone is going to say to make you change your mind. So why ask the question in the first place?
LOL, you sound like Reese Bobby, "If you ain't first, you're last" Now for something serious. That's messed up, Raven. Maybe we should all give back our 2nd, 3rd, etc. place awards because we weren't number 1? Don't know about you but I live for the whole season, not just the playoffs. I want to see a good game every time they hit the courts. I don't give NBA LP $170 a year to see our team purposely lose for a lottery pick. And after my long day of putting my best foot forward, I'm going to be pissed if the Rockets don't do the same.
Portland Phx No are all winnable games, even Dallas. I can see San Antonio playing their stars less in the last month, they will probably already have the 1 seed locked... So thats possible. I Can see us slipping into the 7th or 8th seed and who knows with trades and injuries anythings possible for us to pull an upset. Clutch City
Anyway, to add to the thread topic... Yes, the Rockets can make the playoffs. It has been known since the beginning of the season that they would end the season with a much easier schedule than early on. We've seen the worst of it. If they're going to make a run, now is the time because the schedule is on their side and they've built a good amount of momentum going down the stretch. Now, that being said...they will have to be a much better than .500 team the rest of the way to get there. Can they do it? Yes. Is it a lock? Not at all. The good news is that they've made some progress over the past 3 games. They've really started settling into a rotation that works. They're beginning to understand the importance of defensive rotations. And many of the guys have been making the kind of clutch plays that win games. I see this team growing now. They're finding ways to win. And they're winning close games against playoff teams. If they can hold home court and if they can beat sub-.500 teams the rest of the way then they will have a fair chance at winning that 8th spot. Now is not the time to give up on them.
I can't believe how many people are giving up on this team. We are primed and ready to make a big trade. Even without a trade we just won three straight in a row with two being on the road against teams ahead of us in the stands. With a win tonight against the Wolves we are two game under .500. The schedule favors our team and I believe we are watching Kevin Martin become a star and taking that next step ever since the Lakers game he has this new edge to him. He wants it and he wants it bad. I think we sneak in with the 8th seed. We are only 6 games behind the Nuggets and if they decide to ship Melo I don't see us having a problem catching them 18-11 and them going a game over .500 the rest of the way. Not completely unrealistic.
Yeah, and then we'll pay for it when our team goes 41-41 next season. Make this team better, we can't do it this year; do it next year...
Here's what matters to me in the playoff argument. Chances of winning the championship: By missing the playoffs: 0% By making the playoffs as an 8th seed: >0% Even if our chances are .001%, .001 > 0% and that's really all that matters to me.
We are too good to get a top 5 pick unless we completely tank the rest of the way and outside of that if there is someone we really want to get I'm sure we can trade for him. We aren't going to get that franchise player through the draft this year unless we completely luck out and draft and luck out on a sleeper i.e. Donatas or Jimmer at like the #12 spot we currently hold. I think even with the playoffs in mind we could trade LAC 2nd Rounder and the #18 pick or wherever we would draft from and get one of those two players.
I vote playoffs. The organization votes playoffs. The coaches vote playoffs. The players vote playoffs.
It's going to be really tough, but I'm still holding out hope for the playoffs. We do have the advantage of a much more favorable schedule the rest of the way than Portland, Memphis, and Phoenix. Portland has a particularly brutal March and April. Like the OP said, in so many games, we've been so close. I think the right trade could turn "so close" into wins. Remember, it was the month of February three years ago, where we jumped from the 10th seed to the 1st by winning 22 games. Not saying something like historical like that will happen again, but it's definitely possible for this team to go on a strong run--and it would be freakin awesome.
I'm waiting till the trade deadline. If nothing happens that makes us better on defense, then I hope to see the young guys playing the rest of the season. Let the elders rest for next season and hope we get a star in the draft.
