By the end of this coming week, we'll have played 18 games on the road and 12 home games. Our current record at 16-9 is composed of a team that is 7th in the league in point disparity at +3.72 per game, while actually shooting a worse FG% than our opponents. The teams that are ahead of us in point disparity generally shoot anywhere from 1.5% to 5% (Boston) better than their opponents. Holding our defense constant (7th ranked at opp fg% .438), and recognizing the fact that we have been without MAJOR assets, including Battier for 15 games, Barry & TMAC for periods, Artest for several games, and now Alston, means that our poor percentages may benefit from having shooters spread the floor as well as rested legs from having a deeper bench. Correct me if I am wrong, but-- Cleveland, LA, Boston, Orlando, Denver, NO and Portland (missing martell webster) have not experienced injuries or delays to their starters to the extent that we have already weathered. Basically, we have a tremendous opportunity for upside-- given the production figures we were able to accomplish despite deficiencies.-- Players injuries & number of road games compared to home games. whatcha say?
Were doing pretty good despite all the injuries. Im thinking if Brandon Roy doesnt make that miracle shot and George Hill doesnt make that last second shot to beat us we would be 18-9 and 2nd in the Western Conference right now. Even with that said people would still be bashing our team and asking to trade our best players who got us here.
Elie, I agree with your premise, I just worry about the execution, as our players seem more prone to injuries than most. DD
Rockets will finish 2nd in the west if healthy. First round opponent: Nugs. Mcgrady gets monkey off his back.
I think you nailed it here. The Rockets record, given their play, is not too bad... and of all the "contenders", they have the most room to improve.
Worrell said it best: Championships are never won in Dec, but they can be lost. I think the goal right now is to keep all of our guys healthy for the stretch run and to get home court in the first round. We are definantly on pace for that right now. Mcgrady looks great. Yao looks great. Artest is battling his ankle a little bit, but I'm not very worried about him. Keep these guys healthy, and I like our chances in april.
I think we've done well all things considered, but our strengths appear fragile. All of our stars seem injury prone and have a tendency to disappear in games. To make it more frustrating, the games they disappear in are against teams like Memphis or the Clippers. I'm usually a pretty positive fan, but to be honest, this is one of the first times in a number of seasons where I've had trouble investing much emotion into the team and its due to the inconsistency. I'm hoping health and consistent play by the Rockets change my attitude. I really don't want to sit through another year of promise ending with a first round out. I want the Rockets to give me something to watch that makes me believe this season will end differently. To date, I haven't seen it.
Offensive execution and efficiency. If we find a way to fix those two issues, without sacrificing too much at the other end, I think we can be a legit contender this season. At this point, I think that will require changes in the rotation or some kind of trade. We don't have enough perimeter players that finish consistently around the basket. The reason we are in the cellar of the league in terms of offensive efficiency is that Alston and Artest don't finish well around the basket and they take a significant portion of our shots. Shooting well inside the arc is a characteristic of teams with high FG%. McGrady doesn't go to the basket consistently over the course of a season and when he does, his declining athleticism and poor touch in close makes it hard for him to finish. He has always reverted to contested jump shots over time despite what he has done the last few games. Yao's and Landry's efficiency is hardly enough to counter the inefficiency of those three players. I believe that putting Brooks and Landry in the starting lineup, or giving them the majority of minutes at their positions, would improve our offensive efficiency but would likely hurt our defense. The question is does their superior offense outweight their inferior defensive. I'd like to find out over the course of 10-15 games or so.
Van Gundy said today on ESPN radio that Houston has the largest room for improvement among playoff teams. He is obviously correct. Only question now is will we get there in time without falling apart along the way?
I am neither surprised nor disappointed with this team so far. Didn't expect so many injuries, and I figured SF3 would have gotten a chance to play - but neither of those raise an eyebrow. Overall, feeling pretty positive - cautiously optimistic. The only downside I can see is injuries - which is a constant from before. Doesn't seem like anyone has anything too sever. Hamstring injury on Rafer is a bumer because that could really affect his play even when he comes back. Those things are a nightmare to recover from. But so much upside. We've seen glimpses just like last year, but not the consistent effort. I think this team will pick up momentum after the New Year just like last year, and considering our improved record relative to a year ago...and the fact that we did not have Yao for most of the second half.... 60 games is not out of reach. I expect 55-60 games for this team. 60 would mean going 44-13 the rest of the way. The key here is this...if we lose 4 games or less before the all-star break, I think we will hit it for sure as this team will only get better month by month.
I believe the Rockets are the second best team in the west right now. They really need luck with injuries, and need to secure that 2nd seed if they want to go deep in the playoffs. The losses to the Spurs, Pacers, and Blazers should of been wins.
On the bench receiving his check..... Steve is pretty much done.. It was a great thought and wish for a comeback; but his age and injury are not in his favor. Plus if he does come back he will never be the same. The saddest thing to see is when an athlete stays past his time.
Expectations were so high, then even the preseason began with a broken down and limping team, and that was sooooo discouraging to many fans. Given the frustrations associated with this team any set back is magnified. Rockets fans were spoiled by the Hakeem era and the championships and since then it has been an extended dry spell, a combination of high expectations and disappointing performances. Throw in the never ending injuries and you have a formula for cynicism. What now? Well of all the contenders (if they really are contenders) the Rockets have the greatest upside, or do they? Any further injuries to Yao, TMac, or Artest and stick a fork in them. As to the possibility of improved play, yes that is likely to happen; inspiring performances have been few and far between. Last night was a glimmer of hope for me, some very efficient play from the big three, but they are still not healthy. Follow the Rockets, cheer for the Rockets, but don't invest too much. This is a fragile bunch and it is a long season. As I said once before "hope springs eternal" and with the Rockets, it has to.
The Spurs and Pacers games were just meltdowns. The Blazers game we deserved to lose. We waited too long before playing up to our capabilities. Blazers controlled the game up until the very end. The Spurs and pacers games were opposite.
True... but I'd rather "underperforme" at 16-9 than 12-13. As far as early season Rockets underperformance goes, 16-9 isn't bad. Besides LA, BOS, and CLE (and maybe ORL), there isn't another team significanly ahead of the underperforming Rockets.
