Scout to SI: "Rockets are one of the most overrated teams" + "Lin can't be a starter."

Absolutely true. Hard to plan for those though. Heat reached 7.9 ppg differential last season. What was OKC? 8.4?

 

It does need to improve... the advanced statistics show that it needs to improve. The point is that it is not as simple as "bad defense" by the perimeter players, some of it is scheme based and the Rockets coaching staff (with Howard in the middle) will be able to focus more attention on the corner 3's.

I am not saying that the Rockets defense on the perimeter is great or elite, only that the reasons for the poor perimeter defense is not as simple as some seem to think. Likewise, the elite post defense is not entirely because of Asik, some of it is because the Rockets plan was to prevent scoring inside... but it came with a cost.

For the scout to claim that Howard is not really an improvement defensively, and that the perimeter players on the Rockets are not capable of being good defenders is a very limited and simplistic opinion. The Rockets now will be in a position to change their strategy and I suspect that you will see an improvement by the perimeter players on the defensive end (base purely on scheme) and you will at BEST see a modest improvement in post defense (because less emphasis scheme-wise) this season. Overall, I expect the Rockets to be in the top half of the league defensively, if not better.

It is like anything else, you pick your poison....

 

I do think that to get to the WCF, we need to get the #2-#3 seed. The winner of the #4-#5 matchup play the winner of the #1-#8 in the 2nd round if im not mistaken. So a 4th seed 1st round win will mean facing the #1 western conference seed in the 2nd round.

 

Not sticking your neck out much are you? The Rockets were 16th last season.

 

Seriously... When were these words ever okay to use in a journalism, academia, government, and business??

I just could not get over this...

 

I don't know if the Rockets can make it to the finals. But to act as if they are just a 1st or 2nd round team is absurd. They were the youngest team in the NBA last season with a great offense and made the playoffs. Of course adding a top 10 player this off season is more than enough for a 2nd round win.

 

I like it when even the negative predictions for our team are in the "2nd round of the playoffs" range.

Not even many people on here expect a finals appearance or even a title this year. I think most would be alright with the 2nd round and thrilled with the conference finals. This team has so much to learn and so many players are still very young (and Morey is not done building the roster), so this is still an orientation year with the chance to go far.

Oh, and I think he is wrong about Dwight. Dwight wants to win, Dwight still has game and is still probably the best center in the NBA. Nobody would do a Dwight for Aldridge trade straight up. He will help us on defense and he will help us on offense - we will just have to find out how to best utilize all our players together.

Oh and about this team winning lots of regular season games but losing in the playoffs - why is that? We can go fast, we can slow it down, we can go big, we can go small, we have great depth at PG, SF and C. Sure, we are relying on hitting 3s, but other than that, I´d say this team is build to win in the playoffs.

 

Legit critique of our team. I don't think we're a contender for a few reasons.

Howard and Lin have a lot to prove this year.

 

While all a little extreme, it's hard to disagree with any of them but the Parsons comment.

And even if he is a product of our system, why is that a strike against him/us? He's a piece that is an effective asset to our team. Isn't that the point of building a roster?

 

Dallas Scout LA scout NBA eastern scout doesn't matter this guy will be eating his words I believe ...(I hope)

 

No kidding, must be trolLin'.

Laughable. The best Nash did in his first four years was 8 and 5. Jury's still out.

This is the most ridiculous:

What the heck??? Is this a boy scout or something? Can he drink yet?

But. It's not a bad thing to be underrated anyways, prove'em wrong boys!

 

That's why we have a regular season for, to get better to contend in the playoffs.

His opinion is still an opinion. Players need to play to put all those naysayers to rest.

 

As Clutch said, this isn't an "upgrade." It's a pure free agent *addition*. An upgrade would be if we traded Asik to get Howard. We still can trade Asik.

 

First Bulletin board of the season! If feels good to be hated!!

 

What jury is that?

 

Best post of the thread.

 

lol I agree his writing is not that great. Seems like all observational opinions with little facts or analysis to support.

He should just join Clutch and make his own thread here, would have been the same - though there are probably better writers here.

 

Agreed!