There is a greater chance we don't make the playoffs (Sea, LAC, Mem slips by us) than the chance we get past the 1st round (beat LAL, SA, Min or Sac in the first round). Personally, I think we make the playoffs simply because Utah is toast. 500 will get you in the playoffs in the WC and we got above that last year. Probably the 8th seed is what we get, maybe the 7th (with Phx 8) if Yao stays healthy and can provide 15P-10R-3A-3B in 35 MPG next year. But almost no chance we can get out of the first round as there is a bigger gap from the top 4 teams next year from us as was the case last year.
There is a greater chance we don't make the playoffs (edged out by one of Sea, LAC, Mem, heck, maybe Denver surprises) than the chance we get past the 1st round (beat LAL, SA, Min or Sac in the first round). Personally, I think we make the playoffs simply because Utah is toast. 500 will get you in the playoffs in the WC and we got above that last year. Probably the 8th seed is what we get, maybe the 7th (with Phx 8) if Yao stays healthy and can provide 15P-10R-3A-3B in 35 MPG next year. But almost no chance we can get out of the first round as there is a bigger gap from the top 4 teams next year from us as was the case last year.
it's pretty unrealistic to think Houston could really beat the top 5 (LA, SAC, SAN, DAL, MIN). Even Portland is out of reach. So the 7th or the 8th seed is the primary goal for the Rockets. But there are a few more teams with hopes. PHX, very strong team with a rejuvenated Marbury and an AllStar with the matrix. Penny Hardaway must be watched, he could do some damage next season, no one really knows what to expect from Amare, but he's an impact player. Casey Jacobsen is a deadly shooter. Jake (Voskuhl) had a pretty good season and Jake Tsakalidis had a good SL. The Rockets have the potential to make the playoffs. with Yao in the lineup, most people expect it. But the WC is so deep and if the Rox once again can't put a W on the the really important games, its possible that their season again ends in mid april....
the way i see it, the rockets need to keep this team together for one more season. if they are incapable of getting to the playoffs, it's time to jettison wink for one of the many huge FA's next offseason...including KG, kobe, etc.
As I said in my original post, I knew that I would get flamed for saying what I really think. Just as I was flamed for starting the petition on Rudy, (which for any potential revisionists was PRE cancer !!!). I do appreciate Desert Scar's reality based response. For those of you who REALLY feel like we're going to make the 6th seed, where have you been on the board lately??? The intent of my post was to draw some kind of posts just to read something of content since we've reached the nadir of boredom prior to the beginning of the season And for those of you who resort to name calling: I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person/s!! Oh, and for those of you playing at home, the odds-makers say that Houston is 10th in the line of teams picked to potentially win it all this coming season. (And because I believe in being completely forthcoming... this info comes from www.free-nba-predictions.com). And for those of you who are more optimistic than I am, this site agrees with you about the Clippers...they are rated after us. But I would also like to point out that both Seattle and Utah are rated higher, and I fully expect Golden State to play their asses off for their coach. I don't have the same faith in our current roster. I do agree with Verse about the next step in finding a solution for what ails us if we don't live up to your expectations, and we do live down to mine...
Don't take it personaly. I beleive someone on this very board painted it clear when they said, "Don't get into a battles of wits with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience".
rockets-#1 - You're clearly unarmed. Swilkins last post was for you ! Oh, and btw - cparka: No problem with whistling (it was a metaphor) - only the denial I shared last year with so many... Including many on this board, that 2002-03 was going to be a truly breakout year for this franchise. From where this team was at the All-Star break, the Rox CLEARLY underachieved!!! To believe that JVG and his stifling defense-minded pedigree is going to do ANYTHING for our crappy, league-wide joke of an offense, is to truly be in denial again. Personally, I refuse. This time I need proof, not promises. Thankfully, neither JVG or Les A. have defined this team as "one of the greatest teams in history!!" And, please for about the 100th time since last February when I became pessimistic after singing the praises of the Rox for the entire first half, ... I say that I would LOVE to be proven wrong!! But I was not wrong about the Rox missing the playoffs in '03... Nor was I wrong about Rudy's departure, and so far, I see NOTHING to convince me that JVG can turn around an inconsistent, ISO oriented offense that is only stellar about 1 out of every 3 games. So, while I don't disagree about the Rox POTENTIAL..... I remain a man fully prepared for dissappointment, and equally prepared to be pleasantly surprised...but at least this year, I'm prepared !
R-R-U.. haha, sorry.. i was just kidding about the whistling thing. nice of you to respond tho. i agree that the rockets underachieved. i think everybody knows that by now (tho i think some of these replies to the thread say a lot about how wrong i am). and as you mentioned, the offense certainly is a joke. i read about rudy's new 'motion' offense in an article last summer and got excited. now that i've seen it on display last season, if that offense worked in rox practices, the rockets defense must suck even more. i think the poor defensive lapses showed in a lot of games too. I, personally, do not believe JVG can do crap for the offense. He might be good for individual player development and team defense, but his Knicks teams were terrible at scoring. he mainly would run isos for sprewell and houston, sparingly dumping the ball to kurt thomas, or to O. Sound familiar? isn't that what rudy did ALL last season even after it was apparent that it wasn't working on some teams? who is drago pasalic anyway? you have some stats/bio on him?
Anyways.......... So do y'all think we can get the first pick next year....? LOL and with that pick who do we want... LOL I mean I'm basically getting ready for the "Uhm we did get a little better but hey we were adjusting to a new system and a new coach. But we are getting better even though we're bidding for the first draft pick in the lotto again."
I agree 100% with this take. The Rockets have not improved at all this offseason. They lost their best defensive player in JP and have only added a shooter and a scrub. This team will not make the playoffs because everyone in the west has improved. The front office of the Rockets has made it clear that the reason they didn't make the playoffs the past few seasons was the fault of Rudy T and his alone. Van Gundy is a hell of coach but he needs his type of players who play D and are unselfish, kind of like the player the Rockets refused to match and let walk to Memphis. VanGundy will soon realize that the only players who are truley dedicated and determined to win are SF and Yao. He will coach his ass off but there is just so much you can do with inferior talent( cat mobley) in this league. I am a Die hard Rockets fan and I hope by some miralce they reach the playoffs and the only way they can make it is if teams like GS, Seattle,LAC,Memphis all suffer some injuries that will mess up thier season. The Rockets will win about the same number games this season as they did last.
Yao has been playing all offseason in china. By the time NBA camps open up he will be tired and when the real season gets going he will be dead tired and hit the wall again. I know Yao views playing for his country as an honor and a privilage but the Rockets should step in and not allow him to play so much during a time when he can be resting. He has been playing all those stupid meaningless games for them. He should only be allowed to play for them when they are qualifing for the Olympics and if they make it then during the olympics as well. This guy along with steve is the future of your team, don't let him waste away in garbage games in China. The NBA season will probably be his offseason. At least he won't have to worry about playing in the playoffs at least for this coming up season.
It is hard to get excited about a team that played like the Rockets did last year. If they weren't the most boring team in the league they were close to it. JVG will surely change their "playground" antics, but, how much can he do with this bunch? As a fan I was hoping for a significant aquisition. So far, they havn't made one. Ho Hum.
tell yao to stop playing video games w/ boki and to go to sleep first, then tell me he's burnt out. and tell boki to stop acting like a first-round bust and he might see some PT.
First of all, I wouldn't believe Jeff Van Gundy if he told me that Posey was the best defender on last year's team. he was solid, but certainly not great. was he worth the full mid-level exception? no.. the rockets have enough players that got more than $4 million per season based on one season or less.. Second, not EVERYONE in the west improved. sure, the top echelon of teams made moves to bring proven talent to their rosters (Lakes, Spurs, Kings), and the Twolves positioned themselves to move close to those teams. those aren't all the teams in the west. add in the mavs, and there's still 3 playoff spots available. unlike you, i didn't see portland improve at all, golden state got worse by losing arenas and boykins (who saved their asses on many occasions), seattle is going to fall back more than 3 games behind after playing a full season w/o payton and d mason, and utah has left the league for the USBL or the NBDL. that leaves the rockets, memphis, and phoenix for the last three spots in the playoffs (in no particular order). don't pretend that everybody in the west has improved.
MEMPHIS?!?!?!?... hahahahaha... and kobe bryant will sign for the minimum next year.. HAHAHA... not in this century.... is the blazers, the rox, and the suns... POINT SAID
