Didn't OKC just spend all their precious capspace on Cole Freakin Aldrich? Again, they are being overrated. Here's a stat: games played last year. Durant: 82 Green: 82 Westbrook: 82 Sefalosha: 82 Kristic: 76 Collison: 75 Harden: 76 Ibaka: 73 Their starters missed a TOTAL of 6 games COMBINED last year, and they still were in 8th place in the west, even with POR, LAL, DEN, SAS, UTA (all ahead of OKC) who had far more injuries. I don't expect them to have this good fortune in the future. Color me not-so-impressed with OKC's performance last year. I hate how everyone keeps harping on and on about how "they were only one game away from forcing a game 7 against LA!" Give me a freakin break. I'm baffled that Portland didn't garner a single vote from these experts.
Looking at current rosters or even current superstars isn't going to get you far because rosters change and stars ask for trades. The Shaq/Penny Magic were supposed to be the team of the decade and then Shaq took off and destroyed the team. So maybe Durant stays and the Thunder are a mainstay for years to come. Or maybe he forces a trade to NY to play with Chris Paul and OKC becomes a wasteland. It's probably safe to say Miami will be a powerhouse for years to come. Their stars chose to be there themselves, they're friends, and they have long contracts. But, who knows. Lebron could get injured, or a love-triangle could destroy their relationships (like the trio in Dallas), or who-knows-what. But, as far as one could predict, Miami will be there. After that, I would look at GMs and locales, not rosters. The Lakers will be competitive and maybe even great again after Kobe. Forget the old-fogies on the roster. They have a good management team, and players will always want to play in LA and for the Lakers. New York also has the locale, but I don't think they've got the management for it yet. Same with Boston and Chicago. Phoenix and Houston and San Antonio and Utah will probably be good for most of the decade, and maybe great if they get lucky, just on good management. Meanwhile, I'm confident that Clippers, Wolves, Grizzlies, Hawks, Warriors, Bucks, Raptors, and probably some others will not be the team of the next decade simply from bad locales and/or management.
I'm not sure why alot of people are overlooking the Rockets and the Lakers. Rockets have one of the youngest, most talented cores in the NBA. I think the Rockets will easily be better than the Thunder this year. Lakers are the defending champs and nowhere near old. They don't have to look at "young talent" for another 5 years and who knows how many rings they'll have with their 30 year old roster.
I tried looking for reasons why Kobe and the Lakers might not be successful but much to my chagrin I couldn't find any. Looking at his age (just turned 32) and mileage (14 seasons played) he's still relatively young and has had no serious injuries throughout his career. Combine that with his unquenchable thirst and desire for winning and it will keep him at the top for another 4-5 years. Not to mention he's also a freak when it comes to training and keeping his body in shape. If Kobe starts slowing down and isn't the alpha-dog anymore at age 36+ I could totally see him taking on a secondary role surprising as it may sound (although he'd still be portrayed as the alpha-dog and he'd portray himself that way as well) just to win more rings and further cement his legacy. Especially, if the "Superfriends" are still together. Also, it wouldn't be hard for the Lakers to attract a top player to come play in Hollywood while Kobe is there or even after he's gone. Sucks to admit it but it's true.
you are basing that on who will end up in new york .. why dont we take yao out of the picture for a second.. we enter the next decade with a talented team with room in our salary cap (minus yao, jefferies, battier) with some good talent (brooks, scola, martin, lowry, hill, patterson, lee) and potential 2 lottery picks in the coming years .. and we are not better than knicks, who can only dream about paul and anthony. and that is forgettting the fact that currently as it stands, WE have a better chance of landing melo than the knicks do.... btw baron davis of the clippers, prob more injury prone than even yao.... and oh yah they are the clippers, so in the next 3 years half of their talent will be play
the clippers and the knicks have someone better than us right now? with the cap space we can have next decade along with extra pick coming to us PLUS the talent we already have (btw MIP to me says a young player that is improving, so maybe aaron brooks will disagree with you and players are either legit superstars or young and improving) I dont knwo about anyone else.. as for me I think we should atleast get consideration along the lines of knicks and clippers. and yes im a homer, why is that a bad thing, are we getting paid to be fair and neutral? This is a HOUSTON ROCKETS FAN website.... id say you dont belong on here unless ur a homer..
Taking Yao out of the picture, we have no elite player and that's what it takes (probably more than one) to win a championship. Baron Davis has missed 71 games combined in the last five years. Yao missed all of last season, and close to half of three of the previous four seasons. Yao's second healthiest season in the last five years, he played 57 games. Davis has played more games than that four of the last five years.
I still don't get why some of you get worked up over the opinion of someone from the media. It's just a prediction.
my point is if you dont resign yao bc he is hurt (worse case scenario) .. you are clearly not just going to sit on the 17.8 million salary cap space that will be created .. along with the 14 million you will save by not signing battier and jefferies... with nearly nearly 22 million in cap space (taking into account that aaron brooks will command some of the 30 million you will have) .. you STILL can go out and get atleast one max player to go along with all the talent you have .. in addition with the tradeable assets its not a far fetched idea that we can trade for a star... and that doesnt even include the hopeful plan of yao coming back healthy and remaining healthy much like big Z.... so with all that in mind, why WOULDNT we get the same look as the knicks .. im not saying mention our chances of being good next decade with the heat.. but the knicks? and the clippers? even the magic have 2/4 of their top players showing signs of aging in lewis and carter ..
Y'all have forgotten that it was the Rockets that pushed the Lakers the farthest in the post-season than any other team not named the Celtics. And that was without the Great Wall. Rockets are primed for a run this year. Top 4 seed this year. Add Melo and the Rockets will be #2. Book it.
Kobe doesnt have more than 3 good seasons, and they dont have a young star to continue dominating. Bynum?? I prefer AB or almost all the young players over him. I would Miami and OKC, or another team could be a surprise and get a really great player in a few years. things can happen.
