The Difference Between the Rockets and the Contenders

Favor
Favor of the Refs
Favor of Silver
Favor of the crowd

Rocket River

 

small sample size alert

 

We are not as good as we were two years ago, but we are still contenders. There are about 3-4 teams that will be in our way.

 

More accurately, knee jerk dumb ass alert.

 

contenders usually get some just in time helps from refs.
Rockets getting none of that shiit.

 

You have some of the most ridiculous and ignorant takes in all of CF.

 

They sure looked like contenders to me...

 

look at his name , at least he can not be accused of being dishonest

 

Disagree. They played pretty good defense. Clippers just made big shots. Maybe one play where rivers slipped but I can’t be u happy with the effort. The issue I see is decision making by most players like PJ, Clemons, Rivers, house at times. They all defer to harden. Clemons was wide open in the corner last night for the last shot but they threw it in a crowd where harden was. So often they defer to one player to create and make a play. The offense is so linear and predictable it just doesn’t work in terms of getting easy shots and freeing up players. Harden, Westbrook, EG have to create or the rockets are stagnant. Very frustrating to watch at times.

 

We are okay

 

I’d say we’re still contenders.
I would probably place a few teams ahead of us but ranking contenders can be weird because of match ups.

For example, I can’t see Milwaukee winning the East and one of the LA teams in the Finals.

I think we could beat anyone in the West in a series. We could also lose a series to Clips or Lakers. I definitely can’t see us coming out of the West and also beating Bucks or Philly in the Finals. Give me Celtics or Raps any day.

 

The difference is our superstar who is probably the best player in the NBA doesn’t get superstar treatment from the officials so we will never win. Their will always be a point in a crucial game where they just decide to call him for a random offense foul or just stop calling fouls for him in general and completely swing the game.

The NBA is rigged, no denying it after game 6-7 two years ago. Don’t get your hopes up about the Rockets ever winning a ship. It’s sad that Harden will go down as the best player ever to not win a title cuz he too loyal to leave Houston for a big media market where they will actually appreciate his greatness. You have to really watch his game to understand just how good he really is. When we first got him I hated him as well didn’t really like the way he played but man has he changed my mind. No way I would ever have thought he was the best player in the league and honestly he probably is and it’s not close.

 

You’re MadBasket of bullshit is undeniable

 

Contenders attack the rim in crunch time... Especially while in the penalty..
We do step backs from 30 ft..

 

Title is borderline trolling. Maybe throw in "other contenders".

Several differences:
- They have the media's support
- They have a coach who is actually afraid of losing his job
- We have a coach who either freezes under pressure or can't read his guys or can't fathom the significance of a given moment, or all the above
- We have 3 regulars who are injured **
- We have the best offensive player in the league, bar none
- We have yet to tap into Russ' role amidst relatively good success

 

Rockets are not smart at end of games at all, and their 2nd best player is historically inefficient at scoring the ball.

Other teams don’t have those problems. It’s why we’ll be exposed in the playoffs rather easily.

 

After last nights bullshit with Doc and the no call I feel more strongly than ever the NBA is rigged now. That’s said Harden gets more foul calls for him than any other player in the NBA, sometimes the offensive stuff is laughable but sometimes it’s really not. I think those of us who ride or die with the rockets know how stellar he is but I would seriously propose that along with the crazy step backs, layups, floaters, and foul shots which comprise 95% of his offensive out put, that midrange jumper in times of dire need would be nice. I swear I recall he had one when he first came to H.

KL is in no way better than James except he takes what is easily given to him with that short mid range jumper when he has to get a money shot. That would be the only place he excels over James, even his defense isn’t remarkably better than James (who has been unbelievably solid defensively the last 12 games.) So much so that the teams D stats are adversely affected when he isn’t on the court ie Clips scores at will in the beginning of the 4th and we lost that 8-10 point lead.

I realize that the “system” is predicated on taking mainly high efficiency 3’s and layups, but other than Russ (who shouldn’t be taking them) an easy open mid range 8-14’ footer is never taken and frowned upon and that’s puzzling to me when you’ve got an all time scorer like Harden who could hit them regularly when he was “allowed”, or perhaps more specifically, “wanted to”’ take them. I feel pretty uncertain about the Rockets chances against the better teams as well mainly due to depth, Russ’s predictable unpredictability, and our length, fear we just aren’t in a position to find a guy who will help when things get tight like last night.

 

Rockets is a contender. Raptors, Nuggets, Celtics, 76ers, Mavs, are also contenders. The surprise for me this season is the Heat, surprisingly good (post Wade era).

We're just not the favorites, right now the national media is giving that to Lakers, Clippers or Bucks. Expectations aside, players have to play the games. Not a fan of analysts just pre 'crown' a favorite team, when there's so many games left to be played.