The future is looking very bright!

The new arena doesn't open this season, it's the next season. I think that you have your hopes set too high, at the best I think that the Rockets are the 6th seed next year in the West behind LA, Sac, Dallas, SA, and Minn.

 

A little too optimistic. we still are a bit too young. We may be playing the 4th best basketball by then meaning only a few teams would be better than us... but we will have lost too many games early in the season, learning, adjusting and growing together. Still I wouldn't want to be the team to meet us in the first round. We will be young and hungry.

 

definitly not the 4th best team in the nba. I would say, if things go well, a 6th spot in the west would be pushing it. A 7th or 8th seed would be more likely. 9th and 10th seed is a possibility too.

 

It all depends on how good Yao Ming realy is. If he comes in and puts up numbers like this which I think he can. Then we will be in the play for sure as long as everyone gets along and stays healthy.

PTS-17
REBS-11
BLK-2.5

 

I say 5th seed at best. We can't beat Sac,Lal,Dal, or Sa, but we might be able to beat Minn especially if they put Wally in a bad trade.

 

Okay, here's a sunshine @$$ prediction for you:

Yao Ming will put up a triple-double in his second season.

Really, it could happen. And you know what also gives me goose bumps?

It could be in points, rebounds and either assists OR blocks.

You know what? I think it's conceivable that Yao could put up a quadruple double in his career.
It's fun to bask in optimism.

 

I agree 9th or 10th.

 

Oh be overly optimistic, it is probably good for you, psychologically. However, in the real world, there will be MANY "if's" to contend with. I too have a gut feeling that the "stars" may be lining up for the Rockets. If Francis and Mobley reach the mental age of thirteen, if Griffin beefs up, if Moe T. beefs down and sobers up, if Ming is the the "Real Thing," and if K.T. continues his rampage (this guy had a great year on a crappy team), well, things could get interesting. No team in the league has three or four All Stars, think about it.

 

Too many hypotheticals. Let's just try to have a winning record!

 

Who is this guy Griffen?

 

The Mavs would have to be better than the Spurs for that analysis to work, and they haven't exactly shown any signs of that happening...

On topic, though, this is too optimistic. Over time, it will be, but I think it's too soon for Ming and Eddie to give us the interior presence we need to be a contender. Ming's not going to have time to participate in workout programs this offseason, and there will be a significant learning curve to the physical style of the NBA. In his first season, Ming will be used more as a perimeter jump shooting center to draw opponents out of the lane, a lot like Eddie was last season. He'll still get a lot of rebounds, and a few blocks, but I wouldn't expect more than 10-12 points on jumpers off of guards penetration. For us to be a contender and pass up teams with dominant post players like Tim Duncan and Rasheed Wallace, we need a consistent low post threat. Without it, we'll be good enough to be a 6 or 7 seed, but not quite to the elite level.

If we stay healthy (for the most part), and Ming is capable of playing 25 mpg, with good rebounding, shotblocking, and a perimeter jumper to draw centers away from the basket, we're capable of winning 50 games and being a 6 seed. But that's the best case I can see, in an optimistic scenario.

 

PTS-17
REBS-11
BLK-2.5

TEEHEE!

Have you had as many concussions as Troy Aikman?

 

yes we all know that any posts which include ming scoring period makes you laugh.

you know you want him.

 

Based on what you have said in your posts, we all know who has the most concussions here.

 

Sorry I forgot to put the facial expressions

 

I'm not known to be an optimist, but I think in reality, we could be at least a 6th seed. If healthy , I don't think Minnesota is better than the Rockets and as talented the Blazers are, they are not to far ahead either. I expect with the fa concerning Wallace and player like Pippen and Davis trying to play out their contracts, they will be very distracted. I can even see a Wallace mid season trade.

I think Ming will change the Rockets and have a bigger impact than that of Griffin from last yr. Not only is he skilled and a decent athlelete, he is playing against the worse players as far as positios go as opposed to Griffin playing against the strongest position. I don't think Rudy will use him primarily as a jumpshooter, I think some of the offense will start with Ming mid post or high post. Rudy would also be a fool not to post him up against, the Jake T's,Dale Davis,Wrights,Dampiers, and Lafrentz's of the world. Rudy may be a partial drunk, but i don't think he's that drunk.

 

I just hope we can make the playoffs. If we make it to the playoffs, this will be a good season. We will be lucky to be the 7th or 8th seed.

My ultimate prediction will be a 7th seed and out in the first round of the playoffs.

 

If healthy, wouldn't the Clippers be at least equal to us? I mean at center there's Kandi who we'll say is equal right now to Ming, Brand at pf who is much better than Mo Tay and Griffin right now, at sf there is darius miles and Corey Maggette who are probably better than whoever we pick up at 15, and at sg our starter is better than theirs in Cuttino Mobley but they have a deeper bench with Maggette and Quinten, but at pg we win with Stevie. So that's one or possibly two out of 5 positions that we're better than the Clippers for sure at. I don't know if we are better than them if both teams have all their players.

 

Oops, I said Corey Maggette instead of Lamar Odom at sf which means they are definitly better than us at that position.