It's going to be tough, but generally the team with the most points and least turnovers is going to win. I'm optimistic.
Look at some other teams schedules...the NBA is just loaded with parity. Just one game at a time, the good thing is we are getting some hard games out of the way before that March playoff run.
We'll have tragic for the last 5 so no problem .. coach will have us out in the 2nd round regardless.
Compare this to January, when we played a lot of crap teams but with a brutal travel schedule (lots of back to backs, lots of games in general). Now we face the good teams, but we'll be well rested for many of them. The optimistic view is that the NBA has given us every chance to show that we are able to hang with the big boys. Now the rest is up to us.
This team is having fun and playing great right now. When this rotation is on the floor together. I don't think any team can slow down Harden, a 3pt barrage, Donatas in the post or Josh Smith's Magic passing. And just three shutdown defenders. Harden Brewer Ariza Smith Motiejunas
Imma go with 8-3 losing to the Clippers, Cavaliers and Hawks. Harden will win player of the month averaging 28.5/6/6.
Knee jerk warning...the next 11 games may produce violent fan reactions with intensified calls for firing McHale, trading Harden, cutting Howard, and playing "D" league "stars". That period of intensified turbulence will be followed by clear skies and smooth sailing.
I say we don't drop one game. Trevor Ariza is playing his ass off making up the slack for missing Dwight.
My prediction from 2/2/15: 8-2 for February L - Bulls thankfully wrong W - Bucks right W - Blazers (blazers back 2 back, play mavs night before) W - Suns L - Clippers (our back to back, not enough healthy bigs for Griffin-Jordan) NO TRADE W - Mavs (mavs back 2 back, play okc night before) W - Raptors (boths team on back 2 back. But Rockets opponent Mavs night before on a back to back, so easier W than Raptor's game against a rested Hawks. Also Home Court Advantage for Rockets) W - Wolves W - Clippers (We get them back. Have a good feeling about this one. Clippers have a really tough Feb. schedule and our game is flanked by 2 matches against the Grizz. I think they lose focus and we play sharp) W - Nets If a major trade goes down before the trade deadline, then: 6-4, L - Bulls W - Bucks W - Blazers W - Suns L - Clippers TRADE W - Mavs L - Raptors W - Wolves L - Clippers W - Nets
8-3 The Clippers have had our number for a while now but they've been really struggling, and the Rockets are a much different team than the last time we met. The Memphis game is the one I'm most concerned about. Gonna be brutal without Dwight.
