sorry wasnt more specific. im talking about barkley's remarks about how he was surprised that garnett was a rookie and he had to win the championship that year because he didnt want to match up with an experienced garnett. same thing i was stating about the portland team. they might make the playoffs and be a scary team to play but prolly will lose because of lack of experience. imagine that OT game happening to houston in the playoffs. i dont know if yao/tmac would have the mental strength to get over that.
didn't denniscd already make this very same thread like 2 weeks ago? or have i just become a prophet in my own mind? i'm pretty sure...someone search that for me...surely there is someone bored out there.
Oh yeah, the rockets are the ONLY down team in the West... are you guys r****ded or are you trying to make dumb points? Does anyone remember how terrible we looked early in the year last season? I do-we looked like we were gonna straight up miss the playoffs, but in the end, even though we got knocked out in the first round once again, we showed we had some serious talent and the kind of fire it takes to not give up when you lose your best player. I don't have to remind any of you about our winning streak, or our season record last year, and if we would have had Yao and Rafer in the playoffs I think we would have finally gotten out of round 1. My point is, for the past few years we have been a team that starts off a little on the slow side, but we always seem to pick up some real momentum about a quarter of the way into the season. Furthermore, our start this season, while it hasn't been flawless, has been a lot less slow than in years prior to this one. We are atop the Southwest division, even though Yao and T-Mac haven't quite gotten to 100% yet, and despite the fact that our team still hasn't completely gelled as a cohesive unit. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the team will become more cohesive, Yao and Tracy will find their rhythm (even though stats wise they probably won't be the players they were in years past), and with Battier's impending return we will further impose our defensive will on teams. You knee-jerk, moronic, fair weather Rockets fans sit here and say the Rockets are "the only team down". First of all, I'd argue that based on the slow start of last year we are up and not down. Second, does anyone really think that with the roster and depth we have this year that we will be viewed as a team that was "down" when the season is over? Finally, with the Mavericks barely at .500 (right?), the Spurs and the Suns looking old, and the majority of the West actually playing down from last year how the HELL can you say the Rockets are the only team "down"? Ridiculous... I agree with the topic creator, we can win the West this year; due to the West indeed being down as a whole, but also due to numerous other factors favoring our team. However, I'm not sure we will win the West, because even though the conference is on the down slope, teams like the Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Hornets, and even the Blazers will not go down quietly. The Lakers, Jazz, and Hornets are particularly dangerous, and they are just as likely (and in the case of the Lakers more likely) to win the WCF than the Rockets. The Jazz and Hornets, while not being as talented as the Lakers or our team, have what it takes to win it all this year-and possibly knock us out of the playoffs earlier than we like. Lastly, the Blazers are a team that probably won't seriously challenge for the WC title, but they are a team that could be a dangerous matchup to anyone in the playoffs, and with their extreme youth they are gonna be a team, in a few years, hitting their prime and getting really good while our team, the Lakers, Utah, and the other WC contenders get older and less likely to win anything.
