that this team has lotto potential. It's waay to early to judge definitely, but this is what my eyes tell me. 1 - 5: In no particular order -- OKC, LAL, DAL, SAS, MEM. This isn't even worth debating so please do not. 6, 7 and 8: LAC, Den, and Portland. Don't judge by the records. Look at their play and their talent level. LAC is going to overcome the Clipper curse with sheer talent. Denver? Yep, Nene, Lawson, Gallinari, Miller, Afflalo are beter than what we have. So are Aldridge, Matthews, Batum, Felton, Crawford, Wallace and company. Before you object, here are our best players: Lowry, Martin, Scola, Dalembert, PatPat. Line 'em up. Read 'em and weep. Lotto Group B: GSW, Hou, Utah: I like GSW and Utah's young and established talent better, but we play harder. If McHale keeps experimenting with the young players, we could move into Lotto Group A! It's possible! I have us at the bottom of Lotto Group B. Lotto Group A: Phx, Minny, Sac, NO. Minny is winless but don't be fooled. They have lost all three games by four points or less. They have talent and are coached well. It's a question of when they surpass the Rockets -- this season or next. Phx plain old sucks. Sac has talent and I'd be happy to trade rosters with them. Geez, give Daryl Morey those "assets" and we could build a championship team. But their coaching and culture sucks. For now, go Jimmer! New Orleans -- now that's a team that has less talent than we do. Quick, name NO's backup SF. How about backup SG? Those poor folks have no bench. I will review our lotto potential each week and come back with pithy comments for all to enjoy.
Utah has Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. A trade could make them scary good.
I think the Rockets are a 7th seed, if they play to their full potential. We just came off beating the crap out of a top 5 team in the West, according to your rankings, and are still getting the rotation together. Are we better than the Clips, no, but Denver and Portland seem to me like equal competition. Lowry is a better PG than what any of those teams have, as much as I don't like Martin's game he can be a better SG than what those teams can bring out and Scola is better than Gallo. Denver gets a lot of love but not sure what makes them so much better than we are. They key will be our bench and having our young guys develop of which our bench should improve with more time and practice. The young guys need to step up, if this team wants to make any noise once we do get in the playoffs, someone of the young group needs to take a significant step forward.
Kanter and Favors are still meh. Jefferson and Millsap can score once in a while. I dunno. Watching Jefferson and Millsap get dominated by Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy made me think that the Jazz suck. And the Lakers were on the 3rd game of B2B2B
Agree on lotto potential since the Paul trade. Rockets are probably 9th currently. Rockets are deeper than a lot of teams and desperately need a trade for another big man.
First of all don't look to much into the rockets beating the Spurs. The Spurs were coming off a back to back, so to say they weren't at their best is an understatement. Also In what universe are we equal with the Blazers?!? Blazers have Camby, Aldridge, Wallace, Matthews, Felton with Jamal Crawford (former 6th man of the year), Nicolas Batum and a veterans like Kurt Thomas coming off the bench. In all honesty the Blazers are much, much better than the Rockets.
I wish this was true but it's delusional. Nuggets and Blazers are easily better than the Rockets. Wouldn't surprise me if both teams finished in front of the Clippers. Rockets will be in the lottery and that isn't a bad thing.
Sorry Carl. Shoulda clarified that these are my power rankings. Though my bit about updating weekly w my pithy comments suggests that.
Aldridge is a stud so no argument there but Camby vs Dalembert...give me Sammy, Felton vs Lowry...give me Lowry, Matthews vs Martin..give me Martin and his 24 a night, Crawford can shoot you into games and out of games, Wallace very nice player no question, Batum vs Lee...interesting. Sorry I just don't see Portland being THAT much better.
I guess I'm just envisioning what the Rockets should look like in a month or so when they have practice time and their bench can get going. Honestly, I guess I am delusional because I just don't see either Portland or Denver that much better than us.
