We all know that Seattle and Phoenix got off to smoking hot starts. It seems that both of them peaked in the first few months of the season and have since come back to earth, while the Rockets have been among the league's hottest teams in 2005. I've thought that our biggest stumbling block to getting into the finals is the Spers (um, Spurs), and the combined records for Jan/Feb/Mar seems to bear that out: SAN 25-9 HOU 24-11 PHO 23-12 DAL 23-12 SEA 22-14 SAC 22-17 DEN 20-15 What surprises me the most is that Phoenix and Dallas have not cooled off as much as I'd thought. In fact, Dallas has been the most consistant of the WC elite teams apart from the Spers (um, Spurs).
Good stuff. I would be interested in seeing the Eastern Conference as well to see how the Rockets compare to the Heat and a few other teams like the Magic.
Actually I disagree slightly with the assessment. See the following thread... http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92826 Last nights loss notwithstanding, I still believe the Rockets, Spurs, and Suns are the 3 best teams in the west.
Actually, I totally agree with that assessment, Tango (and your charts absolutely ROCK!). But since we match up well with the Suns, I see them as a tough series (against the Rockets, if that were to take place) in which we'd eventually prevail -- even though they'd have the home court advantage. The point of the thread was to say that I think the Suns and the Sonics peaked early and are not the monsters they once seemed to be. The Rockets, on the other hand, seem to be peaking at the right time. (As are Denver and Memphis, but I don't think either has the talent to get to the WC finals). The Spers (um, Spurs) are our biggest obstacle. Not only are they the best WC team, they have the most high-level playoff experience. I can't imagine us beating them in a 7-game series when they've got home court. Still, this Rockets team can be SCARY at times. When the writers say that nobody wants to face them in the playoffs, it's more than just a sports cliche. The rest of the season should kick seroius a$$!
Sorry, I wasn't very clear . The statement I meant to say that I have a different perspective on is.. I was surprised that Dallas' trend line is flattening out some. From my perspective the Rockets and the Suns have been more consistent than Dallas through Jan/Feb/Mar. Besides that I have about the same views you do .
The Rockets have been playing great ball, but we are only one out of several teams in the NBA that are playing well right now. The chances of us getting bounced out of the first round are just as good (if not greater) than the chances of us coming out of the West. It's good to keep things in perspective instead of acting like the world revolves around Houston.
Thanks, Dad. We're Houston Rockets fans gathering on a Houston Rockets BBS. Here, the world DOES revolve around Houston. And we've got the 2nd best record in the WC over the last few months -- we should stand a better chance than MOST WC teams at getting past the first couple of rounds.
Okay, here's another take. These are the records in February and March -- about a 7-week span: MIA 19-3 / .864 / 9 road BOS 17-5 / .773 / 9 road DEN 15-5 / .750 / 10 road DET 15-5 / .750 / 11 road HOU 14-5 / .737 / 10 road SAN 13-5 / .722 / 8 road DAL 15-8 / .682 / 13 road PHO 12-6 / .667 / 7 road SEA 14-7 / .667 / 10 road MEM 12-7 / .632 / 10 road ORL* 8-14 / .364 / 11 road Phoenix's record in particular is telling -- they've lost a third of their games despite playing at home most of the time. I still say that the Spurs are the big obstacle for us in the WC. Denver will fade, as will Memphis. Seattle and Phoenix peaked too early. Dallas doesn't have the D to get far in the playoffs. * Okay, so this is a cheapshot.
