My head says the OP is pointing out good facts to digest. My heart says screw that, we're going all the way. Somewhere in the middle, maybe my voice, says it's all good no matter how it turns out and to just enjoy the ride.
Agreed. I'm not sure why all the critical remarks about this wonderful achievement that is 20 wins... why not focus on the pieces that have been there to make it happen? This team is playing great. The chemistry is great. We have T-Mac playing INJURY-FREE and great. And we are getting more offense generated like nobody's business. AND we play defense! If we're not a real 20-0 team, what about a 10-0 team? Heck that's only been achieved by a handful of other teams. i.e. the Mavs, Suns, and Lakers, does this mean we're on par with them? If so, I'll take it! Knowing that we're even better. theSAGE
I've been thinking about this and I hate to say it but I agree. If the Rockets don't advance in the playoffs this streak is going to be relegated to being statistical trivia rather than something very substantial. If the Rox get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round you are going to see all the pundits praising the Rockets now saying it was all a fluke due to weak schedule.
The point that OP has brought up does really make sense to me. Yes, sweet 20 wins in a row, we all should be positive and enjoy! But let's be realistic and honest, how many of us wouldn't be shock if we won the championship this year? Does "20 straight wins" really mean that we are dominant in the league, in that case we should never worry about 1st round, 2nd round, or even WC final. Get out of 2nd round would make most of us happy already!
Lets see how much our team has changed during this streak: 1. Yao Season Ending Injury 2. James & Bonzi for Bobby Jackson 3. Kirk Snyder for Gerald Green. Who now is also gone. 4. Bobby Jones for 10 day contract and now gone. 5. Mike Harris 10 day contract 6. Landry injured for a few games. All that happened in the last 20 games. Guess what hasn't changed? WE HAVENT LOST A SINGLE GAME SINCE! I think all this pessemism is a result of people think the streak is about the end, so mentally want to be prepared. ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS!!!
Do you know how hard it is to win just 8 in a row? This team is for real. They have a stifiling defense that can either keep them in close games or assist them with blowing teams out. The team has adjusted to the absence of Yao. Remember the championship Rox had one star and the rest were role players that played excellent defense and knocked down shots. R.A's offensive scheme takes advantage of the rox strength regardless of who is in the game. 20 wins in a row is the record the Rox accumulated not just Yao.
the op has a good point. and chemistry should not be an over-used word. it's talent + chemistry, and in this order, that win titles.
durvusa's making a valid point with regards to the playoff implications of the streak. I'm pretty sure that every other team that's had a streak of 19 games or more went on to win a championship. The natural question is does that formula apply to this season and the Rockets?
Valid points are not welcome here unless they're positive. Negative valid points do not contribute to the Clutchfans circle-jerk that some people think this site has to be 24/7.
Screw all of the comparisons. People, no, ALL OF THE IDIOT ANALYST including former Rockets and some fans said that this team would freaking die without Yao Ming in the lineup. Instead of laying down, they took that to heart that people wrote them off as waste, and kept the intensity up. You just happen to look up and realize that they ended up accomplishing something rarely done in this league, and it should be credited, not blasted for ignorant reasons. People are still in the papers and on radio saying crap like "oh but in the past, they havent won a series" like that has any freaking thing to do with winning that many game RIGHT NOW. They can't even admit they were wrong they have their heads stuck so far up certain individuals behinds. I guarantee you they wouldn't have been saying this crap had this been the lakers, even though Kobe hasn't done jack since The Diesel left LA. Just admit that everyone miscalculated the heart of this team and all of the idiots that kept spewing all of the trade Tmac junk earlier in the season doesn't even have a bit of reasoning or common sense to fall back on. I want the Rockets to do better than the 1st round just to continue to squash all of the unfair hate and criticism that these pompous jock riding bandwagon media people keep throwing at the Rockets.
Sure he has a valid point, but that is what makes this even more special. Who would've thought that this team could accomplish a feat only the best have?
Hey we are at least as good as the Pistons They got a bunch of perimeter players too but nobody is saying they don't belong. They don't own a dominant center either. Billups, Hamilton at guard McDyess, Prince, Maxiell A. Johnson, Hermann at Forward. Rasheed Wallace and Theo Ratcliff at Center. We got T-Mac and Alston at guard Scola,Landry,Hayes, Battier at Forwards Mutumbo at Center Honestly don't see Detroit being constructed much differently than us.
Well, as Adelman has said, everyone in the NBA plays according to roughly the same schedule. Everyone gets their breaks and B2B's, so why is it only the Rockets have made 20 in a row? I think their streak definitely shows they're ready for the playoffs.
this is a valid point though the thread title may prompt some knee jerk reactions. we are a significantly different team sans Yao. makes the subsequent 8 win streak even more impressive, but it tells us little about how the current version of Rocks will fare compared to other historical 20 win streak teams. btw, to that other poster who thinks post season failure will make us regret this streak ... HAHAHA! we're in the books baby, and i'm luving every minute!
If we don't win the title this year, I believe this point will be metioned over and over again. All the people who currently disgree this point will support it!
I have to admit, I'm not as excited as some of you when it comes to the winning streak. I like just looking at the season one game at a time.
Tue 29 vs Golden State W 111-107 February Opponent Result Fri 01 @ Indiana W 106-103 Sat 02 @ Milwaukee W 91-83 Mon 04 @ Minnesota W 92-86 Thu 07 vs Cleveland W 92-77 Sat 09 vs Atlanta W 108-89 Mon 11 vs Portland W 95-83 Wed 13 vs Sacramento W 89-87 Tue 19 @ Cleveland W 93-85 Thu 21 vs Miami W 112-100 Fri 22 @ New Orleans W 100-80 Sun 24 vs Chicago W 110-97 Tue 26 vs Washington W 94-69 Fri 29 vs Memphis W 116-95 March Opponent Result Sun 02 vs Denver W 103-89 Wed 05 vs Indiana W 117-99 Thu 06 @ Dallas W 113-98 Sat 08 vs New Orleans W 106-96 Mon 10 vs New Jersey W 91-73 Wed 12 @ Atlanta W 83-75
This is a very good point. As I recall, Clutch said almost precisely the same thing when he was on the radio last Sunday: this is a different team without Yao. That doesn't take away from how amazing the streak is... it's just pointing out that the team that won the first 12 was significantly different than the team that won the last 8. It's not really a positive or a negative. It is what it is.
'Unfair Standard'?? That's ridiculous. How about when teams win back-to-back champhionships? Are they ever exactly the same team? No. Do they still get 'credit' for it? Yes. It's MORE impressive that the Rockets have continued this w/o one of their 2 star players. It's not like it got easier for the last 8, or that we've won them in any less convincing manner. In the last 8, we've defeated what would be 5 play-off bound teams including New Orleans, Dallas and Denver by double digits. Leave the streak alone; if you want to argue that even with the streak we will be challenged in the playoffs w/o Yao's size that's different. But trying to parse the streak belittles it. Totally wrongheaded. Perfect.
