What if we did this?

Yes definatley the Rockets could compete for a playoff spot!!!

But it is going to be tough, no no, hear me out here, it is gooiiinnngggg tooooooo beeeee toooooouugh!!!!!!!!!!

Lets see, you have the following teams vying for championships:

1. Lakers
2. Spurs (if the keep Duncan)
3. Portland
4. Minnesota
5. Phoenix
6. Utah

Thus you essentially have 6 spots set up in stone for next years playoffs. But of course things can change; just look at the Rockets at the begining of this past season, they were considered playoff contenders!!!

then you have 5 team playing for 2 playoff spots with little chance of competing for NBA Gold:

7. Sacramento (did you see the way they played the Lakers?)
8. Seattle (come on with gary payton they always can compete!)
9. Dallas (Nowitsky and Finley are two of the best young players around)
10. Houston (Over achieving, no no it's Rudy working his magic!!)
11. Vancouver (Well a team with Dickerson, Rahim, Bibby, and the 2nd pick in this years draft!!! They have more Talent than Portland they just have to learn to play)

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Utah?
Their moment in the sun has passed with the current roster.

Mango

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Live long and prosper.
Donate blood!

Now...back to updating
The Serious Police Files.

 

That 12 or 15 run at the end (I may be embellishing) of the season gave me great hope for this upcoming year.

I'm convinced that if Cuttino stays, Hakeem retires (with all due respect) and a Center that rebounds is acquired, the Rockets will be in the top 5 in the West.

I really liked the way in which the team was allowed to play together through the All Star break. I was concerned that there would be yet another trade that would set the team back a month or two. Now it seems apparent that the team really only needs frontcourt help... i.e. someone to rebound and get 6-10 shots per position. The guards must have scored 80% of the points in most of the last 10 games, I'm not sure why we would need anyone other than say, Dermarr Johnson to shore up the SF.

Offseason goals:
Rebounder/Blocker at the 5.
Switch whoever that 6'7" guy was at the bottom of the bench with the #9 and call it a summer.

Here's my dream/fatigue mock record for next year.

1.) Lakers* (* - win their first title while Walt Williams doesn't play a single playoff game, hmmmm.)

2.) Portland (perhaps with another $20M they can beat Shaq)

3.) Rockets (mais oui)
4.) Suns
5.) Mavericks
6.) Minnesota (Kevin Garnett is a really, really good guy, and I hope his team does well, but not this year with this bracket)

7.) Sacramento (god I hate JW)
8.) Jazz (yawn)
9.) Vancouver (they'll be the bomb when their coach is also a lottery pick)

10.) Seattle (yawn)
11.) Spurs (w/o Duncan or Robinson, mind you)

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Here's my 2000-2001 West
1.Lakers
2.Wolves
3.Blazers
4.Suns
5.Kings
6.Rockets
7.Sonics
8.Nuggets
Until major transactions occur this is just my rough estimate.

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I AM SPARTACUS

 

My top 8 (regular-season ONLY):

1. Lakers (VERY close to being surpassed by Portland, but key is Portland's core is getting older)
2. Blazers (core is getting older, so they won't be as good as LA, but still a very good team)
3. Suns
4. Spurs (if Duncan and Robinson come back)
5. Rockets
6. Wolves
7. Jazz
8. Kings

___________________
Teams that almost make it:

9. Dallas
10. Vancouver
11. Seattle

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Cheaters never win. Unless you play for LA that is.

[This message has been edited by The Cat (edited June 18, 2000).]

 

My what if scenario:
1. trade pick owed by Orlando, pick owed by Detroit, and 1.3 million of trade exception for Matt Harpring, and #10 pick
(Allows Orlando to have a little more cap space, and future picks)

2. Draft Dermarr Johnson and Jerome Moiso at #9, and #10.
(I couldn't decide between the two, why not both?)

3. Sign and trade Walt Williams for Danny Fortson.
(Fortson is a real rebounder. Boston would do this because it allows them to move Pierce to his natural position, SG)

4. Sign and trade KT, Drew, rest of exception for Croshere
(Croshere would make a nice fit on this team.)

5. Resign Mobley

C-Hakeem/Cato
PF-Fortson/Moiso
SF-Croshere/Johnson/Harpring
SG-Anderson/Mobley
PG-Francis/Norris

other: Carlos Rogers, Matt Bullard, various guys vying for 12th spot on roster (T. Washington, V. Hamilton)

Dreamcasting is fun.

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Rockets fans wanted at hoopsboards.com

Draft Chat, NBA Chat, Team Chat, and more!

 

At first, I was opposed to drafting Dermarr, but when you see the way Francis talks about him I have to think it would be bad mojo not to draft him.

Austin Croshere would be nice, but we'll have to pay him more than he's worth.

Also, if the Bulls or Magic go after Rashard Lewis and offer him a large sum of money, Seattle may have to dump some salary to resign him. Maybe Houston could benifet from the firesale.

With that, my 2000-01 West :

1 - LA Lakers : Best team.
vs
8 - Seattle Supersonics : With Payton and Lewis should make playoffs. Have solid low post in Grant, but I expect Baker to be gone.

2 - SA Spurs(with Duncan) : Even w/o reliable outside shooting, The Twin Towers Part Duex will win the Midwest
vs
7 - Dallas Mavericks : As long as Nellie and the gang don't do something monumentally stupid, they'll make the playoffs.

3 - Portland Tralblazers : Probably make a blockbuster trade sometime between now and the playoffs that harms team chemistry.
vs
6 - Houston Rockets : Rockets in 4. Wouldn't it be sweet?

4 - Minnesota T'wolves : KG may take his team past the forst round this year.
vs
5 - Phoenix Suns : May grab the fourth seed, but I can't imagine them any higher.

<u>Just Missed</u>
1) Utah Jazz - No Depth. Too Little Athleticism. One injury shy of Clipperville.
2) Sacramento Kings - Say bye-bye to Chris Webber.
3) Vancouver Grizz - No Bench.

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Its only my opinion. Feel free to disagree.