Which team is your ideal first-round opponent for the Rockets?

Clippers are the best option

Harden, CP3, and Clint vs a team led by Galinari, Trez, and Sweet Lou

What’s there to even think about? They don’t have the star power to compete. I’d be relaxed all series long.

 

I'd say the Spurs. I'd be interested to see how the Rocks handle whatever adjustments Pop would throw at the them. It's good to see your team challenged.

 

I think the sooner we play the warriors the better. Who knows how long CP3 will be healthy for in the playoffs.

 

ya if we get past GS in the first round, then theoretically we could beat all the rest of the teams in our way even without CP3

 

We are not beating OKC or the team that comes out of the East without CP.

They will just double team Harden and make our scrubs beat them.

 

i don't know what the odds are (less than 50% perhaps), but they are far greater than us beating GS without him (which is what i meant)

 

iDeal or noiDeal.

 

not really high on seeing the clippers in the first round. we all know bev is gonna make cp and james really work for the win.
I'd rather want bev deal some pain to curry in the first round.

 

Yeah but Montrezl turns into Wilt against the Rockets!

 

San Antonio. I want revenge

 

Obvs LAC and Spurs are the best options.
But Hou / OKC / Por / Uta will finish 3-6.

And the best matchup for us between those 4 is Portland.

 

Yikes, I don't know if I feel comfortable with any of them. The Clippers seem to be a bad matchup for us consistently. POR and OKC are great rebounding teams with quickness. The Nuggets in the first round?? Nah...Maybe San Antonio is the only one that I feel we would have an easy time with.

 

GSW
If we win, we are champions anyway

 

I agree, because we know how Utah plays. Last season's experience will be good for us against them.
Your point about Lillard is a valid one.

 

My preferred standings based upon most favorable matchups IMO are as followrd.

1. Golden State
2. Houston
3. Denver
4. OKC
5. Portland
6. Utah
7. Clippers
8. Spurs

 

After some more thought, I'm in favor of whatever bracket beats Golden State up the most. But they tend to get the opposite of that, every year.

 

I voted SA. Pop or no Pop, they are not going to take us in a series.

 

Also, CC dominated Gobert. Generally, I will more confident when Rockets play team with a big guy inside because we have an answer for it. 3 answers now. Which is why I will even more confident facing GSW because they have Cousins. I actually think that is a disadvantage for GSW

 

I don’t know why but I really want to avoid Portland.
I know they flopped in the playoffs and we pretty much dominated them in the regular season last year (this year is hard to judge because of the injuries), but there seems to be something different about them even though it’s the same core.

When on, Dame easily plays like a top 10 player and I’ve seen Nurkic take over stretches. We should be able to beat them, but a rough start to a series with them and you could be cooked.

 

I swear I made that Nurkic point before I saw he’s dominating this 1st quarter going on right now. One of my oracle moments.