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

Yes, but don't forget the Spurs X-Factor ...

Spoiler

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damn, did it again. Let me try one more time

 

Not anyone on the West Coast. Because every time we play a west coast team we have the last game 1 of the playoffs and tipoff time is listed at 9:30pm but is more like 9:50pm.

 

My new fantasy is that we lock up the 3rd seed, the Clippers play their way into 5th, they take out the Blazers in the first round, and then they upset the Warriors in the second. Harden & Co. against Sweet Lou, Montrezl and PatBev for a place in the finals.

 

Maybe memphis can make a playoff push?

 

I want to play Los Angeles Clippers... doesnt matter the round
i want to see all the drama and show that must ensue given the history and personell
I want to see cp3 break beverleys ankles time and time again
I want to see harden break beverelys ankles
i want to see farieed destryoing montrezzll
i want to see austin rivers 'killing' his dad
etc etc

 

Here is how I got it going down if we want that 2nd seed:

Rockets 49-28 right now
------------
W @ Sac
W @ LA Clippers (2nd of back to back)
W Knicks
W Suns
W @OKC
54-28 Tiebreaker to Houston

Warriors 52-24 right now
-------------
W Nuggets
W @LA
W Cavs (2nd night of back to back)
W LA Clippers
W @Pelicans
W @Memphis
58-24

Nuggets 51-25 right now
---------------
L @Warriors
L Spurs (2nd night of back 2 back) <---this is a huge game for us to monitor
W Blazers
L @Blazers
W @Jazz
W Minn (2nd night of back 2 back)
54-28 Tiebreaker to Houston

Trailblazers 48-28 right now
------------
W @ Minn
W Memphis
L @denver
W Denver
W @LA
L Sac (2nd of back to back)
52-30

 

Something tells me it's not gonna play out like this because this is the optimistic side of the Rockets POV and the pessimistic side of the Nuggets POV. Usually it ends up right in the middle which with the games left isn't enough to overcome the margin. I think the Rockets (hopefully) need to take care of business with the easier opponents to ensure that we don't have to rely on Portland losing games.

 

lol didn't even think of this but now that you mention it i would definitely love to see it

 

Pops is really good person, but don't anything to do with the Spurs. He will devise some defensive strategy to try to neutralize Harden and the 3-point shooters. Guy is that good of a coach.

 

I'd love it if things remained as is:



The Thunder would, at the least, give everyone on the Warriors team a fight and make it a 6 game series. Then they will play the winner out of the Blazers and Jazz.... either way, once again, an interesting matchup for the Warriors.

We should be able to take care of business and sweep the Clippers. The winner out of Denver and San Antonio should be a tough out but both those teams should turn their matchup into a scrap fest. I am confident that we win a 7 game series versus either of them.

 

There is an outside outside chance we get Portland.. I think if Blazers lose two games against nuggets.. they can slip below Jazz and Clippers.. Not sure what the tie breaker situation is.. But Blazers couldn't beat New Orleans last year and this year minus Nurkic are much worst.. I am sure most teams are targeting them. Although they will probably play with alot of emotion.

 

I am glad it looks like we are avoiding Thunder as they are almost locked in the 7th/8th battle.. although there is a small outside chance we get 2nd seed as nuggets have one of the toughest closing schedule.. still we are not catching three games with five games remaining.. I think Westbrook has the mentality of taking someone down, if he doesn't get by, the dude plays with too high and pissed of intensity.. the other team i am scared of is Clippers.. I think people are sleeping on that team.. Harrell and Lou Will are down right scary.. Harrell always goes off on us, and Patrick Bev will bring an extra peice of intensity against us.. Luckily they don't have Tobias, but the team still has too many weapons.. I would rather us go against Jazz.. but doesnt seem like thats likely as they are almost a lock for five, and we will have a better record then blazers.. So now i am hoping blazers lose out and we end up somehow matching up with them.

 

right now i'd want clippers in the first round.
they don't have much playoffs experience. that's gonna bite them when the pressure is up in the playoffs. they ain't gonna be playing at the same level they've been in regular season.

 

Harrell, Lou-WIll and Wilson Chandler as bench role players.. Yikes.. those three together are averaging 50 points of the bench.. where as rox have the worst bench in NBA averaging around 25.

 

a lot of people on here seem a little too scared of a bunch of scrappy role players

The offense of Lou Will, Gallo, and Harrell is that scary for y’all?

 

Yes, but we always have the Best Player on the court for every minute of a LAC series....with about 20-25 minutes of having the two best players on the court at the same time.

Our worse bench stats is also affected by the injuries, which required our best bench players to move into starting rotations, taking their points off the official Bench Scoring charts, with their replacement players being some of the worst scorers in the entire NBA — MCW, Clark, Hart, Edwards, Chriss.

 

perhaps even the three best players on the court

 

LOL give me the clippers it will be a great TV and rockets most probably gonna sweep them
i wanna see Beverley trying to stop harden and cp3 and mind games between the 3 of them..i wanna see austin going off on glen...i wanna see nene, capela and farweed shutting down zubac and harell

 

People often hope for a tough road for their rivals. Ever since the Rockets' '95 championship I've seen it the opposite way. Strong opponents put you in a playoffs mindset and force you to play disciplined and at a high gear. So, by the time you get a tougher opponent in the second round, you're already playing at a high level. So, I'd prefer the Warriors play a marshmallow in the first round and the Rockets draw the trial by fire.

 

Clippers or Jazz easy money