Which Western Conference Playoff team will the Rockets Replace?

The rockets will jump Suns, Minnesota, a Webless Sacramento, and the Jazz.

I think the Jazz drop off to a fifth seed as I don't see them improving their defense too much with the new rules and I think the zone rules will limit the easy baskets they get.

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1. IF we had stayed healthy we would have beat out Phoenix and Minnesota this year. I
think Injuries cost us AT LEAST 10 games.

I think we will steal a few more games this
year too [we were close in alot]

I think you are over estimating some of those
above us .. and underestimating the rockets.
You assessment is strong. . I think we can
get by portland. . . .and maybe even Utah.

Rocket River


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Utah pisses me off so much. Every year, people doubt them, like you guys are doing in this topic, and every year they prove people wrong. Why won't Malone and Stockton just drop dead??? Those ageless bastards!!!

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"I look kind of dumpy. Look at my butt. And what kind of shoes do they have me wearing? At least they got the chinstrap beard right."
-Kevin Garnett on the KG bobblehead dolls during KG bobblehead doll night at the Target Center

 

He is old. 29 is the top peak physical age for a basketball player. Brandon is 31 with three straight years of injuries. Plus after KG and Brandon there is no one. Woods is not a true center in the Robinson mold. He is weak, and although he is an improvement over Dean Garrett he will not make that much of a difference. He is not going to get looks instead of KG or Brandon. And who else is there on the team. Chauncy BIllups flamed out after a fast start, and those are games at the beginning of last year that the Wolves won't win this year. There is NO WAY you win 50 games this year.

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Woods - 7'1'' 245lbs Robinson - 7'1'' 250lbs

Woods and Robinson are almost identical in size and weight. Woods has lottery tallent and in my oppinion will turn into a fine center if he stays healthy. He was outstanding in College Playoffs and the Final Four.

Since when did 31 become old? He has at least a couple of premium years left. Hell, look at Stockton, he's gotta be pushing 50. I saw no signs that Brandons skillz were deteriating last year. I don't think he will fall off the cliff this year.

Brandon, Sczerbiak, KG and Woods should all be exellent options.

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Robinson was a Player of the Year candidate in college. He took a piece of crap Navy team through a good run in the tourney. He could take over a game single handed and score at will. Loren Woods can do none of these things. He was on a team that had four other NBA draftees, and a couple more coming next year. He is soft inside and does not like to play the physical brand of basketball you have to play to get blocks in the NBA. In college someone with his size gets bloacks because they are tall. In the NBA you have to be willing to mix it up in the paint with big strong MEN. Robinson led the league in scoring. L Woods will never score 20 ppg. L Woods will never be in the Top Five in MVP voting (even though Robinson robbed Hakeen that year). And I don't even like Robinson. Hell, I think HE'S soft, so I can tell you where that leaves Woods. And this is not even talking about his back injury. Wally is the Great White Hope that the SportsGuy was talking about in his draft recap. He can't get his own shot, and he's not going to get any better. Minnesota will not win 50 games this year.

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Although its still way too early to predict the west here are my projections.


1.Lakers
2.Spurs
3.Kings
4.Mavs
5.Rockets
6.Jazz
7.Blazers
8.Clippers
9.Suns
10.Wolves
11.Warriors
12.Nuggets
13.Grizzlies
14.Sonics

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Ceo of the Walt Williams and Lisa Malosky fan club.


atheistalliance.org

[This message has been edited by DEANBCURTIS (edited June 29, 2001).]

 

i dont think Clippers will make the playoffs, Wolves will still make it, we will take Phoenix spot

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***FRANCHISE***

 

I hate Minnesot so I hope you are right. Unfortunately you are wrong on your talent assesment.

Woods at the begining of the year was talked about as the number one pick in the draft and almost every one still considers him to have lottery talent not just me. You know he was dominant in the NCAA tournament against the best college tallent. He's not just tall.

Szczerbiak has already proved he can score in this league. Sorry but you have no argument here. He ranked fith in the NBA in F/G% mostly from the perimeter. The man can flat out shoot.

KG is arguably the best player in the NBA and Brandon tourched us every time we played them last year.

I'm hopping that the most overrated coach in all of sports, Flop (not a typo) Saunders will screw it up.

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[This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited June 29, 2001).]

 

from Hoopsworld

06/29-late-PAYTON A WOLF?- A local Minnesota radio station (KFAN |1130AM) is reporting that the Timberwolves may have agreed in principal to a deal sending out Terrell Brandon, Wally Szczerbiak, and Rasho Nesterovic in exchange for Gary Payton and a cap filler from the Sonics. (thanks Macas for the heads up)- Neither team was willing to comment on a pending deal. Sources near both teams could not be reached for comment on this unconfirmed rumor. MORE AS IT DEVLOPS.

Payton and KG with a little help in the middle could be dangerous.

 

Yes I saw that on www.realgm.com. Either way, the Wolves will be a very solid team next year. I expect them to get a Top 6 seed, no matter what happens because of WOODS.

Payton is top 3 at his position, so is Garnett. It reminds me of a certain vet-hs kid combo we have seen before...hmmm...

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Lewis, Radmanovic and now Szcerbiak?

That makes no sense to me, and it seems like this trade would send the wrong message to Lewis.

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The Smurfs were Communists

 

PG-Brandon SG-Lewis SF-Zerb PF-Radmanovic C-????

Will most likely be their lineup next year. Lewis is extremely versatile.

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By drafting VRad I would say the Sonics have already sent the wrong message to Lewis.

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Crash sez:
You know he was dominant in the NCAA tournament against the best college tallent. He's not just tall.

"Woods was guarded all night by Shane Battier, a 5-inch height advantage for the Arizona big man, and he took advantage of it." Source (http://www.tcpalm.com) What other great big men did Woods rack up great numbers against in the tourney? I can’t believe he got 4 blocks in that game playing against such tall guys like Battier.

Crash sez:
Woods at the begining of the year was talked about as the number one pick in the draft and almost every one still considers him to have lottery talent not just me.

While Woods was talked about as a lottery pick, I don’t think there were many projecting him as #1 (which Robinson was). And actually not only “almost everyone,” but in fact EVERY NBA team didn’t think he was worth a first round pick, except those without first round picks. Oh, wait a minute…some teams didn’t think he was worth a second round pick. The Knicks didn’t think he was better than Eric Chenowith! Do you really believe his agents spin that “they believed evil rumors about his back that aren’t true?” Do you think NBA teams don’t do their homework? Do you think NO NBA teams that need centers did their homework?

Crash sez:
Sczerbiak has already proved he can score in this league. Sorry but you have no argument here. He ranked fith in the NBA in F/G% mostly from the perimeter. The man can flat out shoot.

Hmmm. Let’s try – I said he can’t create his own shot. Which explains why (a) he only scored 14 points a game and (b) why his FG% is high. He can only shoot when he’s wide open. In addition he averaged only 5 rebounds a game (less than a lot of guards) and is a total defensive liability.

Crash sez:
KG is arguably the best player in the NBA and Brandon tourched every time we played them last year.

You would be hard pressed to find ANYONE with ANY recognized qualifications that will say KG is the best player in the game. Very good? Yes. Top Three? Maybe. Numero Uno? NO WAY. Shaq and Tim Duncan are both clearly better. A case can be made for Webber & Kobe at least. My argument on Brandon is that he scored 16 points a game and is not getting any younger, and is injury prone. Which means he will contribute LESS not MORE this year.

That all adds up to LESS wins not MORE wins for the Wolves, and the opposition is getting better.


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Oh yeah and I wouldn't judge the Knicks on anything. They are the same people that brought you the lean mean human poster machine FREDERIC WEIS!

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In an interwiew after the draft, the spokesman for the Sonics said Radman might be a year away from starting. Wally and Rashard on the wings might work and Wally might be future trade bait. Gary wants out and the Wolves side is pretty evident. Stranger things have happened.

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" If all babies are cute, why are there so many ugly people?"

 

HayesStreet,

You really aren't nieve enough to think Loren Woods lasted until the second round because of lack of talent are you? Surely you have heard of the two screws in his back. Maybe not. You are also the only one that has claimed Woods had a bad tournament. Maybe everyone else is wrong.

Oh yeah and you are right Szczerbiak was left wide open all year thats why he shot .513 from the field. I guess the rest of the coaches and players in the league aren't as smart as you and left him open for such a high avg.

Maybe you missed it but the argument about KG being the best player in the league has been played out before on this board. I't think it is safe to say he is top five regardless. The point of that statement wasn't to imply that Garnett is actually the best player in the NBA but that he is one of the Elite in the NBA. He is in the same class is Shaq and Duncan.

With out gitting into a pissing match with you I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. We will see how it plays out this season.

One last thing:

crash sez:
I hope you are right since I hate the T-Pups...but your not.

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Damn! I guess that doesn't reflect kind upon Mo Taylor's rebounding abilities.

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KG IS very good - I'd be happy to argue the case that he is the best player in the league, simply because of his versatility (and Wally is a great shooter!)

But anyway, I still don't understand why everyone thinks that Portland will make the 8 - they CANNOT just buy players, they are 70million OVER the cap already and just have their exceptions to sign new players.
They have no real tradable commodities except Bonzi, but what could they get in return for him! Even Sheed is not going to bring good value in a trade.

Look at their lineup

PG Stoudamire/ Augmon/ Barkley/ Strickland
SG Wells/ Smith
SF Pippen/ Augmon
PF Wallace/ Davis/ Kemp/ Randolph
C Perdue/ Boumtje Boumtje/ Harvey

Sure there is talent there, but they didn't mesh well last season and Scottie and Stevie S are on the way out (Kemp is gone as is Strickland) and Stoud is rarely showing much these days.
They had 50 wins last season and limped into the playoffs - They haven't improved their roster and will struggle to win more games next season then they did last one - NO PLAYOFFS for Portland.

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