Bring on Denver...cept they might not make the playoffs. After that I'd have to go with playing the Hornets or Mavericks. Mav's got nothing with the trade. Here's hoping that Portland somehow makes it back into the mix. Teams I do not want to play - Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Spurs, Jazz
Not Mavs, Not Jazz, Not Lakers. Maybe Spurs, Maybe Suns Please Nuggets, Please Warriors, Please Hornets
NO spurs, NO lakers, and NO Jazz in first round. Huge matchup problems spurs - inside, outside and PG lakers - every position with maybe the PG Jazz - mini version of spurs. Hopefully we will see them in WC when Yao maybe healthy enough to play. Warriors, NO I think we should have no problems with these two teams, given that both Scola and Landry has to be healthy enough and productive. ideal matchup with Suns and Mavs Suns, we will need our shots to go down in order to win. They will dominate the paints, but we will out shoot them with more people spreading the floor. they are missing marion not as a defender or another offensive power, but most importantly during playoffs time....an extra ball handler to take d-pressue off nash. battier can put D on Nash and it's all over. Mavs they are choke city during playoffs, frankly they are a heck alot weaker now. Dirk is not an interior player, battier will shut him down. RA will shut Kidd down as he is not an offensive threat. Howard will pose a problem, but i think scola should be up for the challenge. Landry will school erica for sure.
Since this season is completely insane, I'd love to see the Rockets play Dallas or Utah in the first round.
It doesn't really matter who the Rockets face in the first round. I say they can take on any team and beat them given they keep up their aggressive defense and selfless offense. They've been hot as a team so let's hope they can keep up their great shooting.
I'd take GSW, Nuggets, Mavs, Hornets, and Jazz Iffy against the Spurs, Suns (especially without Yao now) Don't want the LA Lakers..Adelman has had some tough losses against Phil Jackson and the lakers.
bring on the spurs or the mavs or the suns... otherwise the bspn and the mass media are gonna say, "okay, this 1st rd victory doesn't count for houston, because denver is too easy." or something like that.
I would not want to face PHX, mavs, spurs, lakers spurs- id rather face them in the second round when we have the confidence of winning a series and they always step it up in playoffs suns- who is going to stop amare and shaq without yao. this is the worst matchup for us. Luis and landry will get overpowered and they can play small ball. Nash is better than alston hands down and raja can slow tmac a little. I know this is negative but just think about it. shaq and amare will give us problems mavs- id rather see mavs second round with confidence of winning a first lakers- they are just to elite right now and Pau is going to give us problems left and right GSW- tHIS IS the IDEAL MAtCHUP WE WANt to SEE....they run and gun...we run and gun...they aren't a good rebounding team...we are a good rebounding team...they play little defense....we play amazing defense. Jazz- second most favorable matchup....y r u afraid of jazz. Carlos Boozer is the ideal superstar you want scola and landry gaurding... Same hieghts..same build....landry almost matches this guy in skillset but boozer is a little better. they are a super slow team so dekembe would get minutes here too. Our defense will stop korver and okur. most IMPORTANTLY they HAVe NO1 TO STOP TMAC COMMON WHO IS GOING TO STOP HIM IN THERE. NOBODY Nuggets- third most favorable very beatable but im afraid of melo and AI going off and they might not make playoffs NOK- fourth favorable matchup...they are a good team and I feel as if we can beat them but chris paul is a beast and I feel david west can go off any time. we can beat this team
I want to stay awat from clubs with good bigs like los Spurs and los Suns. LA could give us problems because T-Mac has to deal with Kobe. Good 1st round matchups for Rox: Denver - no D NO - no answer for T-Mac GS - no D Toss Up: Dallas - head case right now....big ? Bad 1st Round matchups: LA - kobe on Tmac SA - who's gunna guard Duncan? Pheonix - who's gunna guard Shaq and Amare?
LAL is a bad matchup not because of Kobe, but mostly because of their inside presence and Lamar Odom's size (he can give McGrady a hard time). Kobe is a great scorer, but he's not a "matchup problem" for the Rockets. Spurs for obvious reasons, no reason to regurgitate them... Suns because of Amare/Shaq on the inside (we don't have enough size to counter them), and the fact that Nash and Co. will almost always outscore any team that tries to run n' gun it; you won't beat the Suns at their own game, it's very difficult to do that, you instead would have to dictate the tempo against them...only the Spurs have been successful in that endeavor over the past few years. So yeah, Lakers/Spurs/Suns are three teams I want nothing to do with for the first round, everyone else (to varying degrees) is a more suitable matchup for us.
What are you smoking? They are 18.5 out! Portland has a better chance than them. With that said I wouldn't mind matching up against the clippers in the playoffs. Hey, make it like college basketball 17 teams make it to the playoffs.
I like to see either Nuggets or Utah or Warriors. Utah because the team is quicker without Yao and they can now deal with Boozer. Nuggets & Warriors because they're not as great as the other Western teams...they're more beatable than others.
