My first thread, if this has been posted lock it. Yet another article disrespecting the Rockets and what they have done without Yao! Yahoo Sports article - http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-winnerslosers022207&prov=yhoo&type=lgns "Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson. Under no circumstances should the Lakers ever have traded Andrew Bynum for Kidd, but the Lakers needed something to happen at the trade deadline. On a six-game losing streak, the longest of Jackson's career, it was incumbent on Kupchak to find a bench player – perhaps a rebounder, a perimeter defender – who could give this team a lift. Talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about center Jamaal Magloire never reached consummation, league sources said. Once, the Lakers were considered in that second tier of Western Conference teams with the Houston Rockets (with Yao Ming) and Utah Jazz, but you have to wonder now if the Lakers have slid down into the Denver Nuggets' shaky neighborhood." How can they qualify that second tier ranking by saying (with Yao Ming). The Rockets have proven to be second tier without Yao beating both the Jazz and the Spurs. With Yao certainly they will climb into the top tier. Another disrespecting of one of the leagues best teams. Thoughts?
So, with Yao we are with the Jazz and Lakers? IMO, we are Second Tier with T-MAC alone, and first Tier when both are there.
Eh... I would put us in the top group of the Lakers, and Jazz with Yao. We havn't proven to be on the same level as Pheonix and Dallas. We beat Dallas once, but it was a home opener and they were still in a hangover from the finals last year, and we havn't even beaten Pheonix yet.
In My Opinion... First Tier: Dallas Phoenix Second Tier: Houston (with Yao, they are the best of this bunch) San Antonio Utah Third Tier: LA Lakers (Way better than Denver, but not quite as good as the 3 teams above them) Denver (If AI and Melo get better with each other, they could move up) Fourth Tier: Everyone Else in Playoff Contention I don't think the writer meant any disrespect when he said the Rockets were 2nd Tier. The Suns and Mavs have definately seperated themselves from the pack, although Houston is still a VERY dangerous team.
the article seems to imply that only with Yao are we on the same level as the Jazz and Lakers, thats where I took issue.
exactly. we've proven to be much better than them without yao so how can we even be on their level with him. in this yao-less run we blew out both of those teams.
Those are good rankings basic on regular season performance so far. And there are a lot outside factors involved , such as strategic (some team dont want to get into their peak too early and run outta breath in playoff, like last year's pistons), Injuries (houston, Lakers), Team Chemistry (etc Dallas started as 0-4). WHen it comes to playoff, when teams get into their peaks, it's all about matchups. Some people say "matchup is bogus, if a team is good, they'd do good", thats not completly true. for example, Rockets have a headache when they play against Phoenix. and Phoenix, as good as they are now, they'll definitly lose to Spurs and Mavs in playoff, and they have problems against Utah and Lakers. so it's really a complicated thing. here's my prediction on the Top 6 west teams' matchup preferations. 1. most likely to win 2.a seven game series 3 mostlikely to lose Dallas: 1. Utah, Phoenix 2. Houston, Spurs, Lakers 3. None Phoenix: 1. Houston 2. Lakers, Utah 3. Spurs, Dallas Houston: 1. Utah, Spurs 2. Lakers, Dallas 3. Phoenix Spurs: 1. Phoenix, Utah 2. Lakers 3.Houston, Dallas Lakers: 1. none 2. Dallas, Houston, Utah, Phoenix , Spurs 3. none Utah: 1. none. 2. Phoenix, Lakers, 3, Spurs, Dallas, Houston now if i give # of team in cate. 1 three points, cate.2 two points, cate. 3 one point i get: dallas: 12 houston: 11 Spurs: 10 Lakers: 10, Phoenix: 8, Utah: 7 thats my rank on those team.. any thoughts?
I think the only problem is that when they say "with Yao" they forget to add "without McGrady." McGrady didn't really start his season until Yao went down.
I agree with the article, every team in the West is a level below the Mavs and the Suns. It is not a bad thing either, it sets a benchmark for teams in the West that want to keep playing through June.
Echoes my feelings almost exactly. I would agree that the Lakers are capable of taking those teams to game seven, but I doubt they would win any of them save for Utah.
Yes, we are 2nd tier team. There isn't 3nd player can win beat opponent one-on-one. Most players need creation from TMac and Yao. We haven't a solid backup for Rafer. We still have the potential considering we never watch 100% TMac + 100%Yao play together this season and Wells is far from his best state. I'm pretty confident in beating Marvs in the playoffs. Suns is tough but not mission impossible
Umm, this is a completley new Rockets team. Batier, Alston, Wells, Snyder..these guys have not been part of the play-off failure of the past. Each season starts over. Dallas and Pheonix have never won a title, does that mean they cant be talked about? When was the last time Utah won a series? Every season holds unique circumstances. The fact a Rockets team featuring Ryan Bowen, David Wesley, Bob Sura and Jon Barry couldnt win a playoff series has nothing to do with this season.
ya, but the two constants have remained...yao and tmac...neither have won a playoff series and until they do we have been getting just the right publicity we deserve...which is to be talked about after dal and phoe and SA.
