<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SPECIAL PREVIEW EDITION Rockets: Second best in West? Where will the Houston Rockets finish in the Southwest Division and the Western Conference? Get 12 different takes from ESPN's NBA experts.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?pa...stonPreview0506 Pretty nice job by the ESPN crew. The consensus is second in the division and a number four playoff spot. Plus, there's some nice little tidbits in there about the team. Plus, it gives a fair and unbias judgement on the Rockets team.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ya.. but that one person that thinks dallas is better than us... he should be fired.. lol</div> True, but its debatable. Obviously we're getting the high expectations that we had at the start of last season.
Dallas has a younger and more talented bench than we do... Stackhouse and Van Horn offf the bench is crazy.
^^^ ya, but i don't know... this how our bench looks like when sura comes back PG/ BOB SG/ ANDERSON.WESLEY SF/ BARRY PF/ SWIF C/ MUTOMBO
Why on earth would Stro come off the bench? Houston are better than Dallas due to the fact the Rockets upgraded and the Mavs simply didn't. Although they have Dirk and he alone will mean the Mavs stay active among the contenders. Sad thing is due to the divisions, It's possible that the Spurs and Rockets may be the two best teams in the west yet will meet in the 2nd round which would be a shame If the Rockets do prove to be the 2nd best west team this year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> PG/ BOB SG/ ANDERSON.WESLEY SF/ BARRY PF/ SWIF C/ MUTOMBO</div> Sura's probably going to be at forty to fifty percent if he comes back, so don't expect too much from him. Meanwhile, either Wesley or Anderson will be backing shooting guard depending on who's starting with Barry playing third string. Anderson will back up small forward when needed. You got the others on par. Swift and Howard as the backup are a tossup since Swift has been playing great both as a bench player or starter during preseason. Meanwhile, Howard has been playing subpar as a bench player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting tr@cy&ya0:</div><div class="quote_post">ya.. but that one person that thinks dallas is better than us... he should be fired.. lol</div> I would stop watching the Rockets if we are not better than Dallas this year. We have the clear advantage over them this year and last year (I could give you a million reasons why we were the better team, even though they won, but lets not get into that). T-Mac/Yao/Swift <font size=""7"">></font> Damp/Novitski/Van Horn Rafer/Anderson Vs Terry/Christie Does it even matter? It's about the same though, either set is arguably better. Terry can't run like a con escaping from jail now.
Right now, I think the Rockets are a better team. The Alston acquisition solves some problems at point guard but Alston will still have to play defense. The Mavericks didn't get any better in the offseason and lost their captain Michael Finley in the process. While Marquis Daniels and Doug Christie might make up for his loss, the Mavs still lose a first rate leader and mid range shooter. I do believe that the Rockets are the second best team in the West but I doubt that the team will get off to a very strong start. I see us hovering at .500 for the first month of the season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Terry can't run like a con escaping from jail now.</div> How? He's in his prime. Twenty eight years old and he can't run fast? Oh please.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Feel the 2nd best team in the west tag will go to the Rockets or the Nuggets.</div> Yeah. Everyone is overlooking the Nuggets right now but they were 32-8 under George Karl. Now that they get Voshon Lenard back and add young talented guys like Watson, Hodges and Kleiza, they definitely could be second best in the West. Their first round flameout to the Spurs last year though in the playoffs showed a lot of their loopholes. However, with Nene's contract disputes and the possibility of him being traded, the Nuggets might be taking a step backwards. Losing him will be huge, as he was their third best big man last year, and it will be unlikely that Denver will get back an equal player for him. That being said though, the Nuggets could easily win 55 games.
San Antonio will probably be first seed, which automatically puts the Rockets at, at most, the 4th seed because of the retarded playoff bracket rules. Assuming the Rockets don't severely underachieve, they'll end up in the 4-5 bracket again.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">San Antonio will probably be first seed, which automatically puts the Rockets at, at most, the 4th seed because of the retarded playoff bracket rules. Assuming the Rockets don't severely underachieve, they'll end up in the 4-5 bracket again.</div> That is what I'm afraid of...them doing horrible and not living up to our allready high expectations like last season. Then they finally brought it up and I'm hoping rolls over to this season.
First off, the Rockets could win they're division. So technically, they might be the best team in the west. San Antonio is known to slack off in the regular season, so we might have a better record. Denver is also dangerous. Talent wise, they're just as good as us. But two things, they don't have anybody that can guard Yao or Tracy. That alone, makes us better. But I know George Karl will have them playing hard every night, just as Jeff Van Gundy has done for the Rockets. Expect Denver to make some noise.
Marcus Camby can't guard Yao? I don't know about you, but we're talking about a top 3 defensive big man here. If he can't guard Yao, who can? Ben Wallace "couldn't" as well. As for who they have to guard TMac, no one. Voshon Lenard, Carmelo Anthony and Demarr Johnson are all not much of defenders. That being said, just because they can't guard one player on our team doesn't mean that we're automatically better than them. Can we as a team keep up with Denver on the break? Can Stromile Swift guard Kenyon Martin?
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Can Stromile Swift guard Kenyon Martin?</div> Or even Andre Miller or Earl Boykins for that matter. Sometimes people see too much in the whole McGrady and Yao thing. I mean, its great that we have two all stars on our team, but that leaves sort of a weakness. Once teams figure out that all they really have to do it shut down the role players and let McGrady or Yao even more of the load, our team pretty much breaks down. The fact that they don't have anyone to guard McGrady and Yao is sort of meaningless. The fact of the matter is that they have players that can guard all our other players and stop our team that way. <font color="red">Refer to Game 7 of 2005 First Round Series against Dallas. I would've made a new post but it's too minor to waste a whole post on. ~Locke</font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AznxBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">Sometimes people see too much in the whole McGrady and Yao thing. I mean, its great that we have two all stars on our team, but that leaves sort of a weakness. Once teams figure out that all they really have to do it shut down the role players and let McGrady or Yao even more of the load, our team pretty much breaks down. The fact that they don't have anyone to guard McGrady and Yao is sort of meaningless. The fact of the matter is that they have players that can guard all our other players and stop our team that way.]</div> I don't agree with that. The duo of Tmac and Yao will give us a HUGE advantage every night. No team can play either without double teaming, leaving WIDE OPEN SHOTS for other teammates. The key is both are extremley unselfish, and that's why the Rockets have a significant advantage every night. Every game your guranteed: 1) Wide Open shots 2) Good defense 3) free throws If either Tmac and Yao have a good night, the chances are we win. Simple as as that. If they choose not to double team Yao, then it's a 55% chance he's going to score, and we all know what'll happen if they don't double Mcgrady. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Locke:</div><div class="quote_post">Marcus Camby can't guard Yao? I don't know about you, but we're talking about a top 3 defensive big man here. If he can't guard Yao, who can? Ben Wallace "couldn't" as well</div> The answer is simple, NO. I've seen Yao have great games against both. Especially Ben, Yao ALWAYS outplays been in they're match up. I remember his rookie year, Ben said he would teach Yao a lesson. So the first play of the game (in Detroit), Yao gets the ball in the post, backs down, and DUNKS on Big Ben. Classic momment
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't agree with that. The duo of Tmac and Yao will give us a HUGE advantage every night. No team can play either without double teaming, leaving WIDE OPEN SHOTS for other teammates. The key is both are extremley unselfish, and that's why the Rockets have a significant advantage every night. Every game your guranteed: 1) Wide Open shots 2) Good defense 3) free throws If either Tmac and Yao have a good night, the chances are we win. Simple as as that. If they choose not to double team Yao, then it's a 55% chance he's going to score, and we all know what'll happen if they don't double Mcgrady.</div> Ever think about it this way? What if teams didn't double team McGrady or Yao at all and just concentrated strictly on shutting down the role players? That equates into no wide open shots and no easy shots for our role players. Even if they score like thirty five and thirty respectively, that doesn't get us a win. It would take a tremendous effort for those two and role players would need to step up a lot more if the other team is a truly good defensive team. Just a theory of mine.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AznxBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">Ever think about it this way? What if teams didn't double team McGrady or Yao at all and just concentrated strictly on shutting down the role players? That equates into no wide open shots and no easy shots for our role players. Even if they score like thirty five and thirty respectively, that doesn't get us a win. It would take a tremendous effort for those two and role players would need to step up a lot more if the other team is a truly good defensive team. Just a theory of mine.</div> Last year, that may have worked. This year, we have players that can create they're own offense. DA and even Stromile both can score by themselves. Skip can penetrate and create shots for others, so I don't buy the notion that if Yao and Tracy go off, we'll lose. We have too many weapons.
