The Rockets Will Be An Elite Team Next Year, IMO

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Thats my point - then you have The Denver Thugs And the Dallas Mavericks - there is no way in hell that this Houston Team is going to be an easy contender. If Houston was in the Eastern Conference, they would be a third seed easily

I never said Houston would be an " easy contender".

My response was to you picking the Lakers to finish as a higher seed then them, which I think is ludicrous.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Maybe not a "true" contender but they are up there. Like a Nets.



You clearly have a much higher opinion of the games they are supposed to win. If I have them winning all the games they are supposed to win and half the games they shouldn't I have them at 41 wins for the season per my statistical program calculating these things.

They did better then that with virtually every starter spending time on the bench injured. You clearly have no understanding of the NBA

 

[True Lakers Fan]

FIFY

They're not better than Miami, Chicago or Indiana.

50 would have put them in 6th seed and the season hasn't even started yet, so the Lakers still has plenty of time to look for salary dumps and picking up a legitimate center or shooter that can help. If they can get their 55 - then they will be in the top 5.

 

[lakersrule]

This sums it up. He didn't want to play with Kobe or deal with Dantoni's offense.

So he signs with a team that has a ball-dominating 2-guard and runs a D'Antoni-influenced system. I find it funny that he flat out refused to run PnR with the Lakers then signed with a team that runs a ton of PnR.

Houston should be very good. D12 will improve their defense which was average last season. He will impact their offense, and not necessarily in a positive way. Houston had the highest paced offense last season which was a key factor to their success (same record as the Lakers BTW). D12 is gonna want things slowed down though. As we saw with the Lakers, D12 just wants the rock pounded into him in the post (he best be working on his post moves). How McHale adjusts the offense to satisfy D12 and how that affects Harden's game will be interesting to see. Both D12 and Harden want to be "the man" on the team.

 

[lakersrule]

Lakers playoffs

Assuming good health, this Lakers team is a low seed playoff team. Nash, Gasol, and Kobe are still very good players. The bench is improved. The players want to be there. I wouldn't count them out.

 

[geneh_33]

Assuming good health, this Lakers team is a low seed playoff team. Nash, Gasol, and Kobe are still very good players. The bench is improved. The players want to be there. I wouldn't count them out.

The Lakers should be able to make the playoffs, no doubt.

But I have to wonder if you Lakers fans shouldn't want them to tank instead so that you can demand that Danblowme be fired.

 

[Black Adam]

The Lakers should be able to make the playoffs, no doubt.

But I have to wonder if you Lakers fans shouldn't want them to tank instead so that you can demand that Danblowme be fired.

there HAS been debate amongst us that it may be the right thing to do. imo there's no good reason to EVER tank, though...

 

[geneh_33]

there HAS been debate amongst us that it may be the right thing to do. imo there's no good reason to EVER tank, though...

Yeah, tanking does suck, no doubt. I believe the Hawks have done it before to get rid of a terrible coach so it wouldn't be the first time a team did it.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Assuming good health, this Lakers team is a low seed playoff team. Nash, Gasol, and Kobe are still very good players. The bench is improved. The players want to be there. I wouldn't count them out.

That is true but we have no idea what Kobe will be when he returns and Pau and Nash are both another year older on a team that had to rally to make the playoffs. The bench will only go so far. They will need their big and really short 2 and 1 to perform.

Not to mention the top 2ish haven't gone anywhere and the top 4-5ish have gotten much better. The Spurs are going to be a 5 seed this year.

 

[Black Adam]

That is true but we have no idea what Kobe will be when he returns and Pau and Nash are both another year older on a team that had to rally to make the playoffs. The bench will only go so far. They will need their big and really short 2 and 1 to perform.

Not to mention the top 2ish haven't gone anywhere and the top 4-5ish have gotten much better. The Spurs are going to be a 5 seed this year.

this i'm not so sure of. i'll credit Pop for making wise use with the minutes he distributes to his players and getting the maximum out of the minimum, so to speak. i don't think they'll be any worse. but hey, you never know...

 

[trojanfan12]

there HAS been debate amongst us that it may be the right thing to do. imo there's no good reason to EVER tank, though...

Problem is, if the Lakers wanted to tank the season, they'd have to get rid of Kobe!! No way he'd go for that!! Even with the team that the Lakers have, he'll think that they can win the title and that's how he'll play!!

 

[Black Adam]

Problem is, if the Lakers wanted to tank the season, they'd have to get rid of Kobe!! No way he'd go for that!! Even with the team that the Lakers have, he'll think that they can win the title and that's how he'll play!!

lol, second sentence is easily the BIGGEST reason the Lakers WON'T tank. simply not in the guy's DNA...

 

[BOTSLAYER]

this i'm not so sure of. i'll credit Pop for making wise use with the minutes he distributes to his players and getting the maximum out of the minimum, so to speak. i don't think they'll be any worse. but hey, you never know...

The Spurs are not much worse I think that 3 through 6 got that much better.

 

[Skinny jeans aint cool]

I agree with the OP. Howard had good numbers in a bad year while playing with a player who didn't even try to get him involved and shot at will. I think Houston will be a lot better than people give them credit for.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Maybe not a "true" contender but they are up there. Like a Nets.



You clearly have a much higher opinion of the games they are supposed to win. If I have them winning all the games they are supposed to win and half the games they shouldn't I have them at 41 wins for the season per my statistical program calculating these things.

The Nets have considerable experience this year. The question will be if J-Kidd is worth his weight, which my guess is no. The chemistry and how the team comes together is also a question, along with injuries considering some of their ages.

You know what you have with Houston and that's a 1st or 2nd round exit. If Howard doesn't act like a class A citizen then they will be right where they were last year.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I agree with the OP. Howard had good numbers in a bad year while playing with a player who didn't even try to get him involved and shot at will. I think Houston will be a lot better than people give them credit for.

I keep coming around on this, I think OKC (depending on Westbrook), LAC and Houston will be in hot contention for that #1 seed. I am going to give the edge to LAC and Houston because of Doc and the team mostly not changing and a happy Dwight on a already playoff team. OKC the 3 seed due to Westbrook injury.

The Nets have considerable experience this year. The question will be if J-Kidd is worth his weight, which my guess is no. The chemistry and how the team comes together is also a question, along with injuries considering some of their ages.

You know what you have with Houston and that's a 1st or 2nd round exit. If Howard doesn't act like a class A citizen then they will be right where they were last year.

I do not think Kidd will be a good coach yet, he has the Bball IQ but will lack experience...but then what about Riley? I do not think he will need to be a good coach though. His team is experienced which brings us to chemistry.

I do not think they will have a chemistry issue because all of the players are mature people who have a BBall IQ. Pierce and Garnett have already done this process of sacrifice for the greater good and how those 2 will not command respect from the existing players. Hopefully Kidd gets some of that respect too

injuries and age are why I do not think they will go that far in the playoffs and why I would rather be a rocket fan than a Nets fan today.

As for Houston I have come around, they are a 2 seed easy.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I keep coming around on this, I think OKC (depending on Westbrook), LAC and Houston will be in hot contention for that #1 seed. I am going to give the edge to LAC and Houston because of Doc and the team mostly not changing and a happy Dwight on a already playoff team. OKC the 3 seed due to Westbrook injury.



I do not think Kidd will be a good coach yet, he has the Bball IQ but will lack experience...but then what about Riley? I do not think he will need to be a good coach though. His team is experienced which brings us to chemistry.

I do not think they will have a chemistry issue because all of the players are mature people who have a BBall IQ. Pierce and Garnett have already done this process of sacrifice for the greater good and how those 2 will not command respect from the existing players. Hopefully Kidd gets some of that respect too

injuries and age are why I do not think they will go that far in the playoffs and why I would rather be a rocket fan than a Nets fan today.

As for Houston I have come around, they are a 2 seed easy.

If Houston gets the 2 seed, I'll wear whatever avatar you want for a year lol.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

If Houston gets the 2 seed, I'll wear whatever avatar you want for a year lol.

What about the 1 seed?

 

[BOTSLAYER]

and totally forgot GSW, 4 way log jam at the top, I will give OKC the edge over GSW due to them gaining the least this off season of the other 2.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

LAC has had more talent than Houston and they still struggled to make it out of the 2nd round. Now with Doc Rivers they are a lot more formidable, if you don't have at least OKC and LAC in front of them then you are living in a fantasy land! OKC beat Houston with just Durant. Let alone all the other top teams in the West.