Who finishes with the best record out West between Clippers and Rockets?

[ElNono]

I think these two teams are going to go all out trying to win every game (unlike my Spurs who will likely take a few nights off to rest the old guys).

I would say they're pretty evenly matched. Who do you think will finish with the best record in the West between these two teams? Not an easy call to make, IMO.

I still have some doubts Dwight will have no lingering issues with his shoulder/back, so I'm gonna give the Clippers the nod.

[The Gemini Method]

Clippers. The Houston Rockets have more questions than the Clips have. The Clips also got a better coach and bolstered the bench. The key for both teams are the centers as well. Does DeAndre have any intelligence or is he just what he is? Is D-Howard all the way back from the painful 2012-2013 failed experiment in L.A.? After Harden and Howard, who is the standalone 3rd offensive weapon? Doc, Blake, and CP3 will give L.A. the better team.

[Thebesteva]

Rockets are being vastly overrated, I may be wrong because I havent seen them function yet, but they are not a top 3 team in the WCF imo. Fake Kobe and Shaq duo will not win the west

[ElNono]

Rockets are being vastly overrated, I may be wrong because I havent seen them function yet, but they are not a top 3 team in the WCF imo. Fake Kobe and Shaq duo will not win the west

So who's gonna have the better record out west when the season ends? Clippers or Houston?

[Thebesteva]

So who's gonna have the better record out west when the season ends? Clippers or Houston?

I have Clippers, Spurs, or Grizz.

[Killakobe81]

Clippers. The Houston Rockets have more questions than the Clips have. The Clips also got a better coach and bolstered the bench. The key for both teams are the centers as well. Does DeAndre have any intelligence or is he just what he is? Is D-Howard all the way back from the painful 2012-2013 failed experiment in L.A.? After Harden and Howard, who is the standalone 3rd offensive weapon? Doc, Blake, and CP3 will give L.A. the better team.

This. Rox still have questions. They are deep but coaching and reliable offense in halfcourt outside of Harden drawing fouls are legit concerns. Mchale also is no genius at coach ...

[Leetonidas]

The best team in LA for sure

[AchillesHeel]

Clippers. More depth + they have CP3, arguably the best player outside of Lebron & KD, tbh.

[Koolaid_Man]

Rockets are being vastly overrated, I may be wrong because I havent seen them function yet, but they are not a top 3 team in the WCF imo. Fake Kobe and Shaq duo will not win the west

:toast my nigga

[Clipper Nation]

To be fair, there's questions with the Clippers as well.... frontcourt depth is going to need to be addressed, as Hollins, Jamison, and Mullens aren't very good.... also, a lot depends on DeAndre Jordan keeping up the newfound communication and effort he showed on defense this preseason.... the offense also bogged down at times in the preseason, though that could be chalked up to injuries and getting accustomed to Gentry's system, tbh....

[Fabbs]

Clipps have benefit of playing in Pacific Patsy Division.
Plus travel time to *away* games vs the Gaykers.

McHale will be a better coach now that the Rox are frontline oriented.

I'm gonna say Clips due to pussy Pacific.

[LkrFan]

Clippers should win 60+ games this year. They're deeper and more experienced than last year - plus Doc is a better coach than Vinny was. Reality check: Did Blake's nuts descend over the summer...or will players like Z-Bo be waiting in the wings to take his cookie again? This variable cost them a playoff series victory and will likely do so again unless Doc The Motivator! gets thru to him. We'll see.

Rockets will win around 52 games if Howard is back 100% (no pun intended). Like others have said, I don't trust their team outside of their big 2 and Lurch is not exactly PJ or even Pop. Reality check: how neutered will Howard be in crunch time due to his inability to shoot freebies? This variable will cost them at least 5 Ws tbh. Like the Clipps, they'll be fun to watch.

[Raven]

should be close, probably injuries will tell.

[Clipper Nation]

Clipps have benefit of playing in Pacific Patsy Division.
It's not our fault that Magic replaced Jerry with Fredo and the Suns and Kings are tanking, tbh :downspin:

[Koolaid_Man]

Clippers should win 60+ games this year. They're deeper and more experienced than last year - plus Doc is a better coach than Vinny was. Reality check: Did Blake's nuts descend over the summer...or will players like Z-Bo be waiting in the wings to take his cookie again? This variable cost them a playoff series victory and will likely do so again unless Doc The Motivator! gets thru to him. We'll see.

Rockets will win around 52 games if Howard is back 100% (no pun intended). Like others have said, I don't trust their team outside of their big 2 and Lurch is not exactly PJ or even Pop. Reality check: how neutered will Howard be in crunch time due to his inability to shoot freebies? This variable will cost them at least 5 Ws tbh. Like the Clipps, they'll be fun to watch.

Doc is an overrated greasy faced monster:lol ...he couldn't even control Rondo...he let a rift develop between Rondo and Allen...he couldn't even handle that shit :lmao....he was gifted 3 HOF players + Rondo + Perkins and a slew of great defensive wings...and he only managed 1 NBA title :lol

I'm not impressed with Doc...he's a Mike Brown is Sheep's clothing he's doing nothing but riding on the coattails of Boston's storied history and it's a shame TBH :lol

[Koolaid_Man]

the only reason he got that one title is because Bynum and Ariza were DNP's....other than that Kobe would have 3 peated again

[ElNono]

:lol 60+ wins
:lol Lkrfan

[LkrFan]

:lol 60+ wins
:lol Lkrfan
They won 56 last year with Vinny as coach. Doc's not good for at least 4 additional wins? :downspin:

[spurraider21]

I think many on this forum underrate Houston

[The Gemini Method]

Tankin' for Wiggins! I see the Rockets at maybe a low 50 game winning team while the Clippers can be upper 50's and maybe low 60's if Blake Griffin doesn't get hurt or CP3 either...

[StrengthAndHonor]

I have Houston winning 54-56 games with the Clippers breaking the 60 win mark.


Clippers will have a better regular season run, they will have more chemistry, a better coach and each player has a much more defined role, where Houston's rotation and roles are still mixed in the shuffle. I believe in the playoffs however that Houston may in fact be a much deadlier team as soon as they figure it out. Their defensive potential is quite scary to be quite honest.


But I believe Houston will go through a lot of adjustments which will hurt them in the long run. First, McHale still doesn't know how to properly use Asik and Dwight. Is he playing both together? How is this going to affect their offensive plan of attack? Defensively, they look ok against the Mavs, but obviously its a small sample and teams with quicker players will exploit them.


Next is Beverley and Lin, clearly both cannot have the same amount of playing time. I mean they could, but with a 3 guard rotation including Harden, one has to give. I think Beverley is better than Lin and he may eventually get more minutes than Lin, so how will Lin take this? I don't see Lin being happy with this situation although statistically, Harden and Lin produced better offensive numbers.


This year, Clippers will take the West no doubt. I'm pretty high on the new additions (Collison, Doc, Reddick) and I believe DJ and Griffin will improve this year.

[ElNono]

They won 56 last year with Vinny as coach. Doc's not good for at least 4 additional wins? :downspin:

new coach, new system, lost their best perimeter defender in the offseason... I think they'll come together quicker than Houston, but for the Clippers this isn't a continuation of last season, in many ways, it's a new start.

[thunderup]

Clippers.

[Clipper Nation]

lost their best perimeter defender in the offseason

That's not saying much, our perimeter defense in general was horrible last year, tbh.... I think it was more of a problem with the system than the personnel, though, and some bad luck as well...

[ElNono]

That's not saying much, our perimeter defense in general was horrible last year, tbh.... I think it was more of a problem with the system than the personnel, though, and some bad luck as well...

Not saying it's a deal-breaker, but the league is all about perimeter players right now...

[Bulaien999]

Doesn't matter how the regular season ends, matters who will get further in the playoffs.

If McHale can get some burn out of the many journey men powerforwards we have on the team, I see the rockets being much stronger then the clips

[Rogue]

clippers definitely. the rockets are grossly overrated i think and I don't see them being anywhere higher than the 05-07 team led by t-mac and that 7'6 trash whose name escapes my mind at the time. Spurs, Clippers, OKC and them Mavs will finish top four this season, in no specific order, while the likes of Memphis, Rockets and Warriors are guaranteed playoff teams, which leaves only one playoff spot available for 4-5 teams to grab at.

[RsxPiimp]

I have Houston winning 54-56 games with the Clippers breaking the 60 win mark.


Clippers will have a better regular season run, they will have more chemistry, a better coach and each player has a much more defined role, where Houston's rotation and roles are still mixed in the shuffle. I believe in the playoffs however that Houston may in fact be a much deadlier team as soon as they figure it out. Their defensive potential is quite scary to be quite honest.


But I believe Houston will go through a lot of adjustments which will hurt them in the long run. First, McHale still doesn't know how to properly use Asik and Dwight. Is he playing both together? How is this going to affect their offensive plan of attack? Defensively, they look ok against the Mavs, but obviously its a small sample and teams with quicker players will exploit them.


Next is Beverley and Lin, clearly both cannot have the same amount of playing time. I mean they could, but with a 3 guard rotation including Harden, one has to give. I think Beverley is better than Lin and he may eventually get more minutes than Lin, so how will Lin take this? I don't see Lin being happy with this situation although statistically, Harden and Lin produced better offensive numbers.


This year, Clippers will take the West no doubt. I'm pretty high on the new additions (Collison, Doc, Reddick) and I believe DJ and Griffin will improve this year.
Agree, rox are more dangerous than the 1 banner la clippers :lol

[Bulaien999]

clippers definitely. the rockets are grossly overrated i think and I don't see them being anywhere higher than the 05-07 team led by t-mac and that 7'6 trash whose name escapes my mind at the time. Spurs, Clippers, OKC and them Mavs will finish top four this season, in no specific order, while the likes of Memphis, Rockets and Warriors are guaranteed playoff teams, which leaves only one playoff spot available for 4-5 teams to grab at.

Mavs should try to make the playoffs before aiming to finish top half of the west tbh.

[Rogue]

you guys lost 6 in Miami while we won 2yrs before. you have no right to talk shit bout dem mavs tbh.

[Bulaien999]

^meltdown :lol


Have to dickride another team to save face

[HarlemHeat37]

Clippers will be the best regular season team in the West, but Houston has a higher ceiling in the playoffs, tbh..

[TheCultOfPersonality]

Clippers

[Bulaien999]

:lolBump for start of the season

[ElNono]

:lol

[Killakobe81]

Clippers will be the best regular season team in the West, but Houston has a higher ceiling in the playoffs, tbh..

Really?!

[Rogue]

Houston and Clippers both paper tigers it seems to me. I used to have high expectations on Clippers but they still have so many flaws in their squad and Rivers has done a terrible job coaching this team imho. Clippers can improve though, Rivers just needs some more time and match practice to optimize his talents, off-season and training camp don't count obviously.

[GuerillaBlack]

Rockets being so underrated. They can match up with any of the top teams in the west in multiple ways and have what it takes to beat Miami. They are going to finish top three, maybe even top two. Moving Lin to the bench to be the sixth man with the second unit and more perimeter d in the starting lineup was good. Clippers are overrated though. I don't understand why everyone was all over them.