Realistic ceiling for the Rockets this season?

[Thebesteva]

I see them getting bounced out the 2nd round, but could possibly imagine a WCF loss as well.

http://s7.postimg.org/66khpjwjv/photo_96.jpg

[elmanutres]

i mean seeing how they are the rockets, the standard ceiling for them is a first round exit. But i say they are out in the 2nd round.

[Malik Hairston]

Absolute ceiling is the 2nd round, but I'd be surprised if they made it out of the 1st..

People that keep saying they're going to miss the playoffs are crazy, though..there's no way they miss the playoffs, especially with their competition at the bottom of the West being far inferior(New Orleans, Phoenix?:lmao)..

Harden as a lead guy has proven to be a playoff choker(so far), but he's an absolute monster during the regular season..

[SpurSwag]

I think they're absolute cieling is 2nd round too, but I feel like they'll be out in the first round. They appear worse to me than last year, and I don't think Dwight or harden will be any better this year.

[Clipper Nation]

First round exit, tbh....

[ElNono]

Hard to tell... some injuries to other teams, a favorable 2nd round matchup, a trade mid-season... they're not that far off to get to the WCF, IMO.

[Bulaien999]

WCF if they some how avoid spurs til then

[skut_farkus]

WCF if they some how avoid spurs til then

:lol

[~O~]

They've lost-they've lost Parsons, Asik, Lin....they're done. I'll give them 35 wins at the least.

[Franklin]

Agree, the Lockets got weaker the past summer while most other western teams (even including the Lakers) got better. Lockets would be lucky to even make the playoffs, tbh.

[djohn2oo8]

McHale finally on the goddamn hot seat. So I've just read .

[100%duncan]

1st round imho. A Howard-Harden led team should atleast make the playoffs even in the stacked west.

[djohn2oo8]

Originally Posted by cyberx http://www.clutchfans.net/bbs/images_cfans/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9193545#post9193545)
Rockets ownership has gotten a lot of feedback from team USA people and it's all positive on Harden and how they got him to be an all around player on the court and a leader off the floor.

Rockets officials are questioning why this hasn't been happening under McHale.

This curiosity is no bueno http://www.clutchfans.net/bbs/images/smilies/wink.gif





He is legit. And what an inept organization.

[ambchang]

The Rockets were an all offense little defense team last year, and with the departure of Parsons and Lins, their offense just got significantly worse.

Ariza may give them some outside shooting, but he will not be replacing's Parson's output. His defense is much better, but the Rockets just have too many holes (starting with the system) on defense to really maximize his value on that end.

The Rockets have the tools to be a good, if not great, defensive team (Howard, Beverly, Ariza, and I think Harden has the ability to do significantly better on that end), but I have serious doubts about McHale. If the Rockets decide to focus more on the defensive end, they may go as high as 4th or 5th in the West, but I don't think that's going to happen, so I will stick with a 8th place finish and a first round exit.

Teams that will have better records than the Rockets next year:
Spurs, OKC, Clippers, GSW, Portland, Memphis, Dallas

Teams that can have better records than the Rockets next year:
NOL, PHO

I think Denver may surprise people with a better than expected record, but they will not make the playoffs, ditto for the Lakers.

Utah and Minnesota can be historically bad, one because they are bad, two because the West is too loaded for them to face off almost every night.

Sacramento is a huge question mark, I can never figure out why this team was put together the way it was put together.

[Venti Quattro]

2nd round exit, just like last season.

[djohn2oo8]

The Rockets were an all offense little defense team last year, and with the departure of Parsons and Lins, their offense just got significantly worse.

Ariza may give them some outside shooting, but he will not be replacing's Parson's output. His defense is much better, but the Rockets just have too many holes (starting with the system) on defense to really maximize his value on that end.

The Rockets have the tools to be a good, if not great, defensive team (Howard, Beverly, Ariza, and I think Harden has the ability to do significantly better on that end), but I have serious doubts about McHale. If the Rockets decide to focus more on the defensive end, they may go as high as 4th or 5th in the West, but I don't think that's going to happen, so I will stick with a 8th place finish and a first round exit.

Teams that will have better records than the Rockets next year:
Spurs, OKC, Clippers, GSW, Portland, Memphis, Dallas

Teams that can have better records than the Rockets next year:
NOL, PHO

I think Denver may surprise people with a better than expected record, but they will not make the playoffs, ditto for the Lakers.

Utah and Minnesota can be historically bad, one because they are bad, two because the West is too loaded for them to face off almost every night.

Sacramento is a huge question mark, I can never figure out why this team was put together the way it was put together.


GSW Memphis nor Dallas will have better records. Especially GS, who got worse with Kerr. Who did Dallas replace Carter with?

[ambchang]

GSW Memphis nor Dallas will have better records. Especially GS, who got worse with Kerr. Who did Dallas replace Carter with?

Jury is still out with Kerr. Jackson wasn't an overly creative coach on the offensive side (surprising given his PG duties back in the day, and it's probably because he was one of those slow down the entire pace back it down PG back in the day, so he is having trouble grasphing the importance of quick ball movements in today's game), and based on Kerr's commentator role, he seemed to have a better understanding of the offense in today's game than Jackson did. The only thing about GSW is injuries.

Memphis will have a very good record, they go under the radar every year, and again, barring injuries, they can really make some noise. Randolph is declining at an alarming pace, but Conley's improvement will help fill that gap.

The loss of Carter and Marion will hurt the Mavs, but the addition of Chandler and Parsons will fill some of that gap (one of offense, one on defense). Monta Ellis will hopefullly improve his chemistry with Dirk. The Mavs were 26-21 at one point last year, and then they went on a 23-12 record to close the season. Much of that is due to familiarity, and the same thing may happen again this year.

I actually have more questions about Portland, based on the history of their medical staff, and the fact that if either lillard or Aldridge go down, the Blazers are done.

[Indazone]

Will be about the same this year. Rockets = Portland Trailblazers

[djohn2oo8]

Jury is still out with Kerr. Jackson wasn't an overly creative coach on the offensive side (surprising given his PG duties back in the day, and it's probably because he was one of those slow down the entire pace back it down PG back in the day, so he is having trouble grasphing the importance of quick ball movements in today's game), and based on Kerr's commentator role, he seemed to have a better understanding of the offense in today's game than Jackson did. The only thing about GSW is injuries.

Memphis will have a very good record, they go under the radar every year, and again, barring injuries, they can really make some noise. Randolph is declining at an alarming pace, but Conley's improvement will help fill that gap.

The loss of Carter and Marion will hurt the Mavs, but the addition of Chandler and Parsons will fill some of that gap (one of offense, one on defense). Monta Ellis will hopefullly improve his chemistry with Dirk. The Mavs were 26-21 at one point last year, and then they went on a 23-12 record to close the season. Much of that is due to familiarity, and the same thing may happen again this year.

I actually have more questions about Portland, based on the history of their medical staff, and the fact that if either lillard or Aldridge go down, the Blazers are done.

Tyson, the last 3 years in order has only played 62, 66 and 55 games. He's likely done or close to it as he can't stay healthy. Parsons makes them better on offense but they will be equally bad on defense on the perimeter. Parsons and Ellis had a defensive rating of 109 last year, then you had Dirk at 108. He'll also be a year older and likely declining a bit.

We'll have to see what Kerr does.

[wanggi]

With healthy Bledsoe in the starting lineup, the Suns will get more wins than the Rockets.

[Indazone]

Rockets are significantly weaker at point guard and center. They have improved or replaced every other position. Losing Asik was inevitable but then again, Asik is a top 5 center who was playing backup. Defensively, he was what kept us in the series against Portland. Without Asik, we get blown out.

The big loss however, is at point guard. Say what you will but you're expecting unproven rookie Canaan to make up for Jeremy Lin? Unless the Rockets can sign Bledsoe, this is a serious downgrade.

Despite seeing his numbers down (12 points and 4 dimes last season), Lin was an integral part of the Rockets lineup. Patrick Beverley is sure a terrific defender, but he lacks the offensive skills set and the court vision Lin brings to the table.
ESPN NBA analyst Kevin Pelton also agreed that trading Lin to create cap space without getting a commitment from Bosh was a huge mistake.
"I think everyone agrees that not waiting on the final word from Bosh was a mistake," Pelton stated during the chat session on ESPN Sports Nation last Friday. (http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/51010/nba-insider-kevin-pelton)
To sum things up, the Rockets' move to let Lin go away was huge blunder for the organization. At 25-years old, Lin hasn't yet reached his peak. Who knows what's Lin is going to be 3 to 4 years from now. Perhaps, the Lakers are the important winners of the deal, because they believed the former Harvard hot shot could be something special moving forward - something Morey and the Rockets never bothered to think of.
For more Jeremy Lin news and analysis, read more at IBT Sports

[Indazone]

Rockets should still be able to compete, but will likely be jacking up more threes with their retooled roster. I look for all their perimeter players to be looking for the trey. The Rockets aren't hard to figure out with their offense. Defensively, probably same or slightly worse.

[djohn2oo8]

Rockets are significantly weaker at point guard and center. They have improved or replaced every other position. Losing Asik was inevitable but then again, Asik is a top 5 center who was playing backup. Defensively, he was what kept us in the series against Portland. Without Asik, we get blown out.

The big loss however, is at point guard. Say what you will but you're expecting unproven rookie Canaan to make up for Jeremy Lin? Unless the Rockets can sign Bledsoe, this is a serious downgrade.

Despite seeing his numbers down (12 points and 4 dimes last season), Lin was an integral part of the Rockets lineup. Patrick Beverley is sure a terrific defender, but he lacks the offensive skills set and the court vision Lin brings to the table.
ESPN NBA analyst Kevin Pelton also agreed that trading Lin to create cap space without getting a commitment from Bosh was a huge mistake.
"I think everyone agrees that not waiting on the final word from Bosh was a mistake," Pelton stated during the chat session on ESPN Sports Nation last Friday. (http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/51010/nba-insider-kevin-pelton)
To sum things up, the Rockets' move to let Lin go away was huge blunder for the organization. At 25-years old, Lin hasn't yet reached his peak. Who knows what's Lin is going to be 3 to 4 years from now. Perhaps, the Lakers are the important winners of the deal, because they believed the former Harvard hot shot could be something special moving forward - something Morey and the Rockets never bothered to think of.
For more Jeremy Lin news and analysis, read more at IBT Sports


Asik got worked by Aldridge too, also he played in about only 30 regular season games, most of the work was done without him. And they weren't getting beat handedly where they needed Asik to keep them in the series, they blew all of the 4th quarter leads. Also, they are not going into the season with Canaan as the primary backup. And Lin is as replaceable as anyone.

[djohn2oo8]

Rockets should still be able to compete, but will likely be jacking up more threes with their retooled roster. I look for all their perimeter players to be looking for the trey. The Rockets aren't hard to figure out with their offense. Defensively, probably same or slightly worse.


They aren't going into the season with the roster they have now.

[RsxPiimp]

1st rd exit. Again.

[Pelicans78]

At best, 2nd round for now unless Howard and Harden improve as well as some of the young pieces.

[ambchang]

Tyson, the last 3 years in order has only played 62, 66 and 55 games. He's likely done or close to it as he can't stay healthy. Parsons makes them better on offense but they will be equally bad on defense on the perimeter. Parsons and Ellis had a defensive rating of 109 last year, then you had Dirk at 108. He'll also be a year older and likely declining a bit.

We'll have to see what Kerr does.

Mavs can play like the Rockets did last year. They can potentially score in bunches, centering around the Ellis/Dirk pick and roll, with kickouts to Parsons and lobs to Chandler as options. Defense is an obvious question mark, and I am not sure how much Chandler can play, but when he did play, he played well.

I am not entirely sold on SKerr, but I am pretty sure he's better than Jackson, especially on offense.

[Dex]

Dallas will be better than Houston.

[Jenks]

If Howard played to his potential, WCF

So 1st round exit

[Malik Hairston]

Portland was a slightly above .500 team from January to March until they padded their wins in April against teams that gave up, and subsequently got hot vs. Houston..they didn't make any significant improvements, either, and they were the most gimmick-reliant team in the league last season..I'd be very surprised if they don't end up 7th or 8th..

The Suns surprised everybody with their energy last year, along with Green having a breakout season..they have a lot to prove, tbh, it's very possible and likely(IMO) that they will not be a good as last year..they also haven't resolved the Bledsoe situation, too, which is obviously huge..

The only other team that can realistically compete for the playoffs(along with Phoenix) is New Orleans, and they have serious coaching and rotation issues..

I can't imagine the Lakers, Nuggets or Kings competing for the playoffs, way too many holes in their rosters..

[wanggi]

Rockets are significantly weaker at point guard and center. They have improved or replaced every other position. Losing Asik was inevitable but then again, Asik is a top 5 center who was playing backup. Defensively, he was what kept us in the series against Portland. Without Asik, we get blown out.

The big loss however, is at point guard. Say what you will but you're expecting unproven rookie Canaan to make up for Jeremy Lin? Unless the Rockets can sign Bledsoe, this is a serious downgrade.

Despite seeing his numbers down (12 points and 4 dimes last season), Lin was an integral part of the Rockets lineup. Patrick Beverley is sure a terrific defender, but he lacks the offensive skills set and the court vision Lin brings to the table.
ESPN NBA analyst Kevin Pelton also agreed that trading Lin to create cap space without getting a commitment from Bosh was a huge mistake.
"I think everyone agrees that not waiting on the final word from Bosh was a mistake," Pelton stated during the chat session on ESPN Sports Nation last Friday. (http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/51010/nba-insider-kevin-pelton)
To sum things up, the Rockets' move to let Lin go away was huge blunder for the organization. At 25-years old, Lin hasn't yet reached his peak. Who knows what's Lin is going to be 3 to 4 years from now. Perhaps, the Lakers are the important winners of the deal, because they believed the former Harvard hot shot could be something special moving forward - something Morey and the Rockets never bothered to think of.
For more Jeremy Lin news and analysis, read more at IBT Sports

very insightful comment.

[DPG21920]

Agree with HH.

I like PHO. They play hard and are fun to watch. But they didn't really add to their team in positions of need. I like Isiah Thomas, he is a very good back up PG/6th man, but if you are relying on guys like Gerald Green (who broke out), PJ Tucker & Plumlee you are asking for trouble. They will compete hard, but if any of those guys regress to their mean (let alone 2 of them) PHX is in trouble.

They can still re-sign Bledsoe and have the requisite talent to compete, but if they lose him and don't replace him with someone better they are taking even more of a step back (let alone what I believe to be a natural step back vs how they played last year). But they have great upside and flexibility to trade so their fortunes could change quickly. Their front court is a disaster at the moment right now - especially Len can't stay healthy/perform.

POR played the strangest defense in all of basketball and now that teams have played them, will it even work? They will be good, but LA had one of his best seasons and I am dubious he can shoot that well again. We will see...

I think NO has a definite shot at the playoffs and as of now I would definitely say they are in. If they can move Gordon for a better complimentary piece that only helps.

Lakers will suck. UTA will suck. SAC will suck. DEN will be below average/to average unless everyone stays healthy and guys really take the next step which is doubtful. MIN :lol.

That leaves:

SA
OKC
LAC
HOU
GS
MEM
POR

Dallas / NOP / Maybe PHX. With Dallas the most likely to step up (just need health) and POR the most likely to fall out along with MEM.

[Double-Up]

Dallas will be better than Houston.

...and Aspirin is more addictive than crack cocaine. Nigga please...

[RsxPiimp]

If Howard played to his potential, WCF

So 1st round exit
He did last year. Its not him. It's Harden.

[tlongII]

The Blazers will likely win the West this year. The Spurs are just too old.

[Texas_Ranger]

If only they would have a PG that can organize the offense..... meh fuck it, Harden is there to isolate. Still they should make it to the 2nd round.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

The Blazers will likely win the West this year. The Spurs are just too old.

Blazers arent winning shit for a while. First round fodder unless they dodge LA, Dallas, Spurs, and OKC.

[Bulaien999]

Agree, the Lockets got weaker the past summer while most other western teams (even including the Lakers) got better. Lockets would be lucky to even make the playoffs, tbh.

What a shitty take. At least man up and say rockets won't make the playoffs without the scape goat "luck" comment

[313]

Absolute ceiling is the 2nd round, but I'd be surprised if they made it out of the 1st..

People that keep saying they're going to miss the playoffs are crazy, though..there's no way they miss the playoffs, especially with their competition at the bottom of the West being far inferior(New Orleans, Phoenix?:lmao)..

Harden as a lead guy has proven to be a playoff choker(so far), but he's an absolute monster during the regular season..

Didn't phoenix win 50 games? Lol could've used Sacramento or Minny, Phoenix? Lel

[Malik Hairston]

Didn't phoenix win 50 games? Lol could've used Sacramento or Minny, Phoenix? Lel

Phoenix is the competition for 8th..

Sacramento and Minnesota aren't realistic competition for the playoffs..