Rockets reg season ova. Predictions for the post season?

I don't know how a hockey puck got into a bb thread....but since it is here:


- the discussion is about toughest to win, not tough players
- you may have taken steam out of your thesis....if #1 seeds drop like flies, that means any team can win....not so in the NBA
- hockey players sure wear a lot of pads


Hockey is some odd combination of roller derby and pinball - barely a sport. Bb is a combination of athletic skill and chess.

Agree on all points.

THIS was the game the Rockets were supposed to win. KD probably won't come back until Game 3 or 4 of the next series, if that. The Warriors has just too much playoff experience without KD, and went back to that dominant team they were without him.

Another thing is they're paying CP3 way too much gotdamn money for him to not show up this series.

My prediction was correct. Rockets denied again by the Warriors. Originally Posted by kerwil62

I can agree with most of what you agreed to. What I can't get behind is that CP3 didn't show up.
I don't know what more you can expect of the guy. Hell, he scored 27 in game 6. His averages for the series are about what he did in the regular season. Dude is pretty consistent and I think he is the heart of the team.


Curry got hot in the 2nd half. The Rockets had no answer for it. I don't know that anyone has an answer for hitting 28 footers on a catch and shoot.



If anyone didn't show up it was Capela and he's the one who got the big contract this year. He went from 16.6 ppg in the regular season to 9.7 in post season. He got pushed around and out played.



I think the biggest problem is D'Antoni. He has one game plan and refuses to adjust. GS took them out of that plan in games 1 and 2 by turning it into a physical game and by not letting Harden get off easy shots and he damn sure didn't get the calls and the free throws. Although he got his points he had to work to hard for it and his defense suffered.


This team needs a consistent forward. KD and Klay Thompson(I know he's a 2 but at 6'7"he can play a 2nd 2 or 3 and he can defend) are both free agents and I'd take either if they'd come here but it's going to take big money to make that happen. Maybe more than big money. If they win it all they may both decide to stay put, Thompson especially. Durant has a player option for 31.5 million. He can probably get 40+ for 3 or 4 years from someone. Thompson can get 25 - 30. If KD leaves he'll surely get it from GS.



Kawhi Leonard is a FA and I think would be a good fit. He's the one they need to be courting. He'll get big money though. They have to convince him that he's the missing piece to put them over the top. The problem is how do they afford him.



Between Shumpert, Tucker and Gordon they each averaged about 10 million this year. They might consider keeping Gordon, he has one year left on his contract. Shumpert is a FA not worth the 11 million he got. Tucker would need to be traded with 2 years left on about $7 million /year. Get rid of Nene and his 4 million next year. They don't need him and Faried both. That's about 22 million but the trade rules complicate that so they will have to get creative and probably make a three way deal. Manimal's salary is minimal. Bring back Rivers, Green and House and go get another scorer. With guaranteed salaries and the NBA trade rules it gets real complicated to pull some of this off but if they could the team would look like this:


Paul
Harden
Leonard
Gordon
Capela


Rivers, Green, House and Faried are the main bench players but any of them can be replaced if they find someone better in FA and they are all FAs. You also have a few other projects like Hartenstein and Clark who need to be able to stay in the big league and contribute.


BTW GS salary this year 146 million, Rockets 126 million. Drop some dead weight and they've got the $$$ to get another big time player. Even if GS loses KD they'll probably keep the rest of the team that just kicked our ass.

The rockets don’t have any money for Leonard plus he wouldn’t come here

The rockets don’t have any money for Leonard plus he wouldn’t come here Originally Posted by jstone420

Leonard will probably end up in L.A.

Of the four teams left in the playoffs only the Bucks are below the luxury cap and they're just a couple spots behind the Rockets. They're all well over the salary cap. GS is 43 million over. The Rockets are only 21 million over. Tillman is going to have to pony up if he wants to win. This team will be lucky to finish in fourth place next year.

Western Conference Finals start tonight. Warriors vs. Trailblazers.
I'm taking Warriors in 6.

Eastern Conference Finals start tomorrow. Bucks vs. Raptors.
I'm predicting Bucks in 6. Maybe 5.....

Number 34 looks like a boxer on a bb court. Ali

No one seems to want to mention the Carmello Anthony trade.....bust. Any one of us casual fans would have known better than to make that trade. Whose idea was that ? The Rockets make these weird trades all the time because they think it will get them a championship. All the way back to signing Pippen and Barkley. How does Daryl keep his job....and he sounds weird too.

To be fair it was a different owner and GM involved with Barkley and Pippen.
Barkley was a rebounding machine and a beast inside. He just didn't fit what the Rockets were at the time.
Pippen rode MJs coat tails and was always overrated IMO.


Morey understands the complicated soft cap and trade rules better than most GMs so he has an advantage in knowing what he can and can't do, he has connections and clout, his calls get returned because he'll make deals. That matters.

I questioned the Carmello trade as soon as it happened. Had he been a team player and several years younger he could have been the play creating forward that made the difference. Problem was he was a selfish 34YO player on court and a cancer in the locker room. Morey failed miserably on that deal.

Steve Francis, who they nicknamed "Stevie Franchise"........not really, did little here and out of bb soon after



Tracy McGrady, another transplanted ball hog



Yao, who impressively developed his own skills....but we are not in China


Other items:
- was the 85 draft fixed...they say one envelope was refrigerated, so David Stern could tell which one to grab from the drum....led to the use of ping pong balls instead
- Rockets could have had Michael Jordan, goat
- they say the 3 pointer is ruining the game, less strategy, especially Harden new style of standing at the line and hopping back....some truth to that....but nothing worse than watching old films of Charles Barkley and his big butt, just backing in and butt banging the defensive player until he got close to the hoop

Plus Dwight Howard

Add Jeremy Lin

Did anyone notice GS just swept Portland, without KD, and are going to their 5th straight NBA final.

So what dude was hurt Portland doesn't have any experience couldn't match up

Did anyone notice GS just swept Portland, without KD, and are going to their 5th straight NBA final. Originally Posted by VitaMan

Yep. I was a little shocked they did it with KD and Iggy out. Now they have 10 days of rest.

Steph Curry had another 30+point game(37). Draymond Green had 19 and drained that dagger 3 in OT. Klay Thompson had 17.

So what dude was hurt Portland doesn't have any experience couldn't match up Originally Posted by jstone420

True. They didn't take advantage of the Warriors' injuries. I'd expected them to lose the series, but not get swept.

Meyers Leonard(who the fuck is he??) had 30. Damian Lillard had 26. CJ McCullough had 24.

Third game in a row Portland blew 17-point leads.