SI - Why aren't the Rockets taken seriously?

[Mr. E]

Pretty good article here discussing the Rockets and why they are not being considered on the same level as the other top Western teams. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the roster and also their perception around the league.

http://www.si.com/thecauldron/2015/10/13/houston-rockets-james-harden-dwight-howard-nba-western-conference-title

Why can’t Houston win the West?

Certainly, the Warriors should be expected to be the conference's top team, returning essentially every relevant player from their historically dominant title team. The Spurs nabbed LaMarcus Aldridge, the Thunder have Kevin Durant back, and the Clippers have a bench for the first time in the Doc Rivers era.

Still, for a team that finished second in a loaded West, made the conference finals, added talent at a position of most dire need, and have other key players returning to health, the Rockets have been relegated to “and also” status in many discussions of the conference's elite. Part of the burgeoning “Golden State was lucky to not have to play anybody” narrative is based on the Warriors playing the Rockets rather than the Spurs or Clippers in last year’s semifinal round. The implication being that Houston was unworthy of their Final Four appearance, the classic “happy to be here” mid-major, jumped up to the professional stage.

The last paragraph of the article sums up everything perfectly:

None of these teams, though, have been subject to the inquisition in the same way as Houston, which gets back to the earlier point: people are looking for reasons why the Rockets will fail, because that’s what they would prefer to see.

I think that there is a lot of truth to that last statement.

[bondom34]

Honestly I like you guys as much as any of the top 4. You, OKC, GSW, and the Spurs are the top 4 to me with LA a little behind (I think their bench is still questionable at best).

[No-Man]

It is because of McHale mainly, the team is poorly coached and it shows, I understand the simplicity and the system that Morey predicates, but you need more than that, McHale has improved over the years but he is still not there as a championship coach.
Plus you have a lot of players with injury red flags, plus the new piece of Lawson that has been a locker room problem, and I love Ty, and we dont know how he is going to mess with Harden since both need the ball.
I understand what the time tries to do, transition, fast pace, strong defense, threes and going to the hoop, but you need better ball movement, a team that plays more like a team, and playing more for Dwight in half court settings, because you need that a lot in the PO, the high pace game is okay for the RS, but that wont do it in the PO.

[Lazy Faizy]

It's because everyone dislikes Harden (because of his flopping) and Howard (because apparently he is mentally weak). No one thinks these two are capable of leading the Rockets to a ring. I guess we'll see.