gmoney411 wrote:DusterBuster wrote:ken6199 wrote:^^^ I am a big fan of this guy above, and that 3/6 HOU-POR 1st round matchup would also be very entertaining.
However if none of this happens I will come at you because of your jinx.
Houston at #3, I can't imagine why lol.
I don't get the optimism with Houston that some people have. D'Antoni has flamed out at every stop he's had since Phoenix with Nash. And it's not exactly like he's been coaching bottom-feeder teams without talented players of Harden's caliber.
I suspect they'll be a mid-40's team with a rough up and down start to the season, a solid hot-streak mid season and then a bit hit or miss to end the year.
He hasn't been coaching teams with playmakers of Harden's caliber. If Anderson and Gordon can play 70 games, and that's a huge if, the Rockets should be a low 50/high 40 win team. They are built to succeed in the regular season.
The thing with us is, it's never about the talent, it's about the chemistry and attitude. The same team can go all the way to WCF or one game away from not making the playoffs. The exact same team.
I don't care about us beating the Knicks 230 points, or Anderson shooting 7/13 from 3, or we look good with the Gordon-Harden backcourt partnership, the chemistry on the court looks really good. You see Harden distributing, playing like he is not forcing things, players making runs, ball is moving, Capela and KJ playing with purpose like they are treating this game like a regular season game. Nene looks like he has been with the team for several years already. Even Harden looks in much better than his notorious 'training camp shape' last year. I haven't figured out the full reason behind that and I am reluctant to credit that all to Howard's departure, but I believe there is something to do with that. TLDR - more efficient offense leads to playing harder defense.
We likely won't go far in the playoffs, but for Jon1798 to say we are not better than the Pelicans is a quite a bold statement, unless there is already the assumption that Anderson and Gordon will combine only 40 games this season and AD and Jones play 82 each.
