Skip Bayless Gives Houston Rockets 50/50 Chance to Win the West

The rockets are a crap shoot.
The rockets win in LA was a replay of finals game 4 from 2013 when Westbrook scored 43 against dwade.

Westbrook scored 41 against LeBron but it don't matter because bucks gonna go 72-10 with giannis having best record!

 

Hes never been put entire team on his shoulders and carry them into the playoffs guy.

Very skilled, uber talented but only became a winner when paired with a GOAT.

 

AD has been top 3 vote getter (in which he was 3rd) for MVP a whopping one-time. The same amount of times as Blake Griffin.

Perennial MVP candidate? What in the actual f*ck are you talking about? Seriously.

 

Bayless has his teeth firmly planted in the jocks of the two stars of the Rockets. If we lose a couple of games (assuming we do, and it is likely), watch Bayless suddenly do the same thing with whoever he sees as the flavor of the moment.

 

Davis lacks the passing ability to make others better. That’s what separates him from players that typically win MVP awards.

 

No, it's the lack of go-to moves/isolation scoring ability that separates him from players that typically win MVP awards.

 

Anthony Davis as a scorer, rebounder and shot blocker has always been elite. What he can’t do at a high level is make teams pay for doubling him in the post like Hakeem did in his prime, and, like most big men, he cannot create shots for others off the dribble, either. Therefore, he’ll always be a guy that is very skilled and puts up numbers, but he doesn’t generate many open shots for his teammates.

 

I think the Lakers are a really good team, but if I were a fan of them, I would be very nervous about what the Rockets bring. AD to me is a bit soft and he has not proven a thing in the playoffs. A fast paced and physical game like the Rockets will bring is going to wear him down and expose him, I see the technical fouls coming unless the refs get instructions to coddle him. I would also be worried about Lebron's age, yes he is a freak but the groin issue is a red flag. Without one of them they will be on shaky ground.

 

The Lakers are not worried about the Rockets right now. They are just focused on themselves. LA is the top team followed by 5 or 6 teams in a back.

One 5 game winning streak doesn't change the order of power. It's way too early to understand how good this Rockets team is. 5 games means nothing. Really you need to see a team over 20 games at least and you need to see how other teams make adjustments. That probably won't happen until the playoffs.

The good news is that the Rockets are in excellent reach of the number 2 seed putting them in a strong position to get to the WCF

 

Fire and Ice!!!

Tree killers.

 

The contrast in styles is what will be our biggest advantage vs the Lakers. The Lakers want to play big. They will want to punish us for playing small in the post. Just like the GS with KD vs CP or Tucker. It looks obvious post up the little guys and make them pay. The problem with that is it plays right into the Rockets hands. They would rather trade your post ups for our 3's drives and ft's. Its a trap that most teams don't catch on to until its too late.

When we Force their centers off the floor and force them to go small, again advantage Rockets. The Lakers are built to go big. They want to play big. Playing small is outside of the norm and comfort zone for them as well. The Rockets will be completely comfortable going small. Being forced to play another teams style during the playoffs wont be easy. We have seen this work previously with MDA's Suns teams who got robbed, GS and the Rockets. This is not unprecedented.

Its just my two cents, but i think that the last team the Lakers want to see during the playoffs is the Rockets. The Clippers are more equipped to match us going small. I'm not sold on the Lakers being world beaters just yet. AD has just as much to prove as anyone else.

 

I don’t think any team is worried about the Lakers either. They’re as flawed a team as any of the others in the west and aren’t some all time team.

 

Lakers can play big-ball and small ball at the same time.

They can have AD who can hit the 3 ball surrounded by 4 3pt shooters. And they will be big, they will space the floor, and they will be able switch on D and not have terrible mismatches.

They don't have the guards the Rockets have, but they can wash everything else.

 

50/50 with 8 teams. Hmm. Reminds me of...

 

Theoritically every NBA team can put a small lineup on the court. But will they be immediately effectve with it? I'm thinking NO. If Lakers mostly play a combo with AD and another center say Dwight or Mcgee all season, come playoff time, they go small all of sudden. They don't have the reps. Can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Some of their plays have to be redrawn.

Our small ball is getting the reps and some of the wrinkles are getting figured out now.

If AD gets what he wants in low post offense. Playing our averages the three's allow us to outscore them. Lakers has good front court D but their perimeter D is not as good then say the Clippers. Vogel still likes playing Rondo despite him being a black hole. We match well against the Lakers. As far as favor Lakers adv, I'd concede: them having home court (and maybe the refs).

Thunder/Clippers/Mavs could be bad match ups for us.

 

Ahhhhhh shiiiiiet!!!! I like it!!!

 

Was Minnesota Kevin Love and Toronto Chris Bosh MVP level players? Depends on your criteria. If it’s all about stats ala Westbrook MVP then yes. But if it’s about winning he is not a MVP player. Just like Love and Bosh he put up great numbers on bad teams that didn’t translate to wins. He soft and always injured and I think he’s very overrated. Easy to win now when you have Lebron.

 

Just like the last time they played amirite?

 

Most lin fans like him are consumed by harden hate. They can’t think straight

 

0% chance. No way the NBA doesn't do everything it can to get the Lakers another title for Kobe+for Lebron+China market. You really think the NBA would reward the Rockets after all that lost China $$$ because of Morey? AND you really think the NBA would allow back to back champions be Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets? What is this? The NFL? No way.