Optimism is rightfully at an all time high with a franchise coach, incoming vets, budding young stars and exciting rookies. Personally, I think we will blow expectations out of the water this season. However, looking at our schedule, the first 33 games or a little over two months are brutal, so brace for a slow start. The first 4 games are against Orlando, San Antonio, Golden state and Charlotte with some winnable games there. But then, out of the next 29 games 26 are against playoff caliber teams, which I define as playoff teams from last year + New Orleans who are playoff caliber with Zion. The 3 non-playoff teams are San Antonio again, Indiana and Detroit. With a new team still gelling and learning what Udoka wants, don’t be surprised if we struggle out of the gate. I would be ecstatic if we could maintain a 0.400 pace and go 13-20. That may not look great in the standings but would really set us up for a second half surge to 40ish wins. So this is just a reminder, for those of you who are excited like I am right now, keep the faith. And for those Debbie downers who will be so eager to say “I told you so”, I would suggest holding your tongue unless you want to look foolish in the end. Hoping for a great season!
our scheduling is brutal indeed... designed to make those 'top' teams look good. nothing else to do but fight to subvert to a great season
Which teams in the West will finish behind the Rockets? After San Antonio and Portland, it gets pretty tough to pick them.
Utah for sure. That Colin Sexton/Horton-Tucker back court is nasty and reminiscent of what the Rockets have ran out there the last few years in terms of point guard play - watch for regression from Markkanen which already started to happen last year after they traded Conley. After that there’s a whole cluster**** of 40ish win teams that could rise or fall due to injuries, chemistry or just luck. Jalen may still be a few years away but in the proper system and usage if (IF) Sengun could reach near allstar caliber this year, along with Fvv they could be right in the thick of that group. The Kings have two main guys in Fox and Sabonis and coming into last year you could have asked the same question about them (who are they finishing ahead of in that group?), and we are not remotely talking about top 3 for the Rockets this year.
I do think at least one team will be surprisingly bad, either due to injuries or something else, and it's possible there will be more than one. There's usually at least one surprisingly sh*tty team and one surprisingly good one.
There’s always at LEAST one team that everyone was sure would make the playoffs that didn’t make the playoffs. Could be because of age, injury or locker room dysfunction. We see these season predictions often claiming such and such team will be impossible to overcome in the standings only to see them fizzle out or opt for a rebuild mid season. The teams with weak backup plans are Clippers, Mavs, Wolves. For example if Luka goes down for 30 games the Mavs are unquestionably finished. Another thing that happens often is some very young team surprises everyone. Warriors, Grizzlies and Mavs have done this in the past decade or so. Thunder to some extent last season. That team is going to be us.
I'd buy the Clippers or Mavericks to be that bad team. With the Clippers its injuries. The Mavericks are Luka and some dudes that don't fit. Kyrie could go full stupid at any moment. They owe the Knicks their pick unless it's in the top 10. They may just tank it up.
I think the Mavs will be alright ...about 38-40 W like last year. They always find ways to trade for a secondary star.....I do not think Kyrie is so nailed-on to stay as folks think.
It's always a cycle as a Rockets fan: (...) high hopes for the season -> multiple losses in a row -> venting threads on how this team or player xxx sucks -> team has one big win -> threads saying we are two years away from contending -> embrace mediocrity for the rest of the season -> get a high draft pick -> (...)
We’re better than Utah, Portland, San Antonio, Memphis, Dallas, and possibly but not likely New Orleans. This team will surprise by just having a better coaching staff this year. Top worry is that our bench lacks scoring and losing KPJ doesn’t help at all. If we’re counting on Bullock to be our savior we may be in trouble as he’s a spot up three guy and that’s all.
First couple months is brutal because we're playing the west teams, more specifically teams from the stupid in-season tourney. Group E: Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets. Outside of a Magic and Hornets game we don't really hit the East until Dec. There are more worse teams in the East. Said this in the in season tourney thread originally that the inaugural tourney is not good for us schedule wise. It being the first tourney, even the playoff teams may try harder + more strict load management rules.
It took Udoka and the Celtics awhile to get it going. Ime gives me the vibe that he'll stick with something unworkable trying to make it work by teaching and preaching... like having Green play defense for example. Or having Sengun off-ball, to let Green Fred and Dillon eat so yeah, quite possible that we struggle initially until either the concept starts working or he switches to something that clicks.
