You are what your record says you are - which is why I say they ain't even that good Especially Klay and Green ---highly overrated trash.
Their récord was worse last year and even worse this year. It’s not an effort thing. They’re a worse team. We’ll see in May.
Were the Bulls in 98 and 99 really any worse than 97? Or did they just not care about regular season wins anymore? They went from 72 to 69 to 62 wins - sound familiar? Have you accounted for the fact that their big 4 has missed 32 combined games, due to injury or rest? The Warriors are as good as ever. The Rockets have joined them. We'll see who's better in the playoffs.
Nobody is that good nowadays to form a real dynasty of winning 3 champions in a row. (Last Bulls and Lakers, Spurs winning multiple but not in a row).
Disagree. I think they’re more vulnerable this year and have two legit threats to knock them out of the WC playoffs. I found myself concerned that they wouldn’t even make it last OKC if they met in the second round. They’re a finesse team that can’t play physical. You abuse their little dude and the whole team falters. It’s like a big video game baddie with a small weak point. Bump him when they’re on offense and throw off his cadence, get him on switches on defense and he loses his legs. Now you’re stuck because you have the “easy” button in Durant which is fools gold because you still aren’t unlocking your ridiculous offense. To be honest, if Kerr staggered them like Dantoni does they’d probably have more success. I have enjoyed the year long “they just aren’t caring right now” schtick. They go and blow the doors off of Phoenix by 50 and then lose to the Blazers in a game they had to have. In the playoffs everything matters including home court. And you’re going to give it up to a team that has already shown you they can beat you at your place? I too like to live dangerously.
If we don’t get Lebron and he stays in Cleveland. How much would we improve by trading Ryan and opening up room for Paul george
Winning 3 in a row is a pretty arbitrary way to define a dynasty. Only 4 teams have done that - two of them in the 50's and 60's. That leaves out some of the best teams in NBA history. 80's Lakers, 80's Celtics, Early 2010's Heat, Late 2010's Warriors, Spurs of the Duncan era.
- bench not as deep as last year (had a great off-season to most analysts with Casspi, Young & Bell) - throw analytics out the window, Rockets cannot be this hot for 4 games The bench sucks. Rockets in 6.
Haven't read through this entire thread, but imagine someone else hit the nail on the head already. It's simple - nobody is willing to dethrone the Warriors until we do it in the playoffs. There was a point last season where the Rockets were #1 in the power rankings and Harden was #1 in the MVP - did it feel like the season would end the way it did at that point? Not saying it will happen again, but neither our coach or our star players known for their playoff dominance. I get why everyone is hesitant.
