[Poll] How many games does this team win next season?

So Udoka admitting to 10% pushing Rafael.

 

All star break update

24-30. 5 total wins on the road

28 games left. 13 @ home. 15 on the road.

 

Nets and Rockets gonna be trading each other the 10th and 11th picks for years.

 

"James was going to be a bad influence on this team"

The Finger Pointing Mob still standing by that?

Suddenly team building at a strip club doesnt seem so bad as long as you have a chance to win games with a REAL superstar!

 

I predicted 33-36 wins, so that's looking pretty solid now. They're on pace for 28 wins at home. If that pans out, they could literally win zero additional games on the road(which is entirely possible, BTW) and still wind up with a 33-49 record.

 

Yep

 

LOL

 

We will definitely beat my expectations at this point, which I thought I were being optimistic about. Great bump for hindsight. It sucks to know it could be even better.

 

13 road games left.

Still sitting at the same 5 road wins. Even Detroit now has the same number of road wins

 

I said 25-28, we'll probably top that... but not by much

 

Pre Jan 1 : 15-15
Jan 1 on : 10-18

On pace for 35 based on season long win%. Based on how we have been playing lately my money would be on finishing under 35.

 

It's funny because a lot of people, including myself, thought the early schedule was too brutal for much winning. Well, we beat the odds set by pretty much everybody, and the expectations became sky high. A few injuries threw us back down to earth.

 

Sengün was visibly injured and played through most of the injuries and illnesses.

 

I'll be a very happy person if we reach 35 wins.

 

I think the Rockets are exhausted. That combined with opposing coaches who’ve figured out how to matchup against them has got the players questioning their own abilities, and their teammates abilities as well.

Imagine that when frustration overtakes anyone, any semblance of peak performance is basically thrown out the window. The Rockets lack the go to guy that can settle the chaos or funk in real game time performance, especially when they are about to lose their lid. Rockets are competitive, but they do have specific times in every game when they simply unravel. They lack tenacity and poise.

 

25

 

Had them at 36-37 and now they are likely around 32-35 .....not that bad prediction given that they had a nice run when healthy.

 

6% said they’d win 25-28 games (already at)
16.7% said they’d win 29-32 (work to do)
52.2% said they’d win 29-36 (work to do)
59.8% said they’d win 33-40 (not gonna happen)
_______________________________________________________________

I don’t bet or following the betting lines but I think the O/U was 30.5 or 31.5? I guess depending on the sports book? Please correct me if I’m wrong. (Yes, Caesars below is 32.5)

_______________________________________________________________
Zach Lowe: “*If there are surprises here, they are Houston and Utah -- one team (Utah) who sniffed .500 last season before pulling the ripcord, and the Rockets having added two needle-moving veterans to one of the league's most exciting groupings of young talent. Had they snared Brook Lopez (and they believed they were very close), Houston would likely be one tier higher.

Without him, I'm not sure how even a coach as demanding as Ime Udoka builds a top-20 defense from this roster. The Rockets are just so young around Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, and the exact kind of young -- raw, ragged, a little reckless -- that rarely wins at a .500 level in the NBA.

Brooks is an elite defender. VanVleet is solid, but at his age (almost 30) and size, he can't stem the tide up top by himself. There is a lot riding on Alperen Sengun growing right now into a passable back-line defender -- a huge leap.

Most of the rest of the rotation is college-age. Several of those guys project as plus defenders soon -- Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason (he's there now) -- but it's rare for players that age to get there.

Houston's offense will jump some, but league-average may be a stretch.
_______________________________________________________________

Win-loss projections
ESPN Forecast: 29-53
Caesars: 32.5 wins | Title odds: +30000
_______________________________________________________________

Pelton: 13. Houston Rockets | Average wins: 32.8

Having added VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency, the Rockets are just behind the Pistons for the biggest projected improvement over last year's win total. Alas, because Houston started at 22 wins, that's still likely to leave the Rockets out of the play-in mix. Note that these projections do not include No. 4 pick Amen Thompson (nor does Detroit's include twin brother Ausar) because I don't have NBA translations for their stats compiled playing with Overtime Elite.
_______________________________________________________________

https://www.nba.com/news/2023-24-season-preview-hou
How far can the Rockets go?

The Western Conference improved overall this offseason. So, while it’s safe to expect Udoka and the Rockets to put together a double-digit increase in wins from 2022-23’s record of 22-60, it’s unlikely this club returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. That’s a season or two away, as Udoka and the staff spend the 2023-24 campaign laying down the all-important foundation for sustained success.
_______________________________________________________________

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...tions-picks-team-records-2023-24/71244973007/

Rockets: 24-58
_______________________________________________________________

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/10/4/23902499/nba-power-rankings-preview-offseason-trades
25. Houston Rockets
Last season: 22-60

The Rockets are trying to take the leap from being a rebuilding team to a resurging one this season by dropping the bag for Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. While these seasoned pros will be added to the starting lineup, the development of last season’s young core—Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun—remains critical to Houston’s long-term prospects. The addition of rookie lottery pick Amen Thompson provides a dynamic point guard to help facilitate development. However, unless one of these young talents breaks out, the Rockets still project to miss the playoffs again.
_______________________________________________________________

The only teams projected/expected to be worse was Portland and San Antonio.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...standings-projections-as-new-season-tips-off/

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...rankings-predictions-odds-ahead-opening-night

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba...ards-finals-champion/cf7dfc224145cb552fdc00d7

So you’re saying they hit (or are on pace to hit) on all of the preseason expert predictions?

Spoiler

FIRE THIS GUY! TRADE THAT GUY! THIS GUY SUCKS! BENCH THAT GUY!

*I’m guilty of this as well

They’re probably gonna hit the 29 win mark, as projected.
They are only better than the Spurs and Blazers, as projected. (Grizzlies too but their entire team is injured)
They’re gonna miss the play-in, as projected.