This is a quote from Durant that I like. He doesn't seem to be dismissing the Rockets at all. I honestly don't care what the rest of the chumps think, but I respect Durant. Here it is: Durant is impressed with this new Rockets squad. "They're very tough," Durant said. "I really like this team, I really like their coach, they got a good home crowd. I think the difference between them last year and this year -- obviously, everybody I know, everyone is going to say CP, but they're just playing harder. I feel like they're playing harder on the defensive side of the ball, I feel like they've got versatile defenders. [Clint] Capela has gotten better. It's just more than CP. They're doing a good job of meshing together."
I agree. The more they talk about the Rockets as well as the Rockets holding the tie breaker, the more we know they are worried about us. They feel threatened by the Rockets. And so are their fans. Coming here to start threads about "Saturday's game doesn’t mean anything" proves they are scared. LOL...and I enjoy watching their fear. Whether we win or lose the Championship, it is fun to see them worried and concerned. We are under their skin.
The Ringer... https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/21/17034682/nba-second-half-predictions Who or what is the biggest threat to the Warriors? Chau: It feels like a cocktail of intrasquad apathy and the Rockets—which complement each other like gin and vermouth. The Rockets are an outstanding team that has both ratcheted up its already killer offensive efficiency and given just enough of a **** on defense to settle into the top 10. But regular-season killers led by Mike D’Antoni, as painful as this is to say for me, are a dime a dozen. This is the best team James Harden, Chris Paul, and D’Antoni have ever led, but that still rings a bit hollow considering their cumulative résumés. The biggest threat to the Warriors would be not taking the Rockets seriously enough. But for now, there still might not be a compelling enough reason to. Gonzalez: Houston is legit. LeBron and Cleveland are reborn. Toronto is playing its best basketball ever. But the answer here lies within. The Warriors spent the earlier part of the season finding different ways to counteract the creeping boredom, and Steve Kerr recently let his players coach themselves against the Phoenix Suns just to switch things up. And yet despite being the NBA’s embodiment of the shrug emoji, the Warriors have the best net rating in the league and are only a half game behind the Rockets for the best record. [Extremely after-school-special voice.] The Warriors’ biggest challenge has been inside them all along. O’Connor: It’s the same team as it was before the season: Houston. It has one of the highest-powered offenses in NBA history, with a tremendous defense to match and personnel that can adapt to any type of lineup. The Warriors are not inevitable champions, all thanks to the Rockets. Uggetti: Draymond Green’s feet. O’Shaughnessy: The Rockets are the clear answer, and many of the Western Conference teams could wear Golden State down along the way should the two meet in the conference finals. But it’s worth adding that the Warriors have lost to the Thunder in both of their matchups so far this season. Tjarks: Themselves. Everyone knows they are better when they bench their traditional big men and play Green and Kevin Durant at the 5. The question is how stubborn Kerr will be about going to those lineups in the playoffs. He has traditionally waited until he was down in a playoff series to embrace small ball, and he probably will again this season. Golden State was so much better than the rest of the field last season that it didn’t matter. Houston’s emergence means Golden State’s margin for error isn’t quite as big. The Warriors still have more talent than the Rockets, but Kerr can’t mess around too much.
Which team will finish first in the West standings? Tjarks: Houston. It just means more to the Rockets than Golden State, who definitely have a bit of championship malaise this season. Gonzalez: Warriors. Even if they’re on autopilot, it’s impossible to bet against them. Verrier: I give resident Rockets superfan Sean Yoo my proxy: Sean Yoo: FIRST PLACE BY A MINIMUM OF FIVE GAMES. O’Connor: Golden State is cruising and still only a half game back from the top of the standings. If the Warriors press Go, they’ll be back on top in no time. The Rockets will be right there, though. Chau: The Warriors. I’m not sure Kerr will let the team limp into the playoffs as the lifeless zombies they’ve been for the past few weeks. Uggetti: Rockets. The Warriors don’t care right now, and even if they start to in the second half of the season, the closing act to James Harden’s MVP push will keep Houston in the driver’s seat. O’Shaughnessy: The Warriors, who are only half a game behind Houston. There really isn’t any slump bad enough that it can’t be worked out on a roster with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
durant playing the ole "go easy on us" card. yeah ****in right. **** these motha ****as up! i wanna see our defenders lick the tears off curry's face when he bricks all his 3s
Curry=Paul Harden >Thompson (a lot) KD> Ariza (a lot) Green > Anderson (a lot) Capela > Zaza (a lot) Bench: LMM/Tucker/ISO Joe/EGo/Brandan/Nene/Green > Iggy/Casspi/Bell/McGee/West/Livingston/Looney (a lot) The Rockets bench would be an East playoff team. I do think the biggest X factor here is Capela. No one really understands how much better he is than GSW centers. Let’s be real, the Rockets have Two All Stars and Two Fringe All Stars. The Dubs have Two All Stars and Two Fringe All Stars. Dubs are top heavy but the Rockets can throw the kitchen sink, bathtub and garbage disposal at Durant and Curry and STILL not expend Harden or CP3. No shame losing to this team but the Rockets have much more than a punchers chance. This is going to be Hulk v Abomination.
Fill one hand with potential and the other with crap, see which one fills faster. Everyone keeps saying the warrors are loaded with potential, and that they can turn it on whenever they want. I have yet to see them turn it on to the level everyone says they can this season. The rockets have proven they can beat the warriors twice this season. Banking on potential alone is stupidity. We will see what teams show up come playoff time, but honestly, what the warriors did in previous seasons doesn't guarantee them anything this season. In the vacuum of this season, the rockets are the better team.
Come on curry=paul? Curry is a 2 time mvp. People would rather give up a dunk then let him shoot a 3.
That's because the Rockets didn't have to play the Rockets 3x. Also, the Warriors have 3 games left against the Suns, which is like having 3 days off basically.
The biggest obstacles for the Warriors (besides the Rockets) are their alleged "championship malaise", their bench and defense. They aren't the same team this year. Clearly the tread is very worn and three straight Finals trips have taken a toll. I have doubts they can flip the switch and capture what happened last year. If the Rockets stay healthy and play at a very high level in the playoffs, I think they will beat the Warriors. Right now, the guy that scares me the most in a series with them is KD. This championship stuff is still new to him and he doesn't appear mentally tired at all.
