1. 2017... the year after Dwight Howard left. This team is done and some said won't contend or make the playoffs. New coach and players around Harden like Gordon and Anderson... ended up the third seed and got to the 2nd round granted the Harden meltdown in game 6 vs 2 seed Spurs. 2. 2018... CP3 and Harden won't work year. This team should get to the playoffs but they will be irrelevant. It ended up working... it just did. One game away from NBA Finals. 3. 2019 ol here they come CP3 just needs to stay healthy. In the playoffs man Rockets can do it and the Warriors have injuries. Expectations were higher then we just choked and lost. Missed Ariza ect... 4. 2020 Russ/Harden small ball we are talking about all that in threads now... it was an interesting experiment the media followed but deep down inside everyone knew it wouldn't work but there was always a slight chance. Lost. 5. Now with the additions of Cousins, Woods with Wall and no Westbrook (less turnovers.) Media and others are saying there is no chance again. This team won't contend for anything. Expect Harden to eventually be gone. New coaching staff and players around Harden again. Trend and talent in the roster and in the coaching staff says this team will overachieve. We go through something every offseason. Rafael has a chance to be a great GM if he stays aggressive like this early in his career and builds a championship team and hopefully gets a championship within his first 5 years in this role.
If we make some tweaks to the roster, I think we’re at least making the Western Conference Finals this year. Wall, Harden, Wood and Cousins are an unstoppable foursome imo. And yes I think 3 of the 4 are healthy at this moment. Wall says he’s playing pain-free for the first time in his career. The only question mark is Cousins due to back-to-back-to-back injuries but even he looks slim and focused. If Cousins plays meaningful minutes this year, we’re in the mix for an NBA championship. I’d like to package one of Gordon/House/PJ with picks to upgrade our small forward hole right now. I think that will raise our ceiling even more
This team could easily finish 3rd or 12th. Hardens disgruntlement, a brand new coaching staff, a brand new defensive scheme, Walls injury, Cousins injury, no clear backup point guard, no obvious reliable wing defenders, and a ton of players working on finding their NBA footing means there's enough risks that the confidence of fans just can't be totally justified. But - I'm 100% OK with this. After last year and Westbrooks abomination of a fit in Houston, we may as well roll for snake eyes.
