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@  redfaithful : (05 September 2015 - 10:48 PM) Llull line from today loss to Serbia: 30MIN 1-10PG, 0-5 3PG, 4-4FT 6AST, 1TO, 4REB, +/- -11
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:27 AM) this dude's gun fired and all he got a misdemeanor at bush lol: http://abc13.com/new...ush-iah/815795/
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:26 AM) theres more articles all over, but the jist is houston (and texas) doesn't really arrest for it, they just recommend you leave it in your car when they catch it. So seems dwight got lucky he was in texas and not cali or the NE.
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:22 AM) honestly we should just be glad they caught it...
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:21 AM) response: http://nymag.com/dai...n_airplane.html
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 01:42 AM) one bullet left in the chamber is diff than fully loaded and ready to go. Still stupid...but not like he was prepared for a shooting spree.
@  jorgeaam : (02 September 2015 - 09:33 PM) http://www.tmz.com/2...t-get-arrested/
@  jorgeaam : (02 September 2015 - 09:33 PM) So according to TMZ (I know, I know) Dwight Howard had an incident last month in which he took a loaded gun into an airport, but he was allowed to give it to a friend to take it back and wasn't arrested.
@  jorgeaam : (31 August 2015 - 10:45 PM) The Los Angeles Rockets, lol
@  redfaithful : (31 August 2015 - 09:51 PM) Seems that Chuck is also on his way to the Clippers.
@  slick shoes : (24 August 2015 - 06:14 PM) ill just leave this here...
@  slick shoes : (24 August 2015 - 06:14 PM) http://www.timeandda...04&font=cursive
@  timetodienow... : (21 August 2015 - 07:20 PM) At least in my opinion.
@  timetodienow... : (21 August 2015 - 07:20 PM) I love having Terry. But the main factor was that New Orleans will NOT compete for a championship this year and the Rockets will.
@  jorgeaam : (21 August 2015 - 03:57 AM) Things that make me like the JET even more
@  jorgeaam : (21 August 2015 - 03:57 AM) Jason Terry said that he turned down a more lucrative deal from New Orleans in order to return to Houston.
@  clydesmoustache : (19 August 2015 - 08:32 AM) A year ago who would have thought I would be so happy to have Jason Terry on my team. Welcome back JET! Hurry up October!
@  cointurtlemoose : (19 August 2015 - 04:45 AM) Terry I love yooouuuuuuuuu
@  jorgeaam : (19 August 2015 - 02:38 AM) Yay Terry is back!
@  majik19 : (15 August 2015 - 09:33 PM) and i thought these shouts were limited to some number of characters!

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Where do the Rockets rank heading into next season?


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#1 Red94

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    Posted 09 August 2015 - 12:59 PM

    New post: Where do the Rockets rank heading into next season?
    By: Rahat Huq

    In a recent 5-on-5 feature, only one respondent ranked the Rockets among his top 5 teams entering next season.  The exercise itself holds little bearing - Houston was expected to finish among the bottom half of playoff teams last season, before ultimately claiming the second seed.  But for our purposes, where do the Rockets really stand among contenders?  To begin, the most striking thing about the Western Conference is the existence of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  When recounting the absolute brutality of the conference, one easily forgets that it did not feature the team that entered the season considered to be the very best in all of basketball.  Even with Kevin Durant's health in question, it's more likely than not that the Thunder are back near the top, and thus, should not be discounted.

     

    For all of the crying we Rockets fans do about perceived disrespect, Grizzlies fans have a whole different gripe.  For a team that would probably run away with the East were it in that conference, you'd think they were like the Bobcats or something given the respect they receive overall.  It's true that Memphis must probably change its archaic ways to rise to the very cream in the modern NBA, but on the flip side, what if Mike Conley's face hadn't shattered, and Tony Allen hadn't gotten hurt?  Isn't it likely Memphis crushes the Warriors' soul and holds onto that series lead?  Are we then still talking about pace and space as necessity?

     

    And then there's the Clippers who come back improved with the addition of Paul Pierce's manhood, but featuring the hilariously ironic bench duo of Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson.  Has any team in league history featured a more combustible pair?

     

    Are the Spurs necessarily better than Houston?  They are the Spurs, so it's a safe bet they'll be in the mix, but do we know if Tony Parker is still alive?  Maybe it takes longer than expected to integrate LaMarcus Aldridge into the offense, whereas Houston will just be looking to plug Ty Lawson into the same sets run for James Harden.  And on a related note, has any other supposed top-10 player gotten anywhere near the free pass Kawhi Leonard received for the dud he turned in in the Spurs' finale?  Just thinking out loud.

     

    Then of course, there are the new kids on the block in Utah and New Orleans, waiting for any slippage from the top ranks, to ascend into the next tier.  The only real constant we can expect is that Dallas will suck, because, well, they struck out again, unless paying a recovering Wes Matthews more than James Harden is to be deemed any sort of victory.  As marvelously as this offseason has gone for Houston, the biggest loss was that DeAndre returned back home to California; had he not backed out on his promise to Dallas, even with Chandler Parsons' "best center-shooting guard duo" in tow, the Mavs would not have posed a threat in the pecking order, but the Clippers would have been crippled.  Instead, well, the Mavs still don't pose a threat.

     

    Ultimately, the championship will be determined by health.  Despite record setting regular season differentials, I'm not entirely convinced in the Warriors' perceived unequivocal superiority.  Things might have played out differently had they faced a single starting point guard in the playoffs, or a starting power forward in the latter rounds.  You could essentially throw the top 6 of GSW, HOU, LAC, SAS, OKC, and MEM into a bag, and dump them out in any order, with health as the ascending factor.  The Rockets could finish sixth, or, they could just as well finish at the top.


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    #2 redfaithful

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    Posted 09 August 2015 - 01:52 PM

    Health is not purely luck, there are some factors that influence it. Two that come to mind are coaching (see Popovich's handling of his older players) and medical staff quality (see OKC's problematic handling of Durant's injury). It sure helps to have a good bench that can reduce the minutes per game or games played by the top players.

     

    I would rank the Rockets high in regards to medical staff and bench, and hope the coaches manage the workload well...


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    #3 timetodienow1234567

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    Posted 09 August 2015 - 04:26 PM

    1) GSW (they proved they can win)
    2) Spurs
    3) Cavs
    4) OKC
    5) HOU
    6) Mem
    7) LAC
    8) Bulls
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    Why so Serious? :D


    #4 Rox_Greg

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      Posted 10 August 2015 - 05:50 PM

      I feel like you have to give the Rockets the nod to the Rockets as favs to win the WC.

       

      Our bench is made up of starter quality players. I'm hoping for a spectacular dunkfest every time the bench is on the court.

      We could seriously steamroll people if the young guys play to their potential. 

       

      I think Lawson is a better fit for the bench crew actually. We need someone that can leverage Capela's P&R ability, and also facilitate the fast break for the 2nd team. We have excellent finishers coming off the bench, but we could use a solid facilitator to set them up. Harden (and Pat/Dmo) can do that for the starters. 

       

      I'm sure this dead horse has been beat a few times, but we had 2 starters out for the WC finals, we didn't have Lawson and our stud backup C was just getting acclimated. We're likely adding playing time to hyper athletic KJ McDaniels, and if he's not ready for minutes they'll go to a 40% 3 point shooter. 

       

      We've also drafted players that are likely ready to contribute now.

      Our potential is scary good.


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      #5 marbony81110

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      Posted 10 August 2015 - 07:39 PM

      The only team I put above the Rockets is GSW because they proved they can win. Yes, they didn't face one healthy team in their last 3 series, but they were able to do what was needed to win. If Memphis was healthy, I'm pretty sure they would have won that series.

       

      I'm not convinced the Spurs are any better than last year. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli get a year older and I really don't see where L.A. will integrate effectively into their system. Is Duncan going to play center? We know Aldridge won't do it and he can't do it. The Spurs are already good offensively. Aldridge will keep the status-quo, but what about their defense. They lost Splitter. Something people are forgetting about.

       

      The Clippers will be good as usually, but are they really any better. Pierce will help if he performs like he did in the playoffs all year long. Smith and Stephenson are good players, but so inconsistent and knucklehead-ish (is that a word?). They have the potential to be better than last year, but also the same. Their bench can't really get any worse.

       

      OKC should be in the top again this year. When you have Durant and Westbrook you can compete with anybody. The only issue for them will be their defense with Kanter in the paint and their new coach. Either way they should be really good again.

       

      The Rockets will either be just as good as last year or better. If health holds up, I can see them putting the hurt on a lot of teams. Hopefully everything works out with Lawson and he is that second facilitator/playmaker the Rockets need. Teams won't have a chance to comeback or push a lead like they would when Harden left the floor. When Harden takes a break you still have Lawson. When Lawson takes a break you have Harden. As long as one of them is one the floor at all times there isn't a defense that stands a chance. We'll see how the D works with Lawson in there with Harden. Lawson isn't bad he is just completely undersized. 

       

      There is no telling where everyone will end up. If healthy, Rockets could be the one seed but you never know as all of the teams are so close to each other. 1 -5 will be GSW, HOU, OKC, LAC, SAS/MEM...no particular order. I do think that either the Spurs or the Grizzlies will be in the bottom of the top 5. 


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      #6 cointurtlemoose

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        Posted 10 August 2015 - 08:52 PM

        1) GSW (they proved they can win)
        2) Spurs
        3) Cavs
        4) OKC
        5) HOU
        6) Mem
        7) LAC
        8) Bulls

         

        Other than the fact that I think the Heat could be in the Bulls' spot, and us and OKC are interchangeable, I agree exactly.

         

        A lot for the Clippers will depend on what happens with Crawford. I think they should trade him and further bolster their depth. As it stands now, I don't put them above us or Memphis, but if they do that trade well, they could jump past us and OKC.


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        #7 majik19

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          Posted 11 August 2015 - 02:55 PM

          New post: Where do the Rockets rank heading into next season?
          By: Rahat Huq
           

          And then there's the Clippers who come back improved with the addition of Paul Pierce's manhood, but featuring the hilariously ironic bench duo of Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson.  Has any team in league history featured a more combustible pair?

           

          You forgot to include chucker Jamal Crawford in there. This would be Doc's best coaching job ever if he can coax high level production out of that bench. 


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