With the postseason looming, there’s plenty of confidence in Houston regarding the Rockets’ title chances.
General manager Daryl Morey says that, despite injuries to key players, the Rockets feel good about their ability to win the championship this season.
Led by MVP candidate James Harden, the Rockets currently have the second-best record (50-23) in the brutal Western Conference.
Per ESPN:
“We think we can win the title with or without (Patrick) Beverley,” Morey said. “Obviously it gets more challenging without Beverley; he’s the key to our ability to guard a lot of these very good point guards in the West.”
“We won’t go in as the favorite,” Morey said. “I think Golden State, deservedly so, gets to be called the favorite. They’ve had a very historic season. I think the Golden State training staff hasn’t been talked about enough this year. That team has been healthy and really that showcased everyone in Golden State. Coach [Steve] Kerr has done a great job. We won’t go in as the favorite. We do feel like we can beat anybody in a seven-game series, and we’re pretty excited to get going with the playoffs.”
The Rockets won NBA titles in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons but have advanced past the first round of the playoffs only three times since. In the past two seasons, Houston was eliminated in the first round. […] “Got to break the curse this year and get out of the first round,” (Dwight) Howard said. “We got a great opportunity in front of us. We want to seize this moment and not take anything for granted, and everybody is on the same page.”
