NBA常规赛即将打响，外媒专栏（The Point Forward）大胆猜想了各支球队的未来走向，首先来看对休斯顿火箭的大胆猜想。

最佳猜想（Best-case）: 霍华德重振威风，火箭一飞冲天。最坏猜想(Worst-case): 球队表现还算不错，却离冠军一步之遥。

火箭队的阵容和打法上还有很多谜团，但是霍华德和哈登的强强联手完全可以确保火箭足够坚强去应对困境。最糟糕的可能就是球迷的期待迟迟无法实现。另外，火箭队的阵容深度不俗，但是大前锋位置上的短板却是显而易见，休斯顿人需要有人挺身而出。在新赛季中，火箭会不断成长。尽管这支队伍还有瑕疵（in spite of flaws），但是仍有夺冠的可能。新赛季将会激情四射。

      Best-case: The Rockets make the jump ahead of schedule as Dwight Howard assumes his previously dominant form. Worst-case: Houston is very good while still being — rather clearly — a piece or two away from challenging for the title.

      Plenty still needs to be sorted out in terms of who and how the Rockets will play, but the pairing of Howard and James Harden is too sturdy for disaster. The worst that could happen is an expected delay; even a glance up and down Houston’s roster would reveal a glaring hole at the power forward spot, one of which the Rockets are intimately aware and surely looking to address. Otherwise, this is a team in a position to grow organically during the season, potentially to the point of challenging for the title in spite of its flaws. Once more, with feeling: This is going to be fun.

☆☆☆☆☆五星级词汇及短语

☆sort out挑选出；分类；例句It takes me a long time to sort over my thoughts before I can start writing.在动笔之前，我得多花些时间整理一下我的思路。
     ☆sturdy adj. 坚定的；强健的；健全的；例句They strode on their sturdy legs down the street.
他们迈着强健的双腿在街上大步走。
     ☆power forward大前锋，forward是前锋。
     ☆spot 地点；斑点；例句His glance stayed posited on the spot. 他的目光盯住那一点不动。
     ☆in spite of 虽然。
     ☆flaw 瑕疵，裂纹；缺点；flaw意指美中不足的小瑕疵。