James Harden is Slow

NBAtv stat. Slowest players on court so far this season

James is Tied for 3rd

This has to change once healthy right?

Lamarcus Aldridge?

I think this guy may be exactly what the Rockets need. What would you give up?

Steve Blake Wins Game, Is this real life?

Steve Blake, my white whale, well, something like that, I’m not hunting basketball players. Since his days in Portland I have not been to keen of this man. You’d think that I would be a fan as a fellow caucasian baller, but no, not at all. Anyway….


Lew and I were late to the game, arriving at tip off. We grabbed some food and on our way to the seats we got stopped by our season ticket representative. He had an upgrade for us and we moved down to the 14th row behind the Rockets bench, so, that was pretty sweet.



I was distracted the first half listening to the Baylor OU game on my headphones and I never got to upset during the awful start to the game. It seems like they do this all the time anyway, get down by double digits. I saw the score and purposely didn’t get to in to the 1st half, I tend to get worked up and was high on my Baylor Bears, I decided to take “caring” off that half. It ended 50-64, was hoping for at least a 10 point game but, well, you’ve seen the Harden defense gifs by now.


1st half stats:
Nash 10 points and 4 assists

Blake 9 points and 2 assists

Lakers 24/48 fg and 11/14 from 3, ridiculous



Harden 20 points and 3 rebounds

Howard 10 rebounds and 6 points

LIn 8 points and 3 assist and 3 steals and 3 blocks

Rockets 15/43 fg and 2/13 from 3

The second half was fun, until the end. Obviously in hindsight there are a ton of issues with the Rockets. We can’t judge the situation this early but we can be concerned. Their perimeter defense is SO, BAD. Everyone in the NBA can shoot, it is a matter of comfort, can you get comfortable? And the answer is, against the Rockets yes you can. Until that changes they are going to make it tough on themselves. As many problems as they had in this game they had a very good chance to win. Dwight was not the only one missing free throws, it felt like everyone missed one, and they did, except for the 2-2 Caspi. James ignored some play calls, Howard missed some free throws, Steve Blake hits a 3. Rockets lose 98-99, at home.


Final Stats

Omer -11

Howard 15 points and 14 rebounds and too many missed free throws making 5/16

Harden 35 points 5 assists and 4 steals and 9 rebounds (maybe he should have had the ball)


notes:

Don’t overreact to this loss, but by all means, react. Harden’s attitude is awful, he needs to get it together. Dwight needs to practice free throws, more. Kevin needs to get Dwight out of the game on offense at the end if it’s close. A lot of young, big egos on one team, BUT they all actually have a lot of talent, get it together. I am not ready to question Kevin McHale, but I am close. Jeremy needs to play better D more often, he is capable. This was a freak show, weird game, weird end, weird feel. Harden’s “no defense” only works if he gets to control the ball on the other end, like he is handicapping his game to get the ball…if that makes sense...


It’s my fault guys:
I want to take full responsibility for this loss, I can’t stand Steve Blake and all that bad voodoo came back to bite us. I spent 65% of this game making fun of him even though he continued to drain 3s and what do you know, he makes one about 30 yards in front of me to win the game, might as well have been in MY face. My bad guys…

JJ WATT

Post Clippers/Pre Blazers organized chaos

Reaction to LA: 118 - 137
I left my dang game notes at the office, but you don't care about my problems so I'll stick to what I know. Last night was all sorts of Crazy. If you missed it, Asik and Howard got early fouls and the Clippers got nice and cozy shooting the basketball. It was unreal, Reddick, Crawford, Paul, everyone got hot and looking good in Rivers' system. You see JJ flying off screens just like Ray Allen would and Paul running a smooth offense similar to Rondo(but with a jump shot)

The Rockets didn't play any defense and Kevin McHale was mad at the world, he had good reason, the refs wouldn't give his team calls(early) and his players wouldn't bend their knees on D. It was ugly. The Clippers tied a record for their franchise(while in LA) for points in a half with 78(1st half). The Rockets didn't get shut down by any means, they just couldn't keep up. At the end of the 3rd quarter Harden took a poor 3(on a full shot clock) and missed it with 19 seconds left in the quarter, leading to an easy Clippers breakaway to end it. I was irate and can't imagine McHale's attitude was much different. James didn't see much time after that. Every time the Rockets got close to coming back they would miss an easy lay up or dunk.

This sentence is me sparing you 100 more sentences on officiating and the NBA, not going to waste my time today. If you watched the game, you know what you saw.

5 games in 7 days is tough. It looked like the Rockets went to LA to go to the beach and get ready for the Blazers. Harden doesn't look 100%. Caspi is awesome. I can't imagine the Rockets(or refs) playing anything like that in the playoffs, I'm using the excuse of "needed growth" in every loss this year, and I believe that's fair.

Greg Smith leads the NBA in player efficiency rating. http://basketball.realgm.com/

Notes on Blazers:

2-1 record
5th in points per game 106.3
5th in assists per game 24.3

Leaders
Points LaMarcus Aldridge 25.7

Rebounds N. Batum 10.0
Assists N. Batum 6.0
Steals L. Aldridge 0.7
Blocks R. Lopez 2.0

I love Damian Lillard, he is fun to watch, smart, handles, shot, quicks, check him out. 

prediction: I don't know. If the Blazers shoot well or anything like the Clippers did last night then the Rockets lose to be 3-2. If the Rockets shoot decently, I think they'll win, going out on a limb, I know... 9 pm. Go Rockets. 

A couple pregame thoughts and Notes, Rocks @ Clip Show

9:30 is so. far. away.

Clippers: 2-1, 1-0 at home

Chris Paul is averaging 27.7 points and 12 assists after 3 games, against Lin and Brooks tonight he'll go off. 

What to watch for: Everyone has jumped on the Clippers wagon because of the addition of Mr Rivers and the impressive names on their roster, they are impressive. All I’m looking at tonight is there 4(pf) and 5(c) position, Blake and Jordan. I know Jordan a little, a few of my friends went to Episcopal HS with him and we’ve been out on the town a couple times, super nice guy; but there may not be 2 less-intimidating people in the league. Physical ability aside I have no faith in either of their attitudes to truly dominate the NBA. I may be proven wrong and that’s ok, I love seeing kids grow and mature, but I don’t see them ever getting past a 3/4/5 seed in the West without a true Center. Watch them play tonight against Dwight and Asik, it should be a great matchup, Houston will be challenged to keep up with the C’s and may go small. Or, the Clippers may get shut down, stuck in the mud, Asik and Howard need to do a much better job of getting back and communicating in the paint for that to happen.


Prediction: The Rockets are still learning to play together but the win in Utah was impressive. Fresh off of that I game I don’t expect them to get down by much at any point, however a late start in LA is a tough gig. I’d like to think they win by 10 and it’s never really a game, they are capable of doing that in every game. I am going to respect the process though, Rocks still meshing and Cp3 + friends at home = Rockets Loss 116-113. The one thing they have going(besides their awesome team) is that the Clippers are still learning from their new coach, so we’ll see.

Notes: Late start, it is on NBAtv for you non Houstonians. LIn needs to play D, Chris could kill us tonight with Pat out. James should own, maybe 40 pts. Howard and Jordan blocks over/under 6.5? I know I said to look for the “bigs” match ups, but Kevin will probably go small most of the night, this should be a really fun game to watch, high scoring, dunks, blocks, 3s, flops, everything, so stay up for this one. Go Rockets.


Rematch this Saturday in Houston.

Rockets get tired in Utah but beat Jazz...

Rockets Game 3/82,


opponent: 0-2 Utah Jazz


Headline: 19 point comeback to get to 3-0


Game Grade: B, considering 2nd of back to back and on the road (really 1st half: F, 2nd half: A)



Watching the first half play by the Rockets was rough, and even rougher when your city doesn't have a major cable deal with it's basketball team and you have to watch an online feed with Matt Harpring as the color commentator. It was brutal. At one point saying something along the lines of "it looks like Howard has brought the Holywood to Houston" after the Rockets got caught a few times catching their breath and playing sloppy D, I can't stand the guy, at least when the Rockets are getting their butt kicked, I didn't mind as much later in the game, funny...


1st quarter: Ugly

The jazz went on a 10-0 run early taking a 10-3 lead, it was clear that they wanted to slow down the pace any way that they could. The Rockets fought a little and at the 6:08 mark the Jazz took a timeout 12-9 Utah. Howard was pretty terrible in the first half, coming into the game he averaged 27 rebounds but was no where close to that pace. The red team looked tired and the Asik/Howard combo was slow, they are still figuring each other out, that is to be expected, but it’s just awful to watch. 24-16 Jazz after 1.


2nd quarter: Jeremy Lin sucks on defense

That is why he goes for so many steals, there was a stretch in the 2nd quarter though where he was responsible for 7 jazz points in a row. The entire team looked dead but it really exposed Lin on the hustle side. Parsons makes his 1st 3 pointer of the season and ends the half with 20 points, obviously carrying the team(or dragging, which ever). James struggled to do anything and the Utah bigs Kanter and Favors dominated the glass, the Jazz out rebounding Rockets 27 to 12. As Houston struggled, guys like Alec Burks, Enes Kanter(fellow Turkey teammate to Asik), Richard Jefferson, and Bellaire High School grad Houston's own John Lucas III where having great games, the Jazz were looking good and I was foreseeing sportscenter "Howard and Asik Slowing Down Rockets". 56-40 Jazz.





3rd quarter: YAY Points!

After the first half Kevin mcHale called it the worst half they have ever played, and I can 2nd that motion. 1st play of the half James Harden gets a foul and 2 free throws. Soon after that we get a scare as he seems to have either twisted or rolled his ankle, seeing that he kept playing(and well) I am assuming it was just a rolled ankle. The Rockets shot a lot of free throws to get going, Parsons hitting 2 with 7:50 left to make it a 50-58 game. Basically Harden went off and Garcia started hitting 3’s. The Rockets were playing fun basketball, Dwight got going, the Hustle from everyone on D was better and the Half finished tied 73-73.


4th quarter: The Rockets play basketball

The jazz had done a great job of slowing down the game and getting points from everyone in the first half but the Rockets “decided to show up” and the pace was right back how they like it. Houston went on a tear of fast breaks and 3’s(It IS what they do) finishing the game with 21 fast break points to Utah’s 8 and 9/22 from 3 to Utah’s 4/22. The dagger play happened when the Rockets tipped the ball into the jazz backcourt, John Lucas recovered it and shot up a long heave only to have it rebounded and launched to a snow birding Garcia for a layup, 99-90 Houston Lead. Howard and Harden made a couple free throws in the final minutes and the Rockets get out of Utah with a win playing 2 completely different halves.







Notes:

The Rockets get their 10th biggest come back in their History, 1st largest against the Jazz. Listening to Matt Harpring lightened up in the second half, to their credit the half time analyst was “real”. No Caspi. This was a fun one to watch, to see a team look so bad that I consider re thinking my expectations, to blowing the roof off the Jazz and getting a tough road win on the end of a back to back. This was impressive, I have a feeling we are going to have a lot of comebacks this season, so lets remind ourselves to chill out after the 1st half(I’m talking to myself). Great win, Go Rockets.



Next Game: Monday the 4th 9:30 pm vs The LA CLippers

Box Score

Rockets Vs Mavericks, Dirk leaves again and we found Mark Cuban.

The sun was shining and the city of Houston was feeling good after being blasted by mother nature the day before. The Rockets were coming off of a solid W vs the Bobcats(although not impressive) and the Mavericks were in town. After sitting in traffic and getting some good advice from Matt Schaub we stopped by this awful establishment for a pre  game refreshment. You may know it, it is catty corner from the Toyota Center on the southwest side. Lewis and I spent most of the time wondering how much the land costs and if we could come up with a business plan to buy it, because ANY positive change would make more money than it is now.

Getting into Toyota Center took longer this time, due to it being Friday(and not Wednesday) and an instate rival being  in town(some would argue it's really south Oklahoma though). Houston Crowds are always nice to wait in, everyone generally keeps to themselves and you can usually find an intelligent perspective to chat with.

As soon as the lights went on we did what any smart anti dallas heckler does, find Mark Cuban. It didn't take long, he is the lil stocky guy sitting on the edge of his seat in the middle of the picture, wearing a grey shirt and looking shredded, even from the upper deck. He was in my shouting range but if you've ever been to an NBA game, finding 5 seconds of silence in between music and "everybody clap your hands"(which is dieing) can be tough, but I was up to the challenge. You never force your banter, if you need to say something, a long sarcastic voicing of their name will do just fine as filler. "Maaaaaarrrrrk" "MaaaAAAArrrkk" "YOU MAD BRO?!". Of course we got no response but there is no doubt in my mind that we helped provide some fun to his first Dwight Howard, James Harden,  Toyota Center experience.

This game moved sooo slow at times, The Rockets shot 51 free throws! Part of that due to Dallas going into "hack a Dwight" mode with 6 MINUTES LEFT IN THE 3rd. I was laughing my sox off, what a pathetic attempt to bring down the beast, the ultimate compliment and a sure sign that the Rocks are really hard to beat(I say that because Dwight missed most of those shots going 5/12). I am excited and in awe of what I’m seeing, …..not going to make any bold predictions yet but the Rockets could be really, really, good. Really.

So to wrap up, James had 34 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts, 4 stls, Dirk fouled out early(so did Asik), and we had Greg Smith, Terrence Jones, Aaron Brooks, Donatas, and Ronnie Brewer on the court with 3 minutes left in a 10 point game. I was boggled by this to be honest, that we could be good enough to not even have to finish the game. 10 points, in 3 minutes? We have all seen T Mac do it in 35 seconds and know that it is accomplishable, so to have our "scrubs" in the game at that time was balls. Kevin was saying(with his lineup) "hey we are going to win, I am going to rest my players, don't make me put them back in, Rick."

At the end of the day beating Dallas in anything is fun for a Houstonian. Cuban is a punk and a baby. Dwight made the OBVIOUS right choice. Harden is the Truth. Houston fans are always late. Dmorey is a genius. Dallas fans left early and had basic, non creative trash talk. I did enjoy watching Dirk and M onta. Go Rockets.

"Lewda" Lewis G

Dirk Done