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@  2016Champions : (15 October 2013 - 06:51 PM) Think of it like Lebron and Wade. Heat probably would have lost the series if Wade didn't step up in game 6.
@  2016Champions : (15 October 2013 - 06:47 PM) Lin is not the type of guy who puts up empty numbers. When Lin plays well, everyone plays well, because like Harden he makes people around him better.
@  Richards : (15 October 2013 - 05:02 PM) Howard and Harden taking more shots, I don't see Lin (and Parsons) put up more than they had last year. But his PER would be better with more asst and less TO and efficient shooting.
@  BrentYen : (15 October 2013 - 04:39 PM) So....I doubt he will put up All-star number in a sense that his role does not requires it.
@  BrentYen : (15 October 2013 - 04:15 PM) To ROX, I think Lin need to be efficient in terms of making sure the ball is flying around (lol). Numbers probably is not the most important thing to his role.
@  2016Champions : (15 October 2013 - 04:35 AM) Hopefully he plays around 35 minutes and is always on the floor when Harden isn't, that will help his numbers significantly.
@  2016Champions : (15 October 2013 - 04:32 AM) Lin put up All Star numbers the last 30 game of the see season, so I don't see why it would be shocking for him to put up those numbers for long enough to make the All Star team.
@  feelingsuper... : (14 October 2013 - 09:09 PM) I agree Brent, he has been able to get past the outside noise pressure and refocus himself so hopefully he is better. I just could never see him as an All-Star and am addressing the comments below as to what would surprise me from Lin.
@  BrentYen : (14 October 2013 - 08:31 PM) Lin is productive not just because of Dwight, he approached the game differently as well, more prepared. Hard to be an All-star while you have 2 already
@  feelingsuper... : (14 October 2013 - 07:48 PM) It would not be surprising if Lin is productive, Dwight will make everyone better. What would be really surprising though is if Lin was ever a bonafide All-Star. That would be shocking.
@  Rahat Huq : (14 October 2013 - 01:34 PM) agreed there. i don't know if he'll be a starter or on the bench, but one thing i'm sure of is that lin is going to surprise people this year
@  2016Champions : (13 October 2013 - 03:34 PM) Lin is definitely going to shut a lot of haters up this year. And Casspi looks great, I wonder if we can start him at the 4.
@  ale11 : (13 October 2013 - 07:16 AM) Casspi looks like he is gonna make the roster. Tough luck for Williams who isn't able to fight for it. When he gets to play, he better kill it if he wants to stay
@  ale11 : (13 October 2013 - 07:06 AM) With Howard picking the 5th, Hibbert is gonna manhandle anyone who plays C now...
@  feelingsuper... : (13 October 2013 - 07:00 AM) Lin sounds like he is doing well tonight which is great news but he isn't anything like Dennis Johnson.
@  miketheodio : (13 October 2013 - 06:58 AM) excellent execution on transition offense
@  miketheodio : (13 October 2013 - 06:00 AM) followed up by a contested downtown 3 0.0
@  miketheodio : (13 October 2013 - 05:59 AM) lin tear drop over hibbert 0.0
@  2016Champions : (13 October 2013 - 05:27 AM) Actually that was Jason Freidman's guess but I agree with him.
@  2016Champions : (13 October 2013 - 05:13 AM) Lin and Jones are starting tonight. My guess is that Bev and DMo will start next game. Coach is experimenting with different combinations.

Photo

Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers on 10/13/2013 in Taipei, Taiwan.


61 replies to this topic

#1 Red94

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    Posted 12 October 2013 - 05:00 PM

    New post: Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers on 10/13/2013 in Taipei, Taiwan.
    By: Paul McGuire

    The Rockets have clearly had their fun over the past few days in Taiwan.  Jeremy Lin went shrimp fishing like he did last year, Yao Ming showed up at a reception for the Rockets, and Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons had their laughs helping at a Special Olympics clinic.  But at the end of the day, they and the Indiana Pacers are here to play basketball.  And so they shall, at 1:30 in the afternoon in Taipei but at half an hour past Sunday midnight in Houston.

    Eric Nielsen did an excellent job covering the differences between the Pacers and the Rockets in the earlier preview, so there’s no need to cover it in too much detail.  Houston’s team offense overwhelmed Indiana, a team who last year posted the very best defense in the league as measured by Defensive Rating, this past Thursday, and one can expect the Pacers to take the game a little more seriously this time despite preseason.  Paul George and former Rocket Luis Scola both played well in the earlier contest, and David West has always given Houston plenty of trouble even in his earlier days playing with Chris Paul on the Hornets.  I will admit that I do think Indiana is the single most overrated team in the league, due to their tough series with Miami whom the Pacers particularly match up well against, but regardless of my personal opinions, the Rockets will need to continue to play hard and execute well against one of the better teams in the league.

    The most interesting storyline for this game will be Mr. Lin.  Coach Kevin McHale has declared that he intends to rotate his starting point guard and power forward throughout the preseason, which means that Lin (and Donatas Motiejunas) will start in front of what will be an almost completely deranged Taiwanese crowd, celebrating the prodigal son’s return.  Will Lin be able to play well in front of his peers?  Does the idea of Lin taking a Harden-in-OKC role have any actual water to it, or is it just people overreacting to Coach McHale doing preseason experiments with his rotations?  As I argued in the earlier recap, people should not stress out so much about any lineup experiments and should just wait for the regular season to begin before worrying about Lin’s future and role.

    Another question will be Howard as he prepares to face off against Roy Hibbert again.  The two big men more or less cancelled each other out in Thursday’s contest in the Philippines, as neither had particularly good offensive games and struggled with referees who were very quick to blow the whistle during the entire game.  Howard does have an issue against bigger, more traditional centers, which Houston fans witnessed back when Yao Ming regularly defeated a younger Dwight Howard (slightly off-topic: it’s always been fairly aggravating to me over the years even before Dwight came here watching Houston fans use those contests as some sort of unquestionable evidence that a healthy Yao was superior to Dwight.  The tragedy of Yao’s fall has let people forget some of his many flaws as a player.)  Tonight’s game will give Howard a second chance, to show what he can do against stiffer competition than New Orleans’s weak big men.

    Then there are smaller questions, mainly on those fighting for the end of the bench.  Can Aaron Brooks regain his form?  Can Omri Casspi show that his currently stellar play is not just a hot streak, and that he has something to offer as an all-around backup? How will the big man rotation work? Can Ronnie Brewer hit a jumper before I die of old age?  Questions like these as opposed to the outcome are what really matters as the Rockets play tonight/tomorrow morning in front of their international audience.

    At the time of this preview’s writing, there has been no word on whether Omer Asik, Reggie Williams, Francisco Garcia, or Greg Smith will manage to return from injuries for this game.  Asik did say when he was first diagnosed with his strained calf that he hoped to be ready for this game, but for now, I would just expect all of them to sit out and wait until they return to the United States.  Marcus Camby, sadly, is suffering a torn plantar fascia and will miss at least a couple of weeks.  I don’t exactly think we’re looking at the next Dikembe in Camby, but Houston should hope he can be ready for the preseason opener against Charlotte.


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    #2 RollingWave

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      Posted 12 October 2013 - 05:12 PM



      Per Feigan, everyone but Asik / Camby is back in practice, so I suspect Asik still sits but a decent chance Garcia / Smith plays


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      #3 Rahat Huq

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        Posted 12 October 2013 - 06:01 PM



        glad you brought up the yao head to heads: that aggravated me too. at the time of the dwight signing, i tweeted about the absurdity of rockets fans thinking yao was the superior player saying dwight was hands down more effective. several took exception, citing the head to head battles as some sort of proof. yao clearly dominated howard head to head, but i don't think you'll find a single person outside of houston or china that would say yao had more of an impact on a game than a healthy, young dwight howard.


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        #4 timetodienow1234567

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        Posted 12 October 2013 - 06:44 PM

        Offensively it's not even close. But clearly Dwights the better defender.
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        Why so Serious? :D


        #5 rockets best fan

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        Posted 12 October 2013 - 10:04 PM

        Offensively it's not even close. But clearly Dwights the better defender.

        with both in their prime and healthy..........I take Yao. I love Howard as a player and a Rocket, but IMO Yao's offensive gifts made up for the minor falloff in defense. he was such a big man until his sheer presence on the floor causes problems for opposing teams. however offensively Yao could be depended upon to close the game via shot or free throws. it's sad Yao never got to play many years near his peak, but those last couple of years before the injuries he was morphing into a monster.


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        you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


        #6 Rahat Huq

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          Posted 12 October 2013 - 10:41 PM

          Yea definitely was better offensively, but that was if he was even on the court or if you could even get the ball to him over a fronting defense.  You can't limit Howard like that, except at the free throw line.


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          #7 feelingsupersonic

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 12:02 AM

          It's a tough comparison no matter which side you are on. There too many variables like potential and windows of peak performance that vary and realistically cannot be compared with a definite answer. I go back and forth.
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          #8 BrentYen

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 01:53 AM

          How about they both on the court (sorry out of context), will be much better than Asik+Howard. :rolleyes: fantasizing.


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          LOF here.


          #9 2016Champions

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 05:05 AM

          I don't think I've ever been this excited about a pre-season game. 


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          Debates are destructive as they present one-sided opinions and demolish reasoned arguments, whereas discussions are constructive and encourage the expression of opinion.

           

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          #10 2016Champions

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 05:48 AM

          Yep just as I predicted. We look horrible when we throw the ball into Dwight in the post, but we look fantastic when we pick and roll. 


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          Debates are destructive as they present one-sided opinions and demolish reasoned arguments, whereas discussions are constructive and encourage the expression of opinion.

           

          Debate is the death of conversation.


          #11 2016Champions

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 06:03 AM

          Even though Lin started he's still playing with the second unit at SG, and once again he is giving the Pacers defense a lot of trouble while Harden rests, I like this rotation a lot.   


          Edited by 2016Champions, 13 October 2013 - 06:05 AM.

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          Debates are destructive as they present one-sided opinions and demolish reasoned arguments, whereas discussions are constructive and encourage the expression of opinion.

           

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          #12 2016Champions

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 06:33 AM

          Harden hasn't changed, it was the last Houston possession for the 2nd quarter and Harden waved away Dwight's pick because he wanted to iso, and with the iso play he took a step back long 2 which resulted in an air ball -__-'


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          Debates are destructive as they present one-sided opinions and demolish reasoned arguments, whereas discussions are constructive and encourage the expression of opinion.

           

          Debate is the death of conversation.


          #13 ale11

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          Posted 13 October 2013 - 06:34 AM

          It's nice to see that ball movement, lots of unselfishness....the thing is that all that driving and kicking it out is leading to many turnovers, just like last years. I'm afraid that we are gonna have the same issues as last year.

           

          Also, once again, finishing the half with a Harden iso that didn't even came close to the rim....sigh....


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          #14 Red94

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            Posted 13 October 2013 - 09:04 AM

            New post: Houston Rockets 107, Indiana Pacers 96: Preseason Game, Regular Season Intensity
            By: Forrest Walker

            Taipei, Taiwan was hungry for a dose of Linsanity. The Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers made their way to Taiwan for an international Preseason game, a captive audience in far-off foothold for the NBA. The crowd hung on every play Lin made, and got on their feet when the final buzzer sounded Houston's victory. They got some of the new, assertive brand of Linsanity. They also got another strong performance from the Houston Rockets, one which resembled an NBA game through the first three quarters of play. Until the reserves took the floor in the fourth quarter, both teams had something to prove. Preseason basketball has never been so hot.

            The Pacers rode that heat with their three point shooting, knocking down half of the attempts they took. 11 of their 22 attempted threes found net, 10 of which came from Paul George and Danny Granger. The Pacers showed why teams have begun to look for the three point line in earnest. With threes, the Pacers' offense lifts from spotty to sometimes deadly, a possibility that was out in force. As Granger and Paul buried three after three in the third quarter, Roy Hibbert manhandled his man, whether it be Dwight Howard or Donatas Motiejunas. This was usually a closer game than the previous match against the Pacers, and they played like the game mattered.

            Unfortunately for Indiana, the Rockets came out with energy again, led by an extremely assertive Jeremy Lin. Lin got the lion's share of the point guard minutes, and used it to put up a very nice stat line. He picked up 17 points on 8 shots, 4 assists, 3 steals(!) and a highlight reel quality block from behind on a Danny Granger fastbreak layup. It's been said before, but it's so striking that it bears repeating. Jeremy Lin's shot looks leagues better this season, and his 3-4 shooting from behind the arc backs that up. He's more willing to probe the lane, which helped result in his three turnovers, but also led to some extremely impressive passes, including a brutal halfcourt alley-oop to Chandler Parsons. Lin has improved his game across the board.

            James Harden once again shot with abandon, but also had his own amazing alley-oop, this time to Dwight Howard. Harden's 21 points on 12 shots and 4 assists don't tell the whole story. Harden still takes baffling, covered shots, but he's also using off ball screens to find open ones. His numbers actually could have been better if he had drawn a couple fouls he seemed sure would be whistled, but this was a manageable risk. He also passed the ball in to Dwight Howard in the post regularly, something that it's impressive he's doing.

            Dwight Howard is working on a bank shot. It's not there yet, so its frustrating to watch him miss those shots. His 10 points included a couple great alley-oops and a couple dunks, including a dunk to finish off a post move. The rest of his post-up attempts tend to result in shots that are works in progress, explaining his 5-13 shooting. Hibbert gave Howard all he could handle, and Dwight came up with a -2 +/- score and only 6 rebounds, a number he stared with two other starters, Terrence Jones and Chandler Parsons.

            Parsons had another solid if unassuming night. 11 points on 11 shots isn't exactly worth writing home about, but a few of those points came at the business end of dunks, something which he seems to be moving back to. He can still rebound and still distribute, picking up 6 boards and 3 assists. He seems to be settling down at the same time as he's going back to dunking in game, which is good news for Houston. He's able to contribute in a few ways, and that means that some of his games will fly below the radar, even as he dunks all over the Pacers. He certainly exhibited less flash than his competitors at the 3, Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi.

            The winner of the power forward battle might actually end up being a small forward, because Omri Casspi is blowing the 4s out of the water. Casspi's 5-7 shooting, 9 rebounds and 2 assists might not look a lot better than Motiejunas' 4-8 shooting, but Casspi's game sure does. While Donatas often looks lost with or without the ball, Casspi plays within himself, and is sure of what he can contribute. Of all the players who took the court, Casspi is still the most surprising success story. After being doubtful to even make it through camp, his shooting, defense and awareness are light years ahead of the power forward rotation, something which should concern them. He's well on his way to earning a roster spot, and is making a case for a shot at the starting lineup, eking out Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas.

            The team looks more capable, more mature and like a better version of last year's team. for stretches in the second quarter, which the Rockets won 26-19, Houston looked nearly unstoppable. Whether or not pre-season games mean anything, the Rockets are showing progress on an individual and team level. They have something to prove, and they proved it to Indiana twice.


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            #15 RollingWave

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              Posted 13 October 2013 - 09:06 AM

              The 3rd quarter got ugly as ball movement stopped, this was a bad game for Dwight offensively.  But the Casspsi / Garcia duo was hilariously awesome in the 4th and destroyed any hope for a Pacer comeback.


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              #16 rocketrick

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                Posted 13 October 2013 - 09:45 AM

                It seems to me that the preliminary demise of Jeremy Lin in the Rocket's starting lineup as discussed by a number of forum members these past few days is unlikely to come to pass.  

                 

                It's great that the Rockets have 2 dynamic point guards and no doubt Patrick Beverly is going to have his moments this season and will finish some games. Assuming Lin gets banged up, as his history suggests will happen, Patrick will also have some opportunities as the starting PG.

                 

                Still, Lin is much improved from last season much as I anticipated.

                 

                Anyone else ready to jump on the Lin bandwagon?????


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                #17 thenit

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                  Posted 13 October 2013 - 02:15 PM

                  The team played pretty good last night, I watched 3quarters. A couple of points I noticed.

                  Howard doesn't have a lot good post moves once he faces a centre he can't over power. I just never thought he was good in the post unless he faces a weaker centre that he can manhandle, luckily there aren't many Roy hibberts out there.

                  I been a harsh critic of hardens defence but he looks better so far, not great but he puts in the effort and his offence is always superb with a few ISO I can live without. He was also willing to feed Howard in the post.

                  I remember when Rahat said the Lin seems to strive when he has his adrenalin pumpin and that kind of sparks his game, what concerns me is if he has a bad start of the season and doesn't accept a6th man role if this occur might not emotionally accept it and that may affect his game. He had a. Good game and you could see improvements in his overall game, he looks like his drive to the left is better than last years with lots of room to improve.

                  Parsons had a parsons game, he is mr consistency.

                  Pf I agree with the post. Casspi impressed he most.

                  Bev had an ok night, but he played good defence as always. What I like is that even when he struggles offensively he can affect the game with his d.

                  Garcia looked decent on his first game and hopefully he can build on that.

                  It's pre season but I cans e improvements in all of our players.
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                  #18 kevingan

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                    Posted 13 October 2013 - 02:38 PM

                    I've been on the Lin bandwagon, because I love his court vision: I think when he's at PG, the team runs best, which means that Lin-Harden and Lin-Beverly works really well--but so does Harden-Beverly, most of the time.  It's a puzzle figuring out the best combinations for this team--I almost wish Harden could move to the 3, where I think his game could rival LeBron's, and you could start Lin-Beverly-Harden....  But then what about Chandler?  And I can also see the advantages of having Lin in the Ginobli role: another sign of how he and Harden are so similar, since that was Harden's role on the Thunder.

                     

                    I guess too much similar talent is a nice problem to have, and maybe the saving grace here is that both Lin and Beverly are such good soldiers that they will do whatever the team needs.  Harden is cooperative too (except for those horrible isos), but talent does have its perogatives...


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                    #19 Easy Runner

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                      Posted 13 October 2013 - 02:39 PM

                      Lin ran full speed from outside the FT line, wisely knew what Granger's going to do, amazing play!

                      BIG Block on Danny Granger shot
                      http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Uz2mdxYkzUg


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                      #20 kevingan

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                        Posted 13 October 2013 - 02:41 PM

                        I said Harden's game could rival LeBron's....well, getting a little carried away there!  LeBron's in his own galaxy, but I do think Harden could be a top 5 small forward in this league because of his combination of skills and physicality. I'm pretty sure of that, but I'm curious what others think of that little thought experiment (since it ain't ever going to happen....)


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