5 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: Preview: Memphis Grizzlies @ Houston Rockets

[Sir Thursday]

Really good preview . I think the key is going to be whether Harden can break Tony Allen's shackles and still put up the superstar numbers he's been churning out recently. The teams that have had success against Harden have been able to put a lockdown perimeter defender on him - his worst games so far (I exclude the Utah game when he had the flu):

vs. Denver: 15 PTS, 5-15 FG, 6 TOs (Iguodala)
@ Memphis: 18 PTS, 4-18 FG, 5 TOs (Allen)
@ Oklahoma City: 17 PTS, 3-16 FG, 3 TOs (Sefalosha)
vs LA Lakers: 15 PTs, 3-19 FG, 4 TOs (MWP)

Fortunately, there aren't that many teams around that can boast the necessary high-quality perimeter stopper to pull this off, but this is nevertheless the one hard counter that we've seen to Harden's game so far. It will be critical to both his and the Rockets' long term success for him to figure out a way around it - in the modern NBA if you've got a weakness, teams will spot it quickly and figure out a way to exploit it.

Of course it's nice that even in his worst games Harden is still able to put up 15 points! It's a very nice luxury having him around.

ST

[ale11]

Boy, we haven't had that kind of luxury for a very long time

[ale11]

By the way, HUUUUUUGE WIN TONIGHT! Like it was noted, we had to run all over, and we outscored them 33-3 in fastbreak points (not that they rely on that, but we do and we took the most of it).

Also noted that we had to keep Gay in line: only 6 points. Conley only had 6 assists and Gasol only 5 rebounds! We really neutralized them, talk about a homework done, right?

My favourite recurrent part of the game was Lin and Smith PnR, Smith rolling to the basket and Lin assisting one-handedly Also, almost 43% from beyond the arc.

We may not get into the playoffs, but this is going to be fun no matter what

[Dan G]

We may not get into the playoffs, but this is going to be fun no matter what

At the beginning of the season I didn't think there was even the remote possibility that we would see postseason action, but now I don't see why we wouldn't. I know there are some good teams that are below us (LAL, DAL) but I feel Golden State will fade like they always do and Utah and Minnesota are just as iffy us. Denver is not playing good, consistent basketball. I actually like our chances and we all know the Rockets have been historically a second half team over the last decade or so, and that should bode in our favor especially since with each passing game, the youngest team in the NBA is getting a little bit older.

As long as we can hover around .500 during this brutal stretch in our schedule, I think we will be just fine going forward. Add to the fact there's no telling what we may pick up at the trade deadline and in the end when it is all said and done, we may even be battling for the 6th or 7th seed.

[ale11]

I know, but I mean that it's not like the last few years....even though we are getting our hopes high, I wouldn't consider failing to enter this year's playoffs as a complete failure. We have to be able to look at the forest and not the tree that stands in front of us right now. This is a year to sit back and relax a bit. Even if we get to the playoffs and we are wiped out in the first round, it would be a great ride. But I completely understand that it is a real possibility to get that 6th, 7th, 8th seed, we are capable given some circumstances.