Memphis Grizzlies @ Houston Rockets – postgame recap

  • Patrick Patterson has definitely improved.  By the third, as I write this, he had hit a three pointer, and made two fluid jump hooks.  He couldn’t have dreamed of either task last year when his wrist seemed as if it was made of stone.  I predicted that Pat would lose his starting spot by January.  But if he keeps it up, who knows?  We know for sure, the Rockets love his defense which is borderline elite in some aspects.
  • Terrence Jones reminds me a little bit of Carl Landry’s rookie year the way he seems to jump out of his shoes at times.  But unlike Landry, he can handle the ball a little bit too.  Notice how he’ll get low when dribbling, something uncommon for big men who are uncomfortable in that position.
  • I thought Jeremy Lin looked awful.  Then I looked at the scoreboard and saw he had 11 assists.  He airballed a few shot attempts, lending weight to the theory that what has hindered him is the recovering leg.

  • Kevin Martin was tremendous from the start.  Hopefully this continues and GM’s take notice.  The best case would be a deal netting an expiring contract and a future first pick.
  • In the games I’ve seen, Carlos Delfino also has looked very good.  In my opinion, he and Martin will share the load at shooting guard to start the year, to the detriment of Jeremy Lamb, until one of the former two are (hopefully) traded.
  • No Royce White got in with five minutes left in the fourth when the game was already completely out of hand.  On two possessions, he snagged the rebound and raced down the floor leading the break, finding Donatas Motiejunas on the left baseline with a beautiful behind-the-back pass; Motiejunas converted on only one of the plays.  Both times, the crowd roared, loving what it saw.  On his other touches, White crisply delivered the ball into Motiejunas (ironically) in the post.  He also had a missed layup and turnover on the break.  One thing is for sure – White is definitely entertaining.  But will he crack this regular rotation?  That he didn’t get in until late in the fourth is probably indicative of things to come – McHale’s pregame comments would lead one to infer that he’s searching for his regular lineup.  I spoke to one colleague earlier today who felt that the missed week of camp might have been enough to bury White for good.  How can you disagree, especially with how Jones and Motiejunas has looked?  McHale can’t punish the guys who actually did show up.
  • McHale’s comments in the postgame presser were telling.  At one point he said, “there’s nothing like experience,” pausing to add, “it’s hard to even describe to people.”  He then went on to describe how many of the players had not even seen NBA sets and that such simulation itself–something usually taken for granted–was itself a challenge in practice.  We go back to the familiar dilemma I’ve touched on since last year.  McHale wants–needs–to win, for his resume.  You can’t blame him, and you sense the frustration with the task ahead of him.  But if winning comes at the cost of player development, it’s not a worthwhile end.

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Total comments: 9
  • Sir Thursday says 2 months ago

    ale11, on 18 October 2012 - 13:45 PM said:


    There are more people excited about Asik than you think. I think most guys in this forum liked that addition, it was just a matter of him proving he was worth all that trouble and that big paycheck at the third year, but he will make us stay in the game on occasions where our offense is cold, and playing a bunch of unexperienced kids, it's bound to happen. If he can add something near 10 points per game, it's a very big plus


    I agree - Asik has been fantastic from what I've seen of him so far and I'm really happy to have him aboard. He's been an awesome rebounder and a lot more competent on the offensive end than I'd been led to believe (although I did have to laugh when he tried to unfurl a mid-range jumper late in yesterday's game only to have it blocked. It was obviously something he'd been working on in practice, and you could see the rueful smile on his face as he jogged back up the court looking at the bench. Perhaps biting off more than he can chew there - shooting over 7 footers isn't easy at the best of times).

    One thing that jumped out at me from last night's game is that Lin is REALLY uncomfortable leading the break. It's a sea-change from how assured Lowry and especially Dragic were last year. Lin shows a good eye for putting a long pass forward to someone who's been leaking out. But if he is running the break himself, he looks hesitant and unsure. Often he tries too hard to draw contact and ends up missing the shot, or passing at the wrong time to a trailing teammate. This is in part why his shooting has looked so awful in preseason - there have been a number of buckets that have looked like gimmes that he has fluffed. Perhaps something to keep an eye on as the season develops and see if he can get better at it.

    Lin had a pretty good game statistically if you take out his poor shooting. Plenty of assists (several of the aforementioned pass ahead on the break variety) and he was active on defence with some decent steals. The overall impression I got of his play was still that it was a bit shaky though. There were several times where he looked to penetrate and found he couldn't get by his man, having to dish back out again. Sometimes this still led to an open shot, so I guess I can't complain too much. But I suspect that he is still feeling the effects of the surgery and some of the explosiveness he had last year is still a bit lacking. Hopefully that will improve as the season goes on.

    Martin was breaking out the post-game last night, with some good results. I like him adding this to his game - there will be plenty of times where he has a height mismatch (because he is deceptively tall) and that's something he should be able to make use of, even if he doesn't really have the weight to push opponents out of the way. I liked the sorts of shots he got from it too - they were kind of similar to the shots we're used to seeing from him off dribble penetration, except because he's not flying towards the basket in the same way they look more controlled. Seemed to go in more often too :P.

    ST
  • areteejay789 says 2 months ago I Think Lamb has the most long term potential, but Jones looks like he will be the best rookie this year. Jones looks like he will be the same caliber of player as landry, maybe with a little bit more upside, (maybe a 6th man candidate, but not an all star)
  • ale11 says 2 months ago

    frogs07, on 18 October 2012 - 13:29 PM said:


    That being said, I may be one of the few people genuinely excited about Omer Asik. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he has the potential to resurrect our low post defense. His commitment to a rigorous off season conditioning regimen tell me he is very serious about his new starting role.



    There are more people excited about Asik than you think. I think most guys in this forum liked that addition, it was just a matter of him proving he was worth all that trouble and that big paycheck at the third year, but he will make us stay in the game on occasions where our offense is cold, and playing a bunch of unexperienced kids, it's bound to happen. If he can add something near 10 points per game, it's a very big plus
  • frogs07 says 2 months ago Amongst the rookies, I've got to admit, Jones has impressed me the most during the pre-season as well. The quickness and range he exhibits for his size are unique. Immediately following the draft, I thought Jeremy Lamb would be the gem of the Rocket's class. But Jones athleticism really caught my eye. It's still too early to say who will be better this season, but we are in a refreshing position if we're having this discussion about two rookies on the team before the first game.

    That being said, I may be one of the few people genuinely excited about Omer Asik. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he has the potential to resurrect our low post defense. His commitment to a rigorous off season conditioning regimen tell me he is very serious about his new starting role.
  • amacbrooks12 says 2 months ago I know its preseason but Kevin Martin is on FIRE right now . I can see him having a 25 ppg season this year if he doesnt get an injury or "distraction". Carlos Delfino is also unfortunetly playing well , which was the reason why Jeremy Lamb only had a few minutes on the court last game . I really really hope this doesnt become a trend and Mchale comes to his senses to give Lamb heavy minutes behind Martin . Regarding the rookies , I still think Jeremy Lamb has the best upside but I am impressed with Terrence Jones . But if Mchale doesnt give Lamb minutes then Terrence Jones will defitnetly excel as the best rookie on the roster for this season .
  • amacbrooks12 says 2 months ago I know its preseason but Kevin Martin is on FIRE right now . I can see him having a 25 ppg season this year if he doesnt get an injury or "distraction". Carlos Delfino is also unfortunetly playing well , which was the reason why Jeremy Lamb only had a few minutes on the court last game . I really really hope this doesnt become a trend and Mchale comes to his senses to give Lamb heavy minutes behind Martin . Regarding the rookies , I still think Jeremy Lamb has the best upside but I am impressed with Terrence Jones . But if Mchale doesnt give Lamb minutes then Terrence Jones will defitnetly excel as the best rookie on the roster for this season .
  • amacbrooks12 says 2 months ago I know its preseason but Kevin Martin is on FIRE right now . I can see him having a 25 ppg season this year if he doesnt get an injury or "distraction". Carlos Delfino is also unfortunetly playing well , which was the reason why Jeremy Lamb only had a few minutes on the court last game . I really really hope this doesnt become a trend and Mchale comes to his senses to give Lamb heavy minutes behind Martin . Regarding the rookies , I still think Jeremy Lamb has the best upside but I am impressed with Terrence Jones . But if Mchale doesnt give Lamb minutes then Terrence Jones will defitnetly excel as the best rookie on the roster for this season .
  • amacbrooks12 says 2 months ago I know its preseason but Kevin Martin is on FIRE right now . I can see him having a 25 ppg season this year if he doesnt get an injury or "distraction". Carlos Delfino is also unfortunetly playing well , which was the reason why Jeremy Lamb only had a few minutes on the court last game . I really really hope this doesnt become a trend and Mchale comes to his senses to give Lamb heavy minutes behind Martin . Regarding the rookies , I still think Jeremy Lamb has the best upside but I am impressed with Terrence Jones . But if Mchale doesnt give Lamb minutes then Terrence Jones will defitnetly excel as the best rookie on the roster for this season .
  • Stephen says 2 months ago Re Royce White,
    Morey visited for a few minutes w/Bill and Co. on the broadcast.
    He was asked about Royce.
    Said Royce had elite talent but was a risk,and the Rockets couldn't afford to play it safe.
    He followed that up w/Royce was way behind and that he likely wouldn't crack the rotation unless there was an injury. Ouch!

    Was asked who was best rookie and said w/out hesitation it was Jones.(I thought I heard him say "by far",but I'm probably wrong as I was at work at the time :) .)

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