Kyle Lowry had another rough outing tonight going 1-6 from the floor. I’m not really convinced at all by McHale’s response because it’s not like he would be candid on the point. I’ll just say, we’re pretty lucky to have a backup the quality of Goran Dragic
Lowry’s drop-off is, at the least, somewhat of a cause for concern. Kyle is enjoying far and away the highest usage of his career at 22%; you worry that he may have completely worn out with the vastly increased workload. Recall that the team ran a good portion of its offense in years prior through Chuck Hayes from the high post. This season, they’ve been much more dependent upon Lowry in traditional point-guard-initiated sets. This is why you alternate series’ between Arian Foster and Ben Tate.
Chase Budinger had another huge night going 7-12 from the floor for 19 points. What he spoke of is something that, while perhaps obvious, I’ve always found interesting. You become a good shooter, or a good pitcher, through practice. But what we don’t really think of is the work in-between, done to maintain. These motions have certain mechanics for optimal accuracy, especially for someone as fundamentally sound as Chase. Because he uses textbook form, he knows that if his shot is off as badly as it had been, some deviance in delivery must have occurred.
Many were surprised when the Rockets cut Jeremy Lin prior to the season. He’s a better player than Jonny Flynn. That’s an understatement.
This adds further confirmation to what we already knew: Lin was waived because Flynn had guaranteed money. It wasn’t really a basketball decision. I watched him dazzle for a few minutes in camp, seeming as if he belonged. It’s really surprising that Lin hasn’t found a steady NBA home. He’s a good player.
No explanation really necessary. If you couldn’t tell yet by my name, or my appearance, I’m an Asian American, and while not an East-Asian American, Lin is still really a source of pride and amazement. What’s most remarkable is that he’s a guard. Growing up, with many Asian friends, I didn’t ever think I’d see the day that someone of our kind would be in the NBA. I really had wanted to meet Jeremy Lin for that very reason.
Outside of the Heat game last season, this was the most media I had ever seen in the visiting lockerroom. They really send their guys out to cover their team.
When I first walked in, I went about my business, as usual, waiting for player availability. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a strange-looking hobo, stuffed into a corner chair, tuned into his headphones. He wore large sunglasses, an odd looking hat, and tight baby blue pants that finished above his ankles. An unkempt beard enveloped his face. I realized this was my chance to finally interview Baron Davis.
“I didn’t play today…” he replied, to my request for a few minutes of his time. “Oh,” I said. I knew that obviously, but I couldn’t press the issue. Two nights in a row now, I shied off from my desired question. I wanted to ask him about The Beard, and more specifically, if his was better than James Harden’s. Instead, I was turned away.
That’s all from here, folks, hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back at Toyota Center on Monday.
