Sports Illustrated. James Harden, the NBA’s unlikely MVP.

“The private plane that transported James Harden into Texas on the morning of Oct. 28, 2012, was silent except for the muffled beats leaking from his chunky headphones… He had just spent the summer on the U.S. Olympic team, with Thunder running mates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, fantasizing about the championships they seemed destined to capture. What do I do now? Harden asked himself. He was going from sixth man on a budding dynasty to leading man on a bubble team…”

Nylon Calculus. The Rockets without Dwight Howard.

“James Harden put on a one man show against the Phoenix Suns last Tuesday with 40 points, 9 assists, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block. He did all while his would-be partner-in-crime Dwight Howard looked on in an, as noted by friend of the site Charles Barkley, an equally impressive suit. Other than lacking some of the post moves of traditional bigs, Howard has seemed the perfect complement to Harden in a Moreyball system that keeps Harden slashing to the basket or behind the three-point line and Howard rolling out of pick-and-rolls like a man possessed.”

AZ Central. James Harden reflects on ASU maturation with number retirement.

“After Arizona State beat UCLA six years ago, James Harden was standing atop the Wells Fargo Arena scorer’s table as ASU students surged onto the floor celebrating the Harden-led Sun Devils’ victory in a rare top-20 home matchup. Harden will be back in Tempe Wednesday for the ASU-UCLA game but it is ASU’s turn to lift Harden to new heights. Harden’s No. 13 will be raised to the rafters at halftime…”

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Yahoo! Sports. The Houston Rockets can survive Dwight’s injury, but can Dwight?

“How you look at Dwight Howard’s worrying absence from his Houston Rockets should fall in line with how you typically refer to that proverbial glass either half-full of water or half-empty with worthless, trachea-scratching air. There is a very good chance that the Rockets can weather Howard’s time on the shelf, and resume their impressive ascension into the West’s sturdy list of championship contenders…”

Houston Chronicle. James Harden to participate in 3-point contest at All-Star game.

“The NBA’s leading scorer will not have to wait for the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 15 to start putting up shots in New York on All-Star Weekend. Rockets guard James Harden on Thursday was named to the field for the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest. He joins a list of competitors that includes Portland’s Wesley Matthews, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Atlanta’s Kyle Korver, San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, and the Los Angeles Clippers’ J.J. Redick…”

Yahoo! Sports. Tony Allen says James Harden is the only scorer he says he hasn’t figured out.

“Memphis Grizzlies wing Tony Allen has been one of the most effective and versatile defenders in the NBA for several seasons, laying claim to the deserved title of “Grindfather” for his gritty team and regularly guarding and locking down the best scorers on opposing teams. Allen may not be the greatest offensive threat in the league, but he’s a weapon regardless. Few teams can deploy such an accomplished defender to handle so many different kinds of players…”

Grantland. Time For Your Western Conference Wake-up Call: Don’t Sleep On The Clippers.

“Motiejunas has been one of the league’s very best post-up players — he’s shooting 56 percent on post-ups, per Synergy! — and he can manufacture buckets on the pick-and-roll even when an opponent big man guarding Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, or Terrence Jones blocks his path to the rim…”

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ESPN. Knee woes plaguing Dwight Howard.

“The Houston Rockets are bracing for the loss of Dwight Howard for at least a month due to persistent trouble with his right knee, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets, while confident that Howard ‎has enough time to bounce back for the regular-season stretch run and playoffs, fear their defensive anchor will be lost for a period of “weeks” as opposed to days…”

Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned about the Rockets in Saturday’s loss to the Pistons.

“…Howard has been the foundation of their defense. Without him inside, the Pistons easily moved into the lane and the Rockets’ defense collapsed in a variety of ways. Greg Monroe overpowered Rockets big men with post ups. Pistons guard D.J. Augustin moved into the lane and masterfully worked his way around the paint to tear the Rockets apart…”

CBS Sports. Dwight Howard’s absence to hurt progress made by Houston Rockets?

“In a season and a half with Dwight Howard lacing up his sneakers alongside James Harden, the Houston Rockets have been an evolving team. They went from being an offensive juggernaut that chucked a seemingly countless 3-pointers and struggled defensively to a middle-of-the-road offensive team that chucks a lot of 3s and is one of the NBA’s best defensive teams. The transformation made them look more ready for a postseason run, but still on a bit of shaky ground with an offense that doesn’t look impressive anymore…”

And here comes your Power Rankings fix…

NBA.com. Time has come for our No. 1s to meet on the court.

“5. Houston (33-15) Pace: 98.6 (4) OffRtg: 103.3 (14) DefRtg: 99.5 (3) NetRtg: +3.8 (9). With Dwight Howard possibly out for most of February, the Rockets’ margin for error is thin, and their season might have flashed before their eyes when James Harden went down (temporarily) with a knee injury on Saturday. Ten of their next 14 games are at home, but 11 of their next 13 are against teams currently above .500 (against whom they’re 10-12)…”

ESPN. Power Rankings: Week 14.

“…In ESPN.com’s weekly NBA Power Rankings, meanwhile, these teams remain incredibly hard for the committee (of one) to separate. We’ve never allowed ties in these rankings, but the Hawks and Warriors sure make you think about it with the way they keep winning…”

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Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned from the Rockets’ victory over the Mavericks.

“Rockets 99, Mavericks 94 1. James Harden saw the usual extra defensive attention and was happy to move the ball and set up teammates, finding just enough perimeter shooting for the Rockets to win even with Harden 10 points shy of his league-leading average. Harden can expect more of that treatment, but has seen it often before, making his combination of scoring and playmaking more remarkable. The Rockets, however, might need more high percentage shooting around him to go with the 3-point shooting…”

ESPN Dallas. Parsons: Harden is MVP at this point.

“If Chandler Parsons had a midseason MVP vote, it would go to former teammate James Harden. ‘For sure. He’s the best player in basketball right now,’ Parsons said before his Dallas Mavericks faced Harden’s Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. ‘The things he’s doing are incredible. The scouting report is focused in on stopping him and you see he’s still getting 30 a game. It’s impressive.’ “

Sports Illustrated. Midseason grades for every NBA team.

“At a glance: Houston’s first half was all about dispelling widely-held assumptions like, “They’re dead in the water if one of their superstars gets injured” and “They can’t win with defense” and “Kevin McHale is a lame duck with a good chance to be the first coach fired” and “No analytics-minded executive would touch Josh Smith in a million years.” The Rockets really cut against the grain, surviving an extended absence from Dwight Howard thanks to MVP-level production from James Harden and some surprisingly stingy team defense…”

CBS Houston. Terrence Jones Excited to Return.

“It’s been a long time coming for Terrence Jones. He’s missed 41 games due to a nerve injury. His last game played came on November 3. Jones is making his comeback to the floor tonight against the Mavericks. But for Jones, his main worry was that he’d be out even longer…”

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Houston Chronicle. Lakers can’t handle James Harden as Rockets cruise in L.A.

“As James Harden toyed with his hometown team, setting up teammates for open looks and taking a few for himself, Harden’s greatest challenge seemed to be deciding between all the ways he had to tear through the Lakers’ defense…”

NBC Sports. Did win over Lakers break Rockets out of defensive slump?

“…The obvious answer for why it looked better Sunday is that the Lakers — especially now without Kobe Bryant— are an unfocused disaster on offense. They lack quality shot creators or anyone you have to fear. Of course, the Rockets saw it as something more than that, as a springboard for themselves to get back to their identity. And when you asked any Rockets’ player about the improved defense they used some variant of the word “focus,” adding they had to do it more consistently…

 CBS Sports. James Harden, Dwyane Wade among All-Star starter snubs.

“We know who’s starting in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, as the 10 players selected by a fan vote were announced on TNT on Thursday. As always, we can quibble with the names on that list, and that’s what we’re here to do. Here are some players who could be sitting at home, wondering what more they could’ve done to earn a starting spot…”

Houston Chronicle. Goran Dragic insists Rockets will have equal chance in free agency.

“The Rockets might have let guard Goran Dragic return to the Suns as a free agent, but Dragic said Friday that he would not hold that against them if they pursue him as a free agent next summer. Dragic signed a four-year deal with the Suns that gave him the power to opt out after his third season, an option that the Rockets would not give him when they insisted on a contract without player options…”

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Grantland. The Grantland Basketball Hour: James Harden is Rocket Fuel.

“We all know how effective James Harden is as a scorer, but Kirk Goldsberry demonstrates what a phenomenal facilitator and creator Harden is…”

Sports On Earth. Rockets starting to take off.

“…After five games in the starting lineup with the Houston Rockets, Smith was moved to the bench. In 15 games with his new team, Smith is averaging 10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. A career 27.6 percent shooter from three, Smith is still averaging two three-pointers per game on the Rockets, making just 20 percent of those attempts. But he’s starting to make contributions off the bench. In a 112-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder last Thursday, Smith scored 13 points (6-for-10 shooting) in 19 minutes of play and contributed seven rebounds as well…”

Houston Chronicle. James Harden’s scoring outbursts signal he is hitting his prime.

“In a win over the Pacers on Monday, Rockets guard James Harden had 45 points – it was the fourth time this season that he scored more than 40 points. No other players in the league has accomplished that more than twice…”

The Dream Shake. Halfway through: Can the Houston Rockets win the Southwest Division?

“With just over half of the 2014-2015 NBA season in the books the Houston Rockets stand at 29 – 13. That’s good for fourth place in the Western Conference. It puts the Rockets a half game behind the Memphis Grizzlies in the Southwest Division and leaves one big ole question for the second half of the season. Can the Rockets win the Southwest Division?…”

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CBS Sports. Oladipo scores 32, Magic rally to down Rockets 120-113.

“Victor Oladipo had 32 points, Nik Vucevic added 25 and 12 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 120-113 on Wednesday night. Houston led 85-84 entering the fourth quarter, but was outscored 36-28 by the Magic in the final 12 minutes…”

RealGM. Cutting Up The Revisionist History of the James Harden Trade.

“..The way the story is usually told, the Thunder had a chance to be one of the special teams in NBA history if only they had been willing to shell out a max contract for Harden. Given how well he has played with the Houston Rockets, who knows what their Big Three could have done if they had been allowed to grow together into their late 20’s. The reality is a little different. Oklahoma City’s decision was as much about Harden’s future as it was their own finances…”

Sports Illustrated. Fridge Raider: Going Inside James Harden’s Diet.

“As a 6-foot-5, 218-pound guard for the Arizona State Sun Devils, James Harden’s attitude towards his diet was just like any other college student’s: laidback. ‘In college, you just eat whatever,’ says Harden, referring to dorm room, microwaved fare, late-night munchies and classic cafeteria cuisine. “It’s hard when you’re young you like to eat a lot of junk food — food that isn’t good for you.’ “

FOX Sports. Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey offers off-color response to Twitter question.

“Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey was asked a question Wednesday on Twitter. It seemed simple enough: Does having a job in basketball make you sick of watching it? The response on his verified Twitter account? Peculiar. Bizarre. Off-color. Inappropriate. Check it out…”

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Houston Chronicle. Road has been kind to Rockets so far this season.

“When the Rockets boarded a New York-bound plane on Sunday afternoon, they were relaxed, calm and ready. It’s just another road trip – this one to Brooklyn on Monday night and Orlando on Wednesday. For the Rockets, the road has been a good place, as they have one of the league’s best road records – 13-5 – headed into this trip…”

Hardwood Paroxysm. The Houston Rockets, We Can Dance if We Want To.

“..The problem extends, to a certain degree, to this entire Houston Rockets team. They chase offensive excellence with a plan to exploit marginal efficiencies over and over and over again. The aggregate can be worth the carefully controlled effort, but it makes for a mountain of drab possessions to watch. Dwight Howard contributes on offense in his own way but is an enormous impediment to movement and flow. They have no point guard to speak of, at least not in the traditional primo-passing, floor-conductor sense…”

ESPN. What could have been with Nets, Howard.

“Dwight Howard once wanted to call Barclays Center home. He still hasn’t played there yet. But assuming he doesn’t sit out the game due to knee soreness, Howard will make his debut at the $1 billion arena in Brooklyn on Monday night, when the surging Houston Rockets face the struggling Brooklyn Nets…”

Your weekly Power Rankings fix…

NBA.com. Week 11 Power Rankings: West contenders making moves as season heats up.

“…8. Houston (26-11)
Pace: 97.8 (7), OffRtg: 102.6 (18), DefRtg: 98.0 (2), NetRtg: +4.6 (8)
The Rockets’ offense is showing some life … partly because five of their last six opponents have been bottom-10 defenses. Their own defense continues to get the job done, though. With both Dwight Howard and Donatas Motiejunas ranking among the league’s best rim protectors, their starting lineup has allowed less than 92 points per 100 possessions.
This week: @ BKN, @ ORL, vs. OKC, vs. GSW…”

ESPN. Week 11 Power Rankings: Hawks flying high.

“6. Houston. We probably haven’t said enough about James Harden essentially becoming a 27-6-6 guy. If The Beard can hit those benchmarks for an entire season, he’ll join LeBron (eight times), Michael (three), Larry (three) and Kobe (once) as the only players to do it since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976-77…”

The post Rockets Roundup: 01/12/15 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned from the Rockets victory over Knicks.

“Rockets 120, Knicks 96. If the Rockets gained anything from their workout against the Knicks, besides the win that was certain as soon as the team charter successfully touched down in New York, it might be to get Trevor Ariza going again. Ariza had failed to make 50 percent of his shots in 27-consecutive games, four shy of the NBA record…”

Sports Illustrated. Josh Smith’s shaky start on the Rockets coincides with Pistons’ resurgence.

“…The results are undeniable. Detroit has gone 7-0 since outright releasing the talented but tumultuous big man. The Pistons lead the NBA in net rating (17.2) over their last seven games, rank No. 2 in defensive efficiency (94.3) and No. 3 in offensive efficiency (111.5). Brandon Jennings has been liberated. Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe have room to operate. They’ve knocked off the likes of the Mavericks, the reigning champion Spurs and the Cavaliers (with LeBron James). The Pistons’ latest victory prompted Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle to declare them “one of the best basketball teams in the NBA…”

Houston Chronicle. Kevin McHale says recent role of Josh Smith related to ‘getting him comfortable’.

“Rockets coach Kevin McHale could offer little insight about how he felt with the rotation now that he has Josh Smith coming off the bench, usually checking in for Dwight Howard. That was because McHale said the move was not made based on his preference, but for Smith’s…”

Completely disagree with the winner (Psycho T?? Over James “Bloodsport” Johnson, who is 20-0 and 7-0 in kickboxing and MMA bouts, respectively? Get out of here.) but a funny read involving some Houston Rockets lasting til the final stretch:

Hardwood Paroxysm. A NBA Royal Rumble.

“In a few weeks, WWE will be hosting their first pay-per-view of the year: Royal Rumble. If you’re unaware, the Royal Rumble works like this. Two men start in the ring, and then every 90 seconds, a new contestant enters until there are 30 men in the ring. Unlike most wrestling matches, there are no pins. Instead, you can only be eliminated if you are tossed over the top rope and both of your feet hit the ground…for fun, let’s imagine an NBA Royal Rumble held between players from the six teams playing tonight.”

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Grantland. The Future of Basketball Is Here, and It Looks A Lot Like James Harden.

“As of today, James Harden is the leading scorer in the NBA and the most important offensive force on a team in the thick of the Western Conference title race. He’s a legitimate MVP candidate, quite clearly the best shooting guard in the league. And yet, he’s more than that. Those plaudits only scratch the surface of what he’s doing this season…”

Houston Chronicle. Struggles down the stretch worry Rockets more than free throw absence in loss to Bulls.

“A day after the Rockets lamented so rarely getting to the line in the loss to the Bulls, when they made just three of five free throws to barely exceed the franchise records for fewest made and taken in a game, they pointed instead to their shortcomings down the stretch…”

NBA.com. James Harden Earns Western Player Conference of the Month Honors.

“Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named today by the NBA as Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in Dec., 2014. It marks the first time Harden has won the award and only the 12th time in Rockets franchise history an individual has won Western Conference Player of the Month honors.  This marks the first time a Houston Rocket has won the award since Yao Ming received the honor in Jan., 2008…”

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Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned in the Rockets’ bounce-back win over the Heat.

From the opening tip, the Rockets were determined to play with all the energy they saved the night before. For that matter, they were determined. If the Rockets really did learn a lesson Friday that they applied to Saturday, it might have been worth taking their worst loss of the season. That would only be true if it lasts more than 24 hours, but there was no question that they responded to the embarrassing loss in their next chance, playing with the energy and urgency that was lacking and largely has been lacking in recent weeks. Even when they trailed early, the Rockets defense was aggressive at forcing turnovers, demonstrating the way they have to play even when they are not coming off the worst loss of the season.

Forbes. 2015 30 under 30: Sports.

As a chubby teenager with asthma, James Harden knew his NBA dream was a “long shot.” But the future superstar forced himself to get up early before school to jack up shots in the gym and lift weights. That work eventually earned Harden a scholarship to Arizona State, where he played for two years before being drafted third overall in 2009 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. More than five years later, Harden is living out his fantasy, now as the starting shooting guard for the Houston Rockets with an Olympic gold medal to his name.

SBNation. The Josh Smith effect hasn’t been real.

When the Pistons waived Josh Smith on Dec. 22, the idea that they’d suddenly start winning and turn into a solid team was a top notch Twitter joke. What if that was holding them back? Wouldn’t that be funny!? Except now it’s sort of happened. Since then, the Pistons have won four straight games and the Houston Rockets, who signed Smith on Dec. 24, have lost three of their last five…So far, it’s working for the Pistons, all while Houston has dropped a spot in the Western Conference playoff standings. But how real is the Josh Smith effect? As we’ll demonstrate, it doesn’t come close to explaining both team’s recent change of fortune in a short period of time.

CBS Local. Motiejunas excels in return to starting lineup.

Donatas Motiejunas had a successful return to the Rockets’ starting lineup on Saturday. Motiejunas did his part to jump start the Rockets in their 115-79 win over the Heat. The forward had nine of his 12 points in the opening quarter, appearing unstoppable in the low post against the Heat’s Danny Granger and forcing Miami to switch Chris Bosh to defend him down low.

Houston Chronicle. Kostas Papanikolaou earns back playing time.

In Saturday night’s win over the Heat, Rockets forward Kostas Papanikolaou looked to be regular in the rotation again after not having a lot of of minutes in a handful of prior games. “We have new guys so we have been trying lots of things,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “But I really wanted to get (Papanikolaou) back in there more. He creates a lot of things on the floor, he plays hard, he plays good defense. I wanted to try him in different lineups.”

NBA.com. Week 10 Power Rankings: In the new year, Hawks fly to the top of the list.

10. Houston (23-10)
Pace: 97.6 (8), OffRtg: 102.1 (19), DefRtg: 98.0 (2), NetRtg: +4.1 (9)
Early in the season, James Harden was struggling with his shot and getting by on free throws and clutch threes. He’s shot 54 percent over the last seven games, but as a whole, the Rockets still haven’t put two good offensive games together, in part because they have little playmaking on their bench. The offense has fallen apart with Harden off the floor.

ESPN.com. Power Rankings Week 10: Hawks take top spot.

9. The Rockets, for the record, insist they did not promise a starting spot to Josh Smith as various rival contenders vying for Smith believed. But Kevin McHale has since moved him to the bench after four starts. Houston surely had to gamble on J-Smoove at a bargain price, but the addition has been less than seamless.

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Yahoo! Sports. Sources: Rockets looming as strongest suitor to sign Josh Smith.

The Houston Rockets are emerging as the strongest suitor to sign forward Josh Smith, league sources told Yahoo Sports. After the Detroit Pistons made the stunning move of releasing Smith, he’s expected to clear waivers on Wednesday and become an unrestricted free agent. The Pistons owed Smith $26 million on his contract running through the 2016 season. Houston has aggressively pursued Smith for the past two years, failing in the summer of 2013 to agree to a sign-and-trade agreement with Atlanta to acquire him. Before ultimately signing a four-year $56 million deal with Detroit, Smith had been fixated on finding a way to join the Rockets, sources said.

Houston Chronicle. Rockets make it through ‘spirited’ practice after back-to-back losses at Toyota Center.

After two straight losses at the Toyota Center, the Rockets spent a good chunk of Sunday in the gym. They had a long film session then practice and coach Kevin McHale called the team “spirited” after. “We had a really good day of practice today,” McHale said. “Everyone worked hard and we worked on some things that we needed to fix.” The team added two new players to the mix on Sunday. Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved both practiced with the Rockets for the first time since they were traded to Houston on Friday. McHale said that he liked what he saw in the short amount of time.

ESPN.com. NBA Power Rankings Week 8: Blazers, Hawks rise.

#5. Picking our Trimester MVPs this week and James Harden’s case is as good as anyone’s. He’s leading the league in scoring, No. 9 in PER (25.04), tied for No. 3 in minutes per game, generating the occasional compliment about his defense and has Houston at 8-4 in games Dwight Howard has missed.

NBA.com. Power Rankings Week 8: Happy Holidays from the schedule makers.

#8. Houston (19-7) Pace: 97.2 (8), OffRtg: 101.7 (21), DefRtg: 97.7 (2), NetRtg: +4.0 (11)
Even with Dwight Howard back and James Harden continuing to hit clutch threes, the Rockets are struggling to score consistently as turnovers and 3-point shooting are the biggest problems. New addition Corey Brewer, who has a higher turnover rate than any of Houston’s guards and has shot 20 percent from beyond the arc, obviously isn’t the final answer.

The post Rockets Roundup: 12/22/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Houston Chronicle. Rockets’ offense can’t keep up with Hawks down the stretch in home loss.

The Rockets were looking for a bounce-back win on Saturday night, but instead walked away with their second straight loss, the first time the Rockets have dropped consecutive home games this season and the first home losing streak since losing to the Lakers and Clippers at Toyota Canter on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, 2013, respectively.

Houston Chronicle. Newest Rockets Shved & Brewer join Rockets with optimism aplenty.

The Rockets’ sideline looked a little different on Saturday night. It was a day after the Rockets were part of a three-team trade that brought guard Alexey Shved from Philadelphia and Corey Brewer from Minnesota. Troy Daniels was sent to the Timberwolves and Francisco Garcia was released. The two newcomers could not play on Saturday because all parties in the trade had not gone through physicals yet. They should be available for Monday’s game when the Rockets host the Trail Blazers.

ESPN.com. Vet Corey Brewer joins Rockets.

The Houston Rockets have acquired veteran swingman Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade also involving the Philadelphia 76ers, the teams announced Friday night. The Wolves will receive shooting guard Troy Daniels from the Rockets, who used an $8 million trade exception they got from sending Jeremy Lin to the Los Angeles Lakers to facilitate the deal. Minnesota also gets protected second-round picks in 2015 and ’16.

FiveThirtyEight Sports. Every NBA team’s chance of winning a title by 2019.

I can see Madison Square Garden from my Manhattan apartment. This year, the arena installed LED lights along the exterior columns of the building — blue, red and white for New York Rangers games; orange and blue for New York Knicks games. They outshine everything else along a drab stretch of Eighth Avenue. When the Knicks colors shine, I’m reminded that there’s a dreadful basketball team playing a few blocks from me.

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Hardwood Paroxysm. 15-footer: James Harden beats the MVP drum.

While the early season starts from some surprising MVP candidates have succumbed to gravity and slowly began to descend back to Earth, one young guard has come from the South to the forefront of the MVP conversation. The Houston Rockets are 18-5, have the second-best defense in the league, have survived without Dwight Howard, and James Harden is playing out of his mind right now.

Houston Chronicle. Isaiah Canaan expected back vs. Nuggets.

For a second consecutive game, the Rockets could get one of their injured players back on Wednesday, with guard Isaiah Canaan expected to return after missing seven games with a sprained ankle. Dwight Howard returned on Saturday. Forwards Kostas Papanikolaou and Terrence Jones, and guard/forward Francisco Garcia are out, but Papanikolaou hopes to return to the court, and possibly a game, next weekend.

NBA.com. Morning shootaround: December 17.

Reports: Wolves’ Brewer remains on trade radar for Cavs, Rockets – It’s been a while since Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Corey Brewer had his name bandied about in trade talks, but that chatter may be heating up again. Back in mid-November, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets were sniffing around on potential deals for him — which is something that hasn’t changed a month later.Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group has more on the Cavs’ interest in Brewer (and others) and Darren Wolfsen of ESPN1500 in Minneapolis has more on the Rockets’ interest in Brewer, too…

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NBA.com. James Harden named Player of the Week.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named today by the NBA as Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 14. It marks the first time this season he has won the award, but the sixth such honor of his career (Player of the Week for weeks ending: 11/4/12, 1/6/13, 3/24/13, 3/2/14 and 3/9/14). With six Player of the Week Honors, Harden ties Yao Ming for the third most of such honors in franchise history (Olajuwon, 12 and McGrady 7).

ESPN.com. Dwight Howard has double-double in return as Rockets down Nuggets.

HOUSTON — Dwight Howard isn’t quite where he wants to be. He was still good enough to lead the Houston Rockets to a win in his return from injury. Howard had 26 points and 13 rebounds, James Harden had a triple-double, and the Rockets overcame an early deficit for a 108-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned in the Rockets’ 108-96 win over the Nuggets on Saturday.

It was not supposed to be this way. Dwight Howard was supposed to need some time to take off rust. The Rockets were expected to need time to work him back in. He didn’t. And they didn’t. Players that miss just three games talk about the difficulty coming back. There is an old line that the only way to prepare to play NBA basketball is to play NBA basketball. Howard, however, started well and then got better on Saturday. He said that he worked to make sure his conditioning was sufficient, but no one thought that some on-court drills and running would do it. Instead, he easily went beyond the four- and five-minute stints Rockets coach Kevin McHale had planned.

ESPN.com. Power Rankings: Week 7.

3. The Rockets just went 8-3 while Dwight Howard (knee) was out, riding James Harden and reveling in the development of Donatas Motiejunas, then watched Dwight rumble for 26 points and 13 boards in his return to a group that managed to stay in the top two in defensive efficiency without him. Impressive.

NBA.com. Power Rankings: Week 7, Change could be in the air as trade season arrives.

3. Houston (18-5)
Pace: 97.3 (8), OffRtg: 101.9 (20), DefRtg: 96.7 (2), NetRtg: +5.3 (8)
Dwight Howard (26 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks) looked sharp in his return on Saturday. The Rockets are now 10-1 with him in the lineup,Trevor Ariza has shot much better with Howard on the floor, and Houston has outscored its opponents by 20.3 points per 100 possessions in 286 minutes with Howard and James Harden on the floor together.

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ESPN.com. James Harden scores 44 points, including 10 in OT, to lift Rockets over Kings.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Although he struggled to hit shots in regulation, James Harden demonstrated in overtime why he’s the NBA’s leading scorer. Harden scored a season-high 44 points, including 10 in the extra period, and also had eight assists to lead the Houston Rockets over the Sacramento Kings 113-109 on Thursday night.

Houston Chronicle. Five things we learned in the Rockets’ 113-109 road win over the Kings on Thursday.

James Harden began the road trip questionable to play at all with back spasms. By Thursday, he sat for just 43 seconds in the second half, playing 83 minutes in the back-to-back before heading to overtime. Once there, Harden demonstrated again how unstoppable he can be, taking the ball to the basket to complete not just the Rockets’ comeback to the win, but his top-scoring game of the season under particularly difficult circumstances.

ESPN.com. Dwight Howard aims for Sat return.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Injured Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard said Wednesday that he’s aiming to return for the team’s game Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. Howard missed his 10th consecutive game with right knee soreness in Wednesday’s 105-93 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

ESPN.com. The real stars of the season so far.

Harden’s new commitment to defense appears to be real — and it makes him a legitimate MVP candidate. James Harden’s matador defense is the stuff of legend, not to mention viral YouTube videos. According to RPM, his reputation for atrocious D last season was fully justified: His defensive RPM value (minus-2.84) was among the league’s worst. Even his brilliant offensive play couldn’t completely offset the damage, as he was nowhere to be found among last season’s total RPM leaders.

The post Rockets Roundup: 12/12/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

A quick and digestible look at the most top-of-mind Rockets news of the past few days.

Sports Illustrated. The Fundamentals: Rockets, Raptors making do without their injured stars.

“…The pace of the season is so uncompromising that the best teams are often the ones that have the ability to endure it. Two of the league’s better teams are in the process of navigating that crucible. One is Houston, which has won five of seven games since superstar center Dwight Howard was sidelined with a strained right knee. That record – with wins over the Grizzlies and Mavericks, in particular – is impressive. Even more so is the way it was achieved. During Howard’s two-week absence, only four teams have held opponents to fewer points per possession than the Rockets, according to NBA.com. This is something of a miracle given the absences of both Howard and irksome point guard Patrick Beverley (who has missed five consecutive games with a strained left hamstring) against a challenging schedule that included four of the NBA’s top 11 in offensive efficiency.”

The Dream Shake. Houston Rockets: The Walking…Injured?

“Another day in December goes by and another eighteen Houston Rockets end up on the injury report. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. You have to be frustrated as a fan: the team is only a half game behind the red hot Memphis Grizzlies for the division lead, and have to watch as the Thunder have gone from having nine guys on the injury report to being completely healthy. Now the Rockets on the eve of their biggest game of the early season, which should have been a rematch/revenge game against the Golden State Warriors is now a, Don’t-Lose-By-30 Game.”

Grantland. The Triangle.

“1. Donatas Motiejunas, Trickster

James Harden is a legit MVP candidate, but don’t sleep on Motiejunas, shooting 50 percent and holding the fort at both big-man positions for the red-hot Rockets as Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones nurse injuries. Motiejunas has shot 28-of-47 (60 percent) on post-ups, per Synergy, and he’s straight clowning guys with a tricky array of pump fakes, up-and-unders, and hooks he can unleash with either hand.”

YouTube. James Harden: The Hardest Defender.

A ten-minute video of defensive highlights accumulated since his high school days – sike, only from the ’14-15 season so far. Daryl Morey tweeted this out as well.

The post Rockets Roundup: 12/10/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

CBS Sports. Ariza and Beverley lead Rockets over Suns 100-95.

“Trevor Ariza and Pat Beverley each scored 19 points to lead the Rockets to their fourth straight victory, 100-95 over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Houston improved to 16-4 by winning for the seventh time in the nine games Howard (knee strain) has been out.”

Houston Chronicle. Rockets’ coach McHale: Dwight not returning from injury ‘anytime soon’.

“McHale had previously said he hoped that Howard, who has been out since Nov. 19, might be ready to return in time to play on the Rockets’ road trip Wednesday and Thursday to play Golden State and Sacramento. Asked if he had a better feel for Howard’s timetable, he said again, ‘He won’t be back anytime soon.’ “

FOX News. The key to Houston Rockets’ improved defense this season: assistant J.B. Bickerstaff.

“Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff took on the task, and the changes he has implemented have been a smashing success early this season. The Rockets are second in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions, third in field-goal percentage defense and third in points allowed per game, helping them to a 16-4 record that is the second-best start in the league.”

The Denver Post. James Harden: Spotlight on the Rockets guard.

“In three games, all wins for the Rockets, Harden was as efficient and effective as you’ll see. He averaged 31.0 points on just 14.0 shots per game. Harden knocked down 61.9 percent of those attempts and shot 60 percent from 3-point range. He was a plus-14 for the evaluation period of Nov. 29-Dec. 5 and added 5.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per night.”

The post Rockets Roundup: 12/8/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

“Howard went through low-post drills after the Rockets practices on Tuesday without the pain he felt when jumping off one leg on Saturday night in Milwaukee. He then added full-court sprints for the first time, moving his running from treadmills to the practice floor without setbacks. Howard is still listed as doubtful to play Wednesday against Memphis, the team he faced Nov. 17 before going out with the injury.”

The Dream Shake. Is Donatas Motiejunas ready to take the next step?

“Donatas Motiejunas might be the Houston Rockets’ most important player right now.

James Harden is the beating heart and best chance the Rockets have of winning each game (and eventually the championship), but the rash of injuries to Rockets big men has not just thrust D-Mo into the starting lineup, it’s made him the only NBA-level player taller than 6’8″ on the team. And yes, that includes Tarik Black and Joey Dorsey, who fulfill neither of those qualifications. It’s a huge burden for a player that looked like he might never be ready for it in the first few games of the season.”

Houston Chronicle. Trevor Ariza: Rockets sometimes ‘fall asleep’ in transition defense.

“The Grizzlies do not look to run often, averaging 10.9 fast break points per game to rank 21st in scoring on the break. But against the Rockets, they scored 27 fast break points, by far the most the Rockets have allowed in a game this season having allowed more than 20 in just one other game.

With that in mind, when Rockets forward Trevor Ariza was asked the areas in which the Rockets needed to improve, he quickly pointed to transition defense.”

NBA D-League. Rockets rookie Clint Capela with the facial in Santa Cruz.

Rookie Clint Capela has been called up for Wednesday’s bout with the Grizzlies, as insurance against Memphis’s big men. In the meantime, enjoy this nasty yam over NBA has-been but D-League star Joe Alexander.

No, I didn’t forget about you guys. Your Power Rankings fix…

ESPN.com. Power Rankings: Week 5.

“7th. Considering that the Rockets played without three starters for long stretches and managed to trot out their projected starting five just twice, I suspect they are not going to fret too much about where they are in the top 10. Don’t be surprised to see Dwight back for Wednesday’s showdown with Memphis either.”

NBA.com. Power Rankings: Warriors, Grizzlies break through as West’s new powers.

“8th. Houston (13-4)  Pace: 96.1 (10), OffRtg: 101.8 (21), DefRtg: 96.2 (3), NetRtg: +5.6 (7)
The Rockets’ most efficient offensive game came without a point guard against what was a top-five defensive team on Saturday in Milwaukee. Donatas Motiejunas wasn’t a very good shooter with Dwight Howard off the floor last season, but he’s found a groove with Howard out this year, shooting 41-for-73 (56 percent) in the six games the big guy’s missed.”

The post Rockets Roundup: 12/03/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Houston Chronicle. Motiejunas, Canaan carry shorthanded Rockets past Kings.

“The Sacramento Kings had everything going their way. The Rockets, however, had Donatas Motiejunas and Isaiah Canaan, and that was more than the Kings could handle as the Rockets pulled away down the stretch, 102-89, in what has become a series of short-handed, defense-first wins.”

NBCSports. Rockets may bring in Al Harrington to bolster front court depth.

“Harrington has left China where he started the season and is looking for an NBA gig. The Rockets may be that team, reports Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders: According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Houston Rockets are considering signing 16-year veteran forward Al Harrington, who was recently cut in China in order to allow him to pursue an NBA return.”

And a Thanksgiving power rankings binge:

NBA.com. Rookie Rankings: Week 5.

“But 25.3 minutes off the bench for a team off to a good start, when every outcome is important in what figures to be a rush-hour traffic jam near the top of the Western Conference standings come April, is an underlined endorsement of how much the Rockets feel they can already count on [Papanikolaou]. That’s a large enough role that it goes beyond McHale trying out different lineups to counter injuries. That’s also a high profile that continues, enough to get Papanikolaou a spot on the Ladder despite the miserable accuracy, and because he is more than a shooter. Or non-shooter.”

Sports Illustrated. NBA Power Rankings.

“Dwight Howard’s absence led to two heinous losses last week — one by 26 to the Grizzlies and the other at home against the Lakers — but James Harden could be finding his stroke after hitting rock bottom with a six-point, 1-of-8 effort against the Grizzlies. His 32 points in a win against the Mavericks resembled last year’s standard.”

NBA.com. NBA Power Rankings: Week 4.

“The Rockets’ defensive improvement (league-high 8.6 points per 100 possessions better than last season) achieved legitimacy with Saturday’s win over the Mavs, in which they held the No. 1 offense under a point per possession without Dwight Howard. But what happened to their offense? It’s scored 94 points per 100 possessions over their last eight games.”

ESPN.com. Hollinger Power Rankings.

Ranked 12th…how much of that is from SoS?

The post Rockets Roundup: 11/28/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

SB Nation. James Harden is playing good defense and the Rockets are rolling.

“Making fun of James Harden’s defense is easy. He’s been comically bad on many occasions. It’s so easy to make fun of Harden’s defense that even Harden himself does it. But something funny is happening this season: Harden is leading the league in defensive win shares. At 1.04, he’s ahead of Tim Duncan (1.03) and Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Trevor Ariza (all at 0.93).”

Houston Chronicle. No Dwight? No problem as Rockets rally past Parsons, Mavs.

And for all the boos directed all night at Parsons in his first game back since defecting to the Dallas Mavericks, the cheers after his foul and Harden’s three-point play echoed until the Rockets had taken a 95-92 win with a stunning late run Saturday night. ‘I turned around and I saw them running in transition,‘ Harden said. ‘As I looked up, there was just Chandler, but he wasn’t square. He was kind of still running back. I felt like I had an advantage on him, and I just took it.‘

ESPN Dallas-Fort Worth. Rockets 95, Dallas 92: Houston matches Dallas’s rally.

“The Toyota Center crowd, which included a surprising number of empty seats for a game between rivals who are Western Conference contenders, welcomed Parsons with loud boos during pregame introductions. Houston fans booed every time Parsons touched the ball. A lot of Rockets fans did show some love midway through the third quarter, when a Parsons video tribute played on the big screens during a timeout, thanking him for “three great seasons in Houston.” Parsons had eight points on 3-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds.”

ESPN. Dwight Howard out indefinitely.

“There is no timetable for Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard’s return after he underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat his strained right knee, coach Kevin McHale said before Saturday night’s 95-92 win against the Dallas Mavericks. Dwight Howard underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat his strained right knee. It was the second consecutive game missed by Howard, who warmed up before Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers before it was determined minutes before tip-off that he could not play.”

The post Rockets Roundup: 11/24/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Houston Chronicle. Five thoughts on Rockets’ 98-92 loss to the Lakers

“The Rockets’ frontcourt issues remain clear and tough to overcome. There is no surprise that they would have difficulty without Dwight Howard, having become so dependent on Howard and James Harden. But as difficult as it was always going to be to have rookie Tarik Black and Joey Dorsey as his backups, the absence of Terrence Jones has taken a toll with no end in sight…the Rockets are getting almost no scoring from their centers and power forwards other than Howard. Rockets coach Kevin McHale said he had “no idea” how long Howard would be out. Jones is not close to a return.”

CBS Local. Breaking it down: What happened to the Rockets’ offense? 

“With 2:42 to play Wednesday night at Toyota Center, James Harden drained a 20-foot step-back jumper to put the Rockets up 91-86 over the Lakers, but over their last six possessions of the game, they scored a single point and lost 98-92. I’m going to take a look at the four possessions that followed Harden’s bucket and figure what happened why they didn’t succeed, and how they could’ve.  I’ve ignored the final two times the Rockets had the ball because the Lakers were up by two possessions with 22 seconds left, putting the Rockets in desperation mode.”

Grantland. Embrace the Dark Side: How the Rockets became the new Bad Boys 

“Should Rockets fans be upset at how their team is viewed? Not even a little bit. Because, while it’s early and the team has had a somewhat cake schedule, and despite a recent dip in offensive punch…signs point to the Rockets being really good. And only good teams can be annoying. You know why bad teams are never annoying? Because they can be dismissed. The Rockets are just the latest example of the tension between aesthetic idealism and winning. They are this era’s version of the Bad Boys — the Stat Boys.”

USA Today. Dwight Howard investigated amid child-abuse allegations.

“Howard’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, issued a statement: ‘(The child’s mother) Royce Reed is now shopping her baseless allegations to authorities in Georgia after the Florida DCF case was closed. Even though the allegations have already been found to have no merit, when a complaint about the welfare of a child is made to law enforcement, an investigation is commenced. We are confident the Georgia authorities will reach the same conclusion as the Florida authorities. The truth is on our side.’ “

Houston Chronicle. Rockets looking to make a trade sooner rather than later.

“The Rockets have been actively seeking to deal the $8.34 million trade exception that came with the Lin trade in a change to their original strategy, according to a person familiar with their trade talks around the league…The Rockets’ strategy in current trade talks would be to add any player that could help strengthen the rotation, rather than to seek a player at a specific position…Deals for top frontcourt players that will be free agents next off-season such as Atlanta’s Paul Millsap or Detroit’s Greg Monroe are expected to be much more difficult to acquire so early in the season.”

Sports Illustrated. James Harden: Fashion Icon.

Your easter egg of the week. #5 all day.

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