Sign Of Things To Come – In summing up last night’s game in the Daily Dime, Andrew McNeill from 48 Minutes of Hell indicates he wants some more Spurs-Rockets action:
That was … what I’d like to see from a first-round playoff matchup: We’re still weeks away from the playoffs starting, but there’s a chance the Spurs and Rockets could end up as opponents in either a 1-vs-8 or 2-vs-7 series. Either way, it would be a fun best-of-seven matchup thanks to each team’s style of play.
I don’t care who the Rockets play in the postseason, as long as they make it there and avoid last year’s collapse. Still, a Spurs-Rockets series will be a rivalry from Game 1.
Safer – Last night’s win paired with Utah’s loss to Dallas bumped the Rockets up to having a 99.3 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Hollinger’s Playoff Odds. I’m still not breathing.
Doin’ Work – The Houston Chronicle’s premium site had a long piece on Thomas Robinson on Friday. It detailed his work with the coaching staff on improving his game. Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff has the most encouraging line about Big Brother’s future:
“The first thing and the most important thing is he is a very willing worker,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s always in the gym. He’s always early. And he’s always willing to work. That’s the most important thing, because when he got here, we didn’t know him. The environment in Sacramento is different. You don’t know what you’re getting, but he wants to get in the gym and to get better.”
Freak athleticism plus a great work ethic is as close to a foolproof formula for success as you can find in the NBA. In 10 minute last night, Robinson grabbed 4 boards, played solid defense, and missed two cringe-worthy jumpshots. His biggest problems, shot selection and turnovers, are also the easiest to fix.
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