4 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: Washington Wizards 123, Houston Rockets 122: Tired
By: Forrest Walker

The Houston Rockets lost to the Washington Wizards after yet another game filled with complaints about the officiating. There's plenty more to inform why the Rockets lost to a struggling Wizards team, including shoddy defense, a silly Dwight Howard ejection, and massive fatigue. It was another game that must leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the Rockets, and head coach JB Bickerstaff himself was spitting fire after the game. The Rockets have fallen back to .500 yet again, and there's still no rhyme nor reason to this team.

 

I don't have a lot of feelings about the fifth game in seven nights for the team, and the second game in as many days in which Dwight Howard got ejected on some very ill advised and honestly comical technical fouls, Clint Capela showed his inexperience, and a Houston player was called for tripping an opposing player they didn't even touch. It was a schedule loss that the Rockets fought through to nearly win, but their rattletrap defense and poor emotional response led to their downfall.

 

James Harden scored 40 to go with his 7 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals. That was impressive, even if he missed the game-winner at the end. Ty Lawson did some things but not enough things. Trevor Ariza was at center when Capela was forced off the court. Terrence Jones played 6 minutes and seems to be trying as hard as he can to justify every critique he's gotten. Harden got trapped late in the game and Bickerstaff called for a time out, eventually having to run up to the refs to get them to acknowledge him. He was dinged for a tech for this, but was given the time out.

 

This game was weird and tiring, the only conceivable end to a weird and tiring week. Both teams justifiably felt slighted by another night of frustrating officiating. I'm done with this game and this week, so here's an animated gif I think we all need right now.

 

[caption id="attachment_16160" align="alignnone" width="402"] James Harden, you're right.[/caption]

[thejohnnygold]

I didn't get to see the game--just watched the highlights.  I like that Bickerstaff is sticking up for Dwight.  He's right.  No way LeBron gets treated like that and the refs don't blow the whistle.  Same goes for LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk, D-Wade, Bosh, Melo, or any other player in the league who isn't a scrub (who apparently are not deserving of whistles in this league).

 

Meanwhile, if he drops a shoulder into a 7' giant on offense and they flop (or don't) Howard gets whistled for bulling his way into the lane.  Shaquille O'Neal did the same thing and won the MVP award, a handful of rings, and is about to get voted into the Hall of Fame.  In fairness, Shaq was physically abused by opposing defenses, but at least it was a two-way street.  Not with Dwight.

[thejohnnygold]

Case in point: this happened in last night's CLE/SA game.  Guess who got called for the foul...

 

LINK

[Sir Thursday]

Case in point: this happened in last night's CLE/SA game.  Guess who got called for the foul...

 

LINK

 

That's the sort of thing Harden gets all the time though. Can't argue that point too forcefully .

 

I think the thing to remember here is that Dwight doesn't get ejected THAT often. Looking back, he has been ejected 3 times in his whole time in Houston (once during last year's playoffs, and these last two games). It has been painful to watch the team without him, but this isn't something that we need to be worried about happening with any regularity going forwards.

 

ST

[thejohnnygold]

That's the sort of thing Harden gets all the time though. Can't argue that point too forcefully .

 

I think the thing to remember here is that Dwight doesn't get ejected THAT often. Looking back, he has been ejected 3 times in his whole time in Houston (once during last year's playoffs, and these last two games). It has been painful to watch the team without him, but this isn't something that we need to be worried about happening with any regularity going forwards.

 

ST

 

Fair enough.  It's not that I want Dwight to get the royal treatment--personally, I dislike that aspect of the game even pertaining to Harden.  I do think Dwight gets a bad deal on both ends on offense.  Defenders get too much leeway in being physical with him while he is penalized for being physical with them.  Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see, but it sure seems like flops are obvious to most of us watching....why isn't it obvious to the refs?

 

I'm not worried about Dwight getting ejected.  Honestly, I don't normally condone violence, but I wouldn't mind seeing him put one of these guys on their behinds.  Not a punch, but perhaps a forceful take down or shove?  Blake Griffin was getting a lot of this last season if memory serves and he got fed up as well.

 

The question is, if another player--say, James Harden--was fouled the way Dwight is would more of them be labeled as flagrant?  What about Durant or Westbrook?  I believe they would and that's my point of contention.

 

For the sake of argument, let's imagine some non-household name players.  Jon Leuer....Meyers Leonard....Zaza Pachulia....and then some little guys....Cameron Payne....Donald Sloan....Isaiah Canaan....

 

I don't know.  It's all speculation and difficult to compare one to another.  Guys won't foul these players as hard because they don't need to.