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@  feelingsuper... : (03 January 2014 - 04:31 AM) Right, Jenny Dial Creech reported the Rockets had a much longer practice and also practiced 5 on 5 for one of the first times since the season started. http://blog.chron.co...ice-12-players/
@  RollingWave : (03 January 2014 - 01:27 AM) At least having Smith back helps a little, Dwight played almost 45 min(!) against Sac
@  2016Champions : (03 January 2014 - 12:49 AM) Rockets practiced a lot longer than usual today.
@  RudyT1995 : (02 January 2014 - 11:34 PM) But there's no excuse for Harden and Parsens. Both have all the physical tools to be lock down defenders at the 2 and 3 respectively. For them, it has to be all mental.
@  RudyT1995 : (02 January 2014 - 11:33 PM) I understand why Lin struggles on D - he often guards smaller, quicker players, and he doesn't have the length to bother shooters if he's not in perfect position.
@  2016Champions : (02 January 2014 - 10:26 PM) Greg Smith back tomorrow. Asik's situation looks bad, doctors can't figure it out.
@  RollingWave : (02 January 2014 - 12:13 PM) of course, it helps that Kobe always had the ball, which negated Harden's ball watching problems
@  RollingWave : (02 January 2014 - 12:13 PM) OKC also used Harden as Kobe stopper once upon a time
@  thenit : (02 January 2014 - 05:44 AM) It's contract year so he has to pad his stats a little to get paid
@  Fury : (02 January 2014 - 05:02 AM) Remember his rookie year, when Parsons was known as a Kobe-stopper? That was before he took a bigger role in the offense. He can be a great defender, but he'd have to refocus.
@  2016Champions : (02 January 2014 - 04:42 AM) If Parsons could defend SGs we could hide Harden sometimes, but he can't. I hope we get Deng.
@  Buckko : (02 January 2014 - 04:20 AM) Parsons can be a great defender but he's alright, Lin and P-Bev are good but everyone knows the main culprit is harden.
@  Buckko : (02 January 2014 - 04:19 AM) Does anyone have an asik update, I heard they were going to try and amp up his workouts again.
@  RollingWave : (02 January 2014 - 03:28 AM) Lin could do more to pressure the ball, but against Thomas you'd probably first and formost want to keep him in front of you, which Lin generally did
@  RollingWave : (02 January 2014 - 03:26 AM) I took a look at Thomas's every assist last game, and almost all but 2-3 were Harden getting destroyed on screen or Parsons getting blown by
@  2016Champions : (02 January 2014 - 01:09 AM) He didn't call anyone out specifically but I think everyone knows Harden is the main culprit
@  2016Champions : (02 January 2014 - 01:08 AM) What does everyone think about Howard throwing out perimeter defenders under the bus during the post game interview? Was he right or wrong to do that?
@  RollingWave : (02 January 2014 - 12:54 AM) that's probably an exaggeration, though I do think that we don't play nearly as much like a team as the Raptors and Suns (Wolves also have this issue though)
@  2016Champions : (02 January 2014 - 12:23 AM) I honestly think the Raptors, Suns, and Wolves are better than we are right now. How sad is that?
@  2016Champions : (01 January 2014 - 08:44 PM) Dwight has been the only Rockets player this season who seems really hungry to win. He looked more upset than anyone else after the game. McHale was really upset too, he went full blast in the locker room at half time that reporters were scared to go in

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The Rockets Daily - January 31, 2013


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#1 Red94

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    Posted 31 December 2013 - 03:45 PM

    New post: The Rockets Daily - January 31, 2013
    By: John Eby

    All That Power - The Rockets finish the year at no. 7 in Marc Stein's ESPN Power Rankings, a one-spot improvement over last week:

    Quote:

    The contention here is Sunday's sorry showing in OKC was a schedule loss on the heels of Houston's impressive Christmas Day dismantling of the Spurs and ensuing wins over Memphis and New Orleans. Having just three games in the next 11 days is a welcome break after some crazy travel.

    I mean, if ESPN wants to blame that embarrassing beat down on the schedule, then who am I to argue? The Rockets moved the opposite direction in John Schuhmann's rankings at NBA.com. He has them at no. 9:

    Quote:

    The Rockets just played seven games in five cities over the last 10 days, a stretch that featured Christmas' best performance (a comfortable win in San Antonio) and ended with a serious thumping in OKC. Now they get a well-deserved break and a chance to enjoy those Christmas presents they got from Dwight Howard, with only home games against the Kings, Knicks and Lakers over the next 11 days.

    The cruelest ranking for the Rockets this week is Hollinger's computerized system at ESPN. It ranks Houston at no. 11. Not a good place for a team aspiring to be a contender.

    Snooze - Andrew Lynch at Hardwood Paroxysm had some thoughts about the aesthetics of James Harden's game after the Beard shot approximately 947,574 free throws against the Grizzlies last week. Lynch's argument is simple: Harden's cynically efficient approach is boring.

    Quote:

    Yes, when James Harden is on one of his crusades to the foul line, he can make the game incredibly boring. And it’s only noteworthy because the rest of his game is cause for such excitement. The reckless abandon with which he chucks up triples any time he even thinks he’s close to being open, regardless of reality, is vicarious gambling. The odds seem stacked against him — and against the observer — but the payoff is so rewarding that the risk taken seems more than worth the potential outcome. His defense, which to describe as “matador” would do a great disservice to generations of Spaniards, makes for electrifying plays on the other end when his mark blows past him for a vicious dunk or kicks it to the corner for a wide-open 3 after the defense has to collapse. And Harden’s own drives to the rim are riveting, at least until they terminate in a blown whistle and another long walk to that stripe 15 feet away from the basket.

    Lynch concedes that for folks who are rooting for the Rockets, the approach is anything but boring, because it leads to wins. I agree wholeheartedly. When you don't care who wins, watching free throws is mind-numbing. When you're hanging on the outcome of the game, the success of a 15-foot set shot is high drama, akin to watching a pitcher with a full count winding up to throw.


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    #2 Steven

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      Posted 31 December 2013 - 04:23 PM

      I guess you have 11 months before you retire as the Daily Writer?
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      #3 2016Champions

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      Posted 31 December 2013 - 04:53 PM

      It's a sad world when attacking the rim instead of settling for jump shots is considered boring. It's funny how Memphis and the refs are innocent in all this. Memphis have a no-lay-ups mentality so they fouled Harden on every drive.
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      "We're not satisfied with where we're at, but we're optimistic on where things will go from here" - Daryl Morey


      #4 Jeby

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        Posted 31 December 2013 - 09:08 PM

        <br /><br /><p>@steven nope. Just a few days now.</p>
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        #5 Steven

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          Posted 31 December 2013 - 09:14 PM

          <br /><br /><p>@steven nope. Just a few days now.</p>


          But it's only January 31, 2013. You got 11 months to end the year. ;)
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