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@  Drew in Abilene : (28 March 2014 - 02:00 AM) I hear you, Mitchell, but I sure don't mind seeing them get the W tonight.
@  thenit : (28 March 2014 - 12:58 AM) Bev sprained his knee hopefully it's a light one
@  Mitchell Felker : (27 March 2014 - 11:57 PM) Its weird rooting for Portland
@  rocketrick : (27 March 2014 - 01:30 PM) Prior to 1966, Cousy rarely played against any African-American players and of course by then his career was set in stone. Discrimination or Just History?
@  rocketrick : (27 March 2014 - 12:30 PM) So I endorse completely that the Rockets strive for the #2 Seed so that the Rockets have home court advantage in WCSF this season.
@  rocketrick : (27 March 2014 - 12:28 PM) Thus who the Rockets play 1st and hopefully 2nd round is absolutely unknown no matter where the Rockets end up in the Standings at this moment...
@  rocketrick : (27 March 2014 - 12:16 PM) What I meant to say is nobody knows who is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds. Everything up for grabs....
@  rocketrick : (27 March 2014 - 12:05 PM) West Playoffs 1-4 are set. 5-8 is everyone's best guess. Except nobody knows who is 2-8.
@  dbd : (27 March 2014 - 12:02 PM) Woke up early, checked last night scores, Chris Paul went 0-12, I thought I was in my dream.
@  Cooper : (26 March 2014 - 03:02 AM) The west playoffs are going to be a lot less predictable than usual, you could make a logical argument for each team being able to win a series or two.
@  Drew in Abilene : (26 March 2014 - 02:55 AM) Memphis would certainly pose a challenge in the first round... Though I think I might still prefer a first round series vs the Grizzlies and second round vs. the Spurs as opposed to a one-two punch of Golden State or Portland then the Thunder.
@  Dan G : (26 March 2014 - 01:00 AM) There's even a chance that Memphis moves up to the 5th seed and that would be horrible for us if we stay the 4th seed.
@  Dan G : (26 March 2014 - 12:58 AM) YaoMan makes a good point but with the way Portland is playing, they are likely to end up being the 6th seed rather than the 5th. It would be beneficial for us to move up to the 3rd, and we have an outside chance at the 2nd seed.
@  Drew in Abilene : (25 March 2014 - 11:02 PM) I agree with YaoMan. I think those two teams represent a great opportunity to establish ourselves with a deep playoff run.
@  YaoMan : (25 March 2014 - 03:17 PM) My thoughts are, based on how we match up with certain teams, perhaps sitting in the 4th seed would be favorable. Getting Portland in the 1st round and SA in the second are teams Rockets have success against. Of course, never count out SA in the playoffs...
@  Cooper : (24 March 2014 - 06:02 PM) Are you really better if you get 2 seed and bounced in round 2 than 4 seed and a WCFs appearance?
@  rocketrick : (24 March 2014 - 05:11 PM) Yes because our team, my team, the Rockets, continue to improve
@  rockets best... : (24 March 2014 - 05:01 PM) even if that means playing a teams we match up against poorly?
@  rocketrick : (24 March 2014 - 04:53 PM) Simple. Its called Home Court Advantage in 2nd round. Period. End of Story.
@  rockets best... : (24 March 2014 - 04:51 PM) @rocketrick, since you want us to climb in the standings. how do you think that can benefit us in the playoffs?

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The Rockets and the bullies


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#1 Red94

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    Posted 24 March 2014 - 02:00 PM

    New post: The Rockets and the bullies
    By: Forrest Walker

    Everyone says that brain beats brawn. The saying is “mind over matter,” Psychic type beats Fighting type, and any other platitudes and aphorisms offer succor to the underweight but overbrained kids of the world. That same theory supposedly applies to the NBA, a place where Moneyball is sometimes Moreyball and three pointers are always good. But what about in practice? When push comes to shove, push comes to shove on the court, and another truism takes precedence for the Houston Rockets.

    Might makes right.

    Think back to school. There’s a reason that we tell the brainy kids that computer nerds make millions. The reason we advertise the future is because the present is pretty bleak. The bruisers bruise and the twerps get swirlies. The same story is true for the Rockets, a team that’s all about trying to play a metagame while some opponents are playing mosh pit. Why are the Rockets so vulnerable to bullies and how do they stop them?

    Several teams in the NBA use raw size and power to manhandle their opponents. The Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies rank high among them, but this category also includes the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. All of these teams feature big, physical players, with the odd inclusion of the Miami Heat, a team who plays small but beats you up at a high level.Roy Hibbert from Indiana, Marc Gasol from Memphis, Kendrick Perkins from OKC, Joakim Noah from Chicago and Andrew Bogut from Oakland all patrol the paint and lay out punishment. DeAndre Jordan is the odd man out, and he’s still willing to get physical down low despite his middling defense.

    These teams present the axis of failure for the Rockets, a grouping against which the Rockets have 7 wins and 10 losses. In fact, this group includes the only teams the Rockets have losing records against, with the exception of the Philadelphia 76ers (who are 1-0 against Houston on the backs of a bizarre early season overtime game that’s hard to even comprehend at this point). The formula for beating the Rockets is pretty simple: run them off the three point line and crush them to paste inside. They might take a lot of free throws, but that’s not going to hurt you because they’re 29th in the league at it.

    This issue, in fact, is one part of why the Rockets shoot more free throws than any other team. The first factor is, obviously, that they prioritize free throws. They’re high-percentage shots with no opposing defense and no time off the clock. Players like James Harden willfully leap into the teeth of the opposition defense, happy to try for that silly foul. The problem with this is that it’s dependant upon the referees’ whims and styles, which change from day to day. If the ref gets tired of sending Howard to the line every possession, Marc Gasol then gets to shove him in the back even more. That’s not cheating, it’s just the reality of the game.

    The Rockets also have Dwight Howard, a player who’s a magnet for free throws. Not only does he shoot them badly, but he’s notoriously easy to frustrate with intense physicality. The whole Rockets team shares this, and other teams know it. They’re liable to foul when the Rockets offense comes barreling down, but poor free throw shooters do little stop other teams from simply hacking to save themselves.

    The burden is not on these teams to stop hacking and shoving, nor is it on the NBA to change the rules or the way they enforce them. The obligation is on the Rockets to adapt to this reality of the game. If there were some sort of magic foul robot which could know exactly what was a foul and what was not, the Rockets would rejoice and prepare for a deep playoff run. Humans, however, are the best we have in this world, meaning that if other teams are going to work the refs and work the Rockets over, the Rockets have to work on their own game.

    Sometimes, the only way to fight fire is with fire. There’s been progress on this front, as the Rockets seem to spend less time being frustrated by what they feel are bad calls and more time getting angry about it. Bullying is harmful and cruel in our world, but in the world of the NBA, it’s just the imposing of will through physical means. Dwight Howard, in particular, needs to continue to learn that if someone elbows you in the back, you should probably elbow back, but preferably when the ref isn’t looking.If anyone can teach that kind of resilience, retribution and rage, it’s head coach Kevin McHale. Let’s just hope the Rockets keep listening.


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    #2 rocketrick

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      Posted 24 March 2014 - 02:06 PM

      Are you kidding me?? Hakeem and Rudy and all the rest just played through all this BS.

      That is exactly what Championship Teams do.

      Period.

      End of Story.

      And Probably End of Me for Disagreeing.
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      #3 Drew in Abilene

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      Posted 24 March 2014 - 03:01 PM

      Rocketrick:

       

      Disagreeing is fine, but the point of this forum is to breed conversation, even conversation between people who disagree. You apparently disagree with the premise of this article, so feel free to explain your thoughts. But please refrain from posting comments that stifle conversation. 

       

      Period.

      End of Story.

      And Probably End of Me for Disagreeing.

       

      This part of your post seems like a good way to squelch conversation, which isn't what we want. Whether you agree with the premise or not, Walker put a lot of time and effort into the article, and I think it's fair to ask that we as posters allow for conversation around the topic. So to be clear, I don't have a problem with you disagreeing, I just want there to be an open conversation available to everyone who might want to weigh in on the conversation.


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      #4 rocketrick

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        Posted 24 March 2014 - 03:09 PM

        So rather than responding to what I stated about Hakeem and Rudy and the Rockets playing through all the referee BS in 1994-1995 instead you chose to focus on the rest of my post?

        OK, whatever dude.

        Edited by rocketrick, 24 March 2014 - 03:10 PM.

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        #5 Houston Fan

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          Posted 24 March 2014 - 04:08 PM

          I think Asik can be used to advantage here. He is a big presence and does not bully easily. He also does good job setting picks for guards.
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          #6 Drew in Abilene

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          Posted 24 March 2014 - 04:31 PM

          He certainly does. This is exactly why I was thrilled that Houston didn't trade Asik this season. He's also been rounding into form in the last couple of weeks, which should help us match up with some of the more physical teams. Glad to have you here on the forum!


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          #7 dbd

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            Posted 24 March 2014 - 04:32 PM

            Not sure why you poke innocent brain while using your brain to write this.  :) Just a tease. Please don't get mad.

             

            Not saying we are soft but you are right that results showed we failed against those big tough boys. 

            OKC is a great example, took 3 out and rough insides, Rockets has no other way to respond and attack.

             

            I am so eager to see upcoming game against OKC on our court. Yeah, players are responsible for most but this is where a good coach can make a bit difference. I wonder what McHale has up in his sleeve. 


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            #8 Sir Thursday

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            Posted 24 March 2014 - 06:37 PM

            I disagree with the premise of this article, particularly with Forrest's list of 'physical teams'. He listed:

             

            Indiana

            Memphis

            Chicago

            Miami

            Golden State

            Oklahoma City

            LA Clippers

             

            Now, the first three definitely belong in this category, but I don't agree with any of the others.

             

            - Miami are a team that beats you with their quickness and anticipation, not their strength.

            - Golden State are keyed off the defensive excellence of Iguodala, who blends his physical and mental tools well. Bogut is a curmugeonly distraction, not the reason the Warriors beat you with their defence.

            - Oklahoma City do have great rim protection in Ibaka and some rugged post defenders in Perkins and Adams. So maybe you have a point there, although I would argue that they are not a team defined by defensive physicality, merely a team with an excellent defence.

            - The LA Clippers have big players, but not physical players. Blake Griffin isn't as soft as everyone says he is (and obviously both he and DeAndre are incredible athletic specimens) but nevertheless they are not a team that attempts to overwhelm you with physicality. Explosive speed and hops maybe, but not defensive wrestling.

             

            It feels as though you've just picked all the teams we've struggled against and tried to find a unifying theme rather than the other way around, that's all. Now, your point about running the Rockets off the three point line seems like it might hold more merit - here are where your group rank in opposing three point percentage according to teamrankings.com:

             

            1. LA Clippers

            3. Indiana

            5. Golden State

            9. Oklahoma City

            11. Chicago

            13. Memphis

            18. Miami

             

            Once again though, it is not the case for all of the teams on your list. Chicago, Memphis and Miami are hardly elite in this category (for the record, Houston are currently 7th). And in general I think trying to find a single area that is the Rockets' Achilles Heel is going to be a futile exercise. There are multiple ways to stymie the Rockets' offensive game. There is one metric that might be useful, as it ranks the teams like this:

             

            1. Indiana

            2. Chicago

            3. Golden State

            5. Oklahoma City

            6=. LA Clippers

            9. Memphis

            12. Miami

             

            What's the metric? Defensive efficiency. So perhaps it would be more accurate to say that "teams with good defences do well against the Rockets". But not all teams with good defences are bullies ;).

             

            ST


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            #9 NorEastern

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              Posted 25 March 2014 - 09:20 AM



              With the return of Asik and the emergence of D-Mo not many teams are going to out muscle the Rockets. From watching his Prokom games D-Mo is a master of the low concealed elbow to the ribs. He just hasn't let his inner bully out.


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              #10 YaoMan

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                Posted 25 March 2014 - 03:10 PM

                I disagree with the premise of this article, particularly with Forrest's list of 'physical teams'. He listed:

                 

                Indiana

                Memphis

                Chicago

                Miami

                Golden State

                Oklahoma City

                LA Clippers

                 

                Now, the first three definitely belong in this category, but I don't agree with any of the others.

                 

                - Miami are a team that beats you with their quickness and anticipation, not their strength.

                - Golden State are keyed off the defensive excellence of Iguodala, who blends his physical and mental tools well. Bogut is a curmugeonly distraction, not the reason the Warriors beat you with their defence.

                - Oklahoma City do have great rim protection in Ibaka and some rugged post defenders in Perkins and Adams. So maybe you have a point there, although I would argue that they are not a team defined by defensive physicality, merely a team with an excellent defence.

                - The LA Clippers have big players, but not physical players. Blake Griffin isn't as soft as everyone says he is (and obviously both he and DeAndre are incredible athletic specimens) but nevertheless they are not a team that attempts to overwhelm you with physicality. Explosive speed and hops maybe, but not defensive wrestling.

                 

                It feels as though you've just picked all the teams we've struggled against and tried to find a unifying theme rather than the other way around, that's all. Now, your point about running the Rockets off the three point line seems like it might hold more merit - here are where your group rank in opposing three point percentage according to teamrankings.com:

                 

                1. LA Clippers

                3. Indiana

                5. Golden State

                9. Oklahoma City

                11. Chicago

                13. Memphis

                18. Miami

                 

                Once again though, it is not the case for all of the teams on your list. Chicago, Memphis and Miami are hardly elite in this category (for the record, Houston are currently 7th). And in general I think trying to find a single area that is the Rockets' Achilles Heel is going to be a futile exercise. There are multiple ways to stymie the Rockets' offensive game. There is one metric that might be useful, as it ranks the teams like this:

                 

                1. Indiana

                2. Chicago

                3. Golden State

                5. Oklahoma City

                6=. LA Clippers

                9. Memphis

                12. Miami

                 

                What's the metric? Defensive efficiency. So perhaps it would be more accurate to say that "teams with good defences do well against the Rockets". But not all teams with good defences are bullies ;).

                 

                ST

                 

                Agree 100%.  There are certain match-ups that are just bad for these Rockets and the two most glaring ones so far being the Clips and Thunder. I wholeheartedly agree that neither are physical bullies who uses smash-mouth defense to beat teams down. However the Rockets usually win against Golden State winning 5 of 7 in the past 2 seasons if my memory is not mistaken.


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                #11 YaoMan

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                  Posted 25 March 2014 - 03:10 PM

                  He certainly does. This is exactly why I was thrilled that Houston didn't trade Asik this season. He's also been rounding into form in the last couple of weeks, which should help us match up with some of the more physical teams. Glad to have you here on the forum!

                  Drew I think we discussed this in another thread saying that we would be more than happy to keep Asik and we're seeing the benefits now!


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                  #12 TeamBall

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                    Posted 25 March 2014 - 04:57 PM

                    I totally concur that we got bullied  by physical teams such as IND, OKC and LAC. We just played out of sorts like a bullied kid.

                    However, we should make the bully pay by aggressively attacking the paint and get more high probability FTs.

                    Instead of shying away from mid-range Js, Harden and Lin can be quite effective with those uncontested mid-range Js.


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                    #13 Drew in Abilene

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                    Posted 25 March 2014 - 11:11 PM

                    Drew I think we discussed this in another thread saying that we would be more than happy to keep Asik and we're seeing the benefits now!

                    I remember that! I understood why many wanted to ship him off, but I love that he stayed! I think he's going to be crucial this postseason.


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