MF – What were your thoughts after 128-95 in Game 4? Series over, or were you more reserved?

LM – When I helped the Podium Game with their preview of this series, I thought it was going 7. A series isn’t over just because a team goes up 3-1. And the Clippers know this better than most teams. After all, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan were in red and blue blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Memphis Grizzlies just three years ago. It’s the playoffs. You can’t expect your opponent to quit!

I’m sure we have differing opinions, but that fourth quarter in Game 6 was awesome. The Clips looked gassed, but Josh Smith also looked like LeBron…Did you see it as more meltdown, or more comeback?

I thought it was awesome as well. It was incredible. So many narratives burned in flames in that fourth quarter, and it was glorious to watch. The Rockets won that game. Doc Rivers made the point after the game: it doesn’t matter that the Clippers went decomposed bone cold offensively in the last six minutes of the game if they defend like champs. The Rockets dropped 40 points in that fourth quarter. They out-rebounded the Clippers 21-5! The Rockets took it from the Clippers. I’m focusing on that incredible effort more than LA’s choke job. Again, it’s the playoffs. It’s about winning games, and the Rockets were big winners Thursday night.

I cant remember who said Blake Griffin has been the best player in the playoffs so far (Jon Berry?), but I have to say that I agree. It always seemed like before he only played this way when CP3 missed time. Has this playoffs been a new level for Blake Griffin, or is this where he’s been and I just haven’t noticed?

Man, Blake Griffin is a few less fourth quarter brain cramps from shutting this entire postseason down. I was an early defender of the Blake Show when folks went out of their way to simplify his game (“All he does is dunk”), and a part of that faction loved to used Chris Paul as a reason why Griffin was overrated, as if he didn’t hop Kia’s in his ROY season. But while Griffin has always had the skill, his effectiveness has indeed reached a new level in these playoffs. He’s had triple doubles with and without Paul on the floor. He’s hit the glass harder and hit the paint harder. His game definitely went from the sustainable regular season approach to the necessary dog you need to win in the spring. But … he needs another game or the ignorance will continue, at least on some level.

What’s Austin Rivers’ deal? Rockets fans just went through this with Al Farouq Aminu going all Ron Artest on us in Round 1, and now Rivers is Jamal Crawford 2.0? WTF?

Well, in all the hate that Austin Rivers gets, people lose track of the fact that the kid is only 22 years old. He’s had a rough start to his career, and he’s not the most fun player to watch when he’s at his worst. He doesn’t lack skill, as the Rockets and Spurs found out. But Rivers’ jumper is the difference between him being useful or a liability. He made 10-of-18 threes in Games 1-4, but he has regressed sharply towards the mean in Games 5 and 6 (1-of-8).

Coming back from down 3-1 to win a series is old hat for Houston. What’s the general feeling for Clippers fans heading into Game 7? How much do you fear Clutch City at this point?

I feel like Clippers fans are caught between feeling sorry for themselves and staying optimistic. With all due respect, it’s not even about the Houston Rockets at this point. The Clippers had control, and now they don’t. But they still have a chance to do what they need to do. Clippers fans have been here before as well. The Clippers are the only team to win a Game 7 this postseason (since they are the only one to play in one). So it’s more just wondering if the Clippers take care of business in one game. None of the other stuff matters as much once Game 7 tips off!

The post Enemy Perspective: Law Murray of ClipperBlog appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue.  Follow Chip on Twitter @chipc3 and @3ShadesofBlue.

For the other side of the conversation I had with Chip, check out 3sob.com.

MF – I honestly never understood it, but there were Rockets fans that were happy to see Courtney Lee shipped out to Boston a few years ago. Gasol is generally recognized as the best center in the NBA, Z-Bo and Tony Allen get plenty of grit-and-grind love, and Mike Conley makes just about every “most underrated” list. But how important is Lee to what the Grizzlies like to do?  

CC – Courtney Lee is vital to the Grizzlies success this season. Everyone knows about Conley, Gasol and Randolph and the Green acquisition has been well covered but Courtney Lee’s outside shot is every bit as important as the other starters. Memphis is 18-2 this season when Lee hits at least 2 three point shots. Considering that Lee is the third best 3 point shooter in the league, the fact that he has only accomplished this feet 20 times is disturbing and reflects the problem with Lee. He doesn’t appear to like taking a lot of shots.

Lee focuses hard on defense, takes proper shots and defers to others more often than he should. Joerger has repeatedly said Lee needs to take the shots he gets when open rather than force the ball to others. When Lee doesn’t take the open shots teams collapse into the lane making it more difficult for anyone else to score.

What’s the biggest difference about the Grizzlies now that Jeff Green is on the team?

That’s a good question. Many pundits have talked about how Jeff Green has made the Grizzlies so much better, and the team is 16-5 with Green starting at SF, but his individual difference isn’t that great. Green has fit into a role where he is at times the 5th offensive option so he offensive impact is limited, his defense isn’t as good as the player he replaced (Tayshaun Prince) and his rebounding isn’t anything to write home about even if it is an improvement on Prince.

However, Green does force teams to stay with him out to the 3 point line and that alone makes it easier for Gasol and Randolph to operate inside. Teams left Prince alone all the time. Green will punish teams that ignore him. Prince couldn’t.

Speaking of Green, he’s been the upgrade at small forward the Griz needed, but how much do you personally miss James Johnson? He never had any huge stat lines against Houston last season, but he still gave the Rockets fits, breaking up pick-and-rolls and keeping possessions alive with big rebounds. Naturally, he put up 27 points, 5 boards, 4 steals and 4 blocks in his first game against Houston with the Raptors, because of course he did. Were you sad to see him go?

Interesting question. James Johnson is an incredible talent on the court capable of exploding at any moment and in any manner. That was his downfall in Memphis. JJ gave the team life on some nights and yet he never seemed content and that caused the problems that allowed him to leave town. It wasn’t so much is talent on the court as his attitude off it that was his downfall.

Personally I enjoyed watching him do his thing on the court but it was clear by the end of last season that Johnson and Joerger weren’t getting along and I wasn’t surprised or disappointed when he signed elsewhere. It was expected.

You hear a lot of talk about what a matchup problem the Grizzlies can be for other teams because of their size and toughness, but what kind of match-ups/game plans give Memphis the most trouble? Are there any teams specifically that you would like to see them avoid in Round 1 of the playoffs? (Assuming they keep the 2-seed)

Frankly every playoff team in the Western Conference gives me worry. When Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Dallas are the 1st round road opponents every team should know it will be a fight to win the conference.

I would particularly not like seeing Oklahoma City or San Antonio in the 1st round but based on current standings the Grizzlies likely will face one of them. San Antonio had Memphis’ number for the last few seasons prior to the Grizzlies winning the last two games (including an epic triple OT win in San Antonio) but the Spurs weren’t at 100% in those games. OKC has beaten the Grizzlies in the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 years, both series going 7 games, but a well rested Durant and Westbrook in the playoffs is frightening.

In the upper half I would want to avoid Houston and Golden State as long as possible since their perimeter games are very difficult for the Grizzlies big man defense to contain.

What number do you think Marc Gasol will play with on the Knicks next year since Patrick Ewing’s #33 is already retired? Pau’s #16??

Kidding, kidding. But seriously, how worried are you that he might move on, or is this all just a formality and he’d never actually leave Memphis?

I am not even thinking of Gasol wearing Knicks colors next season. Why would he take less money and a shorter contract to play in the mess that is on the court at Madison Square Gardens right now? People forget but Gasol’s parents and younger brother live in Memphis. Marc graduated from a Memphis high school while Pau played here. Marc also consistently has said he wants to play with Zach Randolph who he calls his brother from another mother. I don’t see anything New York can offer to attract him away from Memphis.

I’m concerned he will move, but not worried if that makes any sense. A big market city with a lot of cash and a winning franchise would be tough for him to turn down even with his family ties and Zach Randolph in Memphis. I could see the Spurs, Lakers, Heat and possibly Chicago making offers that would be hard to turn down. Reuniting with Lionel Hollins and New Jersey isn’t likely either but you never know.

The only way to get Marc out of Memphis in my opinion is to offer a larger market where he could offset the loss in NBA income with advertising contracts and a strong Spanish population.

The post Houston Rockets @ Memphis Grizzlies: feat. Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: Since Dwight Howard joined the Houston Rockets, they have not beaten the LA Clippers in six tries.  The primary reason?  James Harden.  Harden just can’t figure out how to score against the Clips.  He’s only averaged 17 PPG, shot just over 30% from the field and only about 10% of his 3’s.  In several of those games, JJ Redick has really caused problems for Harden on both ends of the floor.  But Harden also struggled when Redick was out, so I’ll be curious to see if it’s the match-ups that have slowed Harden or if it’s something scheme-wise that Doc Rivers is cooking up.

Howard has missed both games against the Clippers this season.  In his absence, DeAndre Jordan has given the Rockets fits.  He’s averaged a +/- of +17.5, with 15.5 PPG and 70% FG, 16.5 rebs (5 offensive), and 14.5 FTA.  Especially in the last game, in which Blake Griffin didn’t play, Jordan’s length and athleticism wreaked havoc on the boards, as he kept multiple possessions alive on offense.  And on defense he was downright Russell-ian, with 3 steals and 2 blocks, while keeping Harden and the Rockets out of the paint more than usual.  

Injuries: Patrick Beverley is still listed as day-to-day and will be evaluated at shoot around.  Kostas Papanikolaou will miss the game with a sprained ankle.

Blake Griffin still has about a week left of rehab after surgery on his elbow and will miss the game, while Austin Rivers should be suited up for the Clips.

Insider’s View - Q&A with Law Murray of Clipper Blog. Follow Law on Twitter @LawMurrayTheNU.

MF – Grantland’s Kirk Goldsberry has an interesting new piece on defensive assignment tracking and how players affect shot attempts and shooting percentages from the 13-14 season. Chris Paul is kind of the star of the article (we won’t discuss James Harden), but there seems to be a bit of an overall backlash against Paul this season, mostly since the referee comments. Has there been any kind of slippage in his game, or are people just finally tired of his Napoleon act and he’s really still great?

LM – Paul is in his tenth NBA season, and he turns 30 in May. For the first time in his career, he didn’t enter this season as the clear-cut best, most valuable player on his own team. The silly and tired “best point guard” discussion is more crowded than ever. And the images of Paul’s shortcomings have become more glaring, whether it’s the lack of team success (three postseason series wins) or his own untimely miscues (Monday night’s turnover parallels Paul’s Game 5 turnover against the Thunder).  The reality is, Paul has been as good this season as he usually is. He’s been even more valuable due to his durability, appearing in all 57 games so far. He’s not getting to the line as much (career-low free throw attempts per game) and he’s not leading the league in anything for the first time in awhile. But Chris Paul hasn’t changed; basketball consumers’ conversations have changed.

DeAndre Jordan has really shouldered the load since Blake Griffin’s injury, but hes also an upcoming free agent. If the Clippers don’t get over the hump this year, do you think its a given he comes back next season (on a presumed max deal), or might he be the “shake up” every team makes when they can’t take the next leap?

With the lack of flexibility given Los Angeles’ situation, and with Jordan showing increased value with his production sans Griffin, it’s not a given that Jordan will be back with the Clippers. In fact, I think he probably walks. Some team is going to blow Jordan away with a major offer, and he turns 27 in July. That’s not an age where you “take one for the team”. The Clippers aren’t getting to the Conference Finals, and it will be interesting to see how the team would handle Jordan’s next deal in that case.

With all the players bouncing around at the deadline, do you think Austin Rivers was the right move for this team, or did Doc Rivers the GM handicap Doc Rivers the coach?  

The Austin Rivers experience has netted a career-night (28 points in a blowout win vs. Sacramento Saturday night) and a big letdown (a donut in a three-point loss the very next game vs. Memphis Monday night). Rivers is in the best situation of his fleeting career. His three years have been humbling, to say the least, and without a guaranteed contract for next season, he’s trying to show he belongs while being the nominal eighth guy in the rotation. Rivers has been marginally better than the guy he replaced in that spot to start the season, Jordan Farmar. But no, Doc Rivers as the primary personnel executive has not helped Rivers put a better team on the floor. There is just too much flotsam on the roster.

The West is crazy this year and I believe it really will come down to matchups in the playoffs. What is the key to the Clippers offense when the starters are sitting, and how confident are you in the Clips bench to make it through 3 rounds of the Western Conference?

When starters sit, the key to the offense for the Clippers has been Jamal Crawford, the two-time Sixth Man of the Year. Crawford’s something close to a physical marvel. He turns 35 in March, yet he’s pulling in a career-high usage rate off the bench. Crawford has never been known for his efficiency, and he’s not shooting the three or getting to the line as well as he did a season ago. But he’s leading the league in points per game off the bench while protecting the ball with a career-low turnover rate. And yes, the over-reliance on Crawford’s bench production is another reason why the Clippers aren’t touching the Finals in 2015.

The post LA Clippers @ Houston Rockets: feat. Law Murray of Clipper Blog appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

JR – It’s a combination of both, really. There’s no doubt that the camaraderie and relationships built over the past few seasons have benefited this team and helped with the changes, but this team isn’t this good without Steve Kerr, Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams. This roster is a wonderful mix of rising stars and proven veterans, and Kerr has established everyone with a given role. This includes veterans David Lee and Andre Iguodala, who have quickly accepted their new roles on the bench given their previous roles as starters.

Several teams near the top of the West have made moves to improve their rosters. The Warriors clearly don’t have many holes in their roster, but do you see them making a move before the deadline?  Possibly involving David Lee, seeing as the Warriors are projected to be way over the cap next year? 

The Warriors will be taking calls, but I don’t see them making any major moves come the trade deadline. They recently brought up former University of Carolina Tar Heel James McAdoo for some spot minutes, and it’s these type of moves that this team will continue to make. The roster is fairly set given the improvements of the bench and role reversals (Lee and Iguodala). The team will indeed need to shed salary given their cap situation heading into next year, but I can’t see that happening with what Kerr is building and the success they’ve had so far this season.

Jalen Rose has been making pretty bold claims that Draymond Green will be wearing a Pistons jersey next season. Is he Important enough to the Warriors to warrant big money? Will they be able to afford him if they don’t make a Lee move?

How many different forms of the word “ABSOLUTELY” are there? Anyways, Draymond Green will be worth whatever his next contract brings him, and his importance to the Warriors can’t be overstated. A defensive stalwart who can guard all five positions, Green single-handily bumped David Lee to the bench. Kerr even acknowledged that he took this job with the assumption that Lee would be the starting power forward, but Green just outplayed him. His shooting has gone down since his early season success, but he’s still a threat from beyond the three-point line and given space when Curry or Thompson are trapped.

The post Q&A with Jordan Ramirez of WarriorsWorld.net appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

• Both teams had very good health for all four games, as Terrence Jones was the only player to miss a game for either team (game 3).

• Dwight Howard and James Harden were excellent against the Blazers all season, averaging roughly 56 ppg, 21 rpg and 7 apg combined.

• Speaking of Harden, he shot more threes against Portland than he did against any other team this year, averaging 8.3 per contest, and he still managed to hit them at high rate (45.5%).  San Antonio (50%) and Minnesota (61.9%) were the only W.C. teams to suffer worse at Harden’s hands from deep.

• LaMarcus Aldridge has been a monster on the glass against Houston, averaging 15.5 per, with 4.8 of those being offensive rebounds.

• Neither team is especially good at forcing turnovers, and both are in the bottom-5 in TO ratio.  The Rockets were 23rd (13.4 per) in the league at causing turnovers, while the Blazers were dead last (11.6).  Portland, however, is much better at protecting the ball, finishing 6th (13.3 per) to Houston’s t-29th ranking (15.4).

• Neither team has any injuries heading into the series, but Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and to a lesser extent Chandler Parsons are all still nursing ailments for the Rockets.  And for the Blazers, Joel Freeland has only played in one game since spraining his right MCL in mid-January.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Joe Swide of Portland Roundball Society.

Follow Joe on Twitter @pdxroundball and @joe_swide.

What positional matchup do you find most intriguing?

JS – Damian Lillard’s noble fight at the point against the embodiment of evil, super-villain Patrick Beverley, will be the centerpiece of the series from a #narrative and theatrical standpoint. There will be dirty plays (on behalf of Beverley because Lillard would never disrespect his fellow man). There will be slow-motion replays in which we speculate as to the inner workings of their emotions and motives for particular actions. There will be Twitter wars between fans of both sides and lo, Twitter blood will be spilt.

HOWEVER, the most important matchup by far, and the one I find most intriguing as a Blazer fan who hopes to see his team win, is LaMarcus Aldridge against the menu of stretch fours offered by Houston. The Rockets are one of the few teams in the league that have two traditional bigs that can match those of the Blazers, yet Portland tends to struggle much more when the Rockets go smallish with Chandler Parsons, PRODIGAL SON OF PORTLAND Terrence Jones The Dap King, or Donatas Motiejunas.  Although really, I’m most afraid of Parsons, whose three-point shooting prowess and stunning good looks will draw LaMarcus away from the paint, thus hindering the Blazers’ defend-the-rim-and-rebound by numbers approach.

On the other end, Aldridge hasn’t exploited Parsons on the block nearly as much as their body-types would seem to allow, instead conceding the turnaround mid-range jumpers that are more than welcome by the basketball establishment in Houston. But recently, Aldridge has looked a bit more aggressive when attacking lesser men in the post as his form has gradually improved after returning from his mysterious butt injury.

MF – Love that “#narrative” line, and you’re right, Beverley/Lillard will be the first mention every time a new network is introducing the two teams all series.  However, my focus will be on James Harden and Wes Matthews.  Harden is the best player in this series and if he plays well the Rockets should win easily.  Harden can struggle at times against strong two-way players like Matthews or JJ Redick of the Clippers, guys who have the range to punish Harden’s defensive lapses and still make him work for his offense.  Matthews played well against Houston in the season series, but if he can slow Harden and play him close to a draw, the Blazers can hang with the Rockets.

Unless Harden torches Matthews and forces a defensive change, watching Chandler Parsons and Nic Batum battle it out for seeding in the second-tier of very-good small forwards will be an absolute pleasure as well.  Kawhi Leonard supplanted Luol Deng as the number one contender, but Parsons and Batum are right there.

Blazers X-factor:

Unfortunately, the Blazers are kind of all x-factors. Like the entire team is one giant X, the unknown variable in an algebra equation. Will Aldridge play at the MVP-ballot level seen earlier in the season? Will the defense look competent and even potentially effective? Will Wes Matthews shoot fireballs from three-point range? How fit is Joel Freeland? Will we see Mo Williams the Conscienceless Gunslingin’ God, or will we see Mo Williams the Conscienceless Reason for Depression–and oh man I guess Mo Williams would have to be the biggest x-factor because his play has the largest impact by far on whether the bench unit will provide strong minutes or if those minutes will birth the apocalypse.  But oh, God, I’m just not in a strong enough mental place to say that this playoff series will depend on the play of Mo Williams.  Let’s move on please.

Rockets X-Factor:

Harden and Howard dominated in Houston’s season-series against Portland and their performances could render any x-factor talk moot.  So while a role player, even someone like Chandler Parsons, won’t necessarily be required to make-or-break this series for the Rockets, if Jeremy Lin can find even a shred of confidence(?  consistency?  fire?) and out-play Williams, the Rockets could sweep the series.

The Blazers win if…

Here’s the most likely Blazer-winning scenario: the starters all regain their early-season form. The ball movement is pristine. Wes Matthews and Nicolas Batum shoot something like 45% from three-point range. LaMarcus punishes any and all stretch fours put in front of him. Damian Lillard finds those enormous shots when all else breaks down. The defense is sound.  James Harden and his Beard struggle to get to the rim. Robin Lopez stays out of foul trouble. The manic experience of Mo Williams enjoys a week-long high. Thomas Robinson brings fire when necessary. Will Barton brings art when–wait nah the Blazers probably wouldn’t need Barton to bring anything if everything else goes right but still, The People’s Champ should always be involved.

The Rockets win if…

Harden and Howard are the best two players on the court.  Howard and Patrick Beverley can carry the team on defense.  The Rockets control the boards and keep Aldridge off the glass.  Kevin McHale finds the right wing off the bench to fill in for the second unit.  Houston keeps the turnover battle close, if not wins it outright.

Final Prediction:

Blazers in 6 because the first step in any good lie is convincing yourself that it’s true.

Rockets in 5, because the truth shall set you free. 

What non-Rockets v Blazers series are you most excited to watch? 

JS – I’m most excited about the Spurs-Mavs series. I love watching the Spurs play for all the reasons that everyone loves, or hates, the Spurs. Plus, there are so many old people in that series that I think instead of the reckless desperation that can arise in a playoff series when two teams don’t quite know what to make of the importance.  Spurs-Mavs will be just high level basketball with coaching adjustments on adjustments, plenty of unique players with fun, idiosyncratic styles, and when it ends, there will be no malice, only mutual respect.

MF – It’s a shame Andrew Bogut is out with his rib injury, because Clippers v Warriors was setting up to be epic.  That leaves Thunder v Grizzlies as the first-round series I’ll be watching the closest.  You can call Memphis’ second-round victory over OKC last year a fluke, the Thunder were missing Russell Westbrook after all, but the Grizzlies still have Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph to grind on the Thunder. 

And as for potential matchups later in the playoffs, in our upcoming Red94 round table, I picked a plausible Eastern Conference second-round scenario as the most intriguing, but I’ve changed my mind.  The NBA fan in me just can’t stop salivating over a possible LeBron v Durant war in the Finals.  That has the potential to be an 80’s style rivalry for several more years.  MJ never found his match mostly because he dodged Hakeem’s peak, Shaq and Kobe beat themselves and Duncan’s biggest rivals were Kobe and Steve Nash, who he never played in the Finals. 

Not since Bird and Magic have the two best players in the league had an honest to goodness championship rivalry.  Durant has been pushing for LeBron’s crown hard this season and it would be incredible to watch him take another crack at it. 

Best not miss.  (Or should I have gone with “don’t miss the bear“?)

The post Rockets-Blazers First Round Preview appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: 

The Rockets will be going for a three game season sweep of the Nuggets tonight, after winning the first two games 111-122 and 125-130.

While the Rockets were toying with the Lakers last night, the Nuggets have been resting since they played in Houston this past Sunday.  In that game, James Harden (game-high 32 points) was one of seven different Rockets who scored in double figures, and six scored 14 points or more.  Arron Brooks gave his best to upset his old team, putting up a line of 24-8-15.

In the first game of the season series way back in November, Ty Lawson was a beast going for 28 points and 17 assists.  But it was not enough to overcome another seven Rockets scoring in double figures, this time led by Dwight Howard’s 25.  The Nuggets tried unsuccessfully to “Hack-A-Shaq” Dwight, as Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2½-minute stretch. 

Injuries:

Dwight Howard will test his ankle in shootaround today and if all goes well he could play against the Nuggets.

Patrick Beverley will miss the game tonight.  There is still no timetable for his return, but with the way he is celebrating big plays on the bench it would not be a surprise if he were to return soon.

Ty Lawson (ankle) and Wilson Chandler (groin) will miss tonight’s game.  Darrell Arthur is listed as day-to-day but is expected to play.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Kalen Deremo of Roundball Mining Company.  Follow Kalen @PrincePickaxe.

MF – Who have the Nuggets missed more this year, George Karl or Andre Iguodala?  Or is it Masai Ujiri that they miss most?

KD – Definitely Masai Ujiri. Andre Iguodala was obviously huge for the Nuggets on the defensive side of the ball last year but the Nuggets had a much better team in general then, both on offense and defense. The Nuggets would have won more games this year with Karl as head coach but they still wouldn’t even be close to making the playoffs. I look at what Ujiri has done in Toronto and can’t help but think he’s the one indispensable asset the Nuggets chose to dispense of. Team chemistry, how the pieces fit together and simply having a roster with players who are innately inclined to play defense are three valuable resources the Nuggets lost when Ujiri left. However, if you want to know the real reason the Nuggets have struggled this season, I’d point towards injuries more than anything.

Zach Lowe had a good piece on the development of Kenneth Faried.  To me he’s becoming the ultimate table-test guy (copyright: Simmons).  He brings energy, rebounding and some post work, but he lacks defense and shooting.  Do you see any room left for development in Faried’s game where he could become a starter for a championship team (when paired with the right big man, for a change)?

It’s crazy. Five months ago I would have said no — hell no, in fact. Everybody thought he was just an energy guy who could come off the bench as a spark. At the beginning of the year all anybody could talk about was how limited Faried was, how he’s already reached his ceiling and that the Nuggets should explore trade scenarios for him while his value was still high. Yet here we are in April, with only a few games left in the season, and Faried might very well be the Nuggets best post player and second best all-around player on the roster. He’s averaged 19 points, 10 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game since the All-Star break. His game has evolved more in one year than I ever thought it would his entire career. So, to answer your question: absolutely. Faried still needs to improve his defense, but once he gets that down, he could very well be on his way to an All-Star appearance or two if he keeps playing the way he has this spring.

Danilo Gallinari is one of my favorite players in the league.  I was pretty upset when he hurt his knee last April and even more so when he had a second surgery this January.  What happened there and why did he wait so long to address the ACL?

I’m not a doctor and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night (bad joke… sorry) so I’m not sure if I’m really qualified to answer that. All I know is that originally it was classified as a torn ACL, then it was revealed it wasn’t an ACL tear, then after having one surgery he needed total reconstructive surgery on his ACL. So whether it was torn or not — I don’t know. Again, I’m sure someone else can answer that better than I. The bottom line is that it appears somebody, though I’m not sure who, tried to take a shortcut (though I’m hesitant to use that word) hoping Gallo could return this season rather than just addressing what needed to be addressed way back when he blew out his knee in the first place. That’s what I’ve gathered from everything I’ve read.

What do you expect out of the Nuggets this offseason?

Honestly, I have no idea. The Nuggets new front office has been pretty hard to read since replacing Masai Ujiri and Co. last summer. They’ve had some good moves and some really bad ones. Brian Shaw went on record yesterday saying the team needs to rearrange the roster a bit this summer, which was encouraging. The problem is: I’m not so sure the Nuggets have the right people in place to make those moves effectively. The Nuggets have too many duplicates and fringe rotation players that are doing no good riding pine and logging erratic minutes here and there. They need to dispose of those types of players, clear up some cap room and bring in one or two players who will challenge for starting positions. If they can do that, as well as hit on their lottery pick, they’ll be in good shape heading into the 2014-15 season.

The post Houston Rockets @ Denver Nuggets 4/9/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: 

• The Rockets won the first matchup with Brooklyn 114-95.  Chandler Parsons led all scorers with 21 points on 7-7 shooting (6-6 from deep), although he did miss one of his two free throws.
• The Rockets as a team went 19-32 (59.4%) from deep, a season high.

• According to ESPN Stats and Info, no team in NBA history entered January at 10 or more games under .500 and went on to post a winning percentage of .600 after December.  The Nets were 14-22 before New Year and have been 29-12 (.707 win%) since.

Injuries:

Terrence Jones is sick and will be a game-time decision.

Patrick Beverley is out with his right knee injury, but the good news is that it’s only temporary.

Dwight Howard will miss tonight’s game as well with his injured ankle.  His choice to have the cyst drained as opposed to surgically removed could come under fire if it continues to bother him, or if he ends up having the surgery well after the fact and is forced to miss more time.

Kevin Garnett (back) and Andrei Kirilenko (ankle) will miss the tonight’s game for the Nets.  Marcus Thornton has a sore back and is listed as questionable.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Brian Faith of Brooklyn’s Finest.   

Follow Brian @TheBriGuy83.

MF – Typically, it’s the young teams that struggle on the road.  But the Nets, who have won 13 straight at home, are just 14-22 away from Barclays this season.  Why is a team full of stars and veterans so much better at home than on the road?

BF – While it’s true young teams tend to struggle on the road, so too do unfocused and injured teams. The Nets have been riddled with injuries and missing key players throughout the season. That inconsistency rears its ugly head more frequently on the road – when role players are thrust into unfamiliar roles in unfamiliar territories. Also, the Nets suffered from a SEVERE lack of cohesion to begin the season. They were awful on the road AND at home the first two months of the season. The reasons: new coach and system, major contributors learning to play with one another, completely revamped bench units, and a change in coaching staff and style almost immediately.

Shortly after the All-Star break, the Rockets were getting a lot of credit for their post-New Year record.  But now, it’s the Nets who warrant mention.  After going 10-21 in the first two months of the season, Brooklyn has turned it around and has gone 29-12 in 2014 despite missing Kevin Garnett & Andrei Kirilenko (not to mention Brook Lopez) for long stretches.  What has been the biggest difference with the team since January 1st?

The most glaring difference since the New Year has been the players’ commitment to and comfort level with the new system. The injuries you mentioned have in some ways helped the team overall. Roles are more clearly defined. Early season systems and rules (for example, defending pick and rolls) have been settled upon. Above all else, the Nets found their identity. The Lopez and Garnett injuries have forced a certain pace and rotation onto the coaching staff that they probably would not have experimented with otherwise. As it turns out, that was the missing identity this team so sorely lacked to start the season.

The Rockets are in a funny position in the standings where most fans would prefer to see them stay in the 4-seed so as to avoid a potential second-round matchup with the Thunder (who they are 0-3 against this season).  Obviously, the Nets would prefer home-court advantage in a first round matchup with the Bulls, but how much of a priority is it for them to catch division-foe Toronto for the 3-seed?  And who would you prefer to see Brooklyn play in the second-round, Miami or Indiana? 

After the tumultuous start to the season I think most Nets fans are just happy they turned things around and have become legitimate playoff contenders in the East. That said, I believe the team wants to ride this wave as long and as far as they can. A team with championship aspirations would never settle for second best in their own division. Yes, the arrivals of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce brought talks of titles not division championship banners, but there’s no doubt it will help them if the team can look back and say, “Look at how we started, and look how far we’ve come… there’s no reason we can’t win the whole thing right now, this season.”

As far as preferred match up, I actually think the Nets match up best with the Miami Heat. For one, they have the star power and the egos to match LeBron James,  Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. They have players that have beaten James in the playoffs. Secondly, the aggressive nature of the Miami defense doesn’t do nearly as much damage to Brooklyn as it does other teams. The Nets length has been one of its greatest assets all season, and it is particularly pronounced against the Heat. The Nets also have a few different options defensively they can use to slow down Miami. Again, the length comes into play, but also so does the athleticism and body types of the Nets players. They won’t get pushed around or bullied by anyone on the Heat – even James.

The post Houston Rockets @ Brooklyn Nets 4/1/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: 

• The Rockets have failed to beat the Clippers even once in three tries so far this season, losing by 19, 13 & 8.
• James Harden has been a big reason why Houston has struggled against LA, averaging only 15 points per contest on 34% shooting from the field and 11% from three.
• In Houston’s last loss to LA back in February, the Rockets hung close to the Clippers all night until Darren Collison caught fire in the 4th quarter.  He scored 12 of his 19 points in the final frame on 5-7 shooting (2-2 from deep).

Injuries: The big news of the day yesterday was the revelation that Pat Beverley tore the meniscus in his right knee against the 76ers on Thursday night.  Whichever procedure Bev chooses, removal of the damage or sewing the entire meniscus back toghether, will decide the length of time he will be out.  Removal would presumably allow him to come back in just a few weeks, but can also lead to “Brandon Roy knees”.  Sewing it back together, which Russell Westbrook chose to do, would take several months to heal and would cost Bevereley the rest of the season and playoffs.

Dwight Howard will also miss tonight’s game after his surgically repaired ankle caused him discomfort in the second half of the same Sixers game.  Howard was dominant in the game despite coming back too early, and one would assume that the ankle just needs more rest.

The Clippers will be without JJ Redick (back) and Danny Granger (hamstring) for the game against Houston.

Below is a sample of the 3-on-3 that Michael Pina, Jovan Buha and I participated in for ClipperBlog.  To see it in its entirety, click here.     

Special thanks to Fred Katz.

1. Do the Clippers or Rockets finish with a higher seed in the West?

Michael Pina, Red94, (@MichaelVPina): I would’ve selected the Clippers before Patrick Beverley’s injury, so they’re the definitive choice now. They’re better, have just three road games the rest of the way, and…did I mention they’re better?

2. Has Dwight Howard reclaimed the spot as best center in the NBA?

Jovan Buha, (@jovanbuha): Did he ever give it up? Even in a “down” year last season, Howard was probably the game’s best center. Others have challenged his throne, but Joakim Noah (scoring), Marc Gasol (passivity) and Roy Hibbert (rebounding) all have significant flaws that prevent them from boasting as complete of skill sets. Howard’s been the game’s best center for six years now, and I don’t see that changing soon.

3. Is this game a “must-win” for the Rockets?

Mitchell Felker, Red94,  (@Mitchell_Red94):  I don’t think any game remaining on the Rockets’ schedule would be classified as “must-win”. In fact, I think most Houston fans would prefer to see LA hold onto the  No. 3 seed so that the Rockets could avoid a second-round matchup with the Thunder.  The Spurs aren’t much of a reprieve, but Houston is 3-0 against San Antonio this year and 0-3 versus OKC.  Then again, I could see everyone in the middle of the table “rest” a few games to dodge the Memphis-sized boulder moving up the standings.

The post LA Clippers @ Houston Rockets 3/29/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes:

• The Rockets lost their first matchup with the 76ers, as Tony Wroten had a triple-double (18 pnt, 10 reb, 11 ast) and one-time Rocket James Anderson had career-high 36 points.

• James Harden missed that game with a bruised foot, but Jeremy Lin filled in admirably with 34 points on 10-19 shooting (9-15 from 3!).  He also had 11 assists and 5 rebounds, although he did commit 8 turnovers.

• The previous matchup with the 76ers was also the last straw for Omer Asik after moving out of the starting lineup.  He refused to dress-out for the Rockets’ next two games after playing only 4 minutes in the loss to Philadelphia.

• Since December, James Harden’s 3pt% has risen from 30% to 34% in January, 42% in February and now 46% in March.

• A loss for Philadelphia tonight would tie them with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers (26 straight) for the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Rockets a win vs 76ers tomorrow shy of home sweep of East. Would be first to sweep opposing conference at home since Dallas in 04-05.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 26, 2014

Injuries:

Dwight Howard knocked knees with Terrence Jones in practice on Wednesday, and sat out the rest of practice as a precaution.  It was not serious and he will be in the lineup tonight.  

Francisco Garcia is still being listed as “day-to-day” due to personal reasons.  He has missed two straight games and his availability for tonight’s game is unknown.

As for Philadelphia, other than Nerlens Noel’s continued absence, no other Sixer is listed on the injury report. 

Insider’s View – Q&A with Eric Goldwein of Hoop76 .com.   You can see the other half of the conversation here.

Follow Eric on Twitter @ericgoldwein of @hoop_76.

MF – When discussing the issue of tanking in the NBA, Commissioner Adam Silver recently said, “The coaches and players, or some subset of that group, trying to lose, I don’t think that’s going on anywhere in the NBA”.  But doesn’t that let NBA front offices off the hook?  I doubt H.C. Brett Brown or Michael Carter-Williams are trying to lose, but can you really say Sam Hinkie is trying to win games at this point?

EG – We really can’t. Just check out their roster and see who is getting significant minutes; Tony Wroten, Byron Mullens, Elliot Williams, etc.. Management has done everything it can — short of shutting down Thaddeus Young — to ensure this team doesn’t win games. This isn’t to say that losing is their only, or even the primary goal of this season. Even in this extended streak, they’ve managed to find and develop some of their younger players, like Henry Sims (seriously, he’s awesome), and as bad as they’ve looked some nights, they’ve progressed (albeit slowly) since they gutted the roster and traded Spencer Hawes/Evan Turner at the deadline.

Rookies always say the hardest adjustment to the NBA is the speed of the game, so it seems like sitting Noel Nerlens out for 18 months without live-game action would hamper his development.  I realize the 76ers are counting lotto balls at this point and not wins, but wouldn’t letting Noel get out and run around for a few minutes a game help him heading into the offseason?  Are the Sixers really that worried about wins, or is Noel just not ready for action?

We might be overestimating the impact that a few minutes of NBA action could have on a young player like Noel. Is experience a good thing? Sure, but who is to say that these late-regular season reps would have any real effect on his development?

I also think we might be overestimating the impact that a few minutes of Nerlens Noel could have on late-regular season NBA action. I’m fully on the Noel bandwagon; I think his worst case scenario is a plus-defensive big man (Larry Sanders), and his ceiling is Kevin Garnett-lite. That said, it’s hard for any rookie to come in and make an immediate impact. Let alone a raw-but-talented 19 year old coming off an ACL injury.

Philadelphia is just one loss away from tying the 2010-11 Cleavland Cavaliers for the longest losing streak in the history of the NBA.  Do you see them beating the Rockets or Pistons and saving the fine people of Philadelphia from the indignity of holding such an abhorred title?  Or would fans just prefer to  lose every game at this point and continue chasing Wiggins/Embiid/Parker?

Saturday’s game against the Pistons has all the makings of a victory. It’s home, the Pistons are terrible, and assuming the Sixers lose tonight, it’ll be a chance to avoid breaking the 26-game record. They’ll certainly get up for it, as will the 4,000 fans in attendance. Believe it or not, Philly has actually been playing some half-respectable basketball over the last few games, hanging around with the Pacers twice and losing close games to the Bulls (91-81) and Knicks (93-92). As much as we Sixers fans love lottery balls, it’d be nice to see this team come away with one final win.

The post Philadelphia 76ers @ Houston Rockets 3/27/14 feat. Eric Goldwein of Hoop76 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes:

• The Bulls had won six of their last eight prior to Derrick Rose’s most recent injury back in November, but they were just 3-10 following the injury and still learning how to function without their point guard when Chicago came to Houston on December 18.  The Rockets won, 109-94.

• Houston’s dynamic duo were awesome that night, as James Harden and Dwight Howard combined for 42 points on 18-27 shooting, with 13 boards, 4 steals and a +/- of +41.  The rest of the Rockets had their way as well; the team shot 53.7% from the field (36.4 3pt%), but no other Rocket had a double-digit plus/minus.

• After a stellar February in which they were 9-4, the Bulls have cooled off and are just 3-3 so far in March, including a 104-96 loss to the Spurs on Tuesday.

• The Bulls acquired Jimmer Fredette, formerly of the Sacramento Kings, on March 2nd.  But he has yet to make an impact with Chicago, averaging under three minutes in six games (3 DNP’s).

• One last note that isn’t really game specific, but does anyone else remember the circumstances of the 2011 draft that led to Chandler Parsons and Donatas Motiejunas landing with Houston?  In a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Rockets acquired Johnny Flynn, the 20th pick (Motiejunas) and a 2012 second rounder in exchange for Brad Miller, the 23rd pick (Nikola Mirotic), the 38th pick (Parsons) and a future first round pick.  Luckily, they reacquired the Parsons-pick for cash considerations.
  Otherwise, that would have been that would have been the top-prospect in Europe, one of the best young forwards in basketball and a first round pick for Motiejunas and washout-Flynn.  Now, I love D-Mo, but that’s enough to make you resent anyone.  Eventually, Mirotic’s draft rights ended up with Chicago and he now appears set to join the Bulls this summer from none other than Spanish-power Real Madrid, who also happens to employ Rockets’ prospect Sergio Llull.  Mirotic’s development may still make this a loss for the Rockets, but the Parsons aspect kept it from being an all-out garbage fire. 

Injuries: I couldn’t find anything concrete, but I would expect Patrick Beverley to continue to wear his protective face mask for at least a few more games.

Other than Derrick Rose, the Bulls have no injuries.

I was unable to get in touch with any Bulls insiders prior to today’s game, so instead I want to discuss a piece written by Nick Friedell for ESPN Chicago entitled, “Howard or Noah: Who is the better center?“.  This seems like an especially important question heading into tonight’s game because for the Bulls to beat the Rockets, Joakim Noah will very likely have to be better than Dwight Howard for at least one night.

Just going by the numbers, there isn’t much argument to be made about who is the better player.  Howard scores more, has a much higher shooting percentage and rebounds the ball at a higher rate.  Although, Noah is much better from the free throw-stripe and his passing ability might be the biggest mismatch on the board when comparing the two players.  And passing is really the crux of the argument for pro-Noah backers.

Even if you believe that Howard is the better player, do you really think he could be the starting center for this Bulls team, sans Rose and Deng, and they still perform at the level we’ve seen out of them these past few weeks?  I’m the same person that made the case for Howard as Defensive Player of the Year, due to the fact that his degree of difficulty in cleaning up after this Rockets team on defense is so much higher than what Roy Hibbert is asked to do for the Pacers.  So how can I not make the same argument for Noah?  Never mind Dwight Howard, there is no other player in the league, save for maybe Carmelo Anthony, that has as much offensive responsibility as Noah does on this particular Bulls team.  His passing and some deft shooting by the Bulls role players is pretty much the entire offense.  Dwight has James Harden; LeBron James has Dwyane Wade; even Chris Paul has Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford.  And say what you want about Howard’s Magic teams, but Hedo Turkoglu could run a relatively potent offense when Dwight didn’t have the ball.

If Howard was the Bulls’ centerpiece, who would create shots?  It certainly wouldn’t be Dwight.  And we already know that Howard isn’t exactly efficient on isolation post-ups, so a large percentage of the creativity would have to come from one of the perimeter players.  No offense to DJ Augustin and Mike Dunleavy Jr, but that would not make for a very productive team.  And let’s not even talk about the Hack-a-Shaq (that’s what it’s called; quit changing the name) problem that Howard on the Bulls would create.

Howard has many strengths on offense; he is still a monster in the pick-and-roll and his post-up play has gotten noticeably better as the season has progressed.  But Noah is as versatile as they come.  He creates from the elbows in the half-court, is nifty around the rim and runs the floor as well as any big in the game, even handling the fast break from time to time.  And its not just his skill level; he’s also a gritty, blue-collar worker.  He’s an excellent pick-setter (especially the dribble-handoff), rim-runs every semi-break and has a strict “no layups” rule.  As odd as it may sound, Noah is probably the most versatile center (player?) in the league.  (okay, besides LeBron)

So that’s the pro-Noah argument.  The Howard defense starts with just that, defense.  While Noah is no slouch on that end, and was even named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last year, a healthy Dwight Howard is still one of the premier rim-protectors in the Association.  The Rockets’ fast pace and slack perimeter defense don’t make his job easy, and certainly deflates his numbers, but that Dwight has this team in the top-ten defensively is near-unbelievable.  He is still a monster on the boards, and, as I said before, his post work has improved seemingly weekly since arriving in Houston.

Howard isn’t quite as agile as Noah, but his length and strength are second-to-none.  Not even the biggest centers in the league can back Howard down in the post, and his explosiveness on the offensive end is almost impossible to defend.  Blake Griffin is the only healthy post-player that is as lethal as Howard at finishing around the rim.  Dwight is also one of the few big-men in the league that can get out and run similar to Noah, although he’s not quite as useful in the open court.

And as much as I love Noah’s game, even I don’t know how I feel about Steve Kerr saying that he would take Noah behind only LeBron and Kevin Durant in a Game 7 situation.  Carmelo Anthony has always had a reputation as a big-gamer and despite his lack of team success, has had some monster games in big situations.  Steph Curry did some good things in last year’s playoffs and his propensity for the heat-check makes him a prime candidate for do-or-die situations.

But as intelligent as Mr. Kerr is, I can’t believe he overlooked his former teammate, Tim Duncan.  Just last year, Duncan averaged 27 points, 14.5 rebounds (4.5 o.rebs) and 2.5 steals in the Spurs’ two closeout games against the Heat in the Finals.  It’s notable that Noah is getting that type of recognition, but lets also not forget that in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, Dwight Howard posted 40 points, 14 rebounds (6 o.rebs) and 4 assists in the series-clinching Game 6 against LeBron’s Cavaliers.

There are fine arguments to be made for both players, but under any normal circumstance, Dwight Howard is the best center in the league.  Having said that, if I was voting for All NBA-First Team this season, my vote would go to Noah.  The Bulls have been an amazing story post-Deng trade and Noah has been the reason.  Armed only with Taj Gibson (probably the Sixth-Man), Jimmy Butler and a host of role players (not to mention a very worthy Coach of the Year candidate), he has the Bulls playing for the 3-seed in the East.

But I think it’s safe to say, whomever you choose in this debate, tonight will be a matchup of the two best centers in the league.  And boy are we in for a treat.

The post Houston Rockets @ Chicago Bulls 3/13/14 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes:

• The Thunder beat the Rockets in the first two matchups of the season, and an OKC win tonight would secure the head-to-head tiebreaker for playoff seeding.

• In the first game, James Harden and Dwight Howard combined for 17 points on 6-22 shooting, as Houston lost 117-86.

• As for the second game, well….  The Rockets set the record for the largest scoring differential between two halves.  Houston led by 14 going into the half after scoring 73 points, with 12 3-pointers.  The Rockets didn’t hit another three the rest of the way and scored only 19 points in the second half, eventually losing 104-92.

• Russell Westbrook missed both contests against Houston so far this season, but Kevin Durant picked up the slack: 34.5 ppg on 50%FG, 42%3pt and 90%FT shooting, with 9 rpg and 6 apg.

• In the their last two games (both losses), the Thunder have given-up career high’s in scoring to opposing shooting guards Gerald Green (41 points) of the Suns and Jodie Meeks (42 points) of the Lakers.  Both players made more than half of their threes and got to the line a combined 25 times.

Injuries: Patrick Beverley is listed on the injury report, but will continue to play with his broken nose.  He sustained the injury against the Orlando Magic on March 5th.

The Thunder will be without Kendrick Perkins (groin), Thabo Sefolosha (calf) and Caron Butler (undisclosed).

Insider’s View – Q&A with Royce Young of Daily Thunder. 

Follow Royce on Twitter @RoyceYoung.

MF – As much as I hate to beat a dead horse, you can’t talk Rockets-Thunder and not mention James Harden.  During the Rockets-Pacers broadcast last Friday, Jeff Van Gundy said that he didn’t think the Thunder, Rockets or even Harden himself believed that he would be this good as the lead-guy.  Do you think the Thunder felt like they were losing this quality of player when they made the trade?  And, do you think they would do things differently if given another chance?

RY – Oh, the Thunder absolutely knew Harden was this good. I think everyone was a bit curious as to if he could pull all of this talent out and do it as the primary scorer, but there’s no question that the Thunder knew he had the ability to be a premier player. They knew what they were giving up when they traded Harden, but remember: He was never going to have the kind of role he has in Houston with the Thunder. He was always going to have to split possessions three ways, so while he had this kind of talent in OKC, it was just going to be limited.

But no, I don’t think the Thunder would do anything differently based on what they’ve seen from Harden. Hindsight being what it is, maybe they would’ve searched for a better trade, but people forget, at the time, Harden’s trade value was significantly lower. He had just performed poorly in the Finals, and many weren’t sold on him as the featured player. But the Thunder don’t regret trading Harden. That doesn’t necessarily mean it was the right move, though.

Russell Westbrook has missed both matchups against Houston this season after a collision with Patrick Beverley in the first round of the playoffs last season caused him to tear his meniscus.  As far as you can gather, does he harbor any ill-feelings about that play?  Do you expect anything more than his typical near-maniacal intensity in their first meeting since the injury?

Oh, there’s no question in my mind Westbrook holds a grudge against Beverley. No doubt. But I don’t think he’ll necessarily play any differently because of it. But he doesn’t like Beverley one bit.

Speaking of Westbrook, he takes a lot of flak for his style of play and it has been one of the main talking points when evaluating the Thunder’s paltry 3-5 record since his return from knee surgery.  Has he really thrown off the Thunder’s rhythm that much, or have there been other issues during this recent stretch?

It really hasn’t been Westbrook. It’s been the slack in defense. The Thunder are allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break, giving up career-highs to players like Gerald Green and Jodie Meeks. Westbrook hasn’t helped the cause much defensively, but it’s a larger issue of trying to reintegrate him, while also playing without two other starters (Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins).

Westbrook’s return to the lineup also coincided with Kendrick Perkins’ groin injury and subsequent surgery.  The Thunder have struggled to win games since Perkins went down, but two of the their three wins have come against Charlotte and Memphis; teams with above-average-to-very-good big men in Al Jefferson and Marc Gasol.  The consensus has been for some time that the Thunder play better in smaller lineups, but is Perkins’ absence playing a part in their recent struggles?

That’s a good question, which is what makes this matchup with Dwight Howard so intriguing. Perk has always done a terrific job on Howard, but can Steven Adams handle him, and not commit six fouls in four minutes? You’re right; the Thunder have won without Perk against teams where he’s supposedly valuable. It’s not really him they miss so much right now, as it is Sefolosha.

True or False: If the season ended today, Kevin Durant would be the MVP.

True. He’s got the numbers, and he’s got the narrative. Putting up a ridiculous scoring average and PER, and he carried his team while Westbrook was out. It’s his to lose.

The post Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder 3/11/14: feat. Royce Young of Daily Thunder appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes:

• This will be the final meeting between Houston and Portland in the regular season.  The Rockets are 2-1 against the Blazers in the season series so far, and a win for Houston would lockup the tiebreaker with Portland for playoff seeding.

• Four of the five Portland starters have been in the lineup for every game so far this season, and LaMarcus Aldridge has missed only five games.  Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is the sole Rocket to have started every game for Houston, with no other starter missing less than Chandler Parsons’ six.

• What is the opposite of kryptonite?   Whatever it is, the Blazers have it.  More than any other team in the league, Dwight Howard has feasted on Portland this season: 28.3 ppg on 66%FG and 70%FT, with 14 rpg                  (4.3 o.rpg), 2 apg, 1.3 bpg, 1 spg.

• Although, in the last two games against Houston, LaMarcus Aldridge has also been a beast: 29 ppg, 22.5 rpg (6.5 o.rpg), 2.5 apg, 2 spg and 1.5 bpg.  Would someone, I don’t know, consider a box-out on the big fella?

Insider’s View – Q&A with Joe Swide of Portland Roundball Society.Follow Joe on Twitter @pdxroundball and @joe_swide.

M.F. – As someone who sat through every minute of the epic second-half collapse the Rockets had against the Thunder in January, I’ve seen some painful basketball.  But how much of an emotional roller coaster was that Mavericks game Friday night?

J.S. – I’m not sure that roller coaster is the best analogy for that emotional experience. Roller coasters give only the illusion of danger, before ending with smiles and the opportunity to buy an image of your moment fear to look back on and laugh about, in a novelty frame. Maybe we’re talking about a really dicey Six Flags where death really does seem imminent, but I would favor the analogy of an emotional Sandra-Bullock’s-journey-in-Gravity-only-if-she-dies-in-the-end-which-might-actually-have-been-what-happened-cuz-that-movie-was-deeper-than-I-thought. First, the Blazers are floating hopelessly through space, with no control and nothing to grab on to. Then, George Clooney’s character — Thomas Robinson for these purposes — finds them, corrals them, gives them some motivating energy, and gets them back on a track for survival. After that, there’s a lot of exciting and suspenseful moments until they finally climb into the Chinese station, realize there’s just not enough fuel left, and Dirk Nowitzki cuts the oxygen.

What’s been the biggest difference between the Blazers that started the year 25-7, and the team that is just 17-13 since January 1st?

The offense hasn’t been quite as crisp with its passing and movement, although it’s worth noting that defenses have figured out to some degree how to slow the unstoppable war machine that we saw in the first few months. Defensively, the Blazers haven’t been quite as tight. Instead of only allowing, or forcing ballhandlers into contested midrange shots, those ballhandlers have been able to get into the midrange area and then create from there to find open shooters or bigs underneath. Injuries at different points to LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Freeland, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson haven’t helped either, especially when compared to the first few months, when Terry Stotts barely strayed from the same exact 8-man rotation each night.

I thought the Blazers were getting the ultimate buy-low steal when they got Thomas Robinson from the Rockets in a salary dump of sorts, so that Houston could sign Dwight Howard.  But other than the occasional outburst when he gets real minutes, Robinson is still not producing like a top-5 pick should should be in his second year.  Have you seen anything in his game to suggest that he can be a rotation guy on a championship team?

I’m far from ready to call Robinson a bust. At this point, he has a single role — boundless energy and rebounding dude — that will get him on the floor. To get more minutes, he’ll need to smooth out those occasional moments when he gets too out of control offensively, and also become a better, more consistent defender. But for now, I’m very happy with what Thomas Robinson brings to this team. In that Mavs game, he almost single-handedly dragged the Blazers back into that game.

True or False

The Damian Lillard/Gerald Wallace heist was a bigger steal than the James Harden robbery. 

False — only because Harden was a known commodity at the time of the trade and Lillard was a draft pick.

The Blazers’ defense is good enough to get them to the WCF.

False — but their offense might be.

The post Portland Trail Blazers @ Houston Rockets 3/9/14: feat. Joe Swide of Portland Roundball Society appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: In the first meeting between Houston and Indiana on December 20th in Indianapolis, the Pacers hammered the Rockets, 114-81.  The Rockets were missing both Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik.

Dwight Howard was the only Rocket to produce at anything near his per-game averages: 19 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in 31 minutes.

Despite David West only scoring 12 points in that match-up, Terrence Jones somehow managed to have -30 point differential in only 25 minutes played.  Chandler Parsons (-23 in 33 mins) was the only other Rocket over under -20.

The last time the Pacers beat a winning team was exactly a month ago, an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Jared Wade of 8 Points, 9 Seconds.  Follow Jared on Twitter @8pts9secs and also @Jared_Wade.

MF – The Pacers are 12-4 going back to February 1st, but have only one win against a team with a winning record during that span and just three total since New Year.  The media hot points for Indiana’s recent struggles have been Paul George’s regression to mean in his mid-range game after a torrid start and Roy Hibbert’s overall shooting percentage.  Is the difference really that simple or are there other issues currently facing the Pacers?

The post Indiana Pacers @ Houston Rockets: feat. Jared Wade of 8 Points, 9 Seconds appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Notes: In the first meeting between the Rockets and Pistons, Dwight Howard had easily his best game as a Rocket, putting up 35 points on 13-18 shooting, with 19 boards, 5 assists and 3 blocks.  Not to mention, he went 9-14 from the free throw stripe. 

The Pistons have lost six of their last seven and are giving up almost 109 points during that stretch, six points higher than their season average.

Insider’s View – Q&A with Brady Fredericksen of Pistons Powered.

MF – In the first meeting between Houston and Detroit, Dwight Howard had his best game as a Rocket.  For a player that relies so much on shots at the rim for his offense, even someone as talented as Howard, it was surprising that he was able to dominate the Pistons high-profile frontcourt so handily.  Has this been a problem all year or are the Pistons normally better at defending big-men/protecting the rim? 

BF – The Pistons have steadily improved when it comes to defending the rim, but as a whole, they’re still a poor defensive group. The main issue is that they’re so slow when it comes to rotations and basic foot speed on defense. They essentially start two centers in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond along with Josh Smith at small forward when he’s a natural power forward. You’d think that would be tough to penetrate, but the results are mixed. Monroe is a subpar defender who’s athletic limitations hurt him at power forward, while Drummond — for all of his amazing physical attributes — is still a pup when it comes to NBA-level defense. Smith is just stuck too far from the basket most of the time to be a factor in the paint defensively — it’s  a bad mix all around.

Speaking of that frontcourt, the trade deadline came and went and Greg Monroe is still a Piston.  The three-headed monster of Monroe, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond is clearly not working, so as far as you can gather, what are the Piston’s plans for the future regarding Monroe or even Josh Smith?  And was management perhaps hesitant to let GM Joe Dumars make any more moves before re-evaluating his position with the team this summer, or were there trades on the table that just couldn’t get done? 

I tend to think it was more along the lines of ownership wanting to stand pat. Once owner Tom Gores fired Maurice Cheeks after just 50 games, it sort of felt like that was a sign of Dumars’ end. Really, it was probably good that they didn’t make any moves. I doubt there was a truly major move out there that would improve the team dramatically. Any small trade would just be re-shuffling the deck, essentially. Josh Smith’s value can only go up, and Greg Monroe is going to be an asset this summer whether he’s returning to the Pistons or not.

After seeing how the addition of Josh Smith affected the Pistons spacing and shot selection, it’s not totally surprising that Detroit has struggled with their offensive efficiency.  What is surprising, though, is that Detroit is 26th in points allowed and 23rd overall in Hollinger’s defensive efficiency metric despite all that size and talent.  What has been the biggest issue with the Pistons’ defense?

They’re just slow. Smith isn’t built to be on the perimeter, and when you combine him and Kyle Singler (a small forward stuck playing shooting guard) you’ve got a definite lack of foot speed on the floor. Brandon Jennings is quick, but he’s a gambler and poor man-defender. When you combine all of that, you get a team that doesn’t rotate on shooters well, which leads to breakdowns — So. Many. Breakdowns.

Luigi Datome was the Italian League MVP just last year and from everything I read, was expected to at least be a rotation-quality player in the NBA.  Is the Association just that big of a step up, or is it something else?

I’m mixed on Datome. On one side, he’s got a reputation as a great shooter and he plays for a team that has few, but in his appearances this season, he’s been a complete mess. Despite being a very athletic player in the European game, he’s been brutal defensively, and his shot has been non-existent. He’s 6-for-33 from 3-point range, and combined with his subpar defense, he’s not really worth playing if that’s how he’s going to produce. Honestly, with the position the Pistons are currently in, it can’t hurt to give Datome another run in the rotation. If he plays well and helps, good for the team. If he plays poorly and hurts the team, good for the team’s lottery chances.

True or False – Andre Drummond is the next great true-center.

Maybe? I really hate crowning players when they’ve never accomplished anything. Drummond has shown flashes of really great ability, but at the same time the only real improvement he’s made this season is, well, that he gets to actually play. His rookie year per-36 numbers are essentially what he’s doing now. As Drummond begins to learn to defend the post better — and he’s been torched by guys like Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson in the past few months — he’ll get better. I do feel comfortable saying he’s the best rebounder in the league, and much of his production is stemmed off hustling to get to offensive rebounds. Detroit has a tendency to take some pretty ugly shots in the halfcourt, but Drummond does a fantastic job of cleaning up a terrible trip by converting the miss into a putback.

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Notes:  Of the teams James Harden has played at least twice this season, only the OKC Thunder have managed to suppress Harden the way the Clippers have.  Against LA, Harden has averaged 35 mpg, 13.5 ppg on 32 FG% and 8 3pt% (EIGHT PERCENT!!!).

Luckily for the Rockets, JJ Redick will not suit up tonight due to his myriad of injuries.  Redick battered Houston in their first two meetings to the tune of 24 ppg (well above his season avg of 15.7) on 53 FG% and 36 3pt%.

Insider’s View - Q&A with Fred Katz of Clipper Blog.  Follow Fred on Twitter @FredKatz.

MF – I expected (and hoped, for the Rockets’ sake) that the Clippers would struggle without Chris Paul in the lineup, but they were 12-6 without their leader.  Blake Griffin showed a surprising amount of growth during that stretch.  How has his game developed this year to allow him to still flourish without CP3?  

FK – It all started once Griffin began to make his free throws consistently. That really seemed to open up his game. He became more confident going to the hoop. His jump shot opened up the floor, and his 39 percent on a high volume of mid-range jumpers is more than respectable. Griffin used to shy away from going to the line. This year, he’s taking almost three more free throws per 36 minutes than last season. Add in that he’s the only natural power forward in the league who can get a defensive rebound and either go coast-to-coast or lead a fast break and consistently make good decisions, and it’s no wonder why he’s averaged 27.9 points and 3.9 assists over his past 29 games.

I still hold that JJ Redick is the one responsible for all the “James Harden is terrible on defense” noise.  Harden is by no means a stopper, but Redick torched him on national television and put up two of his best scoring nights of the season against Houston earlier this season.  How different is the Clips offense with Redick sidelined?

Amazingly different. And not just in terms of quality, but also in terms of style. There are so many plays that the Clippers can’t run without their starting 2 guard. It’s not just Redick’s shooting that helps the Clipper offense. There’s also the off-ball movement which gets defenses stirring. Chris Paul is the type of point guard who waits to dissect a D. He’s the most patient point guard in the league. The more a defense rotates, the more likely he is to find a mistake and pounce. Redick gets those defenses to move. He opens up the Clipper playbook. With him gone (even though Jamal Crawford has played as well as he possibly could), the Clippers lose that aspect of their game and become much more stagnant.

What do you expect to be the biggest change with the team now that Glen Davis has signed?  And are there any indications as to when he’ll suit up for the Clips?

Davis is expected to suit up Wednesday night against Houston. Finally, the Clippers have a third big man. Look, I’m not delusional. I realize Big Baby is a mid-range heavy player, who has taken more contested 18-footers than good shots over the past couple of seasons. But it’s incredibly likely that was more a product of situation and less a product of personal preference. The Orlando offense has anemic tendencies and Jacque Vaughn seems to be prone to doing anything that might stunt the growth of his younger bigs (see: Jason Maxiell’s early-season playing time). “Large Infant” won’t take those sorts of shots playing with Chris Paul or Griffin if he plays with the starters. Jamal Crawford won’t let him take his shots with the second unit. And even if Davis ends up playing as badly as possible, he’s still an upgrade for the Clippers off the bench.

Has there been any real, tangible growth with DeAndre Jordan, or is he simply just getting more minutes?

Yes. So much. He’s growing faster than Jack’s beanstalk. It used to be just theory, but with the arrival of Doc Rivers, it’s become pretty clear that Vinny Del Negro didn’t do much to help DeAndre Jordan’s game or confidence. Every time Jordan made a mistake last year, he was out of the game at the next whistle. You could tell he was miserable. You could tell he was stunted. It was one of those rare times you could see something not happening. There was no development at all. This year, that’s all different. His rebounds are up from 10.6 per 36 minutes last year to 14.0 per 36 this season. Now, he’s leading the league in boards. He’s rotating better on the defensive end. He’s not as aggressive defending the pick-and-roll, an effect of a new system as much as anything else. He’s probably become one of the six or seven best defensive centers in the NBA. And that is a huge improvement above all else.

What’s been the biggest difference with the team since upgrading from Vinny Del Negro to Doc Rivers?

Um, everything? The offensive sets are more creative (credit Alvin Gentry for that as well). The young players are actually developing. DeAndre Jordan has gotten better. Blake Griffin has gotten better. Last year, you could argue those players regressed. Even Jamal Crawford is having a better year and is playing a little bit of defense…for Jamal Crawford.

True or False:  The Clippers really feel like they have a shot at LeBron this summer?

False. The Clippers are strong enough at the top to win a championship right now. They have a good enough coach. They have a talented enough three or four best players. Where they need improvement is at the margins.

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So, what has gone wrong for Golden State?  To some degree, it can be blamed on injuries.  Andre Iguodala missed 17 games with a strained hamstring, and even though he has been back for over two months, the effect still linger.  Meanwhile, Andrew Bogut has missed the last four games and is currently questionable for tonight’s game.  Jermaine O’Neal has finally returned from a wrist injury, and everyone worries about Curry’s ankles.  But the reality is that Golden State’s injuries are not that much worse, if at all, than what the Rockets have dealt with.

A bigger problem for the Warriors is their youth.  Most Rockets fans at the beginning of the season were hoping that just one of either Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejunas would turn out to be a useful rotation player.  However, both of them have made significant strides, and even Chandler Parsons has developed into a borderline All-Star and Dwight is looking more like Orlando Dwight by the day.  In contrast, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson have had disappointing seasons after an impressive playoff run last season.  Thompson seems to bounce from “unstoppable” to “doesn’t belong in the NBA” from one game to the next, while Barnes has been stuck in a 6^th man role which he is not really suited to do.  Still, the Rockets will need to pay great attention to Klay and Stephen Curry – because it is shooting guards who like to run off screens for jumpers that give James Harden the biggest trouble on the defensive end.

It is Houston’s offense however which will have the biggest challenge.  The shooting and flashiness of Stephen Curry and the Warriors make people believe that they are a high-flying offensive team with a mediocre defense, but they are in fact a defensive titan that depends a bit too much on shooting to generate points – for example, they are ranked 3^rd when it comes to defensive rating.  A lot of this defensive impact can be traced to Andrew Bogut, who would be a credible Defensive Player of the Year candidate if Roy Hibbert didn’t exist.  But even if Bogut does not play tonight, Andre Iguodala is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, one who made things extremely difficult for James Harden last year when Iguodala was a Denver Nugget.

Also, a final note as Houston looks to secure its place in the standings: 10 of Houston’s next 12 games will be against teams with a plus .500 record.  This includes the Miami Heat twice, as well as contests against the Clippers, Oklahoma City, Indiana, and Portland.  From my perspective, there is not that much difference between Houston getting the 2^nd and 3^rd seed – but there is a HUGE difference between the 3^rd and the 4^th.  The Western Conference may be as difficult as ever, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have just shown themselves to be on a completely different level from every other Western team, with Kevin Durant a likely MVP and Russell Westbrook returning tonight from injury.  The later Houston can put off dealing with them in the playoffs, while praying that someone else knocks them out, the better.  If the Rockets can make it through this tough stretch winning more games than they lose, that alone will be a big boost in the standings.

Tip-off is at 9:30pm CST.  Game will be on ESPN tonight.

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The Lakers personnel and management decisions have been crashing down on them for over a year now.  I live in Southern California and talk radio sure has changed in the afternoon with the decline of the Lakers.  There is so much for a Laker fan to complain about.  The hiring of D’Antoni has been the worst choice of all and that bad decision has spread the karma out for years to come.  Management also failed big time with the contract to Nash and the big contract to Kobe.  Injuries also have hurt this year with Kobe, Nash, Blake and Gasol all out for significant times.  Now it seems that Kobe is considering taking the rest of the year off to rehab and rest.  What’s the point of him coming back this season anyway?  To try to move up on the all-time scoring list?

I predicted earlier that the Lakers have to move Gasol.  I still think they will.  Why would they keep him?  There has been no talk of trying to re-sign Gasol after this year, and he doesn’t fit into D’Antoni’s schemes.  The Lakers are obviously at a rock bottom and trading Gasol could help to start the bounce back.  They are focusing on keeping their cap space available, so they won’t be willing to take back longer, expensive contracts.  The big dream in LA is to get Kevin Love and it seems like the Lakers wants to have at least the cap space available when Love is a free agent.  Trading Gasol for draft picks will be hard because teams are holding tight for what is projected to be a great draft.

Going after Melo is also talked about in LA, but Kobe says he won’t recruit to get him.  What?  Kobe may have a lot of rings and points, but not too many players would want to put up with his drama these days.  Howard was convinced to come to Houston due to the rapport Parsons developed with him, and his awkward relationship with Kobe.  It’s going to be a long few years for the Lakers as Kobe finishes up his career, Nash fades away and they try to lure an elite player with only their history as an attractor.  This is the lowest the Lakers have been, maybe ever.

As the Lakers sink, the Rockets are rising.  The question is how high and how fast.  They definitely have potential for this year to be their year, if the stars align and the playoff seedings are favorable.  We could be looking at a deep run into the playoffs, the likes Houston hasn’t seen for years.  Houston could also stumble and lose in the first round regardless of seeding.  This year has been remarkably inconsistent for Houston, and though the Rockets have won 7 in a row, their roller coaster ride could reappear at any moment.

The Rockets schedule looks a lot tougher over the next month than it has been of late, so Houston needs to pick up wins at every opportunity.  They need to win this game.  The schedule will allow the Rockets some time with playoff basketball atmosphere.  As they continue to gel, they’ll have to work on including Asik and Smith in the rotation (if there isn’t a last minute trade), and keep working on their confidence and ability to win in crunch time against the elite teams.

Morey sure has been quite this year with a team that now sits at 4 in Stein’s Power Rankings.  I don’t blame him.  It’s always easier to shake up a team that doesn’t have much of a chance, since there’s a lot less to lose.  I don’t believe Morey thinks that this is a team that wins a championship.  It’s close, but he’s looking at the next two years as well.  This next month will tell a lot about the Rockets future. But, let’s take it a game at time, set the tone, and push the Lakers around on their home floor on Wednesday night.

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This run comes at the same time as a slow period in Houston’s schedule, which helps explain it. It also coincides with the return of Patrick Beverley and Ömer Aşık, two quality players. The bench is more productive, the underwhelming Franciso Garcia has been scaled back and Jeremy Lin has taken more of the offensive load. The stars are finally aligning in Houston, and the question is whether it’s a shift back to the mean or a temporary surge. Each game Houston wins lends credence to their sustainability, which is why each game, even in February, is of critical import.

The Wizards recently grabbed hold of their first winning record in four years, an accomplishment that’ s encouraging, depressing and kind of amazing all at once. For a Wizards team sitting at 25-25, there are two outcomes for their game against the Grizzlies on February 11. They either slide back down to a losing record or they climb once again to the Elysian fields of winning yet again. They could become one of only five teams in the East with a winning record, which isn’t very impressive on its own, but is a far cry better than the two winning records that conference sported until this calendar year. Will this team on a back-to-back be hungry to climb back to a season reset, or will they be looking to stay above water?

If the Rockets win, we have a good idea of what it will look like. Their defense has picked up somewhat, and while it has lapses, the return of Ömer Aşık allows them to focus much more on denying shots at the perimeter. The less the Rockets have to rely on individual defense, the more they can cover their weaknesses as a team. The Wizards are led by John Wall, one of the best point guards in the league, so they can’t be counted out. They’re liable to go on some runs and find purchase against some units.

Thankfully, with the bench slowly filling back out, head coach Kevin McHale has an entire salvo of Rockets to play mix and match with. If something goes south, there are more parts to slot in and shore the gaps. And with the low number of games Houston has been playing, fatigue has never been less of an issue. The Rockets can afford to leave the starters in for a few more minutes to grab this game.

The offense has been getting in rhythm, and it’s looked good even when players have off days. The goal, and something which happened in Milwaukee, is to have enough firepower that the Rockets can overwhelm even when some cylinders aren’t firing. James Harden has a lot of offensive load to shoulder, but having Chandler Parsons, Terrence Jones and Jeremy Lin around to pick some of that up means that he can have off games form time to time. Something will always go wrong; the good teams just have enough options that they can afford to lose a couple.

This brings up what it would look like if the Rockets lose. The short answer is that it would look terrible. If the Rockets become complacent and assume a win, they risk letting the Wizards sneak into the game and through the cracks in Houston’s defense (which are numerous, even with Houston at the 8th best defensive efficiency). This season has been the story of effort and experience being crucial, and the Rockets only have a little bit more now than they did before. If Wall, Nene, Bradley Beal and the rest of the Washington Wizards start to go off, the Rockets may find themselves down big early. Again.

Houston has shown that they’re liable to give up any lead or crawl back from any deficit. It’s party due to their fast-pace style of play and party due to their inconsistent mentality. Whatever the reason, it makes watching every Rockets game an adventure. The downside is that every game is a stressful experience, but at least no game is ever really boring.

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The big news for the Suns is the trade talk with the Lakers for Pau Gasol.  I predict this deal will happen.  Basically the Suns give up a first round pick to rent Gasol for the rest of the season (though they would hold the Bird rights on him).  The Suns could have 4 first round picks in the loaded 2014 draft, and they could spare one, or more.  This could give them huge momentum.  Imagine adding a playoff experienced, 7 foot veteran, who is averaging 17 and 10 to your team.

The only hitch seems to be Gasol’s health.  It’s reported that his groin injury is worse than first thought, and though the Lakers are pitching it as not serious, the Suns want to see how he recovers before pulling the trigger.  This Lakers are done, they sit in the bottom of the West and 11 games out of the 8th seed. A draft pick and some savings sounds smart.  Of course Kobe would be pissed, thinking he can still climb up the standings when he gets back, but they better start looking to their future.

Many stars are aligning for the Suns this year.  Rockets fans are well versed with the Suns’ leading scorer Goran Dragic.  He’s having a career year, his 5th in the league.  He leads the Suns with 20 a game while shooting over 50% from the field. His PER is an impressive 22.3, that’s higher than Howard or Harden.  He had 19 in a win over Houston in early December.  The Morris brothers are also having career years with Markieff hitting almost 13 a game, and former Rocket Marcus good for 10 a game.  Jeff Hornacek is having a great run as well.  He was Western Conference coach of the month in December and he’s only the third person to be named player and coach of the month (Bird and Drew are the other two).  He’s in the running for coach of the year.

The Rockets seem to gelling as of late, even though the injury bug continues to bite.  They are 7 and 3 in their last 10, with some big wins over the Spurs and Trailblazers, and a couple of tough losses to the Grizzlies.  They will play the Suns twice in the next 18 days.  The schedule looks pretty good to the Rockets, and a win at home could set up a nice run for the next three weeks.

Feigen’s story in the Chron about Asik doesn’t clear up any mysteries.  I find it highly suspect that after a two month absence he may be ready to go in 7 to 10 days.  This seems to be coincidentally coordinated with the Feb. 20th trading deadline.  Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like, but I’m not buying either party line on Asik about his “injury”.  Wouldn’t it be great if he got well in time to showcase a couple of games and find a buyer?

Speaking of the trade deadline, is there any interest in Garcia?  He’s due to return against the Suns. Now that Covington and Canaan were named to the D League all-star team, is there any chance they might help the Rockets land a player that could help their rotation?  With any luck the Rockets can continue to roll against the Suns, maybe make a move at the deadline and keep edging closer to the elite teams in the league.

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The question is whether Houston will hand them one of those wins. The Rockets are easily the better team, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from dropping games here and there. With some defensive effort, some ball movement and a lack of further injuries, the Rockets should walk out of this one easily. That’s the most likely scenario, make no mistake. That’s also been the case against teams like the Kings and the Sixers and the Jazz and the Lakers, and those teams account for five of Houston’s seventeen losses.

This isn’t to say that we should expect the Rockets to lose. That would be silly and inaccurate. No, the point is that we really just don’t know what to expect. This team has been a work in progress all year, and the amount of progress seems to vary wildly. Some days they win with defense, and other days they win by scorching the other team. Some days they give away double digit leads at the last minute and some days they mount giant comebacks late. If the Rockets learned how to consistently play at even 80% of their ability, they would have a much better record.

So once again, another meaningless January game becomes yet another measuring stick. With so many players in and out of the roster, it’s never clear what the rotation will look like or if they’ll be able to make sense together on court. The plus side of this is that players like Donatas Motiejunas have seen minutes and he’s starting to look like a salvageable player. The downside is that the Grizzlies slammed them into the ground like a roadwork team. Experience is a difference maker, and right now we have front row seats to the way you get experience: adversity.

So how can the Cavs make life hard for the Rockets? The short answer is that Kyrie Irving is easily one of the best point guards in the league, and he can go off at any moment like a supernova. He’s struggled this year, but Houston’s tenuous grasp on team defense might offer him the opportunity he needs to have a statement game. He can’t go one on five very often, but he’s shown that he can win games by himself once in a while.

The Cavs have more besides, of course, and with Anderson Varejao and Luol Deng on the court, there’s some veteran savvy and rebounding prowess out there, two things the Rockets have struggled with.  Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters are both young and improving and have shown flashes of skill. Anthony Bennett was a first overall draft pick, was invited to the Rising Stars Challenge and recently scored 13 points in a game. Alonzo Gee used to be on the Austin Toros full time and then managed to fight his way into being a starter on an NBA team, so that’s impressive. C.J. Miles, Jarrett Jack, and Earl Clark are also NBA players.

At a certain point, however, it’s less about who’s wearing the away uniform and more about who’s wearing the Rockets jerseys. In past years there seemed to be good and bad versions of the team who would show up randomly. This season, the identity crisis has only deepened, with a wide array of inexplicable gaps in their game and differing methods to lose or win. Will the defensive-minded team that can’t score show up, or will it be the putback dunk alley-oop specialists? With the wild swings lately, it feels impossible to predict. It’s frustrating and confusing at times, but it’s a step in a process. And, hey, at least most of those versions of the Rockets are better than the Cavs.

Tip off is at 7:00 pm Central time at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. For more Cavaliers coverage, check out Cavs: The Blog, ESPN’s Cleveland Cavaliers affiliate.

The post Cleveland Cavaliers @ Houston Rockets on 2/1/2014 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Form:

Rockets: WWLLW

The two losses against Memphis illustrated Houston’s fundamental weakness against teams that can shut off the paint against the drive.  They are left to the vagaries of their three point shooting, which isn’t going to reliably get them wins. On the flip side, they seem to have the Spurs’ number this year, so that’s something! Coming off a back-to-back playing an 8 man rotation means there will be some tired legs tonight. Especially since bad weather conditions have meant they didn’t arrive in Dallas until this morning.

Mavericks: LWLLW

The Mavs caught the worst of the Trailblazers’ wrath and ran into the hottest two teams in the Atlantic Division (!) in losses to Toronto and Brooklyn. But they still know how to put away bottom feeders with wins against Cleveland and Detroit. They haven’t played since Sunday, so there’s quite a big rest differential here.

Injuries:

Rockets: Harden (thumb), Garcia (knee), Smith (knee), Asik (knee), Brewer (calf)

Harden missed the Spurs game, but might be back tonight. If he doesn’t play, McHale may need to expand the 8-man rotation he used against San Antonio to counteract fatigue.

Mavericks: Mekel (knee)

With the return of Devin Harris, the Mavs don’t really lose much with Mekel out. Dalembert and Nowitzki are a bit banged up, but otherwise they’re basically at full strength.

On Offence:

• If Harden’s out, feed Howard. Howard will play more minutes than Dalembert so he should have some time matched up against Dejuan Blair or Brendan Wright. In that time he must feast!
• It’s inevitable that the Mavericks will go to a zone at some point tonight. To beat it, the Rockets need to amp up their ball movement. This is generally something that improves slightly when Harden isn’t playing – so it might work out OK.
• Playing short handed makes getting points out of the bench even more difficult. Last night the second unit got great production out of Jones when he was playing with the bench unit in the second quarter. The team either needs the same again from him, or some hot shooting from Casspi and Brooks in order to remain afloat against the Dallas bench mob.

On Defence:

• Dirk Nowitzki makes defending the pick-and-roll nigh-on impossible, as Zach Lowe expertly explains. It’ll be interesting to see if, as Lowe suggests, teams bring out a different defence against Dirk than they do against all the other teams in the league.
• Monta Ellis especially benefits from the extra attention defences give to Dirk and gets to the rim a lot – help defence is going to be critical to keep him out of the paint.
• If it comes down to crunch time and it’s close, the Mavericks are the most comfortable team in the league at sticking with what works. If they’ve found a reliable scoring option they’ll go to it over and over again and grind their opponent into submission. Last time around they figured out how to get Lin switched out onto Nowitzki, and carnage ensued.

 Rotation Spotlight:

Brandan Wright (6’10” PF, North Carolina)

It’s hard to believe this is Brandan Wright’s 7th NBA campaign (he was drafted 8th overall by the Bobcats in 2007) because it still feels like he has a lot of breakout potential. With his long arms and great athleticism, he is an excellent shot-blocker and his per-36 numbers always look good. Unfortunately, his lack of body mass makes it difficult for him to defend traditional fours and his lack of range means he doesn’t provide the benefits that a stretch four would, so he doesn’t quite fit in today’s NBA. Nevertheless, Carlisle has found a use for him in the rotation and plays him in the region of 10-20 minutes per night. Watch out for his weakside shot-blocking – it has caused problems for the Rockets in the past. Matching him up with Casspi should go some way to neutralising that effect as he is dragged out towards the three point line.

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So how are the Spurs doing it?  How do they win, again and again?  At this stage in the careers of Parker, Duncan, and Ginobilli, San Antonio may not have the superstars that their peers in Miami, OKC, and even Indiana possess – but while they do not have their strengths, San Antonio seems to be a team without any real weaknesses.  They are a top 5 offensive and defensive team.  They can shoot.  Tony Parker can break down defenses, Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw are effective post players, and Manu Ginobilli has delayed retirement a tad longer with a bounce back season.  Most important of all, San Antonio is one of the deepest teams in the league.  While injuries and slumping players have forced Kevin McHale to run 8 or 9 man rotations, legendary coach Gregg Popovich can play 9, 10, and sometimes even 11 players a night depending on the matchups, even with a key injury to their starting center in Tiago Splitter.

Houston has defeated San Antonio in both of their earlier meetings so far, and some people have gone so far as to proclaim that  those contests show that Houston would have a good chance against the Spurs in a playoff series.  Such statements are massive overreactions.  It should be pointed out that Houston outshot the Spurs from long range in both contests, even though the Spurs are one of very best shooting teams in the league and Houston is one of the worst.  And no team in the league has a greater difference between their regular season and playoff play.  It cannot be forgotten how Houston and Dwight Howard’s Lakers fought an intense battle on the final day of the 2012-13 regular season for the privilege of facing the Spurs in the first round – and the Lakers, after winning, used this “advantage” by getting pulverized for four straight games.

In order to win, Houston must run San Antonio off the three point line, and while San Antonio is famous for their preference to get back in transition over grabbing the offensive rebound, Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones must keep an eye on Duncan, Boris Diaw, and Jeff Ayres’s effort on the boards while also staying out of foul trouble.  San Antonio has bodies to spare.  The Rockets do not.

Rotation Spotlight:

Tim Duncan

It would not be a surprise if Duncan, at the age of 37, did not make the All-NBA team this year, which incidentally was the age at which Hakeem stopped making that prestigious list as well.  After an incredible season last year, Duncan has somewhat regressed.  Part of that is due to Popovich’s program of resting as he now plays less than 30 mpg, but Duncan’s ranged game is not working quite as often as it used to, and while Duncan is a dangerous finisher and offensive rebounder, he still has a career low PER of “merely” 21.5.  Duncan is without a doubt the greatest player of his generation, but it is San Antonio as a whole which should be feared, not him.

Tip-off is at 7:00 pm CST.  This game is on NBA TV tonight.

The post San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets on 1/27/2014 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Foul trouble – Dwight is leading the league in fouls, at 156 this season, and with Smith and Asik on the bench (remind me why he’s not playing again?) it’s imperative to keep Howard on the floor for as long as possible.  He only played 30 minutes last night.  When Howard goes out of the game and D Mo or Jones are tasked with holding down the middle, you can just feel the Rockets get itchy.  Sometimes they settle down and play great small ball, but lots of the time there is the feeling that the second team runs around like chickens with their heads cut off.  I’m hoping Lin’s presence with the second team will start to help again.

The paint – The Rockets need to score better against the tough defense of the Grizzlies.  Houston only scored 30 points in the paint last night, only got 7 offensive boards and were outrebounded 42 to 31.  This is another reason it’s critical to keep Howard in the game.  Gasol and Z Bo weigh a combined 530 pounds and can manhandle Jones and D Mo!  Gasol outweighs D Mo by almost 50 pounds.

Coaching – A lot has been said about McHale in the forums this year, and many people don’t feel like he has what it takes to coach a playoff winning team.  I feel like he’s still growing into the role, this is the most successful team he’s ever coached, and that the front office has been willing to give him time.  The second of a back to back will give us a chance to see what kind of wrinkles and game plan changes he can make in a comparative setting to the playoffs.  I see McHale as the Rockets coach at least through next year, but would like to see some changes, especially on set plays at the end of games, on defense, and getting the team to put together a consistent effort. There has been slight improvement in these categories as the team gels. The second half of this season will answer lots of questions.

Houston looks for payback on a rare home and away back to back against the Grizzlies.  Our starting guards shot a combined 3 for 22 and sunk a career night by Chandler Parsons.  He set an NBA record for 3’s in a half, right after Colangelo and Kryzewski slighted him for the pool of players for the world games.  Parsons also set a franchise record with 10 3’s in a game and in a row.  Stay mad Chandler Parsons.

It’s obvious why teams were going after Courtney Lee.  His veteran leadership and defense are valuable.  Since his trade to the Grizzlies, they are 6 and 2.  Lee stayed in front of Harden the whole game last night and it will be a challenge for Harden to go into Memphis and play against that smothering again tonight.  Now that Gasol is back, Memphis will be climbing up the Western standings, hopefully not on the backs of our Rockets.  I predict they will pass up Phoenix and Dallas before the season is out.

The Grizzlies are consistently able to hold the Rockets to few points.  While the Rockets average 105 a game, they were held to 87 last night and average only 93 a game against the Grizzlies this season.  The Grizzlies allow only 96 per game and that ranks 4th in the league.  Solving the lack of points for the Rockets will be the number one priority.  What will McHale come up with?

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With Marc Gasol back in at the center position, these Grizzlies are a much different animal than the one the Rockets beat twice. The inclusion of Courtney Lee as a three and d player also adds another wrinkle to an already difficult out. The Grizzlies have been gradually clawing their way back to the playoff picture, and they’d be happy to claw the Rockets a bit, too.

Of course, the Rockets are also in a better position. Chandler Parsons and Terrence Jones are exploding. Patrick Beverley is back from injury and defending like a maniac. For the first time since November, the Rockets are starting to come together and look like the team they hoped to be. Given, wins against teams like the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks don’t carry the same sort of cache that teams like the Portland Trail Blazers do, but every game counts, especially for a team finding itself.

As always, the watchword against the Grizzlies is defense. Gasol anchors a stingy squad, and Tony Allen remains one of the few players who can slow James Harden down. Harden vs Allen and Gasol vs Dwight Howard should be interesting matchups in a game that will serve as a preview for the same battle the following day. While not a hot matchup in a leaguewide sense, these two teams have a history and a desire to take each other down.

While the Rockets are fighting for playoff seeding, the Grizzlies are fighting for their playoff lives. A far sight from the 5th seed most expected them to rest at, Memphis began the year sluggishly. Still reeling from injuries to Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies need to prove that they can hang. The Rockets, as inconsistent as they are, need to prove they can dominate. It’s hard to dominate the same team, however, and Houston may learn that the hard way this weekend. With the same team as their opponent two nights in a row, it’s time for a newly-hot Rockets team to show that they can stay hot.

The post Memphis Grizzlies @ Houston Rockets on 1/24/2014 appeared first on Red94 | Houston Rockets news and musings.

Rockets: WWLWW

The only blip in a sea of Ws was the now infamous OKC collapse game. Of the four, only the win on Monday against Portland showcased the team really clicking.

Kings: LWLLW

Two of those losses were against Indiana and OKC, so it’s not as bad as it looks. It’s still not great though, especially considering that Rudy Gay is supposed to be elevating the level of this team. They just came off a game in New Orleans last night (where, to be fair, Gay played very well) and so are unlikely to be running at 100%.

Injuries:

Rockets:

Still no Asik (knee) or Smith (knee), and Jones is a game-time decision (that probably means ‘no’) with a thigh bruise. Garcia is also out with, you guessed it, a knee injury. There seems to be an epidemic at the moment.

Kings:

No players missing for the Kings, who like Portland on Monday have been largely unaffected by the league-wide injury bug. Our old friend Carl Landry has recently returned from a hip injury, giving the Kings another front court option to throw against the Rockets’ undermanned front line.

On Offence:

• In theory, the Rockets should be able to carve the Kings up with ease on this end of the court. Sacramento’s key weakness is that they are the worst team in the league at defending the three point line – teams shoot an average of 38.7% from behind the arc against them. It remains to be seen whether the Rockets will be able to get anywhere near the blistering shooting numbers they put up on Monday, but there should be plenty of open looks tonight.
• Isaiah Thomas is undersized at the point guard position and in theory Lin and Beverley should be able to exploit this to get into the paint at will. Jimmer Fredette’s lack of lateral quickness should allow similar amounts of penetration.
• Dwight Howard has not had huge success against the Kings this season. He has scored 15 and 13 in the two matchups while committing a combined 8 turnovers and shooting 10-24 from the line (41.7%). DeMarcus Cousins still doesn’t have a great defensive reputation, but similar to Harden tends to be more focused for one-on-one matchups like Dwight and has made it difficult for him in the past.

On Defence:

• Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins might be the ones getting paid the big bucks, but Isaiah Thomas is the player on this team you have to be afraid of. He uses his speed to get wherever he wants on the court and can wreak havoc on the shape of opposing defences pretty much at will. In the last meeting he gave Lin fits and set the table for the win. Beverley may fare a little better but to be honest I think Thomas is probably still too quick for him as well.
• It is essential that Motiejunas stays out of foul trouble tonight. The lack of frontcourt options means that if he is forced to sit with silly fouls McHale may have to turn playing Omri Casspi at centre. One area where Sacramento has the edge over Portland is that their backup bigs are better. I would back Carl Landry and Derrick Williams to do a better job of taking advantage of a match-up like that than Thomas Robinson or Meyers Leonard, so I don’t think the Rockets will be able to get away with it twice in a row.
• Howard has been struggling with a touch of Samuel Dalembert syndrome recently, by which I mean that he has been giving up offensive rebounds and tip-ins because he tries for weakside blocks he has no chance of getting. Sacramento are a decent offensive rebounding team (11th in the league), and because they run with two traditional bigs most of the time they’ve got the personnel to make him pay for it. Hopefully he can keep his discipline tonight.

Rotation Spotlight:

Jason Thompson (6’11” PF, Rider)

Jason Thompson has been a solid performer for the Kings for years, fighting off all comers to keep his starting spot. His secret is that he is an above average pick-and-roll defender (38th in the league according to mySynergySports), an invaluable skill for an otherwise defensively inept team. He’s also a surprisingly effective post-up player on the occasions he is featured on the block (0.9 PPP is 39th in the league).

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