SB Nation - Trevor Ariza

Game 27 Recap: Without help from charity stripe, Rockets eek out 95-90 victory over pesky Thunder; Budinger to have MRI tomorrow

Tom Martin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:46:39 -0000

This is entitled: "Taking Advantage of Opportunities to Post Pictures That Aren't Relevant... Just Badass." (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

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As comfortable as the Rockets' third-quarter lead felt, you knew, just by looking at the players themselves, that it wasn't going to last. Someone needed to step up on offense, and fast.

However, you never would have thought that 29 year-old rookie David Andersen, who was 1-8 from the field at the time, would be that guy.

Big Dave has looked as if he's been on the brink of something all year. He'll put together a few good games, and then disappear for a while. Nobody is asking him to score ten points every night off the bench, as he is only playing an average of thirteen minutes per game. But it's nice to have such a versatile player whom you can rely on late in games, just as much as you can rely on anyone else. Andersen has slowly gained the trust of Coach Adelman and his teammates, because while he may not be automatic (and really, nobody is automatic anyway), you know that he is capable of scoring when called upon.

While Andersen may have played well late, as did Chuck Hayes, who decided to drop 13/15 out of his back pocket, it was Trevor Ariza who got the Rockets their third-quarter lead to begin with. Ariza has been hot and cold all season long, so it was quite convenient that tonight turned out to be one of his better performances. Ideally, we would all like for Trevor to employ the same shot selection that he used tonight against every team, but that will take time. Personally, I recommed watching Rafer Alston tape for a good hour or two, as an example of what not to do with your jump shot.

By the way, Trevor, could you do us all a favor and make a god damn free throw? Thanks.

As for the Thunder, Kevin Durant looked like he'd been drugged, and not because his shot was off. For only the fourth time in his career, Durant did not attempt a single free throw. Half of that can be credited to Shane Battier, who has always done a good job of keeping opponents out of the paint. The other half, however, is beyond my knowledge. Perhaps Durant came down with something prior to the game, because he's not the same perimeter-hugger that he used to be; he guns for the paint whenever possible.

Any doubts that anyone had about Russell Westbrook's poor shot selection were dashed tonight, as the former UCLA Bruin decided that long, pull-up two-pointers were the best way to utilize his freakish athletic ability. However, any doubts that anyone still has about former first-round pick Serge Ibaka should be dying off soon. This kid is absolutely electric - give him two years and he'll be a solid sixth man. He's got great intuition and is fearless around the basket. I kept confusing him for Durant when he was up in the air going for rebounds.

I've always considered the Thunder to be a team that has the ability to out-hustle anyone, but the Rockets sure gunned for the offensive rebounds tonight. We needed all of the second-chance points that we could get, since nothing that Aaron Brooks was throwing up from the outside was going in. I'd say that last possession of ours was indicative of our entire performance; we were always a step ahead of the Thunder.

Tracy McGrady still looks... meh. However, if he makes that layup attempt to end the first half, on a strong drive to the hoop at that, then maybe I feel more comfortable with his play. Sadly, a bad roll off of the rim can determine my written thoughts on how someone plays. I must be cut out to be a sportswriter.

We'll keep you updated on Chase Budinger and his ankle injury. Matt Bullard doesn't think that the Albino Shadow will be out for long. On that note, next time we want good basketball advice, we'll ask my old pediatritian.

Good win tonight for the Rockets, especially without Landry. We're certainly handling these back-to-backs well, as we are now 6-1 on the back end of them.

Boxscore

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Recap: In Victory, Our Fears Realized

Only_A_Lad — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:21:31 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

1 day ago: Houston Rockets' David Andersen, left, and Dallas Mavericks forward Drew Gooden, right, are shown as Rockets forward Carl Landry (14) holds his mouth after being injured on a play in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, in Dallas. Landry did not return to play in the Rockets' 116-108 victory. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Carl Landry's been through a lot as an NBA player. A knee injury sidelined him for much of his rookie year, Deke knocked out one of his teeth in practice, its replacement was knocked out by Carlos Boozer in the playoffs, a few routine injuries kept him out of games in 2009, and he got shot one night. And, tonight, he broke five teeth in a collision with Dirk Nowitzki (which was totally a charge, btw, but I digress), leaving pieces of two of those teeth in Dirk. Let no one ever say that Landry didn't give as good as he got.

But prior to this game, Dave noted that the Rockets' main risk right now is injury. How will they handle an injury to the frontcourt (or, for that matter, to one of the point guards)? Chuck, Scola, and Landry are such vital parts of the Rockets' strategy that an even moderately lengthy injury to any one of them could spell a bad slide for Houston. Well, now we get to find out in miniature, as it is unlikely that Carl will return tonight to play against Oklahoma City.

The game was obviously a very physical one. Both teams fought hard for rebounds and position, but the key difference is that - just like the Cavaliers not long ago, and just like Trevor two games back - the Mavs lost their shit down the stretch. Jason Kidd threw an elbow at David Andersen's head, Erick Dampier seemed personally offended by the Rockets' efforts to guard him, and Rick Carlisle was very vocal in his opposition to several calls. Altogether, 7 technical fouls and one flagrant foul were assessed in the game, all but a single technical (Andersen, for taking exception to Kidd's attempt to assault him) and the flagrant (on AB for reasons I can't fathom) went against the Mavericks' players and coach.

As the fourth quarter progressed, it seemed likely that the Rockets would win simply because the Mavericks failed to keep their cool. But Dallas rallied, and in a testament to the value of working on things other than defense, conditioning, or a post game, Tim Thomas hit the game-tying three to send the game to overtime. But the Rockets came out strong, kept their composure, and executed their offense in OT, pulling out the win on the strength of Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks.

Now, there isn't really much else to the game beyond that. As I noted in the gamethread, the two teams' stats are weirdly similar: they made the same number of free throws, shot and made the same number of threes, committed the same number of personal fouls, and shot the same number of field goals. Dallas outrebounded the Rockets, but the game ultimately came down to the Rockets' superior efforts on offense. This was a game that was very winnable by either team, and had a few more calls gone against Houston, or had a few Rockets shots rimmed out and some similar shots by Dallas gone in, we'd be the ones feeling jobbed.

Dallas played excellent defense for much of the game, and supreme efforts by JJ Barea and Shawn Marion kept the Mavs in it until the very end. But the Rockets' bench - particularly Kyle Lowry and David Andersen - was fantastic. To put it simply, the Rockets' bench's "better" really was better than the Mavs' bench's "best" (that wasn't really that simple).

Mavs fans will no doubt complain about a variety of calls at the end. First, as I've stated previously, the Rockets weren't getting calls for most of the game, either. And at the start of the fourth, the Rockets got into the penalty quickly off of a series of questionable loose-ball foul calls. Now, unless you want to make the claim that calls at the end of the game are more important than calls at the start (in which case you need to reexamine your understanding of how reality works), this game was called no worse for the Mavericks than for the Rockets. Cuban has a variety of specific complaints about the review process and whether or not more time should have been on the clock at the end of regulation, but my advice to him is to get the stick out of his ass and get over himself.

Three Up:

Kyle Lowry: Monster game for the Bulldog (on the same night Villanova won the FCS Championship Game, too!). 26 points on 13 shots, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals. What more can be said?

Aaron Brooks: 25 points on 20 shots, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Wasn't so great in regulation, turning the ball over in the Rockets' final possession, but AB turned it on in OT. Beyond raw statistical numbers, he (and Lowry, for that matter) penetrated into the paint and broke down the Mavs' defense for much of the game. They're both invaluable contributors to the team.

David Andersen: I'm not entirely sure how to categorize his performance. His basic numbers don't look too great, and he didn't shoot so well towards the end, but he was finding open looks and was destroying his man in the post. And he was +21 on the night. +/- numbers don't mean much on a night-to-night basis, but they mean something. In any case, I think his defense is looking a lot better, and he's getting the hang of the NBA.

Honorable Mention - Trevor Ariza: a very quiet 13 point / 8 rebound effort from Trevor, but he only took one three tonight, and seems to be better able to get into the lane now. He's developing, people! Oh, and Shane Battier deserves mention for playing schoolmarm on the Rockets bench during the Kidd/Andersen/Thomas/Scola scuffle, making sure nobody stood up.

Three Down:

Jason Kidd: Dude, seriously. If he doesn't get a suspension, I'm going to be pissed.

The Officiating: What the hell were they looking for in that review, anyways?

FSN Cameraman: In high-tension situations at the end of the game, I don't particularly care about reaction shots from Jermain Taylor.

Game Recap: Extended Burn from Rockets Downs Dallas 116-108

zdgmans — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:35:36 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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The 14-11 Rockets blast into the American Airlines Center hoping to steal some of the Mavericks Thunder in the Southwest division. The Mavericks look to push their winning streak to six games and continue rolling along in the West.

Did forces conspire against the Mavericks to keep them down?

Game as a Whole:

This rivalry has gotten a lot more intense in the last couple of season. Could it be that the Rockets could be poised to overtake the Spurs as the rivalry match that every Dallas fan looks forward to with bitter hatred in their hearts? Even with a Maverick loss this was a very entertaining, albeit a bit frustrating, basketball game to watch (both teams clearly came to play).

The Mavericks jumped out to a hot start and looked like they were firing on all cylinders in the first quarter (looked like we were on our way to a severe routing). The Rockets proceeded to push back, and to complicate matters the Mavericks lost Dirk on a layup in traffic that led to a “deep laceration” of the golden elbow.

The Rockets continued their dominance in the 3^rd quarter and this is normally where Maverick fan would begin to cringe a bit thinking that the Dallas 5 game win streak would be coming to a horrible end. That was the Mavericks of old; the new Mavericks have been staking their claim as closers with the 4^th quarter of tonight’s game being a prime example.

The end of the 4^th quarter was a joy to watch for the Mavericks as a whole. Overcoming a ten point lead to tie the game on the back of a strong defensive showing is something that only veteran teams can do consistently, it’s unfortunate it had to end in an overtime collapse.

Let’s look at the quarters...

1st Quarter:

4th time in less than two months that both the Rockets and Mavericks have met.
JJ Barea gets the start again. I think Roddy is officially in the dog house unless Barea royally messes up.
Trying to get Marion going early but he blows the layup. Great idea to get Marion active inside at the start of the game.
10:52, Barea snakes right to the baseline and hits a smooth layup after getting around the help defender.
10:11, Coming off a screen, Barea takes and makes a three-pointer. He is definitely looking for his shot early. Pokes the ball away on the next Rockets possession, which leads to a shot clock violation.
Erick Dampier should really be dominating Chuck Hayes as he gives up six inches in height. Mavericks need to start throwing it inside.
8:31, Mavericks ugly turnover as Erick Dampier tries to thread the needle to Marion under the basket. No way Dampier should ever be making that pass.
7:57, Dirk with the up and under. He doesn't use that as often as he should.
7:26, Barea gives Dampier a pass, which I swear the old Dampier would have fumbled. Super Dampier actually catches the pass and hits a reverse. I don't know what alternate reality I am in but I like it.
6:56, The Mavs are playing stifling defense, causing a second Rockets shot clock violation.
5:56, Barea makes a left-handed circus shot that hits high off the glass. He gets an "and 1" for his troubles. Everyone is looking really aggressive tonight.
5:24, Marion is back in the paint for a two point basket. Barea gets beat by Brookes :(
4:24, Dirk takes it to the rim for a dunk in traffic. He rarely dunks after blowing by his man. A sign of confidence?
Marion seems to have a bit of trouble getting his rebound and putting it back in the basket. You have to applaud the hustle but they don't have a column for that on the stats sheet.
3:26, Gooden comes in and grabs an offensive board. Gets fouled on the put back attempt. He nails both free-throws.
Marion and Gooden are both in the paint gathering offensive rebounds and looking to score. 16 points in the paint this quarter. We keep putting up this many points in the paint and we will grab our sixth win in a row.
Gooden has gotten a ton of offensive rebounds this quarter.
:47, Josh Howard hits a trailing jump shot on the fast break from Kidd.
If we were making all these put backs we would be up be 100 points (hyperbole).

2nd Quarter:

Aggression getting the best of the Mavericks? Offensive foul for Barea, play before that he loses the ball.
10:29, transition three from Josh Howard. Jump shot looks great, think the ankle is fine.
9:28, Dirk drives and gets fouled by Carl Landry. Huge cut on his elbow, doesn't look like it feels too good. Dirk hits 1 out of 2 left handed, because he’s good like that. Goes back to the locker room.
Humphries, time to step up man.
8:09, Josh Howard misses an 18 footer and does his best Shane Battier impression against Shane Battier (draws charge). No, a black hole did not open up.
7:20, Gooden gets called for an offensive play. Refs have decided that they want to call the game extremely tight now.
6:33, Barea shows why you hustle for every ball. Decides to let a ball go out which he could have easily grabbed. Possession went to Houston.
Dirk has to get stitches after the collision.
Houston has scored seven straight to take the lead 37-30. Howard counters back with a 2 point layup. Where did the Mavericks from the 1st quarter go?
Need Dirk back. Kidd steal with 3:48, nothing comes of it.
3:12, Barea takes it into the paint and has to throw up a wild shot. Dampier offensive rebound and draws a foul. 1 of 2 free-throws made.
2:24, Dampier goes back to the line. He should start going strong to the basket and dunking it.
There is no one who is even close to his size on the Rockets. Hits 1 of 2 again.
0 for 5 Jason Terry. Is there a lid on the basket for him?
The Rockets are helping the Mavericks out so much but they are still completely failing to score anything in the last three minutes.
Side note, the "Ketchup and Mustard" uniforms for the Rockets are horrible. Who thought that was a good idea? Unless they wanted to blind the Mavericks with ugly…
:51, Jason Terry is a shooter and hits a timely three. Jason Terry rushes a three in the attempt to go 2 for 1.
:2, Marion dunk off a nice assist from Barea to end the half.

3rd Quarter:

11:41, Brooks continues the hot start. Can someone please step up and stop this guy?
10:03, Two Barea back-to-back baskets are what is keeping us in the game right now. Dirk will not be returning. Can I dub Barea mini-Dirk?
8:51, only down four, thanks to a Shawn Marion two point shot. The Matrix is having a great game tonight.
8:02, Barea draws the Mavericks within 1. The Mavericks are starting to get back into a groove.
6:18, Practically two minutes without a basket? What the heck is going on here?
4:54, Trevor Ariza starts his highlight reel for tonight. Going on a bit of a scoring tear.
3:44, Drew Gooden two point shot keeping it close. Shawn Marion filling the stat sheet with an assist on the play.
:02, Tim Thomas cuts off a Rockets surge with a three pointer to end the quarter. Not much good happened in this quarter.

4th Quarter:

7:37, Clear path foul on Terry. This is clearly a blown call as you watch the reply JET is step for step with his man. This may be a game changer.
6:53, Kidd gets a tech for fighting? This is just pure comedy, seems that Tim Thomas was the instigator as he comes in and throws the first push.
4:35, the refs are taking over the game. Now Dampier gets a technical foul.
87-95, it’s looking all down hill for the Mavericks. Brooks is currently picking the Mavs apart.
2:43, Kidd taking (and making) a long two. Not the type of shot you want to be taking right now. Low percentage.
1:53, Kidd grabs his 10^th board and gets fouled. We are coming back thanks to the free-throw line.
1:05, Shawn Marion stops a Rockets fast break, starts a Mavericks fast break, and then he is rewarded with a layup. That could go down as a top play of the year.
:19.1, Kidd fouls but Brooks misses his first free-throw. Who do you go to now for the three pointer to tie? Jason Terry is having an off night.
:10.5, Tim Thomas with the clutch three to knot the game at 100 all. It really was a great shot fake.
Shawn Marion deserves the game ball tonight. He has done it all. Time looks like it is going back on the clock. Who would you give the ball to with Dirk out?
Scratch that, refs don’t put any more time back on the clock, :04 left in the quarter. Matrix can’t put it in for the win.

Overtime:

4:08, Jason Kidd with a bank shot. I cannot believe this.
3:53, Josh Howard hurts the team by getting a technical foul after a made basket. Luckily the Rockets miss the free throw.
3:31, Scola tried to flop on Dampier but the refs don’t buy it. Easy score for Dampier, I’ll take it.
3:00, Jason Terry takes an ill-advised three. Bad choice, everything should be going to the paint.
Brooks has been destroying us all night, only fitting he continues to kill us in overtime.
Flagrant foul on Brooks gives us an extra shot plus 2 free throws.
Eric Dampier also gets a technical and is ejected (means the opposing coach gets to choose the free throw shooter). We get Kris Humphries at the line, makes 1 of 2.
Jason Terry, takes another poor three to kill the Mavericks chances.
Rick Carlisle gives the Rockets a nightcap by getting ejected on his second technical.
Mavericks lose 116-108

Some Choice Statistics:

Mavericks longest winning streak is 17 games (06-07). Golden State Warriors ended the streak.
Dirk, on the quest for 20,000, currently sits at 19,784 points scored. Don’t think he will be catching Kareem by the end of his career.
5 plays were reviewed by referees in tonight’s game. That has got to be a record.

Closing Thoughts:

Overtime losses hurt the most.No matter what anyone would like to believe, this games outcome, while tempered by refs, was not absolutely determined by the “zebras”. The Mavericks had their chances in overtime but they, suffered from an uncharacteristic loss of composure, perhaps due to the loss

Engaging The Enemy: The Houston Rockets

Phillip Baggett — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:28:33 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

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Well folks it is game night again, and I have had about all I can stand, for this week anyhow, of trying to design a new template for my usual game previews. So what I thought we would do as a simple diversion from the norm, was get with tonight's opponent for a little Q&A.

I reached out to Lee Grammier over at The Dreamshake and he so graciously accepted the invite. Since I am a refugee in Houston from Arlington, Texas I have the privilege of listening to all the Dallas smack talk. Generally speaking people from Houston despise everything in or from Dallas. When ever a Dallas team plays a Houston team it is a big deal around here.

Another blowout of the Rockets tonight would be awesome. Make sure you stop over and pay a visit to those guys, they will be posting my answers to their questions.

So without further delay here are my questions to The Dreamshake, and what they had to say.

Rockets vs Mavericks preview Rockets vs Mavericks coverage

Before the season began, many would have said that this year would be a disaster for the Rockets. So far however, it has been anything but disastrous. Playing without a "superstar" the Rockets have been very cable of holding their own. What do you believe this teams realistic goals are for this season?

I legitimately thought this team would be a few games over .500. Considering they have played the hardest schedule in the league to date and are 3 games over with 2 games they should have won in those losses, I'm very pleased where they are. Christian wrote a good piece about this today: 25 games into the season. The realistic goals for this team are pretty similar to my few games over .500 scenario: A 5-8 seed in the playoffs, and depending on the match-up a potential upset in the first round but likely no chance to get out of the second.

The Mavericks and Rockets play two completely different styles, the Mavs have always been more of a finesse team relying largely on the jump shot skills of Dirk, and Terry. While the Rockets are a much more physical team that plays with a lot of ball movement and unselfishness. There have always been match up issues for both teams, what are some of the more concerning match up problems for this years Rockets when facing the Mavs?

Jason Terry. I'm almost tempted to just leave it at that, but that wouldn't be fair. Terry absolutely torches the Rockets and it's getting to be personal. Dirk is Dirk and there isn't any team in the league that matches up with him. The rest of it? I really don't know. I wish I did, so I could send a note to Rick Adelman so that the Rockets could fix it. Some of it is that the Mavs are more talented at the upper level and when they are one of the few teams in the league willing to match the Rockets intensity level.

In the first two games of the season series, we have seen both teams at different points of the game shoot unbelievably well. Typically one would say that the defensive effort dropped allowing the other team to get clean looks at the basket. In this case though, on many occasions it has been an individual player just getting extremely hot, and most of the time for the Mavericks it has been Jason Terry a.k.a. "The Rocket Killer". Is there anything the Rockets can do to stop this from happening on Friday?

Terry is a defensive match-up nightmare for the Rockets. There has been no one on the team that can really guard him, and that's saying something because Shane Battier can guard just about anyone. The Rockets theory is to make Terry take the ball out of Dirk and Kidd's hands. Frankly I think it is a terrible idea because Terry has proven it as such. Ideally Trevor Ariza guards him and that makes a difference. He has the lateral and overall quickness to keep up with Terry but we'll see if he has the dedication.

On Tuesday Tracy McGrady made his official return from micro fracture surgery against the Pistons, playing 8 minutes. He then played another 8 minutes on Wednesday against the Nuggets. What is the feeling amongst Rocket fans about T-Mac's return? And will the Rockets try to move McGrady before the deadline? Or are they content to just let him walk after the season?

Among "Rockets fans" those that typically just know the superstars I think people are excited he's back overall. Amongst the diehards I think it is split pretty much down the middle. Everyone wants to see him play though, no matter if you are on the "trade him" or "keep him" bandwagon. Otherwise what's the point? Just cut him or put him on injured list. Might as well see if he can 1. Help the team on the court or 2. Help the team via trade and the only way to do that is for him to play. If there is a good trade he'll get traded, if there isn't, he'll be gone after the season. Daryl Morey will not trade him just to do it.

Looking forward to next season when the Rockets are back at full strength, will this team have to change the way it plays with the return of Yao Ming? Or will this team be in a much better position to utilize his skills?

Sure they'll change it a bit, but Yao runs better than anyone will ever give him credit for. His defense is underrated in every way, just look at the Rockets with him and without him. Now maybe everyone will shut up about it and stop proving how little they know about basketball. Yao's presence in the middle is intimidating and he controls the paint. What's kind of funny is that people try and challenge him because of that idiotic idea of him not being great defensively and it plays right into the Rockets hands.

Mavericks Vs Thunder Highlights

Rockets Vs Nuggets Highlights

Larry Brown's Young Players in the 2000s

David Arnott — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:28:19 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Rookies! You're getting this many minutes, so show me what you've got!

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Let's take a look at the rookies and second year players Larry Brown has coached this decade. I'll list the teams, the players, and their minutes per game. Guys who went on to reasonably decent role player NBA careers or better are italicized.

This ignores Games Played, and obviously, some guys were blocked by legit starters, but... well... draw your own conclusions. All numbers are from the invaluable Basketball-Reference.com.

===

99-00 76ers -- Ira Bowman (1.8), Larry Hughes (20.4), Jumaine Jones (4.2), Todd MacCulloch (9.4), Nazr Mohammed (6.8)

00-01 76ers -- Raja Bell (6.0), Rodney Buford (12.2), Jumaine Jones (13.3), Todd MacCulloch (9.5), Pepe Sanchez (4.8)

01-02 76ers -- Raja Bell (12.0), Damone Brown (3.9), Speedy Claxton (22.8), Samuel Dalembert (5.2), Alvin Jones (5.5), Jabari Smith (10.0)

02-03 76ers -- Efthimi Rentzias (4.1), John Salmons (7.9), Kenny Satterfield (4.8)

03-04 Pistons -- Darko Milicic (4.7), Mehmet Okur (22.3), Tayshaun Prince (32.9)

04-05 Pistons -- Carlos Delfino (15.3), Ronald Dupree (10.0), Horace Jenkins (6.9), Darko Milicic (6.9), Smush Parker (10.0)

05-06 Knicks -- Trevor Ariza (19.7), Jackie Butler (13.5), Channing Frye (24.2), David Lee (16.9), Nate Robinson (21.4), Ime Udoka (14.3)

===

The first major caveat of a backwards-looking glance like this is that we don't know if Brown's methods helped or hurt anyone. Maybe John Salmons really did need to be eased into the rotation at just under 8 minutes per game, and that was the stepping stone experience he needed. Maybe Efthimi Rentzias was railroaded by Brown's total shutdown, and he's selling insurance in Greece because no one else would give him a chance after that.

So, should we be worried by the fact that not a single star has emerged from Larry Brown's influence, with the exception, perhaps, of Tayshaun Prince?

What I see from this list is that Brown will play the guys he thinks are going to help him immediately, and if a guy can't, he'll sit until he's older. That kills the guys whose ceilings are "decent starter". Todd MacCulloch was no great shakes, but he started at center for back to back NBA Finals teams. Samuel Dalembert won't blow you away with his game, but the year after Brown left, he missed the entire season on the injured list, then the next year began starting and has started at center in Philly ever since.

I get the distinct sense it's a very college-hoops-oriented approach: freshmen and sophomores have a higher bar to clear to prove they should play over juniors and seniors. Of course, in the NBA, young players are paid far below their free market value (as are superstars), so it behooves teams to get production from young players while they're cheap instead of sitting them until they reach their qualifying offer years, when their salaries will come more in line with their potential production.

25 games into the season...

Xiane — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:20:15 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Houston Rockets center "Mad Dave" Andersen of Australia, prepares to hammer Denver Nuggets guard Anthony Carter into the hardwood like the annoying garden gnome he is. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski). This proves Morey is an uber genius.

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We're now 25 games into the 2009-2010 season. The Rockets are 14-11, after playing one of the more difficult, and possibly ludicrous, schedules in the NBA.

We've seen a bit more than 30% of the season completed, and I'd say we're past the "jump to conclusions" portion of the schedule. We're starting to accumulate stats, and form rational impressions, but 70% of the year remains. I think that is an interesting point.

I'm planning on a 1/2 mark capsule on each player, but I'm interested in general impressions you might have of the Rockets season thus far.

Early on I had suggested a series where I gave a perspective based on going to most of the home games. Unfortunately, we've only played 10 games at home, compared to 15 on the road. Only Toronto and NJ have played more road games thus far (one more each). I think this suggests good things to come as the schedule evens out for the Rockets.

I'll look at some broad themes we discussed in the off-season and give my opinion on them after seeing 25 contests.

The Rockets are Too Small.

So far, I'd say not. Its rare that Houston is flat out-rebounded, and we've rarely been exploited by big interior players. We've seen a couple of the best candidates for the role, and they've done ok, but not spectacularly (poor Greg Oden gets another "Incomplete").

Being small and quick has brought other advantages. We're a league leader in fast break points. We're getting a lot of steals, and forcing turnovers. Sadly, though, there's a Yao-sized hole in our vaunted D. For a detailed breakdown on this subject see Kevin Pelton on Basketball Prospectus: The Long and Short of It.

Grungedave has suggested that it's all fine now, but Houston's high-effort lineup will wear down into the spring. It remains to be seen, but I'm inclined to disagree. I think the Houston rotation is deep enough that no one is getting exhausted by their minutes at high effort. Also, the schedule is going to get easier, which might well hide any mild decline in intensity.

The Rockets Lack Talent

I think this canard has been dispatched. The Rockets lack star power, and a certain extreme level of talent and performance that only certain (rare) stars bring, but I'd say Houston has revealed more talent than nearly anyone expected.

The Rockets Offense Will Suffer From Higher Usage aka The Usage Experiment

This is has been covered here before, and was initiated once again by the indispensable Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus. Basically the question for Houston is will its players' effectiveness on offense suffer from more usage, ie shot attempts, than they have previously consumed in past seasons. Read the article here. So far, the answer is generally "no" with the exception being Trevor Ariza, who has seen his usage rise dramatically, and his effectiveness drop about as steeply. This is mainly due to his recently disastrous three-point shooting.

Is Trevor Ariza going to be a star with a complete game?

So far, so "meh". Ariza has been asked to shoot more, and God bless him, he's certainly going at it with gusto. Unfortunately shooting more has mainly translated into "missing more". Ariza is consuming a lot of shots, and he's not making a meal of them, except on rare occasion. It's getting to the point where its possible to wonder if Ariza's going 1-9 or whatever, from 3pt range, isn't outweighing his defensive contribution.

Do we ask him to take the pedal off the metal? Do we give Budinger more minutes? At this point I'd say neither, because I've seen encouraging signs recently. Ariza has actually, to my eyes, improved in areas where improvement is surprising. For instance, his handle going to the basket is more assured, he's given up trying to kiss the ball of the board in close and is just slamming it home more. He's actually starting to fool defenders sometimes. This are good things, and they hold promise for the future (and the future remains very bright overall with Ariza, I think).

On the other hand... The Alston/Ariza stat lines can be painfully similar as Grungedave points out, and the good nights sometimes seem like Rafer's good nights - a cruel way to lure us into thinking he's turned a corner, only to break our hearts with another crap-fest. His 3pt shot can be breaktaking when its going, but it seems to require a pretty big wind-up, and he rushes it if anyone is even nearby. This results, overwhelmingly, in misses. Also, Trevor is becoming less of a black hole on offense, his passing is lacking. He misses guys for easy scores routinely, and can't really dish on the move. Is this fixable? I'm not so sanguine on this point.

And on a third hand... Trevor remains one of the best defenders in the league on tall, quick wings. He brings a different and welcome set of skills from Battier on D.

I honestly think there's time for Ariza to level off his shot attempts and pull it all together. Despite some alarming results I think the long-term outlook for Trevor Ariza - Mostly Complete Player - remains strong.

The Rockets Will Have The Worst Record in the NBA.

Sir Charles, with all due respect, stick to racing 70+ year olds. You're better at it.

Tracy McGrady Will Never Suit Up for Houston Again.

Yes, he will.

Tracy McGrady Will Never Be Good Again.

This remains to be seen. 15 minutes after months off and microfracture surgery IS too small a sample to say anything other than "He looks rusty"

There's more, but I'd like to know how you see the Rockets at this point. Coming soon - questions raised by the season itself.

Poll

The Rockets are:

Recap - Nuggets 111 - Rockets 101. Back-to-Back to Denver? Only one of the top two worst percentage match-ups for the road team in the NBA.

Xiane — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:36:19 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman just can't believe the BS tonight. But then again, he's used to getting jobbed, isn't he?

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If your question was:

"What would happen if you sent the Rockets to Denver on the 2^nd night of a back-to-back , let the Nuggets do pretty much whatever they wanted on D, called the Rockets for all the ticky-tack crap you could think of, including six, S-I-X, travels, bought into every single Melo Whine-for-a-Whistle(tm), and literally wrenched the game out of the players’ hands in the early 4^th quarter?"

Well, now you have your answer. Nuggets 111 – Rockets 101.

Sure, sure, serious writers don’t ever complain about the refs, because after all, we know nothing could ever, ever, go wrong with them. Or, really, because their actions can pretty much invalidate any thoughtful analysis of a contest. You take every game as a fair test, and hope all of the BS evens out over a season.

That does nothing to address the granularity of individual games, however. Games where one team (the Rockets) gets called for SIX travels, and the other team for two, both on Nene, who eschews dribbling if at all possible. This was a game where Carmelo Anthony shot 20 FTs, or as much as the whole Rockets team shot, despite the Rockets attacking the basket as much if not more, than Denver.

Or how about this? With the game still a contest, Houston is called for 6 fouls, including a technical from 11:04 in the 4^th, to 8:25 in the 4^th. That’s right, in the space of 2 ½ minutes the Rockets are whistled six times, or once every 25 seconds. And it only got worse.

You just have to write this one off, I suppose. But while Denver is a good team, they aren’t a better team. And as I’m on the subject of the Nuggets, I’d like to point out just how preposterous I find their whole act.

First off, they’ve got to be the most inked-up team in the NBA, and they accompany that unmistakable sign of store-bought badassery with a "tough guy" attitude. They embrace their "Thuggets" nickname. But it won’t wash. Because they are also a team that cries and flops on par with the Jazz. That’s a disconnect.

These supposed tough guys, with their "hard nosed" attitudes are, in fact, cosseted millionaires who rely on piteous whines to the NBA equivalent of minimum wage employees to help them succeed at their jobs. It just doesn’t wash. Tough guys are, well, tough, not whiny. They don’t complain about every little thing, and they certainly don’t fall down when no one touches them. In fact they try not fall down at all.

All that hard background, all that street credibility, all that boring, trite, ink, and it all boils down to falling down on purpose and hoping the hall monitor bails you out.

So, what was good tonight?

Aaron Brooks is becoming a reliable threat for about 23pts and 7 assists, and he’d have more if the Nuggets weren’t allowed to clothesline him with impunity.

David Andersen has found NBA 3pt range, and he’s generally just standing there, by himself, waiting to scorch the net. 17pts on 6 for 8 shooting. If he didn't get called like a gawky 19 year old, when he's not one, we could see more of him.

What was bad?

Trevor Ariza – stop shooting so many 3s! Please! The Rafer comparison is becoming sort of scary. I hate saying it. But Trevor went 6 for 10 on his non-three shots.

The Refs vendetta against Carl Landry. What the hell WAS that?

I really can’t say more about this one. Sorry. Too bitter.

Houston Rockets Still Ballin'

aramnath — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:56:45 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

Head coach Rick Adelman's kept his team competitive even with his two best players out with injuries so far this season. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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It's time to show some love to this year's Houston Rockets. They have been playing without their two superstars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, all season and have managed to start out with a 14-10 record. That's good enough for second in the Southwest Division and for fifth in the conference. To put things in perspective, the Rockets have had to replace a combined 35.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game without both Yao and McGrady.

Most predicted the team would be lucky to be competing for the 8th seed in the conference with a roster full of role players. This team of role players however has thrived utilizing a long lost art previously used in the NBA to great success called sharing the ball. They have been led by point guard Aaron Brooks with valuable contributions from Carl Landry, Luis Scola and a bench that has shown surprising depth particularly rookie Chase Budinger.

Their major free-agent signing Trevor Ariza, has been a disappointment offensively so far, averaging 17.0 points per game while shooting an abysmal 38.3% from the field. To his credit however, Ariza and the No Stats All-Star, Shane Battier, have teamed up to harass opposing teams' wing players to help lead a Rockets defense that has been able to remain effective without their 7'6 Chinaman shot-blocker in the middle.

Special praise is in order for head coach Rick Adelman who has done a phenomenal job calling the shots from the sidelines. I don't think it's much of a debate for who should be Coach of the Year. It would have been easy for this team to simply play out the year listlessly without their two stars, but Adelman has kept them on the winning path and has extracted more from his players than anybody could have expected.

Here's to the Houston Rockets for playing team ball with a bunch of role players and still getting the job done when nobody gave them much of a chance.

Woes Out West: Rockets 107, Pistons 96

Packey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:24:34 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

I was seen making this same face throughout the course of the Pistons game on Tuesday vs. the Rockets. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Trips out west have not been kind to the Pistons. After the 11-point loss to the Rockets on Tuesday night, they have now dropped all five away games in the western** part of the country by a combined margin of 59 points. I guess they can't fit 'defense' in their carry on luggage. In four of the five losses, Detroit has allowed 100 or more points.

No matter what the Pistons packed for the trip, you have to give the Rockets credit for coming out guns a blazing in the first quarter, making nearly 70% of their shots and taking a 10-point lead into the second quarter. Luis Scola had 11 of their 29 first quarter points and they were all made with relative ease. He ended the game with a team-high 23 points on 10-16 shooting and eight rebounds.

For the rest of the game, the Rockets never cooled below the still scorching 55% mark shooting (when rounded up) and a lot of it had to do with their 28 team assists (27 points coming on the fast break) . Ten of those assists came from point guard, and Chris Rock look alike, Aaron Brooks. He had a terrific game, also finishing with 23 points.

Detroit's team line didn't look all that awful. They finished with 44 rebounds (the same as Houston), 26 assists, 96 total points, turned it over only nine times, and shot a decent 44%. Unfortunately, you can't win many games when you allow the other team to shoot an easy 55% and score 107 total points. It's science, which Houston has come to learn and love.

Richard Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring after a red-hot start. He finished with 21 points, but cooled off, shot only 10-22 from the field, and tweaked a hammy in the process. His status is uncertain for tomorrow night's game against the Hornets.

More after the jump.

**Yes, I realize Houston isn't really that far west. Just go with it, okay?
Tracy McGrady made a Richard Hamilton surprise return to the lineup, but did not start. He saw seven minutes, hit a three-pointer, and pulled down three rebounds. I'm sure that's encouraging for Rockets fans.
Rodney Stuckey returned to frustrating form after being named Player of the Week. He started the game 1-10, while ill-advisedly forcing shot after shot. He finished with 17 points on 7-24 shooting. I understand the shots will not fall every night, but Stuckey makes his own bed with his shot selection. A majority of his misses tonight were in traffic when he should have passed or never even embarked on an attempt. Disappointing game from the youngster, regardless of his promising month thus far.
Rookie Chase Budinger made the start in place of Trevor Ariza tonight for the Rockets. If you recall, Budinger was drafted by the Pistons in the 2nd round and then traded to the Rockets (nevermind what was agreed to behind closed doors). Budinger lit the Pistons up for 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. That's not nearly as disturbing as is his blindingly pale complexion. Someone needs to bring some sunlight into his life.
The Pistons falling behind big allowed fans to see nine quality minutes from Pistons rookie, DaJuan Summers. He knocked down a three and had a driving score in that time. He finished with six points and two rebounds.
Austin Daye also made the most of his minutes. He played 18 minutes, shot 5-8, and finished with 10 points. He also grabbed three rebounds and one block.
Box score
Highlights
The Hornets are 8-3 at home this season and Chris Paul is back and in tip-top game shape. Let's hope Detroit can improve upon their 1-5 record in the second games of back-to-backs.

Game 24 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons - 7:30PM CST

UofTOrange — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:06:04 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

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This is going to be quick and maybe sweet. I'll be at the game in section 405 tonight with my 3 year old and we plan to have a blast.

Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - Last preview I asked if he is a top 10 PG, I think it is pretty definitive that he is. He's slotted number 9 on my ballot. Can he pick it up even more with Ariza out? Will the Rockets even ask him to?
vs.
Rodney Stuckey - Good player, fun to watch and always plays hard when I see him. He's the future in Detroit, and while he's one of the few bright spots in that future, it's a good start.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Shane Battier - It is hard to say anything more about Shane Battier, we are at the saturation point with his awesomeness. Now it's time for Shane to back all that talk up (not his talk obviously) and get his shooting percentages north of Rafer-esque.
vs.
Richard Hamilton - Came back last game from an injury and had a solid game. He's still a really good basketball player but doesn't seem the same without Chauncey Billups. I know he still regrets signing that extension.
Edge: Pistons

Small Forward
Chase Budinger - I can only assume that he's getting the start at small forward to keep Landry doing his work off the bench. Obviously that's open to interpretation. But the future NBA rookie of the year has played well all season and should get this reward.
vs.
Jonas Jerebko - I didn't even know he was an NBA player. What is going on? That's three teams in a row that I honestly didn't know a player. I mean, I vaguely remember him getting drafted in the second round, but that's it.
Edge: Rockets

Power Forward
Luis Scola - There are a few guys in the NBA that I just enjoy watching, and Scola is clearly in my top 5 on that list. He works hard every single possession and much like Battier, you have to work hard to truly quantify his value. I'd love to see him get his scoring up 3-5 points a game, but that's not really in the cards given how strong Landry is with the second team and how the offense runs with the first.
vs.
Jason Maxiell - I expected more of him since Pistons fans have been touting him about as much as Lakers fans tout Andrew Bynum. Instead his production has dropped off pretty much across the board, and it really didn't have a long way to fall.
Edge: Rockets

Center
Chuck Hayes - If you asked me, given how they are paid, and their production, I'd take Chuck 100 times out of 100 over Ben Wallace.
vs.
Ben Wallace - Never have I been a fan of Ben Wallace making more than 5-6MM a year. Not because he hasn't been a hard worker, but because he is an extremely limited player. His rebounding and defense are still strong, but not what they used to be. The only reason the Pistons get the edge is because he is a better rebounder than Hayes because of his size.
Edge: Pistons, but not by very much

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Trevor Ariza is suspended for tonight's game and Tracy McGrady is still serving his penance.
Detroit Pistons
DTD - Tayshaun Prince looks to be out for tonight's game and half of the team is nursing some ailment or other.

My Prediction: Rockets win by 4