SB Nation - Shane Battier

Game 28 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers - 7:30PM CST

UofTOrange — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:20:21 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

More elbows for Carl, this time from the Clippers' Craig Smith. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Point Guard
Aaron Brooks vs. Baron Davis - Anyone still want Baron Davis over Aaron Brooks? I still like the guy, he's crazy entertaining. But contract vs. contract and player vs. player, Aaron is the winner
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Shane Battier vs. Eric Gordon - Gordon doesn't turn the ball over, but he doesn't necessarily pass it either. Of course you can't blame him for that as he is a good shooter and is the future of this Clippers team. Look through this roster, for all the crap Dunleavy has gotten as a coach, as a GM he's done some darn nice things. Gordon can't score on Battier with regularity if the Rockets choose to shut him down. However, they might force him to shoot the ball and not even let him try to involve his team from the passing end.
Edge: Clippers

Small Forward
Trevor Ariza vs. Al Thornton - Raise your hand if you bought into the hype that Al Thornton was a great player waiting to happen? My hand is not raised. That's not to say he doesn't have a solid future. He'll clearly be around for a long time but I just don't see this superstar that people tried to make him in to.
Edge: Rockets

Power Forward
Luis Scola vs. Marcus Camby - Has anyone been more rumored to be loved as a back-up center for the Rockets than Marcus Camby? He's still a good basketball player but clearly not 9MM good. Luis Scola is that good and he makes a third of that. Last night on the 1560 No Layups show we talked about the best Rocket of 2009 and Luis Scola was my answer. He epitomizes everything that Daryl Morey wants in a player.
Edge: Rockets

Center
Chuck Hayes vs. Chris Kaman - Yeah for Chris Kaman! He's finally healthy and the one guy that destroys him is recovering until next season. Kaman is a really good player, and frankly pretty underrated. Chuck Hayes is actually a really good defender to go after Kaman and it should be pretty interesting to see how Kaman deals with it.
Edge: Clippers

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Chase Budinger
Detroit Pistons
OUT - Blake Griffin, the first overall pick in the draft is still out with a broken kneecap

My Prediction: I have no idea. This Clippers team should be better than it is, and will be when Griffin gets back, but never underestimate that they are coached by Mike Dunleavy. Rockets by 6?

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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

6 days 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

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.

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

Game 23 Preview: Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors 11:30AM CST

UofTOrange — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:12:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

13 days ago: Philadelphia 76ers' Samuel Dalembert, center, tries to hang onto a loose ball under pressure from Houston Rockets' Carl Landry, left, and Aaron Brooks in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, in Philadelphia. Houston won 96-91. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - He's like good and stuff. I wish he would attack the basket with fury every single night, but for a guy his size, not named Iverson, that's probably not as good of an idea as it sounds in my head. Either way, Aaron has taken a huge step forward, he's clearly a top 10 point guard right now, right? Can anyone name 10 better?
vs.
Jarrett Jack - I was surprised to find out that Jack has only been in the league for 4 years. I swear it feels like decades ago that he was with Portland. Good basketball player that really is a 6^th or 7^th man. He has a long career ahead of him in that role. Starting in the NBA is only a stop gap measure for a team though.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Trevor Ariza - His shooting has picked up a quite a bit in the last 5 games and shot selection has a lot to do with it. Of course only playing one good defense, and having his worst shooting night of the five against Portland, has helped. Sometimes the NBA is all about momentum and I think this recent stretch can go a long way towards Trevor's confidence.
vs.
DeMar DeRozan - I like this kid. He was a good player at USC and while he's somewhat raw it may be exactly what the Raptors need. He's a strong attacker and finisher and he's energetic. Like most young players his shot leaves a lot to be desired, but that will come if he's willing to work hard.
Edge: Rockets

Small Forward
Shane Battier - Another season, another great season long effort by Battier. Every single team in the NBA would put him in their starting lineup no matter what it meant to other guys they have on the team. I think I can say that with supreme confidence.
vs.
Hedo Turkoglu - For Portland fans I'm ecstatic that this signing didn't work for them. For Raptors fans, I honestly thought it would be working out better right now. Not because Hedo is a superstar, he's simply a really good basketball player, but because there isn't a lot to take away from his taking another step. I don't know what has been happening with him, maybe it's the style of ball they are playing, but that 9MM contract is looking horrible right now
Edge: Rockets - Yes Hedo scores more but Battier's effect on the game is infinitely more.

Power Forward
Luis Scola -
vs.
Chris Bosh - With Calderon out, Bosh is the only guy on the Raptors that has the ability to scare you night in and night out. I am not in any way a fan of the Rockets signing him in the off season. He makes a team better, but not in max dollars ways. And the Rockets have two PFs that could be here for the next 4-5 years together pretty easily. And under no circumstances is Bosh a better center than even a hobbled Yao.
Edge: Raptors

Center
Chuck Hayes - Chuck has done his job for the most part all season. He has defended everyone that he has been asked to with heart and determination. Early in the season he seemed to take on the need for scoring, and has since realized it isn't necessary. Though part of me wishes he would go back to that same effort on the offensive end to score.
vs.
Andrea Bargnani - Shows sparkles all of the time, but never seems to truly break out. For Raptors fans, some of the best, and oddest, in the NBA I wish them more from him. Considering he makes 6.5MM, he's actually a heck of a basketball bargain at 16 and 6 a night.
Edge: Raptors

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Tracy McGrady
Toronto Raptors
OUT - Jose Calderon

My Prediction: Rockets build a lead early, keep it up most of the game, Raptors go on a run in the late third or early fourth and the Rockets pull back away to win by 8-14

Game Recap: Mavericks Edge by Bobcats 98-97

zdgmans — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:52:41 -0000

More photos » by Ralph Lauer - AP

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Here we are on a night where the Dallas Mavericks honor America’s armed forces with their Seats for Soldiers campaign by offering up a little "home cooking" versus the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats are coming off of a loss against the San Antonio Spurs last night, arriving at the American Airlines Center with a record of 9-12.

While it would be easy to sleep on the Charlotte Bobcats (the Mavericks are the only NBA team left who the Bobcats have not beaten) they have an above average starting five (Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Tyson Chandler) and can easily beat a team that underestimates them.

So, how did the Mavericks do? Did they under estimate or was it no contest?

Game as a Whole:

Each team was coming off of a back-to-back tonight and it seems that the Mavericks were on the cusp of winning the game for most of the night but couldn’t quite get over the hump. If you have to point at anything that slowed the Mavericks down it would be tired legs due to a back-to-back (they aren’t the youngest team). The team showed tremendous fight tonight in gutting out the win when they easily could’ve packed it in toward the middle of the fourth.

It seems like Carlisle has decided that he is going to slim down his line-up to something along the lines of eight guys. I am sure many of you are asking where Roddy and Humphries are and while they haven’t done anything wrong they just aren’t in the rotation right now (not to say they can’t get back in). Since things are working and the Mavericks are winning I guess Carlisle is making the right decision.

Lets look at the quarters…

1st Quarter

Mavericks win the tip and immediately looked to Erick Dampier (who passes out of a double team). Glad to see them hitting him early and trying to get him involved.
Dirk missing two free throws. I am not living in Crazy Town, am I?
Stephen Jackson is having a bit of trouble against Dirk. 9:23, Jackson gets his shot blocked by Nowitzki. Jackson gets the ball back and then puts up a contested jump shot against Dirk.
Josh Howard did not dress for the game tonight. Rick Carlisle is determined to make sure that Howard stays healthy for the rest of the season and rests his ankle.
7:43, Jason Kidd gets comes up with a steal (that gives him 2,235 for his career and making him 8^th on the all time steals list). Have to appreciate how active he is, even after a score.
6:20, Dampier gets a reverse layup in the paint. It always makes me a bit nervous when big men (especially ones with bad hands) don’t just go up and dunk the ball under the basket.
4:47, Welcome back Quinton Ross, seems that the back is better.
Quinton Ross looks a little rusty. He lets Gerald Wallace bump him off while taking it to the basket. You have to stay in front of him and cut off the paint.
3:18, Dampier hits a 15 footer to beat the shot clock. The Bobcats come back and commit a shot clock violation.
The Bobcats and Mavericks have both gotten turnover-happy in the last two minutes.
Barea is currently perfect from the field (4 of 4 and 2 of 2 at the line). Seems like he has decided to be the first quarter spark plug.
With .07 left Gooden gets a great tip in on a missed 3 pointer. Love it when he comes in and brings energy.

2nd Quarter

The Bobcats have clawed to within one. The Mavericks have had a rash of missed shots (Nowitzki leading the way shooting 1 of 7).
10:20, Mavericks cannot get a defensive rebound and end up fouling Gerald Wallace.
9:48, Dirk bites on a shot fake from Gerald Wallace. Forces Rick Carlisle to call a timeout to explain to Dirk that Gerald Wallace wants to go to the basket (he probably didn’t call a timeout for this reason).
9:24, Gooden gets another put back off of a missed shot. He is the only one who seems to be around the basket when the Mavericks throw up a shot.
8:00, Charlotte is currently up by four and the Mavericks commit a turnover. They need to be careful as the game can quickly get away from them here.
4:38, Dampier and Barea are leading the team in scoring again. Mavericks are currently down 39-34. Dirk is 2-12 tonight, everything seems to go half-way down and then rim out.
3:40, Up to this point the Mavericks have only scored 8 points in the quarter. Lucky the Mavs are only down by 5.
1:51, Jason Kidd makes a big three pointer and then gets a steal on the defensive end. Way to close the half Kidd.
Barea ruins a great steal from Kidd by committing a turnover while trying to get the ball to a trailing Shawn Marion.

3rd Quarter

Back-to-back steals for the Mavericks but they are still down by 4. Need to capitalize on Charlotte’s miscues.
Dirk gets fouled with 10:03 left. Good to see him exploiting the mismatch at the top of the key.
Kidd, uncontested three at 9:12 and he misses it. I have seen Kidd shoot contested three’s better than he shot that ball.
Don’t know why Kidd decided to take another contested 3 pointer without working the ball around.
The Mavericks are currently bricking everything they throw up at the basket. I cannot believe Gerald Wallace steps in to take a charge against Dirk.
Not seeing a lot of movement from the Mavericks on the offensive end. Each player that touches the ball seems to want to do it all themselves. People need to cut to the basket more often and go harder.
4:28, beautiful pass by Jason Terry as Dampier rolls to the basket. The resulting foul puts the Mavs in the bonus for the rest of the quarter.
4:20, great out-of-bounds play executed by Kidd and Nowitzki. Mavericks continue to play zone on Charlotte’s next possession, which leads to a stop.
Erick Dampier has another double-double, it’s his sixth of the year.
Still waiting for the Mavericks to wake up in this quarter.
Dirk punctuates the fourth quarter with a one handed jam. It gets the crowd going, but only cuts the Charlotte lead to 8.

4th Quarter

Tim Thomas gets fouled while shooting a 3 pointer by Charlotte rookie Derek Brown. I am sure that Larry Brown is steaming on the bench right now.
Mavericks get three chances on one trip to put the ball in the basket. Needless to say, they can’t convert.
9:56, Marion, running hard, recovers a Jason Terry miss and puts it back in. Boris Diaw commits a loose ball foul on the other end. Looks like the Mavericks are making their run now.
The Bobcats currently have 3 fouls. They have also seated Stephen Jackson on the bench.
7:16, Marion gets a trip to the charity stripe due to a loose ball foul on Gerald Wallace. It’s nice that the Mavericks are going to be in the bonus the rest of the way tonight.
6:41, Jackson gets a foul called on him for a push while Dirk is posting. That’s another two shots.
The Mavericks are currently scoring all of their points off fouls. That may be good, that may be bad, and I am undecided.
Stephen Jackson takes a page out of the Shane Battier playbook (flop) gives Dirk an uncontested layup.
The Mavericks are getting their chances but the shots are just not falling.
:10.9, Dirk hits a wobbly shot that gets an extremely friendly roll. Let’s go to overtime, shall we?

Overtime 1

Mavericks win the tip and get the first possession of overtime. Dirk misses his first shot.
Marion has just been in the right place all night. Cleans up another Jason Terry missed three. Mavericks then get a defensive stop against Gerald Wallace in the paint.
Dampier gets a dunk on what should have been an alley-oop from Dirk (it was a missed shot).
Smooth jumper from Dirk with 2:03 left. Looks like his legs aren’t so tired.
Charlotte ties it on a technical foul (Jason Terry) and then a made two-point basket by Stephen Jackson.
Tyson Chandler fouls Jason Terry as Dallas tries to inbound the ball. One free-throw and possession stays with Dallas but they can’t convert.
Another play goes to Terry as Dirk is doubled. Makes a short 10-foot jumper.
Kidd commits a horrible foul away from the ball by running into Gerald Wallace on a pick.
I don’t think anyone can question how clutch Dirk is today.
As soon as Jackson let the ball go it was obvious that there was no way that shot was going into the basket.
Mavericks win 98-97.

Some Choice Statistics

Dirk is currently sitting at 89% for his free throw shooting percentage this season.
Dirk is 30^th all-time in free throws made (4,901). Can’t believe Shaq actually sits at number 17 on this list (5,772).
Rick "Robot" Carlisle played his college career at UVA. He is also an NBA champion (he won a title with the Celtics).

Closing Thoughts:

The Mavericks stay unbeaten versus the Charlotte Bobcats and Dirk Nowitzki shows just how clutch he can be. There is nothing better than winning a close game and this will be a definite morale booster for the Mavericks, who showed some toughness tonight.

Recap: Rockets keep LeBron, emotions in check to defeat Cavaliers 95-85

Tom Martin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:15:16 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

15 days ago: Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, center, yells at official Scott Wall, left, after no foul was called as LeBron James (23) drove to the basket against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, in Houston. Brown was ejected from the game. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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First and foremost, I'd like to extend a hand of thanks to Herman Sayger, who originally suggested the idea of implementing the three point shot. Lord knows we needed it tonight against Cleveland. So thanks for that, Herman.

Secondly, I'd like to commend Memphis for taking the Cavs to OT last night. It was evident that Cleveland was tired, especially with all of the open threes that we were getting.

Finally, we address our own performance, which was mostly good, and slightly bad. The good? We kept LeBron in check, and when it comes to defending Cleveland, that's about seventy-five percent of the work. The only Cavaliers to find a rhythm were Delonte West and Big Z. Otherwise, it was the best defensive performance we've seen from the Rockets in this young season.

Aaron Brooks' overall numbers were very good, but most importantly, he was in the lane every other possession. This is key to creating offensive opportunities elsewhere. He also got to the free throw line thirteen, missing only one of those. That's the equivalent of six made jump shots. Sometimes people forget just how valuable free throws are.

If there is anyone to truly commend on our victory, however, it is either Shane Battier or Trevor Ariza. Battier, for his defense and his rare offensive contribution (a Battier three always seems to energize the rest of the guys), and Ariza for his excellent production on offense. It was one of his most efficient outputs as a Rocket.

In a rare turn of events, the Rockets got destroyed on both the offensive and defensive boards. To combat this, the Rockets forced twenty turnovers. Whether it's forcing turnovers or grabbing offensive boards, Houston always finds a way to give themselves extra opportunities to score.

Luis Scola was notably absent, as was Chase Budinger. Sometimes, the shots don't fall. Other times, they are engulfed by a host of defenders, which was indeed the case every time Scola got the ball on the block. Wouldn't you love to, for once, see Luis just throw it down in someone's face?

In a perfect world, the Rockets would have shot better. There were countless possessions in which Houston had open jump shots, and they simply missed them. The Cavs took advantage of this, and stayed alive throughout the game. Cleveland, despite scoring 101 points per game, likes the low-scoring contests, as they are one of the better defensive teams in the league. Tonight, however, they were out-defended by a team that can still put down the clamps when necessary.

Fear The Sword

Loud Links: 12|09|09

daddydai — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:41 -0000

The Thunder spent yesterday afternoon giving $1,000 dollar shopping sprees to 10 families at a local Target. How cool would it be to go basketball shopping with KD?

The Thunder Will Make the Playoffs | Dime Magazine
[Dime magazine give the reasons why the Thunder "will" make the playoffs this year.] The focal point of the team is undoubtedly resting on that kid from Texas’ shoulders, but his surrounding entourage has a bright future ahead. Clay Bennett may not have made the right choice in moving his team from Seattle, but choosing young GM brainchild, Sam Presti, to lead the Thunder was genius. Presti has managed to pull the proverbial rabbit from a hat with many of his decisions.

For starters, the Thunder’s team core is built upon Top-5 Draft picks: Durant (2), James Harden (3), Westbrook (4) and Green (5). Presti also swung deals for Thabo Sefolosha—who has become their definitive defensive stopper around the arc—and 7-footer, Nenad Krstic, to roam the paint in OKC.

The young nucleus of this team, comprised of those four Top-5 Draft picks, is already playing at a high level. Durant is leading the team with over 28 points and 7 rebounds a game. While in the midst of a breakout season—which is strange considering he averaged 25.3 a year ago—Durant is also averaging the most rebounds, assists and steals of his short career.

The 6-9 Green, who’s averaging 14.7 and 6.3, is a solid inside-outside presence and will be very, very good in Oklahoma City for many years. Even at 23 years old, Green has only showed glimpses of what he is capable of doing.

Harden is also playing well and as he continues to loosen up to the NBA game, he will begin playing more fluidly—although he did drop 26 and 9 in a 104-88 win over the Warriors Monday night. With these pieces in place—and help coming from more experience—the Thunder are looking surprisingly composed this season. Wait, did I forget someone?

Oh yeah, that Westbrook guy.

In my opinion, Westbrook is the key to the Thunder’s success. Durant is your go-to-guy and can drop 40 whenever he feels his averages slipping, but Russell is the fire starter. Besides Aaron Brooks and Ty Lawson, Westbrook might be the fastest guy in the League with or without the ball. He clearly has a second gear and dices through defenses effortlessly. Westbrook gives the Thunder a stable point guard that knows—and can—when to score and when to pass (He dished out 15 helpers in a win against Philly a week ago). Westbrook understands the flow of the game and can adapt to what the defense gives him.

Durant On Oden: "I almost drew a tear" | Thunder Rumblings
[KD speaks out about the Oden/Durant debate.] "Once I heard he was having surgery, to be honest with you I almost drew a tear for him," said Durant, who became the no-brainer No. 2 pick behind Oden in one of the most highly-debated decisions in the draft’s history. Durant understands the link he will forever share with Oden and the unavoidable games of "What if?’ some are sure to conjure up. And Oden’s newest hurdle only heightens the historical significance of their selection order. After three seasons, Oden will have played just 82 games, or the equivalent of one full season. Durant, meanwhile, has taken his projected place as the face of a franchise.

He’s on his way to becoming an All-Star and an Olympian. Durant has missed only 10 career games and this season is averaging 28.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals, all career-highs. But in no way does Durant feel vindicated for being passed over, and he said the constant comparisons are pointless. "It’s unfair to him because people don’t know how hard he works every day," Durant said. "But they’re already ready to tear him down. That’s life I guess. But he works hard every day and he does his job every day and people don’t give him credit for that."

Despite their differing levels of individual success, Durant humbly credited the Blazers’ team success and said he doesn’t think Oden should have to worry about living in his shadow as a player. "Those guys are a playoff team and are one of the top teams in the West," Durant said. "Without him they wouldn’t be there. So I guess I’m living in his shadow. He was the No. 1 pick. I was the No. 2. And his team is doing better. I’m just trying to fight toward that with my team. So I wouldn’t say he’s in my shadow."

First-Quarter Report: Teams: Identities Have Developed, for Better or Worse - The Baseline - Sporting News
[The Baseline mention OKC while discussing the league surprises and disappointments.] Rising in OKC. They hustle. They play defense. They have better-than-expected depth. The Thunder are on the way up, and there's a lot more to this group than Kevin Durant. They're going to challenge for a playoff spot.

NBA Power Poll: The Baseline - Sporting News
[The Baseline also rank OKC #13 in the NBA.] 13. Thunder (13). Tough enough for the Blazers to watch C Greg Oden go down again to a knee injury. Even tougher when you get a look at Kevin Durant.

CANOE -- SLAM! Sports: DeRozan takes slow route
[Just in case you didn't know who else Harden is friends with...] Jennings and DeRozan were teammates back in the sixth grade and through high school played AAU and Nationals together. DeRozan counts Jennings, James Harden, and Jrue Holiday among his closest friends in the NBA. Jennings and DeRozan share the longest bond and have been

Thunder notebook: Practice time | NewsOK.com
You won’t see it on a stat sheet, but one area the Thunder has improved is deflections, a stat Brooks and his staff tracks in practices and games. Deflections lead to steals or can milk seconds off the shot clock. OKC recorded 10 steals and several deflections in Monday’s win over Golden State. "We’re doing a good job getting our hands on balls," Brooks said. "That’s what we want, to use our length."

NBA Rookie Rankings: Who has the most upside? - ESPN Insider
[ESPN ranks Harden the #10 rookie with the most upside. Not to be confused with ROY rankings, which Harden is still sitting pretty at #3.] To be fair, Harden is this low on the list only because he's already so polished. He has learned to play a smart and crafty game -- and has done so for years -- because he's not superathletic. As I've said before, he plays like a veteran with a steady pace, under control almost all the time. Sure, Harden can improve his athleticism to some degree, and that would help his overall game, but given the reasons the Thunder drafted him -- his passing skills, shooting and ability to mesh with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook -- the pressure on him to develop into a superstar is just not there; he may never even be an All-Star. But make no mistake, he has the talent to put up big numbers on a championship team.

SLAM ONLINE | " Chuck Hayes Hates LeBron’s Dancing, Too
[So the Rockets share their opinion of LBJ's antics.] James has already ticked off Joakim Noah, and now Chuck Hayes has voiced displeasure with LBJ’s dancing on the sidelines during blowouts: "Yeah (it was wrong), but if Joakim Noah and the Bulls have a problem with it, beat him, he won’t dance,’ Hayes said. ‘I notice that the Cavs, they do all their sideline acts in the game when they’re up big. When it’s a close game, they don’t do that. Make them respect you and they won’t do it. To showboat another professional, it’s disrespectful. If you feel disrespected, do something about it within the game, nothing dirty. Eventually, all the dancing and acting will stop. They only do it when they’re up big.’ Shane Battier, however, had another theory about why James danced. ‘Dancing With The Stars is quite the platform to launch a career,’ Battier said. ‘Maybe, he’s trying to launch a career. LeBron’s a smart businessman. I wouldn’t put anything past him."’ [Just in case you missed this fiasco last week, check out the youtube video.]

Twitter / Ric Bucher: Sources @ the bench on wha ...
[Oh and if you were wondering what Noah said...] Sources @ the bench on what Joakim said to LeBron: "This is so ****ing old" + the clincher that got LJ coming at him: "You're a b****."