SB Nation - Aaron Brooks

Orlando Magic 102, Houston Rockets 87

Ben Q Rock — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:14:11 -0000

Dwight Howard once again led the Orlando Magic to an ugly, grind-it-out win at home as they defeated the Houston Rockets, 102-87, for their third straight victory, and first home win over the Rockets since April 8th, 2002, when now-Rockets guard Tracy McGrady scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Orlando. Howard scored 13 points, corralled 20 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots in just 32 minutes, shutting the Rockets down in the paint and forcing them to take jumpers for much of the night. Vince Carter had yet another poor shooting night, missing 10 of his 16 shot attempts, but nonetheless led Orlando with 18 points. Rashard Lewis scored 15 points and made four three-pointers for the second consecutive game, while Jameer Nelson also scored 15 on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting. He propelled the Magic on a decisive 15-0 run in the third quarter, scoring 8 points and dishing an assist to Lewis for a three-pointer during that stretch. Ryan Anderson became the latest Magic backup to shine, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in 18 well-played minutes, which Magic coach Stan Van Gundy deemed "a very good effort." Reserve power forward Carl Landry paced the Rockets with 20 points on 11 shots, so Van Gundy subbed Howard in for Marcin Gortat, and Howard responded. Van Gundy pointed out that the Rockets "went to [Landry] once [against Howard], he shut that down and that stopped [the Rockets from looking for him.]"

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Rockets	91	96.0	42.7%	20.7	13.3	11.0
Magic	95	107.9	52.4%	15.3	24.4	16.9
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

The third quarter was when Orlando really broke the game open after allowing the Rockets to trim a 12-point lead to just 3 at halftime. Houston scored 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting in the period. Rockets coach Rick Adelman said "we just had a real poor third period" and "we couldn't get anything going [...] and they kind of took control." Indeed the Magic did, as previously described. Specifically, Houston missed 8 shots and committed 2 turnovers during their 6-minute scoreless stretch, in which Orlando increased its lead from 1 to 16. The Rockets' offense is opportunistic, predicated on ball movement and finding the open man. There weren't many men open during that stretch, though Adelman did say of his team's overall shooting performance, "I didn't think they were bad shots." I'm not one to challenge anyone with a resume like Adelman's, but I don't consider a contested Trevor Ariza long two-pointer off the dribble is a good shot. Ariza, the former Magic forward, shot 1-of-10 and struggled to create his own shot all night. He fared better in a complementary role with the L.A. Lakers last season. He hasn't had the opportunity to complement anyone in Houston, with franchise center Yao Ming out, so it's far too early to say the Rockets' decision to sign him was a bad one. Yet the early returns aren't promising.

The main reason for Houston's perimeter-oriented attack was indeed due to Orlando's defense of the paint, although the Rockets are perimeter-oriented to begin with during Yao's prolonged injury absence. Sure, Howard did more than his share, and Gortat fared well up until Landry got hot in the fourth quarter. But overall, the Rockets shot 19-of-40 in the paint for 39 points. Adelman attributed the Rockets' overall offensive struggles to their inability to "get anything going to the basket." Aaron Brooks has a slight quickness advantage on Nelson, and blew by him for the Rockets' first points of the game the first time he challenged him in the first quarter, but Nelson generally tended to keep Brooks from getting to the rim. Brooks countered by draining 3-of-5 three-pointers during the Rockets' stellar second period, but managed only 2 points on 0-of-4 shooting in the second half.

A message written on the team's whiteboard after the game described of what the Magic were most proud: allowing 35 points in the entire second half. Van Gundy mentioned it in his post-game comments, and Carter cited the stat in his post-game availability as well. Said Carter, "defensively, that's where we're trying to make our mark." Once again, the Magic succeeded in that area. In their three-game homestand since allowing the Miami Heat to score 104 points on 86 possessions, the Magic have limited their opponents to 269 points on 287 possessions for a defensive rating of 93.7. Howard, in particular, is leading the charge. Said Howard, "I tell the guys, 'Hey, I got your back. Continue to play good defense, I'm going to be behind you to erase the mistakes.' And that's what it takes." He emphasized the importance of his own "blocking shots and rebounding," using a version of that phrase three times in responding to one question. Van Gundy said he's encouraged Howard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to try harder on that end: "We made the point that he had backed off [rebounding and blocking shots] early in the year, and he has stepped it up in a big way now." Since the Magic's two-game losing streak to the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns two weeks ago, Howard's averaging 16.7 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per contest.

The Magic's offense was a more balanced attack, with five players scoring in double figures; Orlando moved to 14-2 on the season when that occurs. They weren't too far away from placing 7 men in double-digits, with J.J. Redick scoring 9 and Matt Barnes adding 8. However, it wasn't a great performance in terms of efficiency, and Van Gundy said, "we've still got to do a little better job of getting [Howard] the ball." He added that he "wasn't really upset with the shot selection," though. Turnovers, and not shooting, contributed more to Orlando's mediocre offensive outing. Nelson and Carter had 4 apiece, accounting for half the Magic's turnovers, which Houston converted to 16 points. Counting tonight, Orlando has performed worse than their season average in turnover rate in each of their last five games, something Van Gundy wants them to correct very soon.

Orlando will practice early tomorrow to give players enough time to finish their holiday shopping, then will face the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. Though Van Gundy and the players had plenty to say about that game when asked, it didn't appear as though the Magic were caught looking ahead with a poor performance tonight.

Game 28 Recap: Rockets defeat Clippers 108-99 behind Landry's 27 points

Tom Martin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:35:01 -0000

More photos » by Bill Baptist - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

You know, Carl Landry smiles -- scratch that, genuinely laughs -- while he's on the court more often than any player I watch. On two separate occasions, each after making a difficult shot over Marcus Camby, Landry jogged back down the floor, showing off whatever remains of his pearly whites, as if he had just gotten away with placing a whoopee cushion underneath the principal's chair. After all of the troubles that Carl has been through, it's a pleasure to see what has become such a rarity in today's game: an NBA player who looks like he is actually having fun.

Then again, scoring twenty-seven points off the bench may have had something to do with that.

More so than anything, Landry can thank his improved free-throw shooting for making him such a dangerous player in the post. If opponents foul him, it's nearly an automatic two points. Any post player shooting 87 percent from the free-throw line is going to be dangerous. Add Landry's intensity into the mix, and you've got yourself a moving landmine on the block - you touch it, you're dead.

Though it may have been Landry's final eight minutes of the game that served to determine the outcome, it was Tracy McGrady's similar amount of playing time that had everyone on edge. In all of my years of watching Tracy play, I have never once seen him that agressive driving to the rim. Perhaps it was because Rasual Butler was guarding him. Perhaps it was because he was guarding Butler, and wouldn't have to play much defense (trust me, he didn't). Or, it could have been due to his knowledge of how little he would play, and how much effort he could afford to exert in that time period. Whatever the case, McGrady looked as healthy as he has looked in the last two years. He attacked the rim, made his open jump shots, and dished out some incredible passes, including a mid-air, no-look ball through two defenders to Luis Scola for a lay-up.

Now, before you even think about it, catch yourself - this does NOT mean that Tracy's minutes should be upped. Keep him comfortable, keep him in rhythm game by game, and keep him healthy, either as trade bait, or, if he keeps playing well, for extended use during a playoff run. The last thing Rick Adelman needs to do is abandon the schedule that he laid out for Tracy. The fact that Jermaine Taylor played tonight (impressively, at that) indicates that Adelman doesn't plan on changing anything.

Shifting gears, Kyle Lowry had another great game, and has been really impressive of late. He may not be to the point of eclipsing Aaron Brooks for the starting point guard job, but he's certainly proved capable of running the show late in games when Brooks is having an off night. Normally, I'd say that Aaron needs to be more consistent, or something like that, but Lowry has been so good that there's really no point. At the end of a ballgame, I'll take whoever is more locked in. Isn't that a comfortable feeling?

Regarding the Clippers, Chris Kaman could be the worst possible match-up for Chuck Hayes. He's quick for his size, and keeps the ball high towards his chin, preventing Chuck from harrassing him with his hands during a post move. Sometimes, at least according to Barry Corbin, "you can't stop what's coming."

Al Thornton continues to slowly develop into fellow statistical nightmare Al Harrington, though Harrington is actually capable of making three-pointers. I really don't see what some people like in Thornton. He takes way too many bad jump shots, and until he makes a shot and his name is announced on the PA, you forget that he is even there.

Finally, Steve Novak appeared in what was probably the most glorious twenty-one seconds of basketball that I have ever witnessed. Defense be damned, at least when Novak's on the court.

So, when is our next game? Tomorrow at Orlando, you say? Oh boy, do we love those back-to-backs or what!?!?

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)

Browse more photos »

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?

Check out Clips Nation

Game 26 Recap: Houston 95, Oklahoma City 90

Zorgon — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:27:59 -0000

Yahoo! Box Score:

I like to call this one "The Statue of Liberty".

Note: I just realized the very beginning of this article is pretty arrogant. If it seems so to you as well, pleas ignore it and move on. I guess they were just the first two things on my mind.

Yet again, my prediction is only 2 points off! (I predicted it to be 97 to 90, albeit after the first quarter.)

Regardless of that, the Thunder lost, yet again, to the Houston Rockets. It's no surprise to me, as I declared the Thunder would not beat the Rockets this season (including our next and final meeting on March 24th). But what did surprise me is the manner in which it happened. I made the 97-90 prediction thinking that the game would end on a ho-hum note, with the Thunder down by 12 and then throwing in 5 points at the end just for the heck of it. But here, the Thunder made a legitimate run for it, and should have had a decent shot to win it, barring a couple of rebounds at the end of the game.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The name of the game for the Thunder on this night was "catch up". Nearly the entire game was spent behind the Rockets. There was a brief 34-31 lead with 6:01 to go in the 2nd, but other than that and the early minutes of the first, the Thunder were behind the entire time. And things were always looking grim. It seemed like every time the Thunder took 2 steps in the right direction, they'd take 3 steps back, and then all of a sudden, Houston would hit a 3 and say, "Boom! In your face!". This was especially emphasized in the 4th quarter, where every time the Thunder got within a 3 or 4 point deficit and you thought, "Man, this might get interesting!", the Thunder fell flat on their faces and got nay-sayed by Trevor Ariza or David Andersen. There were a lot of missed Golden opportunities in this game, don't get me wrong, but the most obvious to everyone was the one at the end of the game, and it pretty much summed up the entire game in 64 agonizing seconds.

After a HUGE second-chance 3 by KD to put it within 4 with 1:04 to go, the Thunder needed a stop. The Rockets dribbled the ball around, making sure not to shoot too early. Then, Aaron Brooks goes for the corner 3....and misses it. The rebound is tipped right out of Jeff Green's hands by Aaron Brooks, and the Rockets get to reset their offense. After a lot of holding, Trevor Ariza takes a spot up jumper, and it misses. The rebound goes right out of the hands of Westbrook and Durant and into the arms of Chuck Hayes. Aaron Brooks is finally fouled, and he misses the first freethrow, opening up a not-deserved opportunity. Then, Durant and Harden miss 2 good-looking threes, and the game is over. Yikes.

Below: Analysis, Awards

Well, the one positive you can take from this game is the fact that the Thunder actually put up a fight. But, even though the score was different, the stats still tell the same old, sad story. The 3 Point Shooting was non-existant. Thabo Sefolosha did horribly defensively. Trevor Ariza bulldozed. What else is there to say?

Ibaka puts up another strong performance.

The Thunder Wonder for this game is Jeff Green. Yeah, he pretty much failed to show up in the fourth quarter, but he carried the Thunder through a lot of the game, and, compared to the other Rockets games, this one was a drastic improvement. 21 Points, 8 Rebounds, and 3 Assists in 39 minutes complete his night. The Thunder Down Under is Serge Ibaka. Okay, I know I've been riding his bandwagon a lot over the last couple of recaps, and I tired to avoid it tonight, but there was no way around it. He was extremely efficient considering the minutes he got, and he helped out the scoring during an especially desperate time in the 2nd quarter and helped to ignite the run at the beginning of the fourth which got the Thunder within winning range. 10 Points, perfect 5 of 5 Shooting, and 8 Rebounds in 23 minutes. What more could one possibly ask? Accolades also go to Westbrook, who had a solid 15 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 7 Assists.

The Thunder Blunder is unquestionably Kevin Durant. 13 Points and 6-18 shooting isn't terrible, but it's pretty darn bad. I mean, 1 out of 5 3 Pointers? Really? You're our clutch shooter? In a night where all of the pieces were in place for a Rocket upset, the Thunder's main pillar crumbled. If he would have had a good day, there's a much higher chance that the Thunder would have won. Thabo Sefolosha doesn't escape blame either. 4 Points and 8 Rebounds are nice, but he's let Ariza destroy the thunder night in and night out.

James Harden: Worth Mentioning?

There was a comment in the Dallas thread saying that I didn't talk enough about James Harden. Well, in my opinion, there's not a lot to talk about. His effort will look decent, as he'll add around 10 Points, 3 Rebounds, and 3 Assists every game. But, the big hole in his game that needs to be fixed is 3 Point Shooting. Sure, he'll have a game where he'll go off and make 4 of 6 or 6 of 7, but usually his statline comes out as 0 of 3, 0 of 2, 1 of 4. If he's going to be taking 3s, he's got to make them, especially on the Thunder, who are a horrible 3 Point Shooting team. Look, I know he's a rookie, and I know he's done well considering that fact. But the thing this team needs is a consistent 3 Point shooter, and I wish he'd bring that to the table on a consistent basis, rather than on the occasional off-night. So, he'll be good enough to escape the Thunder Blunder, but not good enough to obtain a Thunder Wonder,Down Under, or recieve further mention. Thus, I don't mention him very often.

And....Ariza, Ariza, Ariza. Arriba! Once again, he captures the Thunder Plunderer Award. 31 Points, 11-20 Filed goal Shooting, 5-8 3 Point Shooting, 8 Rebounds, 6 Assists, only 1 Turnover, and 2 Steals. Honestly, I had no idea he was capable of such numbers. Major props to the guy for conquering the Thunder night in and night out.

Next Game: At the Los Angeles Lakers, Tuesday, December 22nd, 9:30 PM Central Standard Time.

Poll

Will the Thunder Beat the Rockets in March?

UPDATE - Denton: Jameer Nelson to Play Limited Minutes on Monday

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:07:41 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Browse more photos »

It appears as though Jameer Nelson's return to the Orlando Magic from left knee surgery will come earlier than expected. According to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, Nelson will play "limited minutes" tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz.

At shootaround yesterday, Nelson and coach Stan Van Gundy said Nelson could return Wednesday, against the Houston Rockets, at the earliest.

Nelson has missed the Magic's last 16 games. Orlando went 12-4 in that stretch, with Jason Williams taking Nelson's starting role.

UPDATE: Denton expands upon the news in this story for the team's website. An excerpt:

Part of the reason the Magic want to get Nelson back on the court is because of what [Deron] Williams did to them two weeks ago in Utah. He repeatedly battered the Magic in pick-and-roll sets, going for 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds in a 120-111 Jazz victory.

If Nelson does return Monday, he could be in for a week of facing Williams, Houston speedster Aaron Brooks and Boston’s Rajon Rondo. But that is of no concern to the Magic’s 6-foot point guard.

"They will also have to guard me, too," Nelson said brazenly. "I’m not trying to be cocky or anything. It wasn’t like I was in practice not being aggressive. I’m trying to be aggressive and make plays."

That's the sort of attitude that I imagine the Magic love to see from their co-captain... and that other teams (and their fans) may not appreciate.

Recap: In Victory, Our Fears Realized

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

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

5 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)

Browse more photos »

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.

Assessing the Hornets Loss a Little Late

Packey — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:00:23 -0000

Surely, by now you've already read what went down two nights ago. The Pistons scored 55 first half points (28 in the first and 27 in the second) and only scored 32 points in the second half. They led by 13 at the half and were winning by as many as 14-points in the third quarter. Yet somehow they found a way to lose by eight in the end.

So how did it happen?

We can cop out and say that the Pistons simply wore down, which I guess, could have definitely beeen the case. The Pistons have three major players out with injuries (a problem all season) and were playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road. However, I'm not willing to go through an entire season letting them get off the hook on the "injury bug" and "tired (because of the injuries)" excuses when they've proven before that it's not crippling them as much as one might think it should or would. For instance, take a look at that Denver game a week ago. It was the second game of a back-to-back against a Western Conference powerhouse, minus four of the better players on the roster. The Pistons controlled that game and won. This was the same Pistons team that played that night -- plus Will Bynum.

What stood out to me Wednesday was the Pistons lack of ball movement in the fourth quarter. At the three minute mark in the third quarter, Detroit had a remarkable 21 assists. They were well on their way to 28-30 assists, which is unheard of territory for the Pistons this season. Want to know how many assists the Pistons finished with? 22. The Pistons had just six second half assists compared to the (doing the math in my head, uh) 16 assists in the first half. If that's not a glaring statistic, I don't know what is.

And then there is the play of Rodney Stuckey. It has become increasingly clear that the Pistons go as Stuckey goes. When he puts up a solid game shooting and doesn't need roughly 20+ shots to do it, the Pistons tend to do well (Pistons are 7-2 when he shoots 50% or higher on less than 20 attempts from the field. They are 2-5 when he shoots 20+ times at all). It's not some groundbreaking discovery that the Pistons have a better chance of winning when their starting guard plays well. However, critiquing his play continuously resurfaces because he, time and time again, resorts to the style of play that makes him play poorly and in turn, hurts the Pistons.

On Wednesday night, Stuckey took nine shots in the fourth quarter alone (he made three of those). In the final minutes, he forced three (missed) shots and had a bad turnover that led to a Hornets basket, which gave them a four point lead. This isn't a box score statistic, but I cringed all three times Stuckey went up with those final shot attempts.

In Stuckey's defense, the rest of the Pistons weren't really helping. The only source of offense was Charlie Villanueva, and he missed all of his shot attempts (four) in the fourth quarter (which was a double whammy because David West was still scoring on him on the other side). Even if Stuckey was feeling the pressure of needing to carry the offensive load, I still would like to see less painfully obvious, forced shots from him and more dishes after the initial penetration.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Pistons were presented with serious match up problems the past two games in Luis Scola and David West. Take this bit from Patrick Hayes at MLIVE:

The frontcourt defense is broken. The simple answer is to put Ben Wallace on the opposing team's best big every game, which works great against back-to-the-basket players like Dwight Howard.

Having Ben guard players like West and Scola, however, pulls him out of the paint, takes away the shot-blocking threat and allows guys like Aaron Brooks and Chris Paul to get into the lane at will.

Patrick goes on to add that the "opposing PFs/Cs have shot a combined 42-for-65 (65 percent) against Detroit over the last two games," which has a lot to do with the opposing guards getting into the lane at will and creating easy baskets for their bigs. Scola and West combined for 55 points, more than Villanueva/Wallace combined for in both games (I used CV because he's playing the starter minutes).

The Pistons will finish off this three game road trip with the Thunder before going home to face Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Sunday. Let's hope we see a steady game this time around and end the road woes. It would certainly help to get some guys back from injuries, but ultimately, this team is capable of winning regardless.

A few thoughts after the jump.

A large chunk of the assists (nine) came from Will Bynum on Wednesday. There's no denying his individual points production is sorely missed, so let's hope those new shoes are starting to feel comfortable.
After seeing what Jonas Jerebko is capable of putting up on offense, it's too bad he only scored six points (on 3-3 shooting) when the Pistons needed someone other than Stuckey & Villanueva to step up. J.J. was also a team-worse negative-16 (by six points), so it could have helped that number, too.
Chris Paul is pretty amazing and fun to watch. Blaha was comparing him to Isiah Thomas during the broadcast, and I couldn't help but feel the same way. He scored 16 points on just nine shots and had 12 assists in what was looking like an off game at the half.
Emeka Okafor is a guy I'd love to see in a Pistons uniform. In my four years of college near Charlotte, North Carolina I saw a lot of his games with the Bobcats and grew to be a big fan of his. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Austin Daye is earning himself more and more minutes. He saw 25 on Wednesday and scored nine points on 3-8 shooting. He was 2-5 from downtown and had three rebounds, as well. I've said this before, but I wouldn't mind seeing him get more looks.
As it hurt the Hornets in the first half, turnovers played a big role in Detroit's second half collapse, too. They had 16 and a few of them came at crucial points in the fourth quarter.
Highlights:
I apologize for not getting a proper recap up in a more timely fashion. I didn't think I would have been able to post a productive recap on Wednesday night and unexpected things came up on Thursday to prevent me from weighing in. If it's any consolation, I'm pretty sure that's the first time since I've started this blog that I haven't had a (legit) recap posted within 12 hours of the game ending.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think went wrong on Wednesday or what the Pistons need to do differently on Friday. One thing is for sure -- freaking win !

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?

Browse more photos »

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)

Browse more photos »

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)

Browse more photos »

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.