Folks, the draft order has been established. The Charlotte Bobcats found that ineptitude gets rewarded with what some consider the most dangerous draft pick in the NBA Lottery. Your devoted writers here at the Dream Shake have set up a mock draft, pick by pick, to be delivered to you daily. We will be going through the first round of the draft with our selections and our reasons why we think we will correctly predict the whole damn thing.

Breaking news: In the TDS mock draft, I (representing the Portland Trail Blazers in the this case) traded my number 6 and 11 overall picks to Charlotte along with Nicolas Batum for the number 2 overall pick.

It's a deal that makes sense for both squads, I think. The Bobcats have to be devastated to get shut out of the Anthony Davis pick, but after that there isn't a sure thing here. Instead, they should try to get multiple picks and solid young players. This trade works for them.

As for the Blazers, losing Batum certainly hurts, but with him becoming a restricted free agent and the team having bigger needs to fill, a lot is up in the air. If the Blazers were to stay at 6 and 11, they could take two of the four potential UNC lottery picks, and that wouldn't be terrible. But, there's something even better out there for them. So, let's see who the Blazers pick after the jump.

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The All-Rookie teams came out today, and the second team was headlined by our very own Chandler Parsons.

Parsons received 10 first-team votes and 13 second-team votes from the 29 coaches who were eligible to vote for him (coaches cannot vote for players on their own team, so McHale couldn't pick CP25). Since three players tied at 40 points, there were actually 7 all-first teamers to go with the 5 second-team members. Parsons was one of the only two players out of the 12 who were drafted in the second round.

In the 63 games he played, the Rocket finished with averages of 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, with a couple of assists and a steal thrown in. Parsons' pre- and post- All-Star break numbers are striking. Before the break, he was shooting 43% (30% from three) and scoring about 8 points per night. Afterwards, his shooting jumped to 47% (36% from three) and his scoring improved to 11.5 points per game.

However, most Rockets fans know that his major contributions came on the defensive end. Parsons was frequently called upon to defend the opponent's best wing player, so on a nightly basis he was chasing the likes of Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Rudy Gay. Few rookies are given such tough assignments on defense, and even fewer succeeded like Chandler Parsons did last season.

So congratulations to Chandler Parsons, and we can't wait to see what he does for an encore.

Did you miss game 4 between the Pacers and the Heat? Well then you missed one heck of a contest.

The first half was an extension of game 3. The Pacers were the aggressors, getting their shots within the offense and generally looking like a team prepared to knock off the much-hated Heat. Heading into the locker room at halftime, the Pacers held an 8 point lead, had the crowd fully behind them, and looked kind of unstoppable.

But right before the first half ended, two things happened that set up the Heat for their comeback.

First, the Pacers stopped attacking the basket. They started settling for jumpers. Most of them were going in, which bailed them out. Rather than realizing that they needed to become more aggressive, the made jump shots encouraged them to continue shooting from distance in the second half. Big mistake.

The second was the awakening of Dwyane Wade. With two minutes remaining, Wade hit a three over Paul George. That sounds simple, so let me explain. Paul George was all over Wade. George wasn't letting Wade breathe. And Wade just rose up and stroked the triple. Confidence restored.

Then Danny Granger lost his mind. I see what Granger is doing, acting like a tough guy and trying to intimidate the Heat and encourage his team by showing that he won't back down from the Heat. Okay, that's fine. But after Wade was fouled by Roy Hibbert on a drive, Granger felt the need to go trash talk Wade.

The third quarter was all LeBron and Wade. It was an absolute exhibition. From the 2:50 mark in the second quarter until the 1:30 mark in the third, no other Heat player scored. During that 13 minute period, the Heat scored 38 points. During that same stretch, they allowed 16 points.

LeBron finished with a measly 40-18-9. Wade went 30-9-6 with no turnovers.

I've already said that the loss of Bosh is devastating, but if the Heat play like they did in the third quarter (and get Udonis Haslem from 2006 to keep showing up), they're going to be tough to beat on their way to the Finals. Thoughts?

You would be forgiven for thinking the Spurs might get upset in the first round against Utah. After all, the Jazz's bigs could have done exactly what Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol did to them the year before. I picked the Spurs to win the series, but going into the playoffs I wouldn't have been surprised to see the Jazz beat them in 6.

Looking back, I was an idiot.

I have to cut myself some slack. I mean, condensed season, dependence on youngsters, a 2-2 season split with the Rockets...

This didn't seem like a Spurs team that could win a championship. Simply put, they didn't remind me at all of the teams from '03, '05, or '07. They do kind of resemble the '99 squad, which was also during a lockout year.

Tim Duncan looks 28 again, Tony Parker can still get in the lane at will. Heck, Manu Ginobili doesn't even have to play that much anymore because they don't need him. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, and even Boris Diaw have been revelations and are contributing serious minutes on offense and defense.

They're currently on a 16-game winning streak. Their last loss? April 11 to the Lakers. In the next 9 days, they played the Lakers twice more. They won by 23 and 24 points.

Looking at this current streak, it's almost impossible to believe that the scores are from Spurs games. I guess I'm too used to the Van Gundy teams playing the Spurs and saying that the first to 80 would win. During the streak, they have scored over 100 points 15 out of 16 times. They have score 110 points or more 8 of those times. Their closest game during that stretch was a 87-81 game against Utah in game 4. Neither the Jazz or Clippers have scored more than 92 points against them yet.

These are crazy stats! The ball movement is ridiculous, the team has no internal issues to speak of, and they're just rolling. The Spurs are on a different plane of existence right now.

Can anyone stop this train, or do the Spurs win their first even-year title? I guess I'll go on the record and say it's theirs to lose at this point. They're my pick.

Nope, that isn't some headline I used to grab your attention. It's the real deal. And if you happened to be drawn in by it, then all the better. And no, this ain't about the Rockets.

Because Miami's playoff hopes suddenly hinge on their third-best player, the much-maligned, under-appreciated Chris Bosh and his injury.

Note that I said he's their most irreplaceable, not their best player. Look, LeBron James is their best player. He's anyone's best player. And Dwyane Wade is their second-best player. He's most teams' best player.

But here's the deal: if Wade goes down, I think LeBron and Bosh can win you a title. I really believe that. If LeBron goes down, obviously that's devastating. However, we already know you can win with Wade as your best player as long as you have a decent big (old Shaq in 2006; Bosh in 2012).

Essentially, Wade and LeBron can fill in for the other. Not entirely, but enough. But Udonis Haslem isn't what he used to be, and outside of Joel Anthony there isn't much post defense on the Heat side. So with LeBron being asked to guard David West, Danny Granger gets the old Battier on him. I love Shane Battier, but there's a huge difference between LeBron guarding you and Battier guarding you.

So the Heat need Bosh back badly. They can still get past Indiana. And maybe they squeak past Boston in 7, but I don't think they can get through both of those teams and the Western Conference Champions. So Bill Simmons may have to open up his asterisk/footnote book again and take this into account. But Simmons is an ass, so who cares?

How about you? Is Bosh that important to the Heat, or am I out of my mind?

Three teams have been sent home early. Two were expected to make quick exits (the Jazz and Magic) and the other just didn't catch many breaks (the Mavericks).

The Grizzlies, Nuggets, Knicks, Bulls, and Hawks are on the brink of elimination.

Tonight, the two teams that are down 3-1 will have a chance to keep their series alive.

First, the Knicks take on the Heat in South Beach. The Knickerbockers finally won a game, and seem to have shifted a little momentum their way as well. In fact, game 1 was an absolute blowout but each successive game has gotten closer and closer. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues with a return to Miami. The winner of this series gets the Indiana Pacers

The second and final game of the night features the Clippers at the Grizzlies in Memphis. Every game has been pretty close (games have been decided by 1, 7, 1, and 4 points). So by that logic game 5 should come down to the wire as well. The question is whether or not the Clippers go for the jugular or if they stay back and wait for game 6 back at Staples. Should they win tonight, they set up a date with the 1-seed Spurs.

I say the home teams win tonight. What are your thoughts?

Looks like picking the Mavericks to sweep the Thunder in my attempt to jinx the defending champs worked after all.

OKC defeated Dallas in a series that was so much closer to 4-0 leads one to believe. Frankly, the Mavericks could have won games 1, 2, and 4 just as easily as the Thunder. But James Harden went superhero last night and Tyson Chandler didn't walk through the door to save the Mavs from impending doom.

The Spurs are also doing work on the Jazz. Up 3-0 and in total control, it looks like another sweep unless the Jazz fight back and take game 4 despite showing no real intensity in any fourth quarter of the series.

As for today's games, the Bulls take on the Sixers in Philly sans D-Rose and Noah, who twisted his ankle on a fast break. Those are the injuries I hate seeing, and I think anyone who has ever sprained/twisted an ankle will understand how difficult it is to watch those replays.

The Heat look to sweep the Knicks in New York today. Too bad this doesn't make the Knicks pick worth any more.

I don't know what to make of Atlanta and Boston. The Celtics won game 2 without Rondo, but almost blew game 3 at home. Atlanta has enough to beat the Celtics without Ray Allen, but will they?

Finally, the Lakers and Nuggets go at it in game 4 in Denver. The saying goes, "A playoff series doesn't really start until a road team wins a game," which is why this series hasn't gotten much press yet I guess.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Are the Thunder now clear West favorites? Do the Lakers and Spurs hold the edge? Can anyone stop the Heat? Let us know in the comments.

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

No Ray Allen? No problem...for the Hawks. Out indefinitely, Allen's absence has shrunk the Celtics offense. I don't care how surprising Avery Bradley is or how hard Kevin Garnett is playing. No Allen means bad things for the Celtics.

But even more worrisome for the Celtics is Rajon Rondo's game 2 suspension. In fact, if you hate the Heat this is a big one too. With Dwight Howard out, Derrick Rose injured, and Allen questionable, Rondo is the biggest obstacle between the Miami Heat and the NBA Finals. If the Hawks win game 2 and eventually the series, will the Heat be worried about anything at all? The Pacers haven't exactly lit the world on fire in their first two games, the Bulls no longer have a player who can break down a defense at will, and the Hawks don't worry the Heat at all.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls

Speaking of the Bulls, they are going to take this personally. Everyone and their mothers has written them off now. They went 18-9 without Rose this season so they know they can win games without him.

Remember when Yao went down against the Lakers and everyone said, "It's over for the Rockets" and then they took the Lakers to game 7? I could totally see the Bulls getting through the Sixers, Hawks/Celtics, and then challenge the Heat without Rose. I don't think they can win, but they aren't going to go quietly into the good night.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Of the game 1s, both of the early Sunday matchups seemed like regular season games. Both the Lakers and Spurs took down their opponents with very little trouble. Really, both teams took all the intensity out of the situation, which you expect from two teams that have been there before.

As they say, good teams makes games seem boring. So, by that theory, all baseball teams are amazing.

Anyway, I've got the home teams taking all three games tonight.

So we move onto the second half of the first round series today.

Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs

Why couldn't the Suns have made the playoffs? Why did it have to be the Jazz?

Don't kid yourself. The Spurs won't lose another first round series, but doesn't this Jazz team remind you of a certain Grizzlies team from last season? They can trot out Favors, Millsap, and Jefferson at the same time and the Spurs can counter with Duncan, Splitter, and...Diaw.

And Devin Harris is playing as well as Mike Conley was last season. He will have to cancel out Parker for the Jazz to have a chance.

But I think a healthy Manu does wonders for the Spurs, and they take it in 6.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers finished the season pretty well, and they are my pick to win the West. I wanted it to be the Thunder, but they didn't convince me late in the season. If Bynum keeps his head (a big if) and if Kobe doesn't take too many shots (HAHAHA!) the Lakers can still beat anyone in a 7-game series.

So I say Lakers in 5.

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

Ray Allen being hurt changes things considerably.

But I still have to say that the Celtics win it in 5. Kevin Garnett has been a man possessed since moving to center, and Rondo is going to do Rondo things in this series. Poor Jeff Teague. He's so screwed.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

I'm looking forward to this series a ton. I love the Grizzlies still, and I want Blake Griffin to fail miserably. And I'm not sure why that is. It's not like he's a jerk. And he isn't telling ESPN to be on his junk at all times.

But if he loses ESPN has to eat some humble pie. And I dislike ESPN, so that works for me.

Grizzlies in 7 in an super-duper exciting series is my prediction.

So I'm going to try to stick around TDS and post more often than I normally do during the offseason. So I thought I would start by previewing the playoff series that start today. Nothing in depth, but it can create a forum in which we can discuss the games and players. And you can use the comments as a open game thread for the day's games.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls

The first series to tip off today is between the Sixers and Bulls. This series reminds me so much of the Pacers-Bulls series from last year. Part of it is the fact that the Bulls are basically the same squad, and the Sixers are a young and upcoming bunch with a veteran star wing player that plays pretty good defense.

Obviously you have to like the Bulls here. They won the season series 2-1 and ended the season much better than the Sixers. Though the only team that ended the season in poorer form than the Sixers was...us. And the Bobcats.

Series Prediction: Bulls in 6

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

The next series is the hype machine. LeBron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Chandler, Melo, and Novak headline this matchup.

You're going to hear a lot about this one, so I won't make it any more painful. Suffice it to say that this series will be a huge talking point whether it's a sweep or if it goes the distance.

Series Prediction: Heat in 6

Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers

Gotta like the team whose center isn't being a total baby, right? If these guys ever play on ESPN or ABC, be ready for Jeff van Gundy to foam over J.J. Reddick's improved defense and Ryan Anderson's ability to space the floor. And that's about it for the Magic.

Much like the Sixers remind me of last year's Pacers, this year's Pacers remind me a little bit of the Bulls from two years ago when they played the Cavaliers. They were the 8 seed and were either swept or lost 4-1. They were too young. Well, the following year they became the 1 seed. That's kind of how I see the Pacers right now actually. They're young, talented, and they don't completely know how good they are yet. Are they good enough to sweep a Magic team that is sans Dwight Howard? Yeah they are. Can they challenge the Heat (or the Knicks who would be playing with a ton of momentum if they beat the Heat)? We're going to find out together, aren't we?

Series Prediction: Pacers in 5

Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

It's a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, but the Thunder are the clear favorites this time. No Tyson Chandler means that the Thunder will expect to run lay-up lines and the Mavs will need Dirk to be the Dirk from last year's playoffs (capable of going for 40 every night, hits every big shot). I don't know if they can do it.

But I live in Lubbock, where everyone thinks the Mavs are underrated. And so they're the sexy pick to pull the upset in the first round. So I'm going with that.

Series Prediction: Mavs in 4. Am I doing this to jinx the Mavericks? Yep. I almost put "Mavs in 3" just to be sure.

I know. How can I possibly follow up two BD posts in one day?

I can't. But I have to try.

Firstly, it seems the upsets are starting to come out. After that terrible March Madness tournament (terrible as in there were no upsets-the basketball quality itself wasn't bad), I thought we might get a season where all the favorites won everything. Boring!

But look! The Washington Nationals are 13-4. The Dodgers don't suck! The Astros...wait, nope. The less said about them, the better.

Don't like baseball? Can't blame you. Let's move on to soccer (or football, if you will).

If you asked a diehard fan who the best three club teams in Europe are, you'd almost certainly get Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid as your top three responses, in some order.

Well, in the Champions League, the tournament of the best of the best club teams of Europe, none of those three teams are going to the final. A normal superpower EPL team that was struggling mightily has found new life under a new coach. That would be the EPL's sixth-best team, Chelsea. Their opponents in Munich? The Bundesliga's Second-place Bayern Munich.

Wow, AK. A sixth-place team that is having a "down" year and a perennial power of German soccer. Yeah, a couple of real underdogs.

Rewind to two weeks ago. Ask any fan if Chelsea could beat Barcelona. Even the most optimistic fans would say they would have needed a miracle. Fast-forward one week. Ask those Bayern fans if Real would lose after finally beating Barca in "El Clasico." Again, not much hope.

But it's why we play the games. It's why I'm excited about the playoffs, even without the Rockets. It's why I'm excited for the draft, even without a top 5 pick. It's why I'm still here.

And I'm going to try to stick around throughout the playoffs and even into the summer. You know how it is. Draft previews, player report cards, trade ideas (that don't suck), and general analysis are always out there.

So the Rockets end the 2011-12 season tonight at home against the Hornets. By any metric, it's been a disappointing season for the good guys, made even more bitter by the fact that everything this team strove for and all the mediocrity they attempted to accomplish was within reach.

But hey, as Red Sox fans learned, there's always next year.

Tip-off set for 7pm CST.

Hornets vs Rockets coverage

At The Hive

Either a really big game for the Rockets or not important at all.

Anyway, let's try to take one in South Beach!

So Utah gets a Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic team and still needs overtime to beat them at home.

That's just the typical Rockets luck, isn't it?

So for the Rockets to make the playoffs, and it's the most unlikely of scenarios, here's what has to happen.

1. The Rockets have to win out. Duh. That means wins over Miami today and New Orleans on Thursday.

2. Phoenix and Utah play Tuesday. If Utah wins, they're in. So we need Phoenix to win. That way, if the Rockets beat Miami today, all three teams are 34-31 with one to play.

3. The Rockets have no tiebreakers over either team. So, they need Phoenix to lose at home on Wednesday to San Antonio. If the Suns win, the Rockets are done, and they will know their fate before the Thursday game against the Hornets.

4. If the Suns lose, the Rockets ALSO need the Jazz to lose on Thursday at home to the Trail Blazers. The same Blazers they beat Wednesday by 21 at the Rose Garden. Then the Rockets have to beat New Orleans, which they've proven that they cannot do.

In summary, the Rockets hopes might rest on a Miami team that isn't willing to play their stars in their last home game of the season (ridiculous), a Suns team to go into SLC and win (unlikely), that same Suns team to lose to a Spurs team that might not send their stars because they don't care enough about the first seed (you know it's true), and then the Jazz have to lose their most important game of the season at home to a team that they know they can beat and a team that is trying to tank even though they really can't fall any further.

So you're saying there's a chance?

Oh yeah so there's some Heat in this preview:

HEAT - Trailer - (1995) - HQ (via ryy79)

Tip-off is at 5pm CST.

Updates galore: No Wade, Bosh, or Chalmers for Miami. Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin have been shut down for the season.

Rockets vs Heat coverage

Peninsula is Mightier

The title kind of says it all, doesn't it?

For one of the first times in my life, I'm at a loss for words. My mother would be ecstatic.

You see, I'm generally optimistic. I'm a "wait-and-see" type of person. When a young guy struggles, I'm not quick to call them a bust or be generally negative about them.

When the Rockets trade for someone and the community either bemoans the trade or endorses it, I still maintain a "give it time" approach. Some would say that that is not optimistic but detached. But it's not like I don't have opinions at all.

I still like Kevin Martin. Yeah, it's out there for all the internets to challenge me on.

I still like Kevin McHale, though he's clueless when it comes to late-game lineups.

I still don't like the Marcus Morris pick. That's not to say I dislike Morris. Dude seems cool. But he wasn't the right fit here and Morey's Best Player Available strategy failed him.

I like the Targaryen, though I do think those couple of weeks were the peak of Goran Dragic.

I liked the Pau Gasol trade, I liked how Daryl Morey refused to be bullied by any deals afterwards.

I'm hopeful about this team in general. Can they win games? Duh. Can they make the playoffs (in other years)? Of course they can. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just being an ass.

But what's the goal here? This isn't about lifestyle. Don't be blinded by the hype. It isn't about the Maybachs, mansions, benjamins and bling. As a matter of fact, keep the icing. I wanna taste the cake!

And this group isn't ever going to get one. Or even get close.

Tip-off at 7pm CST.

Warriors vs Rockets coverage

Golden State Of Mind

It's happening again.

That apathy for the Rockets season has returned. It's now been three years since we beat Portland in a playoff series, only to run into the Lakers and Yao Ming's foot issues (again).

I am sick and tired of watching teams that don't put forth as much effort beating us. I'm tired of watching us not take control of games when we need to. What I thought was really telling was that the Rockets pretty much owned the third quarter last night. We hit almost everything. And yet, when the quarter ended, we were up six.

Six is nice. But when you want to beat a team on the road, you can't let them hang around. You have to pull away. You have to step on the jugular and tell them to stay down.

The Rockets aren't that team. And they won't be until they have a star or two. But superstars don't grow on trees. They don't get traded all the time. They don't just appear.

So what can the Rockets do now?

Well, they won't tank. They've made that abundantly clear. I'm sure they'll try hard in these last four games. I still say they'll go 2-2. So, no playoffs, no lottery pick, and no star?

Time to play the young'uns! Wait, do we even have any young guys anymore?

Oh, and I still want Jason Terry to die. Or at least get traded. Or go to Europe. Or Antarctica, where he can die. I'm really not picky.

Anyway, Rockets vs. the New Orleans Hornets tonight. And a depressed AK watching from home.

Tip off is at 7pm CST.

Last week at this time we were getting pumped. We were 4-0 on a potentially rough road trip and the fifth seed was in sight. But you know what they say...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Rockets have become legendary for their fourth quarter collapses over the years. Blowing epic leads that seemed safe was just a regular Tuesday for Houston. Oh, we're up 15 with 8 minutes left? Let's fix that. Sorry about the confusion.

So you could say that the Rockets are continuing a trend on the larger scale. Now, it's the fourth quarter of the season and our favorite men in red cannot get a win to save their playoff lives. And it's always the third quarter. I don't know what's going on in the locker room at halftime, but something ain't right.

And now Kevin Martin wants to come back. Fine by me. Honestly, can he do any worse than the Rockets have done in the last week? I know he stinks on defense, but when you're giving up 30+ points in the third quarter, you can't be picky. Offense matters, too. And with him getting to the line, it allows guys to rest and lets McHale set up a defense on the other side of the floor.

Wait, Kevin Martin could help this team? Heresy!

And tonight it's the Mavericks. The bane of our existence. No wins against them since 2009. Here's the deal: win this game, and the floodgates open. Win this game, and we go 5-0 the rest of the way. Lose it, and 2-3 happens. Calling it right now. For the first time in the TCWHRO prediction game, I am not making a prediction on purpose. We have to win this thing, and I'm having a hard time deciding between my heart and my brain.

Other important games tonight for the Rockets:

Clippers vs. Nuggets

Thunder vs. Suns

Jazz vs. Trail Blazers

With it looking like the Knicks are going to make the playoffs, I won't be including them anymore. But any loss for them is still good news for us. And no matchups because this team doesn't deserve them. And you know...medical school. Plus, no posting this at 8am in the morning. I'll do whatever it takes to change the mojo of this ballclub.

Tip is at 7:30 CST.

Rockets vs Mavericks coverage

Mavs Moneyball

"Maybe we won't suck tonight" is basically what I was going for in the title.

Against the Jazz, the first half doomed the Rockets. Against the Suns, it was the third quarter.

Then against the Nuggets, it was the third quarter that killed us.

So by that logic, tonight we'll screw up the first quarter. Or the whole game. It's really not a true pattern, unless you're a fan of the Rockets. Then you get it. Expect the worst but hope for the best but even when it's the best you know the worst is lurking around the corner. Sounds about right?

So, it's take two against the Nuggets. This time we're back at the Toyota Center. That didn't help against the Jazz and Suns, and Denver enters the building tonight knowing three important facts.

1. They won here earlier this year.

2. They just beat the Rockets last night.

3. If Marcus Camby doesn't play, they won't be able to tell the difference between their pre-game lay-up lines and the actual action of the game.

Just to cheer us all up, I've got a catchy tune that I'm throwing up here. Maybe I'll borrow (read: completely steal) the Song of the Game idea from Denver Stiffs.

Daft Punk - Crescendolls (via emimusic)

Prediction: Rockets 100-95. Rockets play poorly in the first quarter, bounce back and win after McHale pulls out his own hair and then proceeds to throw a chair.

Big game for the Rockets tonight at the Pepsi Center. New York's loss earlier tonight as well as Dallas's faltering against the Lakers means today got off to a good start for the good guys.

Let's get to it!

Well that was a sucky homestand, wasn't it? 0-2 against the two teams we needed wins against, and now the backs are to the wall.

The Rockets gave themselves a cushion by going 4-0 on that road swing, but these last two losses have been gut punches. And it's been the middle quarters that have given the Rockets trouble. In years past that was when the good guys would work hard and stay in the game, only to have it all come unraveled in the fourth quarter.

Denver isn't really one of the teams you want to go home-and-home with. The altitude changes are miserable. However, it's not as if the Nuggets aren't playing in the same altitude, and the Rockets did win in Denver earlier this year. Granted, Denver was missing everyone and I even played 15 minutes for them in that game, but nevertheless it's a game the Rockets can win, even though it isn't really expected.

As an aside, it's Green Week or Green Month or something in the NBA. To show our support (or just for the heck of it), we're going to make the comments section green too with recs. Obviously don't recommend a comment if it is just a score prediction or doesn't make a real point, but I'm going to rec anything that adds to discussion and I hope you do too. It could be fun.

I'll through up a mini-preview for Sunday's leg in Houston. For now, I'll leave it at that.

Other games in the NBA tonight that matter to the Rockets:

Miami at New York

Dallas at Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis vs. New Orleans

Tip is at 7pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

April 11, 2012 may go down as one of the worst days ever for the Rockets. Basically every team the Rockets were rooting for lost. The only way for that situation to be worse would be if we lost to the hated Utah Jazz.

Oh wait.

But the Rockets can get it back tonight. Obviously the loss to the Jazz is killer, but if you want to make the playoffs you have to be able to bounce back against anyone.

The Rockets sit tied for seventh place, and sit a game and a half ahead of the Jazz and two games ahead of the Suns. Lose this one and that 4-0 road trip becomes practically meaningless and we're back where we started a couple of weeks ago.

Must-win, gotta have it, cliches, etc.

Other games in the NBA tonight that matter to the Rockets:

Jazz vs. Hornets

Bucks vs. Pistons

Nuggets vs. Lakers

Mavericks vs. Trail Blazers

Tip is at 7pm CST. ON ESPN!

Matchups after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Of course it's the Jazz. It's always the Jazz.

They couldn't just fade away. New coach, new system, a baby-face starting at small forward, and Devin FREAKIN' Harris is their leading scorer recently. They shouldn't be hanging around.

But they're the Jazz. The bane of our existence. Of course they're still here. Of course they're chasing us.

And of course the Spurs didn't take their Big Three on the road to face them. Hey Spurs, remember last year when you did that against the Grizzlies? And that helped the Grizz clinch the 8 seed? How did that turn out for you? Yeah, I thought so.

The Jazz are still 1.5 games out of the eighth spot, and with Dallas faltering they have to be foaming at the mouth. They have to hope that the Rockets sweep their home-and-home with the Nuggets. Part of me hopes we don't send anyone but Courtney Fortson to Denver for that game.

Thus starts yet another important homestand for the Rockets. Utah tonight then Phoenix Friday. Winning both games could wrap this sucker up for the good guys. The team that goes better than .500 out of the three teams will get a huge momentum boost. Meaning, going 1-1 is okay for the Rockets, but it will give hope to the team that beats them. Going 0-2 would be a disaster, as it would further muddy the already turbid waters of the Western Conference playoff race.

Other games in the NBA tonight that matter to the Rockets:

Knicks vs. Bucks

Clippers vs. Thunder

Suns vs. Grizzlies

Lakers vs. Spurs

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets

Tip is at 7pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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Halfway through the season, the Blazers were in a similar situation as the Rockets. Then a combination of a tough schedule, the trade deadline, and the firing of Nate McMillan happened. The last may have come from a long period of mediocrity, but I liked McMillan a lot. But I get it.

The Blazers and Rockets did make a swap at the deadline. Marcus Camby came to the Rockets for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a second round pick.

Anyway, the up-and-down nature of the Blazers season was evident last week. They destroyed Minnesota, then lost to Utah at home. They handily defeated New Jersey, then headed to Dallas and beat the Mavericks in a hard-fought game in overtime. Then they were outscored 62-31 in the second half against the Bucks.

It is a back-to-back for the Rockets tonight. And a very important game.

Of course, they're all important. But you know how much I hate cliches. So this is a must-not-lose game. Oh I am clever!

Here's something to lift some spirits (warning: the word for male genitalia is stated once, but not harshly I guess):

Dream of the 90s - Portlandia on IFC (via ifc)

Tip is at 9pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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You're probably thinking, "Hey AK, didn't these teams play two weeks ago?"

They did indeed. The Kings jumped all over the Rockets in the first quarter, and the rest of the game saw the good guys climbing back into the game slowly. Agonizingly slowly. It was one of those games where you sensed it by the second quarter: the Rockets were the better team, but the Kings were outplaying them. They wanted the loose balls, they stuck to their offense, and their defense, which is not usually very good, was doing more than enough to give the Rockets fits.

Give them a ton of credit. The Kings are playing spoiler now, just as they have done for the past few years. There's not much to play for except pride, but that group is still going hard. After all, that "never give up" attitude is the same quality that makes this Rockets team so much fun to watch. In previous years, going down big to a team, any team, meant defeat. Yeah, maybe we'd come back, but the heartbreak would be lurking near the end of the game.

Once again it seems the schedule makers have forgotten who the Rockets are. The Kings play late tonight in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Granted, LA to Sac-Town isn't a long way, but knowing that the Rockets have been in Sacramento longer than the Kings is a nice thought.

Tip-off is at 8pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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The Rockets have 12 games left in the regular season. They are currently tied for seventh place with Denver and hold 1 and 1.5 game leads over Phoenix and Utah, respectively. And don't count out those pesky Blazers just yet.

So I was talking to a friend and he asked how many wins out of the 12 the Rockets would need to assure themselves the playoffs.

I said "12." Duh.

But he wanted me to be serious, so I said 9-3.

Now don't get me wrong. 9-3 is a tall order. Really tall. Let's take a look.

Looking at the schedule, I see three games that should be absolute wins (@NO, vs GSW, vs NO). The thing is, those are three of our last four games. It's entirely possible to not even be in contention by that point.

I see three winnable road games (@SAC, @POR, @DEN) but if we went 1-2 in those I wouldn't be surprised.

I see three monumentally important home games (vs UTAH, vs PHO, vs DEN). I see us going 2-1 in those, with 3-0 and 1-2 also being likely results.

The other three games (tonight @LAL, @DAL, @MIA) appear like losses on paper. After all, the Rockets won't get any calls tonight, so that's a loss. The Rockets can't beat the Mavericks to save their lives, so that's another loss. The Heat game is interesting. That's their last home game of the season, but they have two more after that. Before that game, they play the Bulls twice. So potentially by that point the number one seed in the Eastern Conference could be decided. If it is, the Heat might rest their starters. If it isn't look out below because we're in for a good old-fashioned butt-whooping in South Beach.

So if you're keeping track at home, I've got us at 6-5 with the Heat game as a swinger. Yeah. 6-6 could happen.

But will it be enough? I don't think so. So the Rockets have to start tonight. Steal a win in LA, and who knows? 9-3 could be in the cards.

Though I do expect the Rockets to start slowly after a long layoff. I'm starting to feel badly for the NBA schedule makers. They can never make me happy. They give us back-to-backs all the time and I complain. They give us three days off and I complain too. Oh well.

Late tip-off at 9:30pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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What a terrible loss to take. When you go into the fourth quarter up by 10 at home, you expect the team to put the game away and maybe let you get comfortable.

"Indeed?" asked the Rockets last night. "Though hast not heard our tales of woe in a fortnight!"

So they blew the lead. But they're the Rockets, so you knew they would stick around.

Then they went into overtime, where their pluck ran out.

So the Rockets blew a chance to beat a team on a back-to-back, but tonight they get another. Though this time the tables have turned. The Bulls also played yesterday, but earlier in the afternoon. They were crushed by the Thunder, and I expect Tom Thibodeau to have them riled up and ready to take on the team where he used to be an assistant coach.

Also, they'll be at the Madhouse on Madison, the best nickname for an arena in the NBA. Oh, and the last time the Rockets were there Derrick Rose hit a three to force overtime, where the Rockets lost.

But it appears that D-Rose will not be playing tonight. However, being the realistic Rockets fan that I am, I expect him to come in and lift his team to a win even if he has to play in a wheelchair.

And in lieu of matchups, I'm giving you the greatest introductions in NBA history. I get chills every time I hear "Sirius."

Chicago Bulls Introduction 1997 NBA Finals Game 6 (via FreshWesss)

Tip off is at 7pm CST.

Make sure to get in on the prediction contest. Mine is Bulls 98-92.

And make sure you head over to Blog a Bull to get the opponents' view of things. And by opponents, I mean one person. Over at BaB, "your friendly BullsBlogger" does everything. Seriously, look at his title on the masthead at the bottom of the site. Kudos.

14 games in 26 days.

That's what stands between the Rockets and the playoffs.

8 of the 14 are on the road

10 will be against teams assured or working towards the playoffs.

There are five back-to-backs.

Only three games are against the Eastern Conference, and they're all tough. Tonight vs. the Pacers, then tomorrow at Chicago (which I am sure Derrick Rose will come back just in time for), and at Miami in our penultimate game.

You know what they say: nothing worth having in life is easy.

And by the way, the NBA schedule makers screwed up and gave Indiana a game last night against the Spurs. Don't they know they're supposed to play us first (on a back-to-back) and then play a well-rested Utah or Denver team? Stupid NBA schedule makers.

Slightly early tip-off at 6pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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Tip is at 7pm CST.

Matchups after the jump.

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Before I get started, I want to thank Patrick, OJ ATM, and mitmil22 for writing three straight previews for TDS. All three were of excellent quality and I enjoyed reading all three of them. Thanks guys.

Back when the schedules were released, one of my friends out here in Lubbock said, "The Rockets and Mavericks play a home-and-home this year."

"No they don't," I responded. After all, I had just looked over the schedule and saw that the Rockets played two home-and-homes this year (against OKC early and Denver late). And last I checked, Dallas wasn't OKC or Denver. It's not "Rocky Mountain Cesspool" after all.

I insisted he was wrong, he insisted I was an idiot, and long-story short, we were both wrong.

For the Mavericks, it's a home-and-home. For us, it isn't. While the Mavericks have had two days off and have been sleeping comfortably in their own beds watching the war of attrition being waged in the Western Conference, the Rockets lost* a fast-paced game to a Kings team that just loves playing spoiler against us.

*I wrote this when the Rockets were down 90-82 with ~5:30 left in the game. Then we won, so I figured it should be left up there to make me feel stupid once again.

The Rockets will potentially be without both Goran Dragic and Marcus Camby. The big advantage for the good guys tonight will be on the boards, but without Camby it hurts. Though Camby did say he would play. And no Dragic would be devastating. Oh, to be Rockets fan. You get gritty wins that make you proud of your team, but just when things look all right an ankle twists or a knee pops or shoulder labrally (is that a word?) tears.

Oh, and this is the obligatory "I hate Jason Terry" sentence. As in, I really hate Jason Terry. Like, a lot. I cannot wait for him to retire. It will be a Houston holiday. We'll meet up every year for drinks and whatnot and toast the absence of the player who just kills the Rockets more than any other team. He and Thaddeus Young can never be on the same team because if it wasn't the Rockets I would need extra pairs of pants constantly. They both terrify me more than medical school exams.

For matchups, I'm taking the lazy way out today and linking back to OJ ATM's brilliant Mavs preview and this video of a man defying gravity. And predict a 110-92 Mavericks victory. After all, the Rockets have not defeated the Mavericks since December 31, 2009. I remember because it was my birthday and I was there. Since then, we're 0-5 against them, with the last two losses coming at home in overtime.

Courtney Lee's one-handed putback slam vs. Mavericks (via clutchfansDOTnet)

Tip-off is at 7:30 CST.

Mavs Moneyball

It's the Derek Fisher Bowl!

Or the Jordan Hill Bowl.

Or the "Teams Rick Adelman isn't a huge fan of" Bowl.

Basketball needs its own version of "bowl." And not something stupid like "invitational." I'm not inviting you anywhere, so don't pretend like we're buddies.

Okay, so the Lakers come to the Yote tonight. At first, I thought they might be on a back-to-back, then I remembered that we're the Rockets so I started laughing instead. If there's one thing I'd like Daryl Morey to trade for, it's a schedule where we get some nice breaks. Wouldn't it be nice to be lucky every once in a while? Could that happen for us?

Nah.

But we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We get an angry Lakers team that just lost at Staples to the Jazz. And that's with a free throw discrepancy of 40-22. And despite the fact that Andrew Bynum went 33/11 on 12-14 shooting. Or that Ramon Sessions, in his Laker debut went 1-7 but was given a warm LA welcome with 10 free throws. And despite the fact that Matt Barnes (of all people!) went 12/8/6.

The real issue was the 24 turnovers. Or the fact that they took 18 (eighteen!) fewer shots than the Jazz. Or you could say, "Kobe went 3-20, of course they lost." Or you could see that 17 of those 24 turnovers came from their big 3.

All in all, it's a bounce-back game for the Lakers, while the Rockets are still trying to get to 100% health-wise and figure out what kind of team they want to be down the stretch.

Programming note: I'm completely swamped Wednesday, so Patrick will be writing Thursday's preview for the Warriors game. And Friday's preview for the Mavericks will be taken by our resident Rockets-Mavs fan, OJ ATM. AND Mitmil will be writing next Monday's preview against the Kings because he won that right with a contest earlier in the season. I feel like I'm taking a vacation, but our Phys final is next week so I'll be camping out in the library.

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After yet another tough loss for this club, we'll see what they have left.

Hopefully Parsons feels better. Hopefully Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet arrive in Portland on their road trip that everyone wants to be made into a movie. Or at least a tv show.

"One's 7-3! One's 3-7! They're best-buds!"* TV theme song is a work in progress.

Hasheem and Jonny is filmed before a live studio audience.

Jonny: Yo Hash, when are we getting to Portland?

Hasheem: We're almost there, GPS says.

Jonny: Remember when we dominated the Big East?

Hasheem: Yeah, that was great. Everyone was short and no one tried to stop me.

Jonny: I tried to stop you, but I could never grab the ball.

Hasheem: Oh, you got the ball once, but not the basketball.

*Laugh track*

Jonny: Why did that sign say "Now entering Maine?"

Hasheem: Duh, idiot. Portland, Maine. There's lots of trails there. That they blazed.

Jonny: Oh, cool.

Find out next week if the guys will ever get to the real Portland.

And remember, tip is at 8pm CST.

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