SB Nation User Blog: grungedave

Things that blow my mind: we are in 1st place?

grungedave — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:43:41 -0000

Southwest Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Houston	11	7	.611	0	Lost 1
New Orleans	9	6	.600	0.5	Lost 1
San Antonio	9	7	.562	1	Lost 1
Dallas	8	8	.500	2	Won 1
Memphis	4	13	.235	6.5	Lost 6

(updated 12.1.2008 at 10:43 AM CST)

The inconsistent Rockets are in 1st freakin' place? WTF?

Rockets: What we have is a failure to launch

grungedave — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:37:44 -0000

Yes, a failure to launch. I realize I just referenced a horribly shitty Matthew McConaughey movie that co-stars a horse and Terry Bradshaw's bare ass, but that's how I feel about my favorite team this morning.

First a few thoughts:

That's the Luther Head I remember. Timid and prone to bad decision making.

Steve Javie and Scott Wall are the two worst officials in the league (non-Violet Palmer division). To have these two clowns on the same unit is a travesty. Example: Aaron Brooks tried to walk away from a bad call....... Javie stares him down and Ts him up anyway, just daring him to react so he can double-T him. Pathetic. Wall and Javie also have no idea what a blocking foul is. My only guess is that if the player wears red/white - it's a foul. If the defender wears blue/white - it's a charge. Simple, right?

Chauncey Billups remains the most overrated player in the NBA, but when you get to face Rafer Alston (and have "help" in the form of Scott Wall and Steve Javie), you basically get the numbers Billups put up last night. But that's not my concern today.

Ron Artest is never going to get a call and he appears *thisclose* to just exploding on an official. I think there is collusion among the officials to get him to do just that.

Finally, FU schedule makers. First we have to play a night-game in HOUSTON. Against San Antonio. Then we immediately have to jump on a plane to fly to DENVER to play the Nuggets in a city notorious for it being difficult to run and play extended minutes? Seriously, FU. There was no need to make Denver the site of the back end of a back-to-back.

Nonetheless, my real concern is that the Rockets are a ground-based team. There is no "above the rim" action from any of the key contributors.

Look at our rotation:

Yao Ming - 7'6" - Displays a tendency to get blocked by the rim.
Luis Scola - 6-10" - only gorilla dunks in international competition apparently.
Ron Artest - 6'7" - only plays below the rim and takes off balance layups.
Tracy McGrady - 6'8" - The NBA, where this will never happen again.
Rafer Alston - 6'1" - can't even make layups.
Chuck Hayes - 6'6" (?) - dunking is way in his past.
Aaron Brooks - midget-sized - can dunk, but not in traffic.
Brent Barry - 6'8" - yeah, the dunk competition was a LONG time ago.
Shane Battier - 6'8" - still proving that white men can't jump.
Luther Head - 6'3" - I don't even want him playing, much less playing above the rim (which he can't do).

which leaves us:

Carl Landry - 6'9" - okay, so he can dunk, yet on defense he is the prototypical "below the rim" player who rarely blocks shots.
Joey Dorsey - 6'9" - also can dunk. Also never allowed to play.
Von Wafer - 6'7" - had a very pretty dunk in traffic against Denver. The Rockets never ran a play for him again.
Steve Francis - 6'3" - the Franchise used to be able to fly. Now he's not even allowed to travel with the team.

This team is not "small" - and yet we play small.

This is why Denver (and every other team) continues to have block parties against the Rockets. There simply are no high-fliers on offense. And on defense, the only shot-blocker is Yao.... but with the likes of Javie and Wall still being employed, teams can run into Yao with impunity because Yao will always get the foul called on him. Because of this, the Rockets have to play perfect defense to shut a team down. And then we can only hope the bal doesn't bounce funny and we can secure a rebound. Rebounding has all of a sudden become a major problem (which would be solved if Ricky would let Scola play more, but I digress.......)

Because of the Rockets' inability to play above-the-rim, this is why teams pack it in and make guys like Rafer, Luther and Artest shoot all those fadeaway 3s. The percentages just are not in our favor there. But we keep doing it. Which is what frustrates me more. Mistakes are okay... making the same mistake repeatedly every game is not. I mean, come on, you have a 7'6" guy on your team. Learn how to make a post entry pass and then cut to the basket. Easy layups. We have yet to even attempt a play like that this year. Instead the play is "Pass to Yao, stand around, look surprised when Yao passes back out... turnover." Ugh.

Daryl Morey needs to acquire 2 pieces: A backup C (the Marcus Camby suggestion is nothing short of brilliant) and an "above the rim" type - which I thought we had in Gerald Green last year, but his 10 cent head couldn't keep up. We still need that young, athletic guy to just give opposing team's a different look from time to time.

I just never want to see a game like I watched last night. Ever again.

Luis Landry to the res..... oh, dammit!!!

grungedave — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:32:37 -0000

Well, I made it a month...

You suck, Rafer.

You just got de-pantsed by TJ Ford. Repeatedly. And then you continued to make mind-boggling and stupid decisions with the basketball.

(And Ron Artest? I am sure you wanted to show off for the guys in the "Indiana" jerseys, but those were 21 very ugly shots you took.)

34.8% shooting for the game? At home. Disgusting.

There is no way the Rockets should have lost last night. Blowing a double-digit lead with just a few minutes left? (Hey, has anyone realized that Troy Murphy is wide-the-fuck-open at the top of the key... still?). That is some sloppy defense played tonight. We get outscored 27-16 in the fourth quarter? I can live with only scoring 16 points, but giving up 27 in the money period? Shameful.

Worst part?

10 guys ruined what was an awesome game by Luis Landry. Scola finishes with 15 points and 18 bullish rebounds. Landry finishes with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Everyone else except maybe Yao forgot to show up. Including the referees. Yao gets elbowed and kneed right in the face/chest... no foul. Ever.

I guess I should be thankful considering today is Thanksgiving. Well, I'm thankful that there is another game soon and I'll never have to think about this debacle ever again. This is almost as bad as last year's Philly Debacle. Blowing games like this at home is inexcusable. Maybe Yao will come out and call his teammates "stupid" this year (to follow up last year's "we are soft" declaration).

People who need a swift kick in the nuts: Bill "Sports Guy" Simmons

grungedave — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:17:15 -0000

Just when I thought Sports Guy was regaining his fastball...

he opens with this:

Just four weeks into the season, we're down to six contenders for the 2009 NBA title: Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Utah and San Antonio.

Hey, Simmons....... you can go fuck yourself! Houston is clearly a bigger and better candidate than New Orleans, Cleveland or San Antonio for the ring.

Time to retire the ugly red blazer?

grungedave — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:51:35 -0000

While I hear rumors that McGrady is going to pull a Peter Gibbons and not show up at the usual time for the game tonight... there is good news.

Shane Battier might be back!

The saga of the hideous red blazer/jacket may have (finally) reached its conclusion!

let's just quote Shane directly so as to prevent any miscommunication here:

"It feels pretty good. It feels better than it did a month and a half ago," Battier said following Tuesday’s workout. "I wouldn’t say that I feel outstanding, but I feel good enough to finally dip my toe in the water.

"Hopefully, I wake up in the morning and feel good. So much is predicated on how good I feel in the morning. If it feels pretty good in the shootaround, I’ll retire the red jacket for at least a night."

As Barney would say.......

Robert Horry is a Hall-of-Famer (roundtable discussion)

grungedave — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:52:00 -0000

Because Robert Horry is in semi-retirement, a group of bloggers suggested we have a discussion on whether or not Horry should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I think we all know my particular stance on the issue, so of course I joined them in this debate.

Here's the entire discussion.

Here's my opening statement:

Robert Horry is a Hall of Famer. The purpose of the Basketball Hall of Fame is to recognize the elite. Be it an elite scorer, an elite defensive player, or an elite distributor of the ball to teammates. There are no specific rules or requirements for "who" is qualified for the Hall. The facts are undeniable that Robert Horry was an essential and necessary piece of seven different championship teams. Without Horry, it is quite likely that none of these teams would have emerged victorious in that particular year. Furthermore, these seven championships were acquired by three different organizations.

In short, Robert Horry is the greatest winner of the modern era. Yes, even moreso than Michael Jordan. Horry has more championship rings than anyone not affiliated with the Celtics (whose own championships are watered-down given the fact that it was an 8-team league that intentionally limited the impact of African-American players).

Every single year Robert Horry played, his team made it to the playoffs.
And they never got bounced in the first round. Ever.

What made Horry great is he did whatever it took to win. Everyone knows about his penchant for clutch shooting. What is often overlooked is his willingness to do all the little things. Everything from a hockey assist, to taking a charge, to closing the passing lanes, to the flawless post-entry pass. These are not things that show up in a box score anywhere other than in the "W" and "L" columns. These just happen to be the most important statistics of all. And Horry made sure his teams filled the "W" columns every May and June.

It is no accident that Horry played in more playoff games than anyone in history. It was not just about picking the right teams or being aligned with the best players. Hakeem was never a champion until he met Horry. Same for Shaquille and Kobe. Tim Duncan admittedly would have 2 less rings if Horry was not there to bail him out in '05 and '07.

If being the greatest winner of your sport in a particular era is not enough, the Hall of Fame has problems.

-----

Discuss....

How did no one tell me about this (ESPN conversation with Robert Horry)???

grungedave — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:42:40 -0000

I find it incredibly mean that no one pointed me to this ESPN interview with Robert Horry... which I'm about to just cut/paste here:

Five questions with seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry:

Q: We miss you, Big Shot Rob. So can you tell us we're going to see you in a uniform again before the season is over?

A: To be honest with you, I doubt it. It's a trend in the NBA right now to go with youth. I don't think anybody is going to be going for a wily, 38-year-old veteran such as myself. … You never know. It would have to be something I really want for me to even think about it.

Q: What about the trend of signing veterans late in the season that Boston started with P.J. Brown? I hear that Sam Cassell is already trying to convince the Celtics to bring you in after the All-Star break.

A: Sam actually called me about a month ago. I was down in San Diego training, just trying to do something to stay in shape. Sam said: "I talked to Doc [Rivers]. He's thinking about bringing you in at the end of the season, so make sure you stay in shape." I said, "That's fine about Doc, but who is that GM in Boston?" I don't think that's gonna work out.

[Editor's note: Horry was obviously referring to longtime nemesis Danny Ainge]

Q: Were you actively looking for a team in the summer and just couldn't find any takers?

A: I really wanted to keep playing. But for me it's kind of hard because I don't have an agent calling around for me. … I'm still trying to stay in shape the best I can. I'm shooting about once every three days. I do a lot of pool work to stay off my joints; I get out early in the morning with all the 60-year-old women. But once the holidays come, if I'm still around the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas, it might be time to just eat and enjoy life.

Q: If you really have played your last game, can we assume you're leaving happy with what you've accomplished?

A: It was a tremendous run. I'm kind of upset the way it ended having a DNP in my last playoff game. My very last game, I don't even get off the bench … it's not the way you really want to go out. But I guess I've had enough on-top moments, probably more than anybody in the league right now. If you told me I'd be able to get seven [rings], I've either been very lucky or I've done a great job helping these great players. I don't think there's been a luckier guy, not being a superstar or even a star.

Q: I know you're trying to downplay it here, so I'll say it: If this turns out to be the end, shouldn't you retiring be a bigger deal with a little more hoopla, even though you've always told us you're a low-key guy?

A: That's happened a lot of times. For as much as I accomplished, I think there's been times I got screwed over in some way, like the way I was treated by some of the refs. Even Nike. I've been a Nike guy for 16 years, and once I looked at their Web site … I'm in the league and I didn't even know some of the guys who were on there instead of me. So looking back, I got screwed over sometimes as far as being recognized. But at the end of the day, you can ask any of the players that I played with or any of the coaches that I played for -- except Danny Ainge -- and I bet they say, "I loved that guy." Overall I didn't get some of the things I wanted to get recognition-wise, but I got the respect of my peers.

Q: What do you think of all of us experts who've anointed James Posey as the new Robert Horry?

A: No, no, no. He ain't no Robert Horry. Posey is a good friend of mine, I love him as a person. But he can't play as many positions as me. I think he plays D almost as good as me, even though he doesn't block shots like I did. He's a great player, but until he reaches that seven mark, he's no Robert Horry.

----

Oh, be on the lookout for a round-table-ish interview where I get to argue the Hall of Fame credentials on behalf of Robert Horry. To think someone actually took the approach that Horry isn't a Hall of Famer... and that this person isn't Danny Ainge!?!?

11/24/08 - Blogger Power Rankings

grungedave — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:54:36 -0000

Bright Side of the Sun was kind enough to host this week's round of the blogger power rankings...

here are this week's rankings, with comments.

Yeah, I have the Rockets at 3rd - but almost by default. Only the Lakers and the Celtics have looked like Championship-caliber teams so far. And you know there is no way I rank Utah ahead of Houston when the teams have the exact same record!

Yao > D-Ho

grungedave — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:31:48 -0000

A quote from Matt Bullard on the air tonight:

"I believe Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA"

wat??

via assets.espn.go.com

Yao must have been nearby and heard this blasphemous statement. For Yao only went out and decided to destroy Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Yao finishes with 22 points and 13 rebounds. And it could have been worse if his teammates didn't forget about him and the referees decided not to pick on Yao in the 3rd quarter. (btw, Tony Brothers and Scott Wall? You two jackasses are terrible referees.) Rockets win their 7th straight game against the Magic in Orlando.

Howard had a decent second half, but he was outplayed by Yao the whole time. And the double-double king couldn't even get a double-double. (I hate the "double-double" stat but if it's what he's known for, I must point it out when he fails to achieve it.). Howard finished with a quiet 13 points and 9 rebounds. And could only manage to take 10 shots while Yao and Chuck Hayes smothered him on defense.

Oh, and if there is any doubt... Crazy Pills is truly a Tru Warier. He was awesome tonight. And clearly playing in pain (see, that's how you do it, T-Mac!!). Carl Landry also played some amazing defense against Rashard Lewis. The role players really stepped up tonight. Even Rafer chipped in with 17 points and 7 assists! Biggest surprise of the entire game? We had a Brent Barry sighting! Brent Barry finally made 3 pointer! Woo hoo!

All that said... if you clowns keep missing free throws when trying to close out a game, it is going to get ugly. Stop missing free throws!!!!

Next game is Monday - rest up guys!

The NBA, where "how the hell did the Rockets win that game?" happens

grungedave — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:05:44 -0000

How the F did the Rockets beat the Wi**rds last night?
I don't think I've ever seen a more misleading final score.

There is no way the Rockets were 12 points better than anyone last night with the way they played, and yet, there it is - 103-91.

I will take that gift of an outcome of course, but it does lead to many causes for future concern:

1. We are back to missing free throws. Even Yao clanged 3 of 'em.
2. Every other possession it seems we are afraid to try to pass the ball inside the 3 point line, so we resort to shooting long 3s.
3. Rafer running the fast break is an ugly thing.
4. Ron Artest running the fast break is an even uglier thing.
5. Yes, you made a bunch of 3s in the 4th Q, Tracy. Do not think that will happen again this season.
6. How many times can one team get burned by a backdoor cut to the basket from the top of the key?
7. When the Rockets really need a rebound... the Rockets have been surprisingly unable to secure said rebound.
8. Brent Barry has been almost as useless as Luther Head. It makes me sad to say that.
9. I'm not sure Shane Battier's return is going to fix the holes in our Team D as easily as I once thought.
10. Seriously, for a team that came in as the #1 FT shooting team in the league... you sure looked a lot like last year's team that couldn't shoot FTs at all.

I could keep going, but I'm still in relative shock that the Rockets won last night.