Houston Rockets

Thank God Khan is the dumbest GM in the league!

Adelman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:36:15 GMT

Rockets reportedly offered Battier AND Brooks for Rubio and Khan turned it down.

OMG Battier alone for Rubio would have been a steal for the Wolves.

Good thing for the Rockets, the Wolves have a GM who doesn't know anything about basketball!

Go Houston!

B-balltm — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:46:47 GMT

Great win in SA! #2 seed! C'mon, hold on to it....

Tough Question: When Shane Battier returns, who should come off the bench?

B-balltm — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:24:08 GMT

Battier, Artest or Scola?

Prior to the season, I wanted Ron off the bench. But right now, I'm thinking of starting Ron at PF (something Hollinger's predicted all offseason) and Shane at SF.

A couple of things I thought I noticed during the first 2 games was Houston struggling with spacing at times...and against Dallas, the transition defense. Shane can obviously make defenses pay from beyond the arc...and I thought not having Battier, who hardly ever looks to score (unlike Artest) and is usually our first man back on defense, might've played a big role in us giving up so many fastbreak points to Dallas.

So at the moment, I say start Shane to keep our anchor and spot-up shooter in the lineup...and start Ron as well to give Houston that 2nd-3rd scorer.

2010

B-balltm — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:44:00 GMT

Can Houston be players in the free agent market for 2010? I was thinking of trade scenario's to trade T-mac and begin rebuilding around Yao, until I realized T-mac and Rafer are both expiring in 2010. This, along with the fact that I don't know how any team would want to trade for T-mac, makes Mac worth keeping for the next 2 seasons, even if he's only able to play 50% of it.

Right now, Houston has only 28mil on the books after 2010. Hopefully Artest will be extended, and that'll add about 10+mil to that, leaving Houston at about 40mil. This leaves Houston almost 20mil under the cap. What are Houston's chances at Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson and Steve Nash?

What Is The Status On Mutombo?

Adelman — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:37:48 GMT

Is he retiring? Will he play? Will he re-sign with the Rockets? Or will Dorsey and Landry be backing up the C?

Anybody got any news on this?

Adelman on Rafer: "He's so good defensively at point"

B-balltm — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:09:55 GMT

“The biggest thing is he’s so good defensively at point guard,” Adelman said. “He’s quick enough and smart enough that he can keep the guy under control. That’s the biggest thing in our league: You’re not going to be able to get Chris Paul and take the ball away from him, but you have to contain him.”

Alston's recieved praise for his defense from Adelman, Morey and Van Gundy in the past. This is the first time I've posted an actual quote here for the people who have viewed Rafer as somewhat of a liability in the starting lineup.

Entire article:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6041712.html

Hollinger's Team Forecast

B-balltm — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:25:14 GMT

2007-08 Recap

Twenty-two.

Regardless of their other achievements and failures, the one thing that stood out about Houston's season was a magical stretch in February and March when the Rockets pieced together 22 consecutive victories -- the second longest winning streak in league history. Making it more amazing was the final 10 wins in the streak came after center Yao Ming went out for the season with a broken foot, leaving the Rockets without their top offensive threat.

That Houston pulled it off without their meal ticket was testament to their defense, teamwork and depth. Dikembe Mutombo filled in as the starting center, rookie second-round pick Carl Landry played phenomenally well off the bench, and rookie forward Luis Scola came into his own in that stretch; as a result, the Rockets as a whole lost surprisingly little at the offensive end.

HOLLINGER'S '07-08 STATS
W-L: 55-27 (Pythagorean W-L: 57-25) Offensive Efficiency: 103.9 (17th) Defensive Efficiency: 98.9 (2nd) Pace Factor: 92.9 (21st) Highest PER: Yao Ming (22.61)

On the other hand, that they won 22 straight games and still didn't finish with the West's top seed is testament to what a poor start they had. Houston began the year a hugely disappointing 15-17, and even when the win streak began the Rockets were 24-20 and sitting in 10th place in the West.

A difficult schedule was part of the reason for the slow start, but not all of it. Offseason pickups Steve Francis and Mike James were dreadful, and rotation regular Bonzi Wells wasn't much better; it took some time for Houston to work through their roster and find better options and get rookies Landry, Scola and Aaron Brooks up to speed.

For the year, Houston was the league's No. 2 team in defensive efficiency, and in most any other year they would have been No. 1 -- Boston was simply off-the-charts good. The Rockets were the best in one facet, though, leading the NBA in 2-point field-goal defense and opponent true shooting percentage. That they were anywhere close to the top was a pleasant surprise to many. The Rockets had swapped out coaches in the offseason, and the expectation was the transition from Jeff Van Gundy to Rick Adelman would help the offense but hurt the defense. In reality, the Rockets ended up about the same in both categories.

Houston was able to cut off 2-pointers without surrendering too many longballs, either -- opponents averaged just .180 3-point attempts per field-goal attempt, narrowly missing out on the league's best mark (Dallas, at .178, was first). As a result, the Rockets were able to beat out Boston by the tiniest sliver in opponent TS%.

Alas, they weren't the top defense overall because they weren't as good as Boston at preventing shots. Houston was only in the middle of the pack in forcing turnovers and slightly above average in defensive rebounding, whereas Boston was among the best in both categories.

Offensively, nothing remarkable stood out about Houston on a team level -- they were well above average on the offensive glass but otherwise mediocre across the board. An off year by Tracy McGrady and Yao's absence for half the season undoubtedly contributed to those problems.

In fact, the problem would have been much worse if not for the Rockets' largely unheralded supporting cast. Yao, McGrady, defensive ace Shane Battier and point guard Rafer Alston got the headlines, but by year-end the reserves were hugely effective (see chart), especially after a midseason trade sent James and Wells to New Orleans for Bobby Jackson.

2PT FG Defense: 2007-08 Leaders

TEAM	OPP. 2PT%	TS%
Houston	44.7	50.75
Boston	45.2	50.77
Detroit	46.3	51.7
Dallas	46.3	52.4
San Antonio	46.8	51.7
League average	48.4	54.0

So while they appeared to be a Yao-McGrady-and-not-much-else roster, they actually had one of the league's deepest teams. That, in turn, explains why the "Rockets are dead" mentality that gripped many commentators after Yao went out was a fallacy -- Houston had plenty of other weapons.

But in the playoffs, two of Houston's Achilles' heels cropped up at the worst possible time -- point guards and durability. Alston missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, leaving the Rockets with Jackson trying to impersonate a point guard. Meanwhile, McGrady ran out of gas down the stretch of Game 2 trying to carry an offense that already was missing Yao, Alston and Landry. Houston lost the first two games at home, eventually falling to Utah for a second straight year.

Biggest Strength: Perimeter defense

Seriously, how tough is it going to be for wing scorers to get points on this team when Ron Artest is their backup defensive stopper? Battier is an elite defender despite not being an elite athlete, using his size, smarts and effort to continually frustrate opposing scorers. But when he exits, Houston can now move Artest down from the power forward spot to check opponents with a completely different style that relies on aggression and brute strength. It should be a devastating one-two punch.

OFFSEASON MOVES
What roster moves did the Rockets make over the summer? Were they the right moves? John Hollinger breaks it down. Insider

What makes it even more effective is the knowledge the bigs have their back. The return of Yao puts a 7-foot-6 goalie at the rim on the rare occasions when Battier or Artest is beaten off the dribble, while reserves like Hayes, Mutombo (if he re-signs), Dorsey and Landry each are fantastic defenders.

And of course, the Rockets can also shift everybody down a spot and play Artest and Battier on the wings at the same time, either when McGrady is resting (or injured) or with him as the point guard. That approach seems especially plausible against teams like Dallas or Denver that have multiple wing scorers on the floor simultaneously.

Biggest Weakness: Point guard

The Rockets have four-fifths of a championship starting lineup and a championship-caliber bench. Also, they have Alston. While he was better last year than in 2006-07, he's pretty clearly the weak link in an imposing starting five. Alston is a solid defender and dribbler, but he hasn't shot over 40 percent in four years and opponents feel free to gamble off of him to double Yao or McGrady. Finally, he's 32, an age when many quick guards start losing it.

Rockets' Supporting Cast PER

PLAYER	PER	MINUTES
Luis Scola	15.95	2024
Luther Head	13.57	1379
Bobby Jackson	13.09	1389
Carl Landry	21.23	711
Dikembe Mutombo	14.32	619
Aaron Brooks	12.92	608
Steve Novak	17.20	264
Mike Harris	16.92	159

And yet he's essential, as his absence in the first two games of the Utah series showed, because the Rockets don't have much backing him up. The best hope for a replacement is Brooks, but he's more of a shooting guard in a point guard's body; he's also generously listed at 6-0, 160, making him ripe for abuse by bigger guards. Otherwise, Houston's best option may be to play big and slow with McGrady as the de facto point guard and either Barry or Artest playing the wing with Battier.

Of course, the best option would be a trade, and Houston does have some assets to pull together a deal. One imagines they'll be watching the point guard market closely this winter.

Outlook

Houston added the ultimate wild card in Artest, and at this point has to be seen as one of three favorites in the West along with the Lakers and Jazz.

But while Artest gets the attention, McGrady and Yao may prove more crucial. Each has missed huge chunks of time with injuries the past few years, and the Rockets' chances of making a deep playoff run depend on having both of them available in the spring. Additionally, McGrady's numbers fell off sharply last season, and there's a worry that the back problems that have plagued him for much of his career are beginning to materially impact his production.

Adding Artest and Barry to a 55-win team, and possibly adding more games from Yao as well, one would seem to think Houston would be set to win 60 or more. They very well could, but there are negative indicators too. Most obviously, the bench players are unlikely to perform as well as they did a year ago, particularly Landry. Second, there's the very real risk of continued performance declines by McGrady and a dropoff by Alston.

All told, they have as good a chance of winning the conference as anyone, but given Artest's volatile history and the injury proneness of Yao and McGrady, there's too much risk to comfortably predict the Rockets to land ahead of the Lakers and Jazz.

Prediction: 56-26, 1st in Southwest Division, 3rd in Western Conference

Is Artest the key addition that takes the Rockets to the next level?

Toolatecrew — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:49:54 GMT

First let me say that I have absolutley no issue with getting Arest. The cost was negligable so it is in no way shape of form a bad deal.

I just wonder if adding him really makes the Rockets all that much better. I don't think it makes them worse necisarrily but ......

I think he makes them more able to survive Tmac missing games. But if Tmac isn't healthy I don't think they can be any better with Yao, Scola,Battier, Artest and Alston than they were with Tmac in place of Artest. Tmac is a better creator for others I have no doubt.

Now if everyone is healthy you now replace Battier with Artest. I don't know that it makes your defense that much better. It actually makes you spot up 3 shooting a little worse. Qustion is does Artests pound the ball , back em down offense help or hurt?

Having depth is better. Having 48 minutes of top notch D from Battier and Artest can't hurt (although they are pretty good on D anyways.

How much does Artest really help? Wait and see I guess becuase what really matters is health. If Yao goes down it won't amtter at all.

Houston matches Charlotte's offer for Landry

B-balltm — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:19:23 GMT

And expects to have Dorsey signed by the end of the week.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6021605.html

Artest or Battier? Who should start?

B-balltm — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:01:58 GMT

I think Battier should and will start. The starting lineup doesn't really need to be messed with, unless at PG or PF which isn't happening. Bring Artest off the bench as a 6th man. Back up the 2-4 spots, and at the end of games, Houston closes out with Rafer (or Barry for better outside shooting), T-mac, Battier, Artest and Yao.

Thoughts?

How Will The Rockets Fare?

Adelman — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:36:04 GMT

This board seems dead. Its like the only ppl here are me and TRG.

I honestly think that if Yao/Mac/Artest can coexist and stay healthy, no team can beat the Rockets.

Sooo TRG, how do you think the Rockets will fare?

WE MUST BRING FREDRIC WEIS OVER IMMEDIATELY!

Adelman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:02:13 GMT

The New Jersey-Houston rivalry is by far one of the best in the league:

Yi v Yao (countryman v countryman)

Carter v McGrady (cousin v cousin)

And if we bring Weis over.

VINCE VERSUS WEIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingram, call Morey immediately. This league is all about ratings and this would help it!

Chuck Hayes Breaks Nose

Adelman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:33:20 GMT

And Landry remains unsigned!

TRADE! Rockets and Suns Swap Guards

Bill Ingram — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:05:22 GMT

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.asp?hd=20080825&lc=NBA#STORY_11531

Gone - a point guard who would never have lasted past training camp. Coming in - a player who has been very good during the past 2 summer leagues and can actually play the two in Houston.

Rockets to Acquire Artest!

Bill Ingram — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:23:34 GMT

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9634

Needless to say this is a fantastic move. Artest should really make the Rockets contenders for the first time in a long time. If they can't keep him after this season, they have a ton of cap space to use. It's a win-win for Houston . . .

The Minor Deal Is Done

Adelman — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:58:53 GMT

Novak has been traded to the Clippers for future draft considerations.

SAY IT AINT SO. Landry Considering Offers From Overseas

Adelman — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:09:40 GMT

Jul 24, 2008 3:05 AM EST

Houston's Carl Landry may be the next NBA player to turn away offers from NBA teams to cash in overseas, his agent has told the Houston Chronicle.

"Carl would entertain all serious offers," Landry's agent, Buddy Baker, told Houston television station KRIV-TV on Wednesday. "There is serious interest in Carl by both other NBA teams and internationally."

On Wednesday former Hawks forward Josh Childress surprisingly made the jump from the NBA to Euroleague despite being wanted by Atlanta.

Via Houston Chronicle

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Adelman — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:07:52 GMT

Title.

Rockets and Nuggets trade

dachozinwun — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:41:42 GMT

I know its not being discussed or even thought about but with the trend being all-star big threes) ex. San Antonio, Boston, Washington.) and with Denver basically holding a fire sale to keep from paying the luxury tax...I know Allen Iverson isn't ideally with the Rockets need at this point, but Allen Iverson is in NO WAY affiliated with the word "soft" and he is definitely going to be a more than capable third scorer. It will as well give the Rockets a player that will relentlessly attack the rim when they go into they're "jump shooting modes" and a guy with a killer instinct that can deal the final blow that Yao and T-Mac are too "soft" to deal when they work hard for 4 quarters to get their opponents down. Iverson has been to the NBA finals and even though he has had his troubles would instantly become the most vocal leader in the locker room. Not to mention what it would mean financially for the rockets even though they would be over the luxury tax with this deal with national televised games, merchandise and ticket sales they would more than make up for it. (ask Celtics) There will be the "bad" of course like if an injury occurs they would be in a tight spot if they have to sacrifice role players to get him. Then there's times when he has a tendency to force bad shots, but then again he's never played with two superstars before. Then there's financially but he has only one year left on his deal so it would be a high risk-very high reward experiment and he has verbally said he would be willing to restructure his deal and take less money for more years. With all that considered and the Rockets hunger to win now, I think i would be very beneficial to the fan base, national visibility, and overall success to the rockets to sacrifice a few role players perhaps (Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, Bobby Jackson, Luther Head, Chuck Hayes or a combination there of) for a slightly aged but proven all-star and maybe Linas Klieza. What do you think?

Maarty Leunen a Pleasant Surprise

Bill Ingram — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:53:18 GMT

I have to be honest - prior to last night's game I had no idea what Maarty was about. There are so many new names to learn and so many teams coming through here that it gets to be a big blur after a few days. But last night Maarty had some very nice plays, including a game-winner that gave the Rockets a win after they trailed by 18 to Phoenix.

VIDEO: Exclusive interview with Maarty Leunen

He grew up on a dairy farm in Central Oregon - quite a story!

Trade Coming for Houston

Bill Ingram — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:11:36 GMT

Had a chance to catch up with someone who knows a lot about the inner workings of the NBA last night. Was told the story on Loren Woods, as told here:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9490

So now the Rockets are shopping for a back-up center to give them some insurance when Yao gets hurt and Mutombo can't play 20+ minutes.

The Landry thing is getting stick, too . . .things could get interesting.

Dorsey in the Game

Bill Ingram — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:58:28 GMT

Joey Dorsey is playing tonight without a contract, which is not unusual for summer league. He's going against Tractor Traylor right now, which is a pretty big task for your first time out. 5 rebounds in 5 minutes in the first quarter . . .Greene has 10 points.

Donte Greene Just Scores?

Pimpsubs — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:02:41 GMT

http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/games/boxscore.jsp?gameId=1520800016

It's only the 1st quarter in the first summer league game, but he has 19 of the Rockets 24 points and no other stats.

A Great Yao Ming Interview.

Adelman — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:52:45 GMT

Found this translated interview on the Ming fan club translated into English.

Pretty excellent:

Reporter Wang Meng of Titan Sports reports from Houston

Fading out of the media limelight and far away from his fans eye-sight, Yao Ming was compelled to try to accustom to live a very tranquil life. Every day, the bed, the television and books became his most intimate partners. That big man who had been accustomed to run up and down the court and play 30 to 40 minutes untiringly day-in day-out could only now move around in his home and backyard garden with the help of his crutches. Meanwhile, his team playing without him just kept on advancing triumphantly, and he could only watch those exciting scenes/moments from the television.

As he was receiving the following interview from Titan Sports, it seemed there was not a single moment that his team Houston Rockets was not in his mind and heart.

TITAN Sports: How is the restoration of your left ankle going? Are you moving around relying on your wheelchair?

Yao Ming: The restoration went well. I just had the stitches removed from my wound today; the doctors will come to inspect me once every 1 to 2 weeks, and everything went according to plan. Remember (what I’ve told you). Definitely I don’t want to sit on wheelchairs, and regardless where and what occasion, you won’t be able to see me sitting on wheelchairs. I try to be not moving as far as possibly I can; if I really need to move around, I will stroll along slowly with the help of my crutches.

TITAN Sports: So are you watching television every day at home? Now the team morale (of Houston Rockets) is at an all-time high, and very soon, they could be reaching a 20-game winning streak. How do you feel when you watch them playing on the television?

Yao Ming: I felt bitterly sour deep down inside. I saw the team kept winning and everybody celebrating on the court, and I thought, I should also be one of them there. This is such a great and rare feat for winning that many games consecutively; we had some very rough and tough team-gelling process earlier in the season, and we had been struggling with some bad results. Now finally when it comes the harvest time, I was the one down with injury.

TITAN Sports: So seeing your team continuously winning, how do you feel in your heart?

Yao Ming: I felt great, very gratified, and actually very happy. I watched them play and keep on winning. I could not stop myself calling them up; I called Uncle Mutombo to congratulate him on delivering so many block shots; I called Shane Battier to compliment him for playing that great in defense. When our team was struggling and sinking earlier in the season, it was I that led my team mates and shoulder this team to bring it back altogether. Now it’s time we win back all those games that we lost earlier in the season.

TITAN Sports: Now there are a lot of noises back in China; they said the Houston Rockets play much better as a team without you. So what do you think about this?

Yao Ming: Well, I’m already so used to hearing such criticisms. It is impossible to rebuke every criticism and challenge others’ opinions. For people that know and understand me, my spirit will always be there (with the team). If people don’t want to see my team playing well after I’m down and injured, then tell me, what do they want to see? You have to think it this way. If once I’m down with injuries, and this team was finished and started to get battered and beaten into pieces, it might seem to manifest my value to the team. But then, tell me what hope is there for such teams? A team can only be considered genuinely strong when everyone can step forward (when one of your star players is down and injured). If we can continue with our current footsteps and momentum, just wait for my return in the new season, and we shall be a genuine championship contender.

TITAN Sports: Then what about this season? So how far this Rockets team playing without you can go?

Yao Ming: I believe this team could pass the first round and realize the target that Tracy and I had not been able to achieve together last season.

TITAN: The Western Conference is so strong: LA Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz. Amongst all these opponents, which team do you think the Houston Rockets can trample and step over their bodies (to get past Round 1)?

Yao Ming: Utah Jazz. If we are to be matched up with teams with genuine big and traditional centres, we possibly will be at a disadvantage, because after all, I will not be around, and Uncle Mutombo could not sustain long play minutes and our other guys are too short. But if we are to be matched up with Utah Jazz, I feel with our new-found team work and initiatives in offense this year, we should be doing much better than what we did last year, just relying on me and Tracy in offense. Even though I will not be around, you see currently every of my team mates had all stepped up and playing with high self confidence; just take a look at them; they are so dissimilar with the team we had last season. Utah Jazz is very strong tactically and a well-disciplined team, and we are now a great read-and-react offensive team. We can beat them; after all now every of my team mates can play in offense. And I call this the Adelman’s victory.

TITAN Sports: So when can you return to court to cheer, rave and support your team mates?

Yao Ming: Maybe when the playoff arrives; when playoff arrives, I will go there leaning on my crutches; I probably will sit in the second row, and join all the others shouting, cheering, raving and supporting our team.

I went ahead and colored/underlined my favorite quotes.

TMac & Rafer

TXRoxBBall — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:47:42 GMT

TMac better turn it around and step up his game. The last five games he has held the ball at the top of the key until there were about 7 seconds left on the shot clock and put his teammates in bad positions to make plays. He either needs to put up more than 11 shots or keep the ball moving like it did the first 19 games of the streak.

Rafer needs to lose the attitude. He has let guys get in his head the last couple of games and it shows in the way he plays. I don't care if a guy has some attitude, but only if he uses that as motivation to make his play better. That's not been the case with Rafer.