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This will be a hard game since it is Memphis but the Rockets should beat him. Mark is out but they still have Conley and Randolph.

It should be an interesting game since we're facing a team that puts heavy emphasis on defense.

In Nov. the Rockets are rank 29 on defensive efficiency while the Grizzlies are rank at 5.
On offensive efficiency we are rank No. 1 while they are at 22.

For now, we should focus on what has been working for us and not do too much on defensive end.

We shuldn't fight fire with fire since our defense needs much needed improvement and can't be improved overnight and trying to change the tectic drastically overnight will greatly affect our offensive capability.

However we need our bigs to step up in defensive end. Howard is great but he rely too much on his athletism and size to alter shot and most of time he is out of position in help defense.
We should use Asik as our defense specialist when we need a crucial stop and I think he has better sense of spacing on help defense and knows how to play a lock down defense as a big better than Howard.
McHale needs to play Asik whenever Howard is out and when we need a crucial stop.

We were a decent defensive team last year with Asik down low but without his service this year we are rank 29 in the league.

Our offense game is too potent as of late unless their superior defense shut us down which I highly doubt.
It will be a scrappy game but I predict a close contested win for us.

No Gasol, No Harden. This will be an interesting test for both teams.

This team doesn't suck.


I agree about being a good test for both teams but a good opportunity for Houston to get a quality road win.

Nebula1 wrote:This team doesn't suck.


I agree about being a good test for both teams but a good opportunity for Houston to get a quality road win.

they only play 36 min
i used to called kevin martin mister 36 min
because he disappeared in the 4th quarter
now i'm going to rename this team to Houston 36 Minuters
yea they only play for 36 min

MaxRider wrote:

Nebula1 wrote:This team doesn't suck.


I agree about being a good test for both teams but a good opportunity for Houston to get a quality road win.

they only play 36 min
i used to called kevin martin mister 36 min
because he disappeared in the 4th quarter
now i'm going to rename this team to Houston 36 Minuters
yea they only play for 36 min

That's not true. They had a rough schedule to start the season and really only have 1 tough loss (LAL). The team should be 10-4 but is 9-5 and only 3.5 games back from the overall #1 seed in the West after restructuring the team and dealing with injuries to Harden.

I think you're being unfair with your expectations if you think this team sucks.

Nebula1 wrote:

MaxRider wrote:

Nebula1 wrote:This team doesn't suck.


I agree about being a good test for both teams but a good opportunity for Houston to get a quality road win.

they only play 36 min
i used to called kevin martin mister 36 min
because he disappeared in the 4th quarter
now i'm going to rename this team to Houston 36 Minuters
yea they only play for 36 min

That's not true. They had a rough schedule to start the season and really only have 1 tough loss (LAL). The team should be 10-4 but is 9-5 and only 3.5 games back from the overall #1 seed in the West after restructuring the team and dealing with injuries to Harden.

I think you're being unfair with your expectations if you think this team sucks.

Lakers we play mostly from behind i can count that game out
but how many game this team blow by having a big lead in 4th quarter?
i'm not counting the 2nd Clippers game as well since they are a better team

Mavericks (you didn't watch the 2nd game or what?)
Raptors (just because we won, you cannot not counting this game, it took us 2 OT and thanks to Lowry/Gay fouled out)
Sixers (we let a scrub scored a career high and another scrub get his first career triple-doubles as a first time starter)


3 out of 14 games and we lost 2 of them

It's the NBA... this happens to all teams. It's a game of runs, especially for home team comebacks. All teams have lesser-known players go off against them. It's the nature of the beast.

When a team hasn't played together a long time, it's harder to hold leads and on top of that, the Rockets play a very loose and open style.


Fact is, the Rockets are 9-5 and playing better than the beginning of the season while weathering the Harden injury. Wins are wins and that's all that matters.

Sure I share your concern but I look more at coaching rather than accusing the team of sucking.

can brooks hit the jackpot again tonite?

anyways, i think the rox need to slow it down at times...

inquisitive wrote:can brooks hit the jackpot again tonite?

anyways, i think the rox need to slow it down at times...

It would be nice to see them play with a bit more control on some possessions, but the gunslingers are fun to watch.

I think tonight should be a brutal contrast in styles so we'll see how it goes.

Let's see...

1.) We are not going to shoot like we did against Minnesota, Brooks will not repeat the same performance, or even come close to it this time.
2.) However, against Tony Allen, Mike Conley and crew, we will still turn the ball over 20+ times.
3.) Since we don't defend in transition, they will get easy points from all our turnovers.
4.) ZBo will take TJones back down to Earth.
5.) Don't underestimate Koufos. He's a big per minute contributor, and he'll get big minutes.
6.) And oh god, we're facing ZBo? We give up the most offensive rebounds in the league BY FAR. And now against ZBo and Koufos, we're going to get murdered.
7.) Mike Miller will hit 5 threes.
8.) Beverley will cool down. He went 5-8 from three last game, not happening this time.
9.) Conley is averaging like 20 PPG, he'll kill us today in the pick and roll.
10.) Bayless and Pondexter will have one of "those" sorta games.
11.) Ed Davis is another one of those guys who seem to play well against us. I'd expect that trend to continue.
12.) We haven't seen Hack-a-Howard in a while. Expect that to return, and for Dwight to fail. 3-10 night.
13.) Expect Garcia to continue to brick. And expect Casspi to be his mediocre self. Lin will moreso have flashbacks to that Dallas game.
14.) McHale will call a timeout when we're up 12. And after coming out the timeout, the game will tied within the next two minutes.
15.) After giving up the lead, McHale will run the play to have Parsons come off a screen and try to create off the dribble despite having gone 4-13 till that point. It will result in a low % contested shot. Airball, and game.

I'm excited.

TMACFORMVP wrote:Let's see...

1.) We are not going to shoot like we did against Minnesota, Brooks will not repeat the same performance, or even come close to it this time.
2.) However, against Tony Allen, Mike Conley and crew, we will still turn the ball over 20+ times.
3.) Since we don't defend in transition, they will get easy points from all our turnovers.
4.) ZBo will take TJones back down to Earth.
5.) Don't underestimate Koufos. He's a big per minute contributor, and he'll get big minutes.
6.) And oh god, we're facing ZBo? We give up the most offensive rebounds in the league BY FAR. And now against ZBo and Koufos, we're going to get murdered.
7.) Mike Miller will hit 5 threes.
8.) Beverley will cool down. He went 5-8 from three last game, not happening this time.
9.) Conley is averaging like 20 PPG, he'll kill us today in the pick and roll.
10.) Bayless and Pondexter will have one of "those" sorta games.
11.) Ed Davis is another one of those guys who seem to play well against us. I'd expect that trend to continue.
12.) We haven't seen Hack-a-Howard in a while. Expect that to return, and for Dwight to fail. 3-10 night.
13.) Expect Garcia to continue to brick. And expect Casspi to be his mediocre self. Lin will moreso have flashbacks to that Dallas game.
14.) McHale will call a timeout when we're up 12. And after coming out the timeout, the game will tied within the next two minutes.
15.) After giving up the lead, McHale will run the play to have Parsons come off a screen and try to create off the dribble despite having gone 4-13 till that point. It will result in a low % contested shot. Airball, and game.

I'm excited.

I see what you're doing. You just don't want to jinx it.

Well played, sir...well played.

Mr. E wrote:No Gasol, No Harden. This will be an interesting test for both teams.

No Harden = great ball movement.

I don't think anyone has problem with that.

offensive rebound offensive rebound offensive rebound

becareful for the damn hand off thing
it's so predictable now
watch who's coming over for the ball
jeez

I don't think I've ever seen a team give up so many offensive rebounds all season long. I don't understand how we can be this bad. Literally every time we get a stop, they get an offensive rebound. It's an absolute joke.

that doofus guy is really killin it at the glass

TMACFORMVP wrote:I don't think I've ever seen a team give up so many offensive rebounds all season long. I don't understand how we can be this bad. Literally every time we get a stop, they get an offensive rebound. It's an absolute joke.

because nobody boxout
when there is a teammate come in to help out
howard yell at them to stay away from his rebound

damn parsons
don't tell me you can't see randolph is behind howard

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