2023-2024 Regular Season Game 1: Houston Rockets (0-0) at Orlando Magic (0-0) - 7pm

[SOUL]

Its great we won but its not sustainable.
We won becouse we played against bad team who played rookies for long stretches.
I have no idea what Mosley is thinking. Fultz/Suggs backcourt will lose us a lot of games. You dont have to be genius to realize that. I doubt they will both start for long. Its a waste of time and sabotaging our frontcourt. Anthony/Suggs is a lot more balanced and it was lroven last year.

What?

Cole played his best ball last year.. off of the bench. He's able to make his own offense and space the floor and is priority #1 (or 1-2 with Franz if he's in).

You negate everything Cole does well if his attempts are affected because he's playing with other guys who also need the ball.

[p0peye]

Definitely a great way to start a season.

We have a group of guys who have very solid defensive potential, but I am still not big on our offense though, we probably will be once again below average. When a team sucks offensively usually defense degrades as well, as it is effort-based category and mental state during game has huge impact on that side of the court.

[jezzerinho]

Definitely a great way to start a season.

We have a group of guys who have very solid defensive potential, but I am still not big on our offense though, we probably will be once again below average. When a team sucks offensively usually defense degrades as well, as it is effort-based category and mental state during game has huge impact on that side of the court.

Agree. And thats why i think we're limited to 38-40 wins until our offense improves.

Not many teams will stomp us, but - to state the obvious - you still have to score more than the other team to win.

That said, in a long season where a lot of good teams' motivation waxes and wanes, to habe a team that plays hard every night will get you wins.

[Message Boar]

Going back and reading the first pages of the Rockets' game thread is fun. What I learned so far:

- Rockets are definitely winning this game
- Rockets will have a winning season of 42 wins or more
- Jabari had a better rookie season than Paolo Banchero (okay that was just one guy I think, but )

[Tarheel]

Going back and reading the first pages of the Rockets' game thread is fun. What I learned so far:

- Rockets are definitely winning this game
- Rockets will have a winning season of 42 wins or more
- Jabari had a better rookie season than Paolo Banchero (okay that was just one guy I think, but )

Those guys are something else - reading the angry walking back of hot takes on Rockets Twitter this morning has been lovely to read

[Ralof]

if their intention is to play always like that,there will be a problem.
problem is that i will get fired cause i can't simply watch 82 games live until 4-5 o'clock in the night,but i will have to.

that stretch in 3rd quarter by Isaac,i was getting emotional and i got tears in my eyes,after all these years.

anthony putting a clinic of bench scoring,franz doing franz things,fultz-suggs basically annihilate van flet-green backcourt;everyone have done his parts,g.harris,ingles,wcj,ecc.,amazing cohesive group win.

personal MVP: Banchero.
yeah,his maturity tonight was outstanding,he did not force anything,took fouls he has innate ability to get,done his part on D,rebounded and shared the ball.

Houston is a mess, i get it,but if we play let's say,74-75 games at this level,there is no way we can not get out goal of doing play-in

[zaymon]

Its great we won but its not sustainable.
We won becouse we played against bad team who played rookies for long stretches.
I have no idea what Mosley is thinking. Fultz/Suggs backcourt will lose us a lot of games. You dont have to be genius to realize that. I doubt they will both start for long. Its a waste of time and sabotaging our frontcourt. Anthony/Suggs is a lot more balanced and it was lroven last year.

What?

Cole played his best ball last year.. off of the bench. He's able to make his own offense and space the floor and is priority #1 (or 1-2 with Franz if he's in).

You negate everything Cole does well if his attempts are affected because he's playing with other guys who also need the ball.

First i never wrote i would start Cole/Suggs. I just wrote they were very good coming both from the bench last year and that we saw Fultz/Suggs combo already and it was bad.

So if you negate everything Cole does becouse he can handle the ball and shoot what do you say about Fultz who handles the ball and cant shoot ?
Anthony and Franz were great last year much better than Fultz/ Wagner.
Jokic and Gordon negate everything Murray does ?

Tell me one good argument why Wagner/Banchero will play better with non shooter ( one non shooter and one bad shooter)than good shooter(s)?

[Ralof]

one thing i would like to see,just a hope,not a critic to Mosley(i could not criticize him after last night )

i get our half-court offense starting with a wendell hand-off,would like to see that involving Banchero as well,at least sometimes.
he is a more than valid passer,smart,and he is big to...circumnavigate for the defender and Wcj himself could stay on the perimeter providing decent spacing.

also,involving him more as a roller,especially with wagner in pick and roll,we know how deadly he could be running in transition,why not create space to run and getting fouls front to the basket even with opposite D settled?

in general,we are flawed on offense,we know that,and our bred an butter will be forcing the pace.
but part of our success will be our staff find specific solutions,figuring out how to use better our players.
other example:Fultz has to be looked more and better in post against smaller PG,no sense for us to not do it.

[The-Stallion70]

Hah hah hah sure enough Houston after having $60M in cap room and making major acquisitions in the off-season, had some hype going into the year and come in and get clipped by 30 in the first game lol

[The-Stallion70]

OT: is stuff okay? I saw him landing pretty bad after I guess 1st quarter TO ladder stunt. Or am I overreacting?

In his 35th year, Stuff doesn't seem quite as spry as he once was.

[MagicStarwipe]

The camaraderie on this team is amazing. Back in the Vuc/Evan/AG era they could barely muster a golf clap on the bench. I guess extraverted personalities have something to do with it as well.

[drsd]

Rockets 3 PT shooting 12 for 34, 35%
Magic 3 PT shooting 9 for 34, 26%

For sure the Magic must have lost because I have been told over and over on this forum that 3 PT shooting is the only thing that matters in today's NBA.

Wait, Magic win by 30 ... Nevermind

And-1

As the Magic is going old-school with their three pointers: the and-1. Orlando shot 26 FTs, making 23. That is compared to 10 made FTs by Houston. Said another way: half of Orlando's winning margin came from the charity stripe. I Love That!

Orlando is gonna win a lot of friggen games this way.

[drsd]

Houston isn't team i want to compare us to, they will be top 4 worst team for sure, but can't stari season any better. 30 poins home game blowout.

Orlando is up 18 going to the 4th quarter, keeps the foot on the accelerator, and outscores by 12 in the 4th. Boy did coach sleep soundly given that effort.

Also: Orlando's scrubs outplayed Houston's scrubs by 9 points. I Love That.

Having Black and Bitadze DOMINATE Aaron Holiday, Nate Williams, Jermaine Samuels, and Cam Whitmore was a thing of beauty.

[SOUL]

The craziest stat I've seen from tonight is that this is the first game of Chuma and Isaac playing together.

[drsd]

Those Black minutes looked really promising

... against Nate Williams and Aaron Holiday.

[Ralof]

Also, the defense is absolutely real.

Orlando held J. Green and J. Smith to 10 and 7 points.

Green averages 22. Took them completely out of the game.

let's say things straight: Fultz-Suggs made a very good job.

there were few pick and roll when,with Wcj help,they denied totally green shot and concede fvv just a pair of eight meters 3 pointers,really impressive.

if Fultz is less sloppy/more engage,and Suggs less wild/out of control,this is a top 10 defensive backcourt in nba.
and they have all the chance to be that,it's just on them.

[pepe1991]

Hah hah hah sure enough Houston after having $60M in cap room and making major acquisitions in the off-season, had some hype going into the year and come in and get clipped by 30 in the first game lol

NBA forces you now to use at least 90% of cap. So it's not like they had alernatives.

Houston will eventually probably move Vleet for assets. This year they don't own pick and this is least hyped draft in past 15 years so they just added bunch of players they could get

For example, Vleet only has 2 years contract, last year is team's option. Dillion Brooks contract is front louded and declining.

Vleet is probably gone this offseason or sometime next year during mid season trade deadline.

Again, NBA forces team to use cap, unlike in past where you could be well below salary apron, and "penality" was paying missing money back to players.

[The-Stallion70]

Hah hah hah sure enough Houston after having $60M in cap room and making major acquisitions in the off-season, had some hype going into the year and come in and get clipped by 30 in the first game lol

NBA forces you now to use at least 90% of cap. So it's not like they had alernatives.

Houston will eventually probably move Vleet for assets. This year they don't own pick and this is least hyped draft in past 15 years so they just added bunch of players they could get

For example, Vleet only has 2 years contract, last year is team's option. Dillion Brooks contract is front louded and declining.

Vleet is probably gone this offseason or sometime next year during mid season trade deadline.

Again, NBA forces team to use cap, unlike in past where you could be well below salary apron, and "penality" was paying missing money back to players.

No, I don't believe that splashing 40m+ per year on former all star point guard Vanvleet was done with the expectation that he as an asset, small point guard entering his thirties, would retain a lot of trade value. They did it to get immediate returns on the court and they did not inspire much confidence last night.

Yes we can enjoy this win Pepe.

[GelbeWand09]

Good win. In a alternative universe were JI & Suggs stay healthy for a season, we are at least a top 7 defense.

I cant get the Houston hype. They have 4 starters who shot under 40% from the field last season, the only good playmaker is still a Center who's name is not Jokic & Green so far is way more Dion Waiters than Kobe.

[pepe1991]

Hah hah hah sure enough Houston after having $60M in cap room and making major acquisitions in the off-season, had some hype going into the year and come in and get clipped by 30 in the first game lol

NBA forces you now to use at least 90% of cap. So it's not like they had alernatives.

Houston will eventually probably move Vleet for assets. This year they don't own pick and this is least hyped draft in past 15 years so they just added bunch of players they could get

For example, Vleet only has 2 years contract, last year is team's option. Dillion Brooks contract is front louded and declining.

Vleet is probably gone this offseason or sometime next year during mid season trade deadline.

Again, NBA forces team to use cap, unlike in past where you could be well below salary apron, and "penality" was paying missing money back to players.

No, I don't believe that splashing 40m+ per year on former all star point guard Vanvleet was done with the expectation that he as an asset, small point guard entering his thirties, would retain a lot of trade value. They did it to get immediate returns on the court and they did not inspire much confidence last night.

Yes we can enjoy this win Pepe.

This is non- Magic-related thig.

The league's newest CBA, which takes effect with the 2023–24 season, requires teams to meet the 90% salary floor at the start of preseason training camp.[6]

Salary cap for this year is $136M

Every team needs to commit at leat $122,5M into salary cap before season opener.

Houston Rockets salary cap with Vleet is $147M. WIthout Vleet it would be $107M . Without Vleet and Brooks it would be $84M

In other words, Houston would not be allowed to play in a league if they didn't sign enough bodies to pay that $122,5M mark because it's mandatory by nba.

This is one of key reasons why some mediocre players are now being payed crazy money. ( like Zach Collins on Spurs, /Brown on Pacers, both teams at rock bottom in salary cap , doing moves to put them over 90% for this, or next year ).


This is big deal because it prevents 76ers- Hinkie style teams who were like 30% below cap apron without any legal problems