RealGM

First game of the year!!!

TV: FoxSportsSouth (Chanel 510 on TCW in Charlotte)
Time: 8PM EST

Projected Starters
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Gerald Henderson
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (check news for injury updates)
PF: Josh McRoberts
C: Al Jefferson (check news for injury updates)

Key Bench
Ramon Sessions
Jeff Taylor
Bismack Biyombo
Cody Zeller

Good Luck Charm for the game (and probably many games when I make the thread) Carol Seleme

probably gonna lose the game but shouldn't be a blowout, im gonna say the key matchup will be Al vs Dwight

my prediction CHA-96 HOU-103

hopefully the defense we saw in preseason carries over to the regular season. there is no reason we cant be a top 15 team defensively this year. sadly, i do expect us to rank in the bottom 5 on offense. it will be a struggle some nights and our fg% is going to be ugly.

my guess for the Houston Starters

PG-Lin
SG-Harden
SF-Parsons
PF-Donatas Motiejunas (3pt shooting to give space to Dwight will be to clogged up with Asik at PF)
C-Dwight

they will probably beat us on the boards badly, only position we have an advantage at is PG and PF if Donatas starts and might have a tiny advantage if Asik starts, worst nightmare is Zeller somehow ends up defending Dwight, he might kill him

i think Taylor/Henderson/Zeller will take a lot of jumpshots in the early part of the season, providing Jefferson remains relatively healthy, and their FG% will increase as the season goes on. it might start out pretty low, though. i'm ready for MKG to put together some more positive minutes to silence trade speculation, if for only a week or two. i'll be curious to see how Biyombo's minutes evolve as Jefferson works his way into shape. productivity like we saw in the preseason will make it hard to keep him off the court. Biyombo in particular will be a very interesting matchup for Houston, since he erased Harden several times at the hoop in their meetings last season, and always holds his own against Howard.

I don't expect us to win, but hey I didn't expect us to beat Indy last opener so who knows. Biz went off vs Houston last year and he usually holds his own vs Dwight. Start him and let Jefferson go against Asik.

Al vs Dwight

Al
16.2ppg---8.5rpg---1.1stl---1.1blk---49% shooting

Dwight
15.9ppg---12.4rpg----1.3stl---2.8blk----54% shooting

==========================================================

Biz vs Dwight

Biz
7.8ppg---10rpg---.4stl---2.8blks----68% shooting

Dwight
17.6ppg---17.4ppg---1stl---3.4blk---51% shooting

LETS GOOOOO

This is too far away. I can't wait three more days for this.................









































Penis.

Outside of James Harden going off for 30+ points I really don't see no reason why we couldn't win this game unless we totally piss the bed. I can't wait for this season to start.

Bout time...I am ready to see these guys play when the games count

Al Jefferson has been officially listed as questionable for the season opener per reports today, something to do with his conditioning more so than the ankle

“The ankle felt good,” Jefferson said following practice. “My lungs were hurting more than anything, my wind.”

maybe best for jefferson to come off the bench in this 1st game. let biz battle with howard for those 1st 5-10 minutes of each quarter. jefferson can still put in 20 minutes off the bench while he gets in shape.

fatlever wrote:maybe best for jefferson to come off the bench in this 1st game. let biz battle with howard for those 1st 5-10 minutes of each quarter. jefferson can still put in 20 minutes off the bench while he gets in shape.

That's very unlikely. Jefferson will just sit until he feel like he's 100% again. I think he'll miss Wednesday's season opener in Houston, but he'll be ready for the home opener against Cleveland on Friday

Rick Bonnell ‏@rick_bonnell 2h

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist didn't appear to be hampered at practice by the hamstring strain that kept him out of Knicks exhibition.

Rockets fans seem to think we won't get within 40.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=245657

I don't think we'll win but we are much better than advertised.

mrknowitall215 wrote:

fatlever wrote:maybe best for jefferson to come off the bench in this 1st game. let biz battle with howard for those 1st 5-10 minutes of each quarter. jefferson can still put in 20 minutes off the bench while he gets in shape.

That's very unlikely. Jefferson will just sit until he feel like he's 100% again. I think he'll miss Wednesday's season opener in Houston, but he'll be ready for the home opener against Cleveland on Friday

i can live with that

amcoolio wrote:Rockets fans seem to think we won't get within 40.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=245657

I don't think we'll win but we are much better than advertised.

They sound like stupid Miami fans from a few years ago.

fatlever wrote:Rick Bonnell ‏@rick_bonnell 2h

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist didn't appear to be hampered at practice by the hamstring strain that kept him out of Knicks exhibition.

Good news. I'm hoping he show and prove on Wednesday night to shutup some of the hoopla going around about him being a bust. I think those few days off may very well did him good.

Hopefully down the stretch of the game we pull a Hack-A-Dwight. If we're down, that'll help us stay in the game. If it's close or we're up then that'll make it a very embarrassing Rockets debut for Dwight to lose to us on opening night. I'm just ready to see what we look like in a meaningful game against a contending team.