Wizards @ Houston: 2/26/08 8:30 ET

[JWizmentality]

AJ can surely do better than 3/16

Ditto. I think he goes 5/16

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

-= original quote snipped =-


This is why - along with it being the back end of 2 nights on the road - even with Yao out - Houston has to be clear favorites.

But if we can keep McGrady down (DeShawn his arse), that's the key. Otoh, Alston is a tough matchup for our lack of quix at the point - esp with Daniels gutting it out with multiple injuries. Maybe Mason plays hero tonight. Ride that Stevenson/Mason backcourt for all it's worth!

It'll be interesting to see the big lineup against a smaller than usual Houston front court.

The Wizards should be fine tonight.

The guys who will have to step up for Houston are Scola and Landry. As good a score as Landry is, both he and Scola will have a tough time with Andray, Brendan, and Antawn Jamison.

The Wizards should win if they play as hard as they did against New Orleans. Battier has a lot of success guarding Jamison, but the big lineups of the Wizards have an advantage.

Even Darius should fare well tonight because Hayes can't guard everybody.

[Soup's Uncle]

We're gonna get beat and run out the Toyota Center by a well rested, emotional team...we're tired and banged up...

I could see T-Mac dropping btwn 30 & 40 on us.

Rockets 110
Wizards 88

[Donkey McDonkerton]

that emotional team everyone is talking about probably has their heads down wondering if the season is WASTED.

GO WIZ

[fugop]

Man, the Rockets are snakebitten. Foot problems are serious for a guy Yao's size. I hope he recovers well.

That said, I have no ability to predict anything about the Wizards, no idea whether we will blow Houston out, get blown out, blow a big lead late, or make a miraculous comeback. We are just unpredictable.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Zydrunaus had foot problems early on and he seems to have figured them out...

[nate33]

The Wizards need to POUND the ball into the paint. Without Yao, Houston goes from being a big team to being one of the smallest in the league. They'll be playing Scola at center and Hayes as backup center.

Haywood and Blatche need to do a lot better job of controlling the glass than they did in Cleveland. We need them both to get double figures in rebounding.

[doclinkin]

Most likely circumstance:

Tomorrow's national headlines "Short-handed Rockets team delivers..." with no mention of how beat-up and short handed the Wiz are. Again. Four games in 5 nights is tough to overcome even at full strength. And taking the focus off feeding Yao allows TMac to turn it on full bore. And Skip is dangerous for our backcourt to guard. Ironically smallball is a weakness for our squad to defend.

That said, we've been playing beat-up for so long it's practically second nature, tough to put it past these guys to pull out a win, no matter how unlikely.

[Ruzious]

The Wizards need to POUND the ball into the paint. Without Yao, Houston goes from being a big team to being one of the smallest in the league. They'll be playing Scola at center and Hayes as backup center.

Haywood and Blatche need to do a lot better job of controlling the glass than they did in Cleveland. We need them both to get double figures in rebounding.

As CCJ implied, I wouldn't underestimate Landry. He's put up some good rookie stats - with shooting percentage and rebounding. At a listed 6'8 245, our bigs will be taller and longer, but he's probably no panzy.

[wateryd]

The Wizards need to POUND the ball into the paint. Without Yao, Houston goes from being a big team to being one of the smallest in the league. They'll be playing Scola at center and Hayes as backup center.

absolutely. the way deshawn took it to the basket and BTH owned the boards after chandler fouled out, that's the way it should be all night.

[Zerocious]

the houston issue remains, putting all the pressure on mcgrady to carry the team will risk him getting hurt again. When he's besides yao he's comfortable and healthy, when he's alone he will walk that health'line' very closely. Hopefully he's strong and healthy enough to run good for the rest of the season. He really deserves a good post season

[closg00]

The Wizards need to POUND the ball into the paint. Without Yao, Houston goes from being a big team to being one of the smallest in the league. They'll be playing Scola at center and Hayes as backup center.

Haywood and Blatche need to do a lot better job of controlling the glass than they did in Cleveland. We need them both to get double figures in rebounding.

If only we had a coach........ oh never mind

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Houston picked up from D-League a potentially very good player, Bobby Jones.

Ironic he would go to the same team with Battier. Not ironic is Houston's GM uses the math to get the best players, and he rates Jones good enough to call up this time of the season. His numbers say to me he's maybe better than Battier, already.

Great call up and it will be interesting to see if he sticks.

[Dat2U]

I would like to see EJ start Roger Mason Jr. & Dominic McGuire tonite like he had them start the 2nd half of the Hornets game. Especially Mason. AD is just too banged up to really be much of a factor. And he'll get totally abused defensively by a quick guard like Rafer Alston.

I think if we weather the storm early and keep the game close into the 4th quarter we have a shot. I suspect Houston will come out strong however. We have to withstand their initial punch.

[Texas Longhorns]

You guys are going to play against a pissed T-Mac. Good luck guarding him.

[Terpman]

Sorry 'bout Yao Rockets fans...hopefully he'll come back strong next year. Most of the Texans who post on here are class acts.

[hands11]

I believe in this teams young talent.

DMAC was bent down in an agreesive defensive stance taking Chris Paul one-on-one like the know the could do it. That is HUGE.

Nick Young has been showing some amazing handles to go along with his sweet shot.

OP isn't knocking me out but it was sweet to see EJ put him out there with Haywood to man the middle. You can see the confidence growing.

Mason believes in his 3 ball and he can hit it.

As for the older players.

Songaila is playing more confident.

AB is handling the ball and feeling more confident in his shot.

AJ is actually trusting his teammates and made a sweet dump to Haywood for a dunk.

DS is the assassin from 3 rang and he is actually taking it to the hole, and on a bumb knee

AD is doing all he can with a bad knee, ankle and what ever else his banged up

Haywood is finishing with the left and playing awesome.


I think we have the talent to beat anyone. Even with CB, GA and AT out.

GO WIZ. Keep it up EJ. Keep coaching with BALL BABY.

[hands11]

You guys are going to play against a pissed T-Mac. Good luck guarding him.

DMAC vs TMAC

I'm not saying it will work but expect to see DMAC covering him. You may not know who he is yet but if he gets it done tonight, you will.

DMAC 6-9 220 with lots of leaps and athletic Rookie who cover Chris Paul last night.

vs

TMAC 6-8 223 vet

If EJ does this and I think after seeing how he used DMAC last night, I feel confident DMAC will cause TMAC problems. I'm not saying he will shut him down, but we have someone to cover him that I think will have effective moments.

[hands11]

-= original quote snipped =-


This is why - along with it being the back end of 2 nights on the road - even with Yao out - Houston has to be clear favorites.

But if we can keep McGrady down (DeShawn his arse), that's the key. Otoh, Alston is a tough matchup for our lack of quix at the point - esp with Daniels gutting it out with multiple injuries. Maybe Mason plays hero tonight. Ride that Stevenson/Mason backcourt for all it's worth!

It'll be interesting to see the big lineup against a smaller than usual Houston front court.

Yeah but now that EJ has found his ball how impressive would it be if he came out early with DMAC guarding TMAC since DMAC is injured and we need some of his energy for offense.

I may have to get on the EJ bang wagon if he does that.

[hands11]

The Wizards need to POUND the ball into the paint. Without Yao, Houston goes from being a big team to being one of the smallest in the league. They'll be playing Scola at center and Hayes as backup center.

Haywood and Blatche need to do a lot better job of controlling the glass than they did in Cleveland. We need them both to get double figures in rebounding.

Go big is always the answer for us because we have 2x 7-0 talented post players and plenty of others to fill in that also have size for

SF- 6-9 AJ 6-9 DMAC and Songaila 6-9
SG 6-7 NY and DMAC guaring DMAC at 6-9

And AD, DS and Mason aren't small.

GO BIG.