Game Thread: Wiz at Rockets 12/27/10 8:30ET

[dlts20]

at


The Rockets Come In Red Hot, Winning 4 in a row, 6 of 7, 7 of 9, and 9 of 12

And Now, The Starting Lineups, For The Houston Rockets












The Wiz Come In White Hot, Losing 9 of 10, 13 of 15, While Also Managing An 0-14 Road Record


And Now The Starting Lineup For Your Washington Wizards












My Take
The Rockets are Hot and we have sucked but the Rox lineup still isnt that scary and most of there recent wins have been against bad teams (which we definitely are) while we should have everyone healthy for the 1st time all season. We have also had a pretty mean schedule and now are finally getting to play some of the other bad teams in the leauge so this is the time to make our run while we are getting healthy.

Tonight will be very interesting as Im still waiting to see our real lineup as Ive been waiting all year. Lets start Wall tonight and get the ball rolling. Im really interested in seeing what the idiot Flip does. I didnt get to see enough of the game last night but alot of people think that Shard & HA played well. Does 1 or both of them start from here on?

NY has struggled so much in the last game and a half, does that open the door for Flip to go back to the Wall-Hinrich lineup instead of the Wall-NY one that everyone thought we would see. Is Al still the starting 3 or will Flip move Howard or even Lewis there? I want to see what happens with all of that tonight. I wouldnt mind seeing us start Wall-NY-Lewis-Dray-McGee tonight.

Those are still our main core as if healthy & in shape, Wall-Dray-Lewis & McGee will all be here for the next few years and you can probably now add NY in that group. All the other guys like Kirk, Al, Howard, HA, Yi, and so on may or may not be here. Thats why I would just start that group and see if they can build a good chemistry while we come off the bench with Kirk, Howard, Thorton, and HA. I like that rotation.

[JWizmentality]

Nobody's up. You got it. Now hurry up and put the thread up!


Go Wizards!

[Joel Embust]

Wall - Young - Lewis - Blatche - McGee. Hinrich and Howard main weapons off the bench.

Start those five all season long with both H's coming off the bench and the Wiz make it to the playoffs.

[nate33]

Fortunately, the back-to-back issue shouldn't be as hard on us now that we're healthy. Wall played 19 minutes last night. Blatche and McGee played zero. Howard played just 23. Only Young (36), Hinrich (35) and Lewis (42) should be tired; and Young is the only guy who will need to log heavy minutes tonight.

I don't think Wall will start yet. He's still trying to regain his basketball rhythm, and Hinrich has been playing extremely well. I'd like to see this rotation:

PG Hinrich/Wall
SG Young/Hinrich
SF Howard/Lewis
PF Blatche/Lewis
C McGee/Armstrong

With Hinrich starting, we can get away with a slasher like Howard at the SF position because Hinrich can shoot the three. Once Wall starts, it might work out better to start Lewis at SF.

[nate33]

Hmmm. The addition of Wall and Lewis really opens up some interesting options. Assuming Wall isn't quite ready to log heavy minutes (and therefore will come off the bench), it might make sense to start the "half court" team and then bring in the "fast break" team:

PG Hinrich/Wall
SG Young/Young
SF Lewis/Howard
PF Blatche/Booker
C Armstrong/McGee

[JWizmentality]

Why Al Thornton has continued to start is beyond my comprehension.

[nate33]

Why Al Thornton has continued to start is beyond my comprehension.

I could understand it on Lewis' first game - he didn't know the plays. I could understand it on Lewis' 2nd game, he was forced to spend all of his minutes at PF because Blatche was suspended.

Now that Lewis is up to speed, and Howard has proven to be healthy, I don't see why Thorton starts. I don't even understand why he plays. I don't hate Thornton. I think he is a reasonably useful player who happens to be a bad fit on this team, and I think we have two SF's who are better than he is.

Ideally, a contending team who is thin at SF gets a injury late in the season and is in need of a player like Thornton. If we could trade him for an expiring contract plus a 2nd rounder, it would be best for all concerned.

[dobrojim]

Why Al Thornton has continued to start is beyond my comprehension.

actually I was about to comment that Nate's lineups didn't include him (AT)
at all. I don't think that's right. He's been pretty solid lately. He
works hard and mostly plays the right way.
I'd continue with him as starter and sub liberally with
him and Howard so they both can play at MAX energy
levels. But I also wouldn't mind seeing more of JoHo
at the 2 which we have seen a little of lately.

[TGW]

I foresee our first road win. The team is at full strength (hopefully) and McGee and Blatche are ready to go.

[dobrojim]

I predict we won't go 0-41 on the road this year

don't know if that means a win tonight or not

[MJG]

I'm with nate and JW on Thornton. With our frontcourt healthy and available, he should really be third string. Even at his best, he's really just backup quality.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I foresee our first road win. The team is at full strength (hopefully) and McGee and Blatche are ready to go.

+1

Rashard is from Houston IIRC. He should be confident coming off yesterday's game. Nick probably won't have two off shooting nights in a row, especially not with Kevin Martin defending.

I hope for a win and for things to move in a different direction. They're past due.

[hands11]

Fortunately, the back-to-back issue shouldn't be as hard on us now that we're healthy. Wall played 19 minutes last night. Blatche and McGee played zero. Howard played just 23. Only Young (36), Hinrich (35) and Lewis (42) should be tired; and Young is the only guy who will need to log heavy minutes tonight.

I don't think Wall will start yet. He's still trying to regain his basketball rhythm, and Hinrich has been playing extremely well. I'd like to see this rotation:

PG Hinrich/Wall
SG Young/Hinrich
SF Howard/Lewis
PF Blatche/Lewis
C McGee/Armstrong

With Hinrich starting, we can get away with a slasher like Howard at the SF position because Hinrich can shoot the three. Once Wall starts, it might work out better to start Lewis at SF.

I would agree. I don't think Wall is starting yet. Looks like a sound line up and rotations except they had Howard playing at SG also.

One thing I wouldn't be surprised to see though is Armstrong start. He had 13 rebounds last game and McGee is young enough still to bench without much problems. Dray is a different story. Benching him would be a much bigger deal at this point and for now, this team has been throw enough.

But Dray better come ready to play because I beat he is on a short leash right now.

[hands11]

Why Al Thornton has continued to start is beyond my comprehension.

I could understand it on Lewis' first game - he didn't know the plays. I could understand it on Lewis' 2nd game, he was forced to spend all of his minutes at PF because Blatche was suspended.

Now that Lewis is up to speed, and Howard has proven to be healthy, I don't see why Thorton starts. I don't even understand why he plays. I don't hate Thornton. I think he is a reasonably useful player who happens to be a bad fit on this team, and I think we have two SF's who are better than he is.

Ideally, a contending team who is thin at SF gets a injury late in the season and is in need of a player like Thornton. If we could trade him for an expiring contract plus a 2nd rounder, it would be best for all concerned.

This is where I have been also. Still a question about when they make the move but the writing is on the wall I think. If he was a more efficient rebounder, that would change things slightly but as is, you can put in Booker if you need that.

[JWizmentality]

We got this one tonight. First road win.

[rockymac52]

Via McGee's twitter earlier this afternoon: "Absolutely motivated for the game tonight at 7:30. Be ready for a show of hard work and dedication to my team and the wizards"

Good. Very good. I'm glad. Almost thrilled. But more relieved. It's only a two sentence statement via the internet, so it doesn't really mean anything, but either way, I'm glad he said it. It was the right thing to say. It's the right attitude. JaVale is a good guy. I've questioned his will to become a legit star in this league in the past, and I still don't see him ever putting it all together, but I'm glad he knew the right thing to do in this situation. Or at the very least that he knows someone who knows the right things to say.

This is a winnable game. We need to get the road monkey off our back. We're against a not so spectacular team in the Rockets, and although they've been hot lately, I'm still not threatened by their roster. The key to winning this game is either a spectacular performance from Wall, or a motivated effort by McGee and/or Blatche. I'm glad McGee intends to come out firing. I hope Dray does too, although I doubt it. I see Blatche as the type of guy who either continues to be lazy, or a guy who comes in throwing up shot after shot. I'm leaning towards the latter. The question is then, will he be hot, or will he be cold? If he's missing early and often, we're in trouble, obviously. If he's hot, like he often is in the first quarter, then it could work out well.

It's getting to the point where we can count on solid performances from a lot of our veterans. I expect a decent but not stellar output almost every night from Hinrich, Howard, Lewis, and Young. Young always has the potential to drop 30 and that's great, but it doesn't always lead to wins. We win games when Wall has a great game or when McGee and/or Blatche comes to play. Give me 2 good and efficient games out of those 3, and I think we got this.

I can see the stars aligning for a victory tonight. But as always, I could see this being a stinkfest. Crossing my fingers for the first option.

[dobrojim]

this perhaps should be taken with a grain of salt but on the Wizards page
preview for tonight's game, for probable starters it says Seraphin, Booker,
and Wall along with Kirby and Thornton. I have my doubts but with this
team, who(TF) knows.

McGee and AB both better bring it if they want to play.

[Hoopalotta]

This is a just a great photo off of BF:



Kirk's saying "Come on, you think I left my funky chicken stop and go in Chicago?"

And a win tonight is not just the first road victory, it's the first season sweep too.

[Hoopalotta]

this perhaps should be taken with a grain of salt but on the Wizards page
preview for tonight's game, for probable starters it says Seraphin, Booker,
and Wall along with Kirby and Thornton. I have my doubts but with this
team, who(TF) knows.

McGee and AB both better bring it if they want to play.

I'll just get things started and note that Young with Wall makes loads more sense as a tandem to me.

I'd venture that others might see fit to sound off on that one with more veracity and a liberal sprinkling of the words "idiot" and "Flip" thrown in.

[hands11]

I foresee our first road win. The team is at full strength (hopefully) and McGee and Blatche are ready to go.

Not just the first road win, but the beginning of a new phase for this team.

This is a book mark. A new transition point. Export better play and more wins.

Howard has a few games under his belt so more depth at SF/SG
Lewis has a few games so that provides depth at PF/SF and put pressure on Dray.
Wall is getting back into things and played last game. Crossing finger he stay healthy.
Gil is moved. Nick is starting.

We have everyone except Yi. It may still be interesting to have him available but for now, Armstrong seems to add more defense and McGee is your freak long athletic young player. And you still have Seraphin in you need lots of beef.

Yi and AT can be traded at anytime if the right deal comes along. It should be telling about where they think they are depending on who they keep active. I wouldn't be surprised if for a short while they keep Yi active when healthy.

Kirk/Wall
Nick
Howard/Booker
Dray/Lewis
Armstrong/McGee

Howard at SF/SG, McGee at C/PF, Booker at PF/SF

10 - Yi
11 - Serphin
12 - AT

Martin, Hudson, Hamady

PS. Interesting during the SA game, the BIG E was interviewed. He said he thought the Wizard got the better part of the Lewis/Gil trade.