Houston ChronicleScouting report: Rockets at Hawks
Rockets
The Rockets have won 11 of their past 12 games, including five straight on the road, matching their longest road winning streak of the season. They have won nine of their past 12 games on the road ... The Rockets have the sixth-ranked defense in the NBA since the All-Star break
Hawks
The Hawks are just 13-21 at home, but are 8-4 against Western Conference teams in State Farm Arena ... Since the All-Star break, Atlanta ranks second in the NBA in points per game (120.6) and 3-pointers made (199), but have been 23rd in defensive rating ...
Forward John Collins had five-consecutive games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, averaging 25.8 points and 13 rebounds in that stretch, but was limited by foul trouble Sunday in Orlando and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds ... Since the All-Star break, guard Trae Young leads rookies in points, assists, field goals, free throws and 3-pointers. He is averaging 18.4 points and 7.7 this season ...
Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Spud2nique
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
Truth be told I was back n forth on cp3 and Marvin.
I thought Cp3 was Isiah and Marvin was James Worthy. The 3rd dark horse that we had ties to that evening was Deron Williams. I have read in the past that in the last minutes in the Hawks war room it was between Marvin and Deron.
Gut punch for for about 10 years.
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Jamaaliver
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
^I can't lie.
I wanted Bogut or Deron Williams myself.
Somehow, we ended up with the worst of all four of those top players.
Marvin was like the 5th straight SF Billy Knight drafted during that time. Chilldress, Smoove, Donta Smith (and someone named Viktor Sanikidze.)
I wanted Bogut or Deron Williams myself.
Somehow, we ended up with the worst of all four of those top players.
Marvin was like the 5th straight SF Billy Knight drafted during that time. Chilldress, Smoove, Donta Smith (and someone named Viktor Sanikidze.)
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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DirtybirdGA
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
Way to go, now everyone is pissed again.
Where the offseason has more buzz happens.
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
Bring on The Steamrollers!
If the threat of, EITHER, (a) some unfortunate mid-game deficits and an extended losing streak, OR, (b) some tank-trouncing Triumph of the Human Spirit over adversity, gives you the heebie-jeebies, then this week’s home slate for the Atlanta Hawks is unfit for your consumption. Caveat emptor!
Three games, three opponents, beginning with the Houston Rockets tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL), and continuing in the coming days with Utah and Philadelphia, that enter State Farm Arena jockeying for advantageous playoff position.
The Rockets (44-26), with its rotation now at full health, have won nine of their last ten games. The Jazz were winners in nine of their past 12, and the Sixers prevailed in nine of their previous 13. Yet none are presently assured of first-round homecourt status, and all should be wary of playing down to the level of lottery-bound opponents like the Hawks (24-47; 5-27 versus teams above .500).
That doesn’t mean these visitors can’t conceivably slip up. Or, that Atlanta can’t possibly trip them up.
The Sixers just dropped a game at Chicago just two weeks ago, the Jazz suffering a whoopsie at Memphis. The most rock-solid of the trio, the Rockets’ only loss was a two-point home loss to defending-champ Golden State. And of Houston’s last nine victories, six came by just single-digits.
That collection of victories included an ugly 94-93 escape from Dallas, a town whose NBA team deserves no more comment in this space after their recent collapses. Also included was the feel-good Competitank by the Hawks in H-Town back on February 25, a 119-111 “loss” where Trae Young (36 points, 8 assists) and John Collins (20 points, 12 boards) ran various and sundry Rocket defenders ragged in halfcourt sets.
Behind James Harden (NBA-high 30.4 PPG; double-digit assists in past 4 games), Chris Paul (29-1 past two seasons when he tallies at least ten assists), and Clint Capela (five consecutive double-doubles), coach Mike D’Antoni’s club is out-talenting people, but they have not been juggernauts by any means. When D’Antoni must rely on depth to win games, his squad can find themselves in a bit of trouble.
Did Tilman Fertitta trickle his salary tax savings down to his general manager? Daryl Morey was rewarded with a five-year contract extension, reportedly, this past weekend. Maybe coincidentally, maybe not, Moreyball has shaved $12 million off the team payroll since the start of the season, effectively saving his team owner about $9 million in luxury taxes while kicking the repeater tax threat can down the road a couple more years.
The big-ticket maneuvers by Morey included dispatching Michael Carter-Williams to Chicago for a second-rounder, trading out three players (James Ennis, Marquese Chriss, Brandon Knight, the latter two recipients from the Ryan Anderson offseason salary-dump) for Iman Shumpert, and trading Carmelo Anthony into thin air.
Still, the Landry’s owner wants to be better known for his shrimping than his scrimping. Fertitta is vocally clapping back at those in the media reporting that he has called for across-the-board cutbacks within his organization, going so far as recently calling one hoops writer a "fraud."
As far as roster personnel, the Rockets are spending about $123 million on salary for 13 players, as per Basketball Insiders data, and the challenge for the offseason comes next year when $115 million in guaranteed salary is already tied up in five players (their Big Three, plus sixth-man Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker).
It’s reasonable for Fertitta to expect that Morey will continue waving his magic wand to keep the tax bills low and the competition high. But for the foreseeable future, D’Antoni is left relying on continued health among his star players, and an array of yeoman efforts among the supporting cast.
Shumpert and Austin Rivers are needed to keep up the defensive pressure along the wings, near-nonagenarian Nene and Kenneth Faried to crash the boards so Capela doesn’t have to do everything, upstarts like swingman Danuel House (two-way contract converted last week; 40.5 3FG% and 9.6 PPG in 25.3 minutes/game) to continue punching above their weight and hitting open jumpers when Paul and Harden get bottled up.
Houston’s low-tempo offense (28th in pace) has been efficient (114.1 O-Rating, behind only the Warriors’ 114.8) due to location of shots taken by their top talent, not so much because of effective movement of the ball during possessions. Houston makes an NBA-high 15.6 threes per game, thanks largely to Harden, and hit 55.1 percent of their two-pointers, thanks to Capela and Faried. But the Rockets total just 21.0 assisted baskets per contest (28th in NBA), despite Paul (8.2 APG) and Harden (7.6 APG) both ranking among the league’s top-15 dime-dishers.
Since the All-Star-Break, the Rockets have outscored opponents by just 0.8 PPG in fourth quarters. Atlanta’s plus-2.9, by comparison, ranks 4th in the league, and competitors are quickly learning how difficult it can be to put the Hawks away.
For the first time since the All-Star Break, Atlanta fell short by double digits on Sunday. And even that defeat, in Orlando versus a playoff-desperate division rival, involved a mere ten-point final margin. Coach Lloyd Pierce’s crew found itself grounded into just 91 points by the stingy Magic for the game. But the Hawks snuck within two possessions of the lead, with under two minutes to play, before Orlando escaped.
Like the Magic, Houston (Feb. 25 game, 2nd-lowest pace among ATL opponents) will try again to put the clamps on the Hawks’ desired high pace, with Harden (NBA-high 40.3 Usage%, as per bball-ref), Gordon and Paul taking turns sucking the life out of potential possession time. Countering the Rockets will require active and engaged play from the Hawks’ big men.
Dewayne Dedmon (1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, career-high 81.6 FT%; minus-18 in 25 minutes @ ORL) and Alex Len (throw in ten-day contractee and former Grizzlie Deyonta Davis, for good measure) must beat their assignments across halfcourt in transition, facilitating quicker scoring options for Young and the Hawks’ backcourt playmakers, while disallowing Capela, Faried and/or Nene from entrenching themselves at their preferred ends of the floor.
Minnesota managed to hold Harden without a free throw (0-for-0 FTs) for the first time by a Rockets opponent all season (and since January 2015) on Sunday. But they still lost by a 117-102 score at Toyota Center, as they were unable to match Houston’s three-point shot volume, led by CP3 (6-for-7 3FGs vs. MIN).
Atlanta won’t have the Timberwolves’ problem with getting up perimeter shots in order to keep up. But if the Hawks intend to have a chance at coming away victorious, a big scoring night for Harden (14-for-16 FTs vs. ATL on Feb. 25) cannot come by way of him piling up charity-stripe shots with the clock stalled.
For each of Atlanta’s opponents this week, early and late, they cannot afford to allow the Hawks to come up for air. At this stage of the year, teams in situations like the Rockets need to be rollin’, and full speed ahead, to avoid the kinds of late-season letdowns that could leave large contingents of multiple fanbases feeling queasy, for disparate reasons.
Big wheels, keep on turnin’. Proud tankfans, keep on squirmin’.
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
If the threat of, EITHER, (a) some unfortunate mid-game deficits and an extended losing streak, OR, (b) some tank-trouncing Triumph of the Human Spirit over adversity, gives you the heebie-jeebies, then this week’s home slate for the Atlanta Hawks is unfit for your consumption. Caveat emptor!
Three games, three opponents, beginning with the Houston Rockets tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL), and continuing in the coming days with Utah and Philadelphia, that enter State Farm Arena jockeying for advantageous playoff position.
The Rockets (44-26), with its rotation now at full health, have won nine of their last ten games. The Jazz were winners in nine of their past 12, and the Sixers prevailed in nine of their previous 13. Yet none are presently assured of first-round homecourt status, and all should be wary of playing down to the level of lottery-bound opponents like the Hawks (24-47; 5-27 versus teams above .500).
That doesn’t mean these visitors can’t conceivably slip up. Or, that Atlanta can’t possibly trip them up.
The Sixers just dropped a game at Chicago just two weeks ago, the Jazz suffering a whoopsie at Memphis. The most rock-solid of the trio, the Rockets’ only loss was a two-point home loss to defending-champ Golden State. And of Houston’s last nine victories, six came by just single-digits.
That collection of victories included an ugly 94-93 escape from Dallas, a town whose NBA team deserves no more comment in this space after their recent collapses. Also included was the feel-good Competitank by the Hawks in H-Town back on February 25, a 119-111 “loss” where Trae Young (36 points, 8 assists) and John Collins (20 points, 12 boards) ran various and sundry Rocket defenders ragged in halfcourt sets.
Behind James Harden (NBA-high 30.4 PPG; double-digit assists in past 4 games), Chris Paul (29-1 past two seasons when he tallies at least ten assists), and Clint Capela (five consecutive double-doubles), coach Mike D’Antoni’s club is out-talenting people, but they have not been juggernauts by any means. When D’Antoni must rely on depth to win games, his squad can find themselves in a bit of trouble.
Did Tilman Fertitta trickle his salary tax savings down to his general manager? Daryl Morey was rewarded with a five-year contract extension, reportedly, this past weekend. Maybe coincidentally, maybe not, Moreyball has shaved $12 million off the team payroll since the start of the season, effectively saving his team owner about $9 million in luxury taxes while kicking the repeater tax threat can down the road a couple more years.
The big-ticket maneuvers by Morey included dispatching Michael Carter-Williams to Chicago for a second-rounder, trading out three players (James Ennis, Marquese Chriss, Brandon Knight, the latter two recipients from the Ryan Anderson offseason salary-dump) for Iman Shumpert, and trading Carmelo Anthony into thin air.
Still, the Landry’s owner wants to be better known for his shrimping than his scrimping. Fertitta is vocally clapping back at those in the media reporting that he has called for across-the-board cutbacks within his organization, going so far as recently calling one hoops writer a "fraud."
As far as roster personnel, the Rockets are spending about $123 million on salary for 13 players, as per Basketball Insiders data, and the challenge for the offseason comes next year when $115 million in guaranteed salary is already tied up in five players (their Big Three, plus sixth-man Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker).
It’s reasonable for Fertitta to expect that Morey will continue waving his magic wand to keep the tax bills low and the competition high. But for the foreseeable future, D’Antoni is left relying on continued health among his star players, and an array of yeoman efforts among the supporting cast.
Shumpert and Austin Rivers are needed to keep up the defensive pressure along the wings, near-nonagenarian Nene and Kenneth Faried to crash the boards so Capela doesn’t have to do everything, upstarts like swingman Danuel House (two-way contract converted last week; 40.5 3FG% and 9.6 PPG in 25.3 minutes/game) to continue punching above their weight and hitting open jumpers when Paul and Harden get bottled up.
Houston’s low-tempo offense (28th in pace) has been efficient (114.1 O-Rating, behind only the Warriors’ 114.8) due to location of shots taken by their top talent, not so much because of effective movement of the ball during possessions. Houston makes an NBA-high 15.6 threes per game, thanks largely to Harden, and hit 55.1 percent of their two-pointers, thanks to Capela and Faried. But the Rockets total just 21.0 assisted baskets per contest (28th in NBA), despite Paul (8.2 APG) and Harden (7.6 APG) both ranking among the league’s top-15 dime-dishers.
Since the All-Star-Break, the Rockets have outscored opponents by just 0.8 PPG in fourth quarters. Atlanta’s plus-2.9, by comparison, ranks 4th in the league, and competitors are quickly learning how difficult it can be to put the Hawks away.
For the first time since the All-Star Break, Atlanta fell short by double digits on Sunday. And even that defeat, in Orlando versus a playoff-desperate division rival, involved a mere ten-point final margin. Coach Lloyd Pierce’s crew found itself grounded into just 91 points by the stingy Magic for the game. But the Hawks snuck within two possessions of the lead, with under two minutes to play, before Orlando escaped.
Like the Magic, Houston (Feb. 25 game, 2nd-lowest pace among ATL opponents) will try again to put the clamps on the Hawks’ desired high pace, with Harden (NBA-high 40.3 Usage%, as per bball-ref), Gordon and Paul taking turns sucking the life out of potential possession time. Countering the Rockets will require active and engaged play from the Hawks’ big men.
Dewayne Dedmon (1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, career-high 81.6 FT%; minus-18 in 25 minutes @ ORL) and Alex Len (throw in ten-day contractee and former Grizzlie Deyonta Davis, for good measure) must beat their assignments across halfcourt in transition, facilitating quicker scoring options for Young and the Hawks’ backcourt playmakers, while disallowing Capela, Faried and/or Nene from entrenching themselves at their preferred ends of the floor.
Minnesota managed to hold Harden without a free throw (0-for-0 FTs) for the first time by a Rockets opponent all season (and since January 2015) on Sunday. But they still lost by a 117-102 score at Toyota Center, as they were unable to match Houston’s three-point shot volume, led by CP3 (6-for-7 3FGs vs. MIN).
Atlanta won’t have the Timberwolves’ problem with getting up perimeter shots in order to keep up. But if the Hawks intend to have a chance at coming away victorious, a big scoring night for Harden (14-for-16 FTs vs. ATL on Feb. 25) cannot come by way of him piling up charity-stripe shots with the clock stalled.
For each of Atlanta’s opponents this week, early and late, they cannot afford to allow the Hawks to come up for air. At this stage of the year, teams in situations like the Rockets need to be rollin’, and full speed ahead, to avoid the kinds of late-season letdowns that could leave large contingents of multiple fanbases feeling queasy, for disparate reasons.
Big wheels, keep on turnin’. Proud tankfans, keep on squirmin’.
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
"Dunking is better than sex." - Shawn Kemp, 1996
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Spud2nique
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
Great as always lw3! Morey has done a pretty good job at shedding salaries and still keeping the main parts together. I guess it all depends on if Harden ends up with an jewelry in June. Three out of the last four years they’ve been knocked out of the playoffs all at the hands of the Warriors. It took a while for the young Bulls and MJ to get past the Pistons, maybe this is 1991 for the Rockets.
Having said that, like you mentioned teams have to been ready to roll at this time and piling up wins against teams like us. On paper it’s over, at Philips, it’s not.
GO HAWKS!
Having said that, like you mentioned teams have to been ready to roll at this time and piling up wins against teams like us. On paper it’s over, at Philips, it’s not.
GO HAWKS!
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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kg01
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
Why're y'all still pining after Paul. There was never a point in his career that I wanted him on our team.
Great stats, losing player.
Don't @ me ... actually do @ me. Prove I'm wrong. I'll wait.
Great stats, losing player.
Don't @ me ... actually do @ me. Prove I'm wrong. I'll wait.
king01 
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
DirtybirdGA wrote:Way to go, now everyone is pissed again.
Exactly
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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shakes0
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
I have no idea what Trae Young showcase night entails, but I'm very excited to find out!
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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Night Traen
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
kg01 wrote:Why're y'all still pining after Paul. There was never a point in his career that I wanted him on our team.
Great stats, losing player.
Don't @ me ... actually do @ me. Prove I'm wrong. I'll wait.
I'll prove you're wrong. Chris...Paul. Two first names as his entire name. When was the last time a Hawks player had two first names as their ENTIRE NAME? Take your ball and go home, I win.
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
shakes0 wrote:I have no idea what Trae Young showcase night entails, but I'm very excited to find out!
John Collins had his earlier this year. IIRC it's about his family, road to college and NBA. Baby pics the works.
?s=20
Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Rockets -- 3/19
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jayu70
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