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2016 Houston Rockets Pre-Season Thread - Preseason Finale vs Spurs
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by Peep Game,
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#JoshSmithByke 
it got a bit iffy once Ariza sat and Harden hadn't taken off yet. One lineup we can't run at the same time with Ariza nor Harden off the floor is Lawson/Thornton/Brewer. It was brutal on both the offensive end and defensive end 
glad Ariza outdeuled Parsons as well. Overall good win today without Dwight, and hopefully he'll be back next game.
it got a bit iffy once Ariza sat and Harden hadn't taken off yet. One lineup we can't run at the same time with Ariza nor Harden off the floor is Lawson/Thornton/Brewer. It was brutal on both the offensive end and defensive end glad Ariza outdeuled Parsons as well. Overall good win today without Dwight, and hopefully he'll be back next game.
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Panties Ariza's shot was super wet today geez
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Shades of last year rockets starting to show??
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^i hope so
It is complete news to me that N.O. has won 5 of their last 6 games. Let's see if we can make that 5 of 7
It is complete news to me that N.O. has won 5 of their last 6 games. Let's see if we can make that 5 of 7
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View media item 1884446
Don't mind squeaking out a win like that at all Harden & Ariza combining for 66 :x I could tell guys started wearing down a bit due to the back to back, but it was really good to see them pull it out. Bev's 3 along with Harden's jumper pretty much sealed it. Smith was dead tired but I don't blame him due to the massive increase in minutes. TJones was nowhere to be found, but that didn't surprise me. Still need more bench production though. If Lawson is gonna stick around, him and Brewer have to do more than be pedestrian.
View media item 1884506
Don't mind squeaking out a win like that at all
Harden & Ariza combining for 66 :x I could tell guys started wearing down a bit due to the back to back, but it was really good to see them pull it out. Bev's 3 along with Harden's jumper pretty much sealed it. Smith was dead tired but I don't blame him due to the massive increase in minutes. TJones was nowhere to be found, but that didn't surprise me. Still need more bench production though. If Lawson is gonna stick around, him and Brewer have to do more than be pedestrian. View media item 1884506
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:x Trev's hand is hot as **** right now. I hope dude has a little wasabi left for the playoffs.
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Same, dude has been lighting it up on both ends for a bit
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Article from Chron discussing Ariza's hot streak
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...iza-coming-up-big-in-his-new-role-6785342.php
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...iza-coming-up-big-in-his-new-role-6785342.php
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Another one of those games where they took a punch to the gut and never recovered. Embarrassing. Until the garbage time Jason Terry 3's, this team was 1-10 for 3 pointers, and none of the offense really went to Dwight. He was made to look pedestrian. The whole team really was extra regular after it was 35-33. Offense went totally 1 dimensional, on top of piss poor defense being played. Overall a pretty lifeless performance from them. 13 Spurs players played and they all brought something. Doesn't look any better heading into OKC. Thankfully it's a full day off between the games.
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From chron.com
OKLAHOMA CITY - When asked if he should be an All-Star selection, Rockets guard James Harden laughed as if there could be no doubt.
"What do you think?" Harden said.
He seemed genuinely curious about one person's opinion of his continued worthiness, but he does not have to wonder any longer about what Western Conference coaches believe.
Harden was named a reserve for the All-Star Game on Feb. 14 in Toronto, his fourth consecutive selection since he was dealt to the Rockets from the Thunder - Friday night's opponent in Oklahoma City.
He always has maintained that playing in All-Star Games had been among his career goals and his place in Toronto is unquestionably important to the companies whose products he endorses. But after the Rockets' loss to the Spurs on Wednesday, Harden said Thursday's announcement could not be a concern.
"It's out of my hands, brother," Harden said. "I just go out there, do my job every night. I let everybody else decide about that. I go out there and control what I can control."
Harden has not played on the same level of last season in some respects, most notably on defense, but has controlled plenty, to use his parlance.
Heady company
He has averaged 27.7 points, 6.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds, roughly matching last season's numbers with an uptick in rebounding. Only eight players - Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James - have done that in more than one season.
Harden has scored at least 20 points in 41 of the Rockets' 48 games, leading them in scoring in 37 games and in assists in 36 games. He leads the NBA in turnovers per game, though he has dramatically cut back on turnovers when the Rockets have used their recent small lineups. He remains the league's best player at drawing fouls, having made 34 more free throws than anyone else has attempted.
"He is as good as anyone that's ever played if you put your hands in. He'll create the contact and get to the foul line," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He's the master at drawing contact and going to the foul line. He's a very, very good offensive player, probably as efficient as any guy in the league."
That was more than enough to earn the endorsement of the one Western Conference coach not permitted to vote for him.
"It's hard to argue any other way," Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "His productivity is unquestioned. His impact on winning is unquestioned. I don't know how there is any argument from anyone that he's not in that group."
Defensively, however, Harden has had more of the instances that built his reputation as a disinterested defender. Some of that comes with his place in the Rockets' schemes. With Harden often matched up with poorer shooters, he is the player assigned to rotate and help in the lane. He gets many of his deflections and steals that way, but it also leads to him ball-watching and losing his man on cuts or straying too far or too long to get back and contest jump shots.
"That's the part of the game you have to pay close attention to to understand," Bickerstaff said of Harden's responsibilities away from the ball or his man. "A lot of stuff that we do is because of our schemes. The spots that he's on the floor puts him in a position he may have to guard two guys for a moment. The average fan doesn't know that so they make the assumption he's in the wrong because it's the easy thing to do.
"When it's at that time in fourth quarters, we put him on guys and he locks guys up. Anybody can watch a YouTube video that somebody makes and make an assumption off that. But if you really study it, pay attention to it, when it matters most, he's at his best."
No. 2 rebounding guard
Bickerstaff also cited Harden's rebounding. Though some of that comes because Harden crowds the lane, putting him in position to rebound, his average for defensive rebounds is second among guards, .1 rebound per game behind the Thunder's Russell Westbrook for the league lead.
"Defensive rebounding is a huge part of defense," Bickerstaff said.
Harden has been more effective on the ball or when in the low post. But his All-Star worthiness remains on the other end of the floor, where he is the focus of every team's defensive game plan and remains among the most unstoppable offensive players in the league.
"Nobody's been able to handle him," Lakers coach Byron Scott said. "You want to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible. He's a load. In the open court, he's one of the best at getting to the basket and scoring. In the halfcourt, he can hit the 3, get to the basket. He's a triple-threat guy."
Now he's also a four-time All-Star.
OKLAHOMA CITY - When asked if he should be an All-Star selection, Rockets guard James Harden laughed as if there could be no doubt.
"What do you think?" Harden said.
He seemed genuinely curious about one person's opinion of his continued worthiness, but he does not have to wonder any longer about what Western Conference coaches believe.
Harden was named a reserve for the All-Star Game on Feb. 14 in Toronto, his fourth consecutive selection since he was dealt to the Rockets from the Thunder - Friday night's opponent in Oklahoma City.
He always has maintained that playing in All-Star Games had been among his career goals and his place in Toronto is unquestionably important to the companies whose products he endorses. But after the Rockets' loss to the Spurs on Wednesday, Harden said Thursday's announcement could not be a concern.
"It's out of my hands, brother," Harden said. "I just go out there, do my job every night. I let everybody else decide about that. I go out there and control what I can control."
Harden has not played on the same level of last season in some respects, most notably on defense, but has controlled plenty, to use his parlance.
Heady company
He has averaged 27.7 points, 6.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds, roughly matching last season's numbers with an uptick in rebounding. Only eight players - Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James - have done that in more than one season.
Harden has scored at least 20 points in 41 of the Rockets' 48 games, leading them in scoring in 37 games and in assists in 36 games. He leads the NBA in turnovers per game, though he has dramatically cut back on turnovers when the Rockets have used their recent small lineups. He remains the league's best player at drawing fouls, having made 34 more free throws than anyone else has attempted.
"He is as good as anyone that's ever played if you put your hands in. He'll create the contact and get to the foul line," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He's the master at drawing contact and going to the foul line. He's a very, very good offensive player, probably as efficient as any guy in the league."
That was more than enough to earn the endorsement of the one Western Conference coach not permitted to vote for him.
"It's hard to argue any other way," Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "His productivity is unquestioned. His impact on winning is unquestioned. I don't know how there is any argument from anyone that he's not in that group."
Defensively, however, Harden has had more of the instances that built his reputation as a disinterested defender. Some of that comes with his place in the Rockets' schemes. With Harden often matched up with poorer shooters, he is the player assigned to rotate and help in the lane. He gets many of his deflections and steals that way, but it also leads to him ball-watching and losing his man on cuts or straying too far or too long to get back and contest jump shots.
"That's the part of the game you have to pay close attention to to understand," Bickerstaff said of Harden's responsibilities away from the ball or his man. "A lot of stuff that we do is because of our schemes. The spots that he's on the floor puts him in a position he may have to guard two guys for a moment. The average fan doesn't know that so they make the assumption he's in the wrong because it's the easy thing to do.
"When it's at that time in fourth quarters, we put him on guys and he locks guys up. Anybody can watch a YouTube video that somebody makes and make an assumption off that. But if you really study it, pay attention to it, when it matters most, he's at his best."
No. 2 rebounding guard
Bickerstaff also cited Harden's rebounding. Though some of that comes because Harden crowds the lane, putting him in position to rebound, his average for defensive rebounds is second among guards, .1 rebound per game behind the Thunder's Russell Westbrook for the league lead.
"Defensive rebounding is a huge part of defense," Bickerstaff said.
Harden has been more effective on the ball or when in the low post. But his All-Star worthiness remains on the other end of the floor, where he is the focus of every team's defensive game plan and remains among the most unstoppable offensive players in the league.
"Nobody's been able to handle him," Lakers coach Byron Scott said. "You want to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible. He's a load. In the open court, he's one of the best at getting to the basket and scoring. In the halfcourt, he can hit the 3, get to the basket. He's a triple-threat guy."
Now he's also a four-time All-Star.
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JH is cold. My guy, but he needs a coach to chin check him and push him to be the best he can be
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Tom Thibodeau
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He would definitely improve the defense...not sure we could compete offensively with GSW with him.
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Ill be totally disgusted I'd this team just lays an egg against the Thunder, even on the road. Another test tyoe of game this team NEEDS to get up for. We need to start beating teams that more than likely will make deep playoff runs instead of getting blown off the floor by them.
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I had only watched the game last night from the midway of the 3rd quarter and on, so I'm watching the whole thing right now and I'm up to when Howard and Singler were T'd up, and just wanted to get a feel for the entire game before really saying anything. One thing I did notice, it wasn't even 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter before a bunch of BS was happening. Harden and Brewer were getting hammered and nothing was going their way, and on the flipside, ticky tack fouls were being called on the Rockets and putting OKC in the bonus early. It's like the fix was in before the game was even started.
Right now I'm on the part where Harden is forced to foul Westbrook on a fast-break, 53-48 Rockets.
Right now I'm on the part where Harden is forced to foul Westbrook on a fast-break, 53-48 Rockets.
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Finished the game awhile ago, and even with Dwight's ejection, the game really didn't totally turn until Terrence Jones came in for Capela at one point. Kanter, who was practically non-existent when Dwight was in, suddenly was getting the ball and scoring at will. It also didn't help that Dion Waiters was hitting corner threes and playing like a legit #1 pick for the entire night. Seemed like the Rockets would forget he was even on the court. Sucks to lose like that when it was pretty much back and forth.
View media item 1890736
Back to back against the Wiz tonight. Need a win pretty badly as Portland is creeping up, and the standings are starting to look iffy.
View media item 1890736
Back to back against the Wiz tonight. Need a win pretty badly as Portland is creeping up, and the standings are starting to look iffy.
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wishful thinking:
since we are keeping Lawson, I hope he gets a season high of more than 25 points in a rockets uniform.. Would be nice if it comes soon..wishful thinking
since we are keeping Lawson, I hope he gets a season high of more than 25 points in a rockets uniform.. Would be nice if it comes soon..wishful thinking
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I hate this teams defense, and I definitely hate how this team is generally officiated. Doesn't matter whether it's at home, or on the road. Of course you can't give up 123 points, but to battle the refs in your own building, a full 24 hours of battling them on the road? That's sickening.
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JBB was HEATED and I don't blame him at all. Totally laughable game.
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didnt watch the clip, but if the same thing that was on TV last night... Love how he just gets up and says he's done
I don't care how poorly we're officiated, you can't give up 123 points
Dwight proves to still be a mental ******. I don't care if JJ Watt is getting sacked on every play, you can do anything to come close to getting a second tech.
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Definitely can't give up 123 like that, nor miss that many FTs (Capela went like 1/9 :x :x). But I'm fully behind JBB just telling it like it is. And honestly, I can't even blame Dwight, it has to be frustrating be battered in the paint with no calls, yet he breathes and gets a tech. Just can't allow bums like Steven Adams and other people like that to get under your skin. All I know is all the "soft" stuff that gets thrown at Dwight, the minute he actually decides to throw and elbow and hit somebody, those same people will say "w-w-why did he do that? th-th-th-th-this isn't the 90's 
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D-Mo and KJ recalled from Rio. I honestly didn't even realize KJ was back down there since he goes so much.
