The Dream Shake

The hum of precision machinery. Rockets win Game 6 vs OKC Thunder

2009-11-07T08:34:08Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

The antipodean half of the 40 pt, 19 rebound platoon.

First, apologies for this recap running a bit late. I had to watch the game on DVR tonight.

This one never seemed in doubt. The Rockets were never able to stretch the lead beyond about 10, but never did I think Houston would be unable to pull away as the Thunder drew within 6 or 8 a few times.

In some respects, this was a battle of identities. Houston's identity as a disciplined, driven, unselfish and intelligent squad clashed with...with what exactly? OKC, at this point, lacks an identity as a team. They have talent, oodles of talent, of that there can be no doubt. But to what purpose? Never was an intensity of will, a drive to win on the Thunder's part, evident to me in this game.

This is not a character judgment of the Thunder, there are no aspersions for not being "crunch-time assassins" or some such. It simply seemed like each player went about his business with little regard for the outcome of the game or even looked at the scoreboard.

This may be where so much talented youth is a problem. Oklahoma City might benefit from a seasoned player or two, players not trying to discover their identities in the NBA, so much as live up to what they have established. For all that Westbrook and Durant (though not Green tonight) are awe-inspiring players, there is little evidence (tonight at least) of their games meshing, or realigning to accommodate the other. The two young men are preoccupied with exploring their own potential. There is nothing wrong with that, but I wonder if the Thunder will become too expensive before they become contenders. Portland may be seeing the edges of that problem now, OKC looks to be next.

Perhaps the relentless assault of the Rockets on both ends of the court demoralized our opponent tonight, and none of the above theories hold water. This game was almost a textbook repeat of what we are quickly coming to expect from these Rockets: balanced scoring (5, nearly 6, players in double figures), high assist total (26), efficient scoring (53.8% shooting), (mix in points in the paint, surprising offensive rebounding, aggressive defense, etc, etc). OKC is a young team, so it is certainly possible.

Without a doubt, there were a few instances of the Rockets hitting a wrong note - for instance Brooks couldn't hold Westbrook (though Lowry seemed to, until fouls, real and imagined, took him out of the contest). Mainly though, there was the sound of precision Rocket machinery, efficiently disposing of another opponent.

Three UP

Carl Landry & Luis Scola- A simply awesome display. 21 points on 8-12 shooting, in 30 minutes, with 9 rebounds (5 offensive) for Carl. 19 pts on 8-13 shooting, and 10 rebounds for Luis. Yes, that's 40 points on 16-25 shooting, with 19 rebounds for our PF platoon.

Mt. Lowry - 4 blocks for the PG. Steals from the center, blocks from the point, where will it end?

The new old unis - I liked em.

Three Down

Chuck Hayes - spent a lot of time sitting with fouls, on calls we really have not seen on him before.

Trevor Ariza - when he drives, a shot is going up. Period. This may become a problem, or he could have just felt bad tonight.

Empty Seats Courtside - is traffic on Friday night so bad that the expensive seats need to clear out at the mid point of the 4^th quarter? The martinis, or pillows, respectively, will wait another 10 minutes. Stay for the win.

Did I miss the song??

2009-11-07T05:10:11Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

about 13 hours ago: Oklahoma Thunder's Etan Thomas (36) tries to block a shot by Houston Rockets' Chase Budinger (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Browse more photos »

Chase Budinger: 6-10 FG (2-4 3pt), 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block tonight.

sing it again, rookie beyotch!!!

GameThread for Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets, Nov 6, 2009 7:30 PM CST

2009-11-07T00:30:26Z

Let's go Rockets! Time to get that fourth win!

Chuck Hayes is on notice - for the right reasons this time

2009-11-06T19:17:45Z

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

about 1 month ago: Houston Rockets' Chuck Hayes (44) and San Antonio Spurs' Ian Mahinmi compete for a rebound during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Browse more photos »

It's been quite a whirlwind for Chuck Hayes, regardless of whether or not anyone has noticed.

This summer, I got the chance to interview Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Among other things, he had this to say about our probable roster:

Well, either they're going to make the roster, or not at all. Once you cut a guy, you lose your rights to him. It's possible that Chuck Hayes is one of those guys to cut and then bring back.

Still think the ole Chuckwagon is cuttable? It would be Morey's last hurrah.

Now, coming off of a 14/14 game against Andrew Bynum and the Los Angeles Lakers, Hayes is starting to create quite a buzz from the league and from the media. Earlier today, TrueHoop's Henry Abbott posted an article written by Rockets.com's Jason Friedman:

Jason Friedman of Rockets.com is kicking off a campaign to get Chuck Hayes on the NBA's All-Defense team. I'll second that. Friedman writes: "I may not be top in the league in blocks but if I'm guarding, say, LaMarcus Aldridge and I make him shoot a bad percentage, then I hope they pay attention to that," says Hayes. "I just wish there was a stat for keeping your man to the lowest field goal percentage."

Not only did Abbott and Friedman have praise for Hayes, but others across the 'Net did as well.

Kelly Dwyer of BDL:

Chuck Hayes is a 6-6 Kevin Garnett. His footwork belongs on Mt. Rushmore. His hands belong in the Smithsonian. He had two steals tonight, and caused as many jump balls. He's a center that's in the top five in steals, per game, in barely half a game. His defense is unbelievable. And now (7-9 shooting, no hesitation around the hoop) you have to pay attention to him when someone drives and dishes.

John Hollinger of ESPN.com:

Hayes has been one of the keys to Houston's surprising start with his ability to defend bigger players at the center position. He's listed at 6-6 and even that estimate seems optimistic, but he's so good at getting leverage and pushing opposing big men away from the rim that he's a very effective interior defender regardless. And unlike most bigs who defend the post, he also can step out to the 3-point line and pick up smaller players.

We knew this already about Hayes, but what's made him a viable performer this season is that he's become more willing to shoot and finish around the basket. Last season he seemed terrified to shoot at times and finished the year averaging a meager 4.2 points per 40 minutes, along with the worst true shooting percentage in basketball at a horrifying 37.5.

He'll never be George Gervin, but this year he's accepted all the layups that have come his way, and those have been frequent given how often opponents gamble off him to double other Houston players. Hayes scored 14 points last night and is averaging 8.8 on the season; he's done it efficiently, shooting 64.7 percent from the floor.

Tom Lorenzo of FanHouse (yes, Chuck is getting fantasy basketball attention):

Chuck Hayes is eligible all over the place -- small forward, power forward, and center. That's a good thing. That means you can move him around as needed. Right now Hayes is averaging 2.4 steals per game and is one of just two center-eligible players averaging more than 1.6 steals per game -- Anderson Varejao being the other at 1.8 per. In his last two Hayes is averaging 13 points, 11.5 rebounds and shooting above 75-percent from the field -- against the Jazz and the Lakers. His defense has never been in question, so add him as a filler in the middle and you'll benefit nicely from his active hands.

Those of us who consider ourselves to be Rockets fans have been quite aware of Hayes' defensive ability ever since he joined the squad. Chuck's problems had always resonated on the offensive end, where he was nothing more than dead air last season. However, the Rockets are quickly noticing his ability to run a successful pick and roll and finish in the lane. You'll see few "big" men out there with footwork as good as Chuck's. And perhaps Luis Scola taught him a thing or two about how to finish a layup automatically.

The Chuckwagon's offensive renaissance has prompted those who weren't initially looking to finally turn their heads. He doesn't necessarily need added motivation, but an increased respect from the public can't do much but raise his spirits. He deserves every last bit of it.

Oh, and it would be nice if Chuck could keep this up without getting fouled. He's only taken one free throw this season (which he missed, of course), and if he keeps converting in the paint, "hack-a-Chuck" could suddenly make an appearance. Please, dear referees, hold your whistles.

Who is to blame for the loss to the Lakers? You may not like the answer.

2009-11-06T18:29:59Z

The Lakers were an overwhelming favorite heading into Wednesday's game. The Rockets, however, surprised and confused the defending champs by playing aggressively and not backing down to anything. Not even with significant height disadvantages at every position.

Yet in the end, it came down to Kobe Bryant simply being better than everyone else. And he may have had an additional edge that none of the currently healthy Rockets had...

"What is that?" you may ask. Well... it pains me to say, but we might have to lay a bit of blame on the namesake himself. Yes, Hakeem Olajuwon spent part of the summer tutoring Kobe on sophisticated post moves and footwork. Things which Kobe used to shred the Rockets' 4th Q defense on Wednesday.

It makes me happy that Kobe would seek out Hakeem's help.

But it makes me sad that these trade secrets would be used against Hakeem's hometown team.

Oh, I can't stay mad at you, Hakeem! You rule.

Friday Afternoon Rockets/NBA Links

2009-11-06T18:24:25Z

An intriguing game is scheduled for tonight, featuring your Houston Rockets and the NBA's finest rising star: Kevin Durant. The Oklahoman looks into Durant's growth as a player, as well as his contributions on the court.

More after the jump.

B-Reference Blog, inspired by Tom Brady's Patriots and the Houston Rockets, takes a look at the NBA's best at "spreading it around."

Just as Brady had to cobble together a passing attack while throwing to Reche Caldwell, Doug Gabriel, Jabar Gaffney, and the aging remains of Troy Brown, the Rockets are facing the Yao-less, McGrady-less reality of forging an offense from a lineup without stars. The early returns have Trevor Ariza, Aaron Brooks, and Luis Scola shouldering the brunt of the workload, combining to take on 245 of Houston's 473 possessions so far this season, but you have to think that the offense will start to be spread out more as the season goes on, since all of Houston's players -- those three included -- are charting new territory in terms of usage.

-----

Hasheem Thabeet hasn't looked too good on the court in his first few games, but he could have been much, much worse.

"He was really bad,'' Hollins said. "Even though he's a shot blocker, he only had to stand in the paint in college. Now you've got guys attacking you and how you have to go meet them, he knew none of that. He had no footwork. He had no jump hook. He had nothing. And I can say that out of all the rookies in this draft, he probably has come the farthest. He has the farthest to go, and he still has a long ways to go.''

-----

Last year, I liked Solomon because he seemed to provide some much-needed perspective on McGrady. Everyone else on the Chronicle staff was bugging the fuck out, but Solomon emphasized the need for patience. He's seriously pissing me off this season, however.

-----

Just in case you missed it, the Rockets will be debuting their new alternates this evening. This will be a first for them: they've (rightly) shied away from the alternate-uniform trend in pro sports. Still, they look pretty cool.

-----

Jason Friedman goes into Chuck Hayes' burgeoning campaign for a spot on the NBA All-Defense squad. And he understands that the only guys who get on the team can play offense, too:

The transformation is rather incredible, especially given the fact that, for the better part of the past two seasons, Hayes displayed a propensity to turn even the most wide-open of layups into an edge of your seat, "how’s it going to end?" thrill ride. Now he’s backing down Mehmet Okur in the post and casually flipping in left-handed jump hooks. What changed?

"One, his fitness is great," explains Rockets’ Assistant Coach and big man guru Jack Sikma. "Fatigue, especially when it comes to finishing around the rim, is a real difference maker. And he put in work this summer on spinning the ball and having it come off his fingertips and not being in a hurry, whereas last year his shot was kind of just a quick push. With that, his confidence has grown and the guys have confidence in him.

"He has to finish. If opponents are lying off of him, he has to find his spots around the rim where he’s open. And if we’re good enough to find him and he gets the ball, it’s got to be two points, which is what’s happening; his conversion rate has been very high."

-----

Lastly, hoopnumbers.com has calculated the most exact Adjusted Plus-Minus numbers publicly available. Which Rockets have been in the top 50 across the last three years? Yao, Battier, and Chuck.

Poll

Chuck is unquestionably one of the league's best post defenders. But do you think the NBA will finally recognize his greatness and reward him with a spot on the All-Defense Team?

Game 6 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma Thunder 11/06/2009 7:30PM CST

2009-11-06T17:02:30Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Browse more photos »

The Match-ups:

Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - Weak game against Lakers, with an odd propensity to turnover the ball. That's not Brooks' M.O. so I expect that to be fixed tonight. The Thunder won't be able to slap at his hands like the Lakers were, just the way it is. In theory that game should help him focus on the unforced errors he had as well.
vs.
Russell Westbrook - An 8.0 to 5.5 assists to turnover ratio is the only thing keeping Westbrook from being lauded for a great start to the season. Portland forced 9 TOs from him to only 2 assists and he was 6 TOs to 7 assists against the Lakers. Westbrook has an infinite amount of potential though and he'll get it turned around.
Edge: Even

Shooting Guard
Shane Battier - He's awesome in every possible way as an NBA player. Everyone calls him the ultimate glue guy, but he's not only glue, he's duct tape too. Whatever the Rockets seem to need he figures it out. Maybe Duct Tape should be his new nickname. Hmmm
vs.
Thabo Sefolosha - Wish I had something to say. High draft pick that hasn't panned out to date. He's still only 25 and he's with the right team to blend in and become a solid role player.
Edge: Rockets

Small Forward
Trevor Ariza - Came back down to earth against his former team. Some may say he choked, frankly it doesn't bother me at all. It was one game out of 5 and a few bad decisions less and that game looks different. Ariza will have a challenge tonight, but his floor movement should allow him to put up points close to his season numbers.
vs.
Kevin Durant - There is no one, not even Bill Simmons with more of an unhealthy man crush on Durant than I. He's phenomenal (save for three point shooting). His defense seems to be improving, granted that's based on seeing one game this season so far. His length and athleticism combined with skill are second to only Lebron James in the NBA and his numbers look eerily similar to Lebron's over his first few years. Durant is the future of the NBA
Edge: Thunder

Power Forward
Luis Scola - 3 good games with 2 lesser games. That needs to be more like 10 to 1 for an all star appearance like I predicted pre-season to happen. I believe he'll get there still, nothing has really shown me that he won't. He's still figuring out his spot in the lineup with all of the movement, and it's still coming along.
vs.
Jeff Green - Green has stepped his game up all three seasons in the league and he's poised to break out this year. It will still be a year or 2 before the Thunder can make the playoffs, but it won't be because of Green that they don't, that much is very clear.
Edge: Rockets

Center
Chuck Hayes - Chuck makes 2.14MM, and is putting up 9 and 8 for the Rockets. That's an absolute steal. When he's in the game, the Rockets are winning, that's a pretty nice statistic itself
vs.
Nenad Krstic - A great pick up last season for the Thunder. He's big and only 26 years old. He makes the MLE amount which is the perfect money for a serviceable center.
Edge: Rockets

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT -McGrady, duh. Chase Budinger is going to be a game time decision.
Oklahoma City Thunder
OUT - None

My Prediction: Rockets struggle with the athleticism of the Thunder for a few quarters. In the fourth they put the game away, win by 7-11.

Thusday Afternoon Rockets/NBA Links

2009-11-05T20:45:05Z

Jerome Solomon has a column posted on the Chronicle's website, accusing Ariza of seeming "out of place" as a leader.

OK, maybe not the face-making, but Adelman wanted some attitude.

Ariza kind of brought it, but kind of didn't. He is just not that guy. Never will be.

Ariza just doesn't have the assassin's mentality that makes stars super. Prior to this season, he had never taken 21 shots in a game as he did Wednesday, and it seemed he didn't want to take some of those.

Kobe Bryant was the only other player on the court firing up shots at that rate. Bryant got off 30 attempts and scored a game-high 41 points. Unlike Ariza, Bryant is quite comfortable firing away.

If Ariza had more Aaron Brooks or Kyle Lowry in him, he might be a perennial All-Star. But he is what he is, and that's OK.

The Rockets knew what they were getting when they signed him with their mid-level exception.

There's good analysis, there's bad analysis, and then there's no analysis. And I'm having a tough time deciding if this is just bad analysis or a failure to even deal with what's happening on the court.

Look, it's fine to discuss "mentality" when we talk about players. Basketball, unlike baseball, allows players to take over the game, and so a player's thought process, emotions, etc. really do matter. But at the same time, we (as fans and as writers) need to be able to distinguish between "stuff happening in a player's head" and "stuff happening in reality."

Ariza's problem is not that he lacks some mystical "killer instinct," nor is it that he doesn't have "ice water in his veins" or whatever other cliche you want to use. Ariza's problem is that he can't create off the dribble. His ballhandling isn't pretty, and the result is turnovers and forced shots. A "mentality" is not what makes a star a star: it's pure ability, and Ariza isn't there yet.

Did his emotional desire to play well against his old team lead him to take bad shots? Maybe, but that has nothing to do with an "assassin's mentality" (whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean). Indeed, it seems to contradict that: he wanted to take those shots, and so he took them and failed. The point, however, is that the difference between the Kobe/Lebron/Wade wings of the world and the Arizas of the world is one of skill, not mentality.

The lesson to take from this game is not that Ariza has to "step up and be a leader." That's ridiculous. He, like everyone else, needs to play to his strengths and the system. And if the coaches, front office, and Ariza want him to become something more, then he needs to work on that in practice and in games against the Kings/Thunder/Nets of the league, not against the reigning champions.

As for being a "leader," I think it became fairly clear around March of 2008 who the Rockets' on-court leader is, and it isn't Brooks, Ariza, Yao, or McGrady. He's the guy running the defense and being the real "floor general." But I wouldn't want Battier to try to "take over" the game with his "assassin's mentality," either.

With that particular pile of crap dissected, let's get to some news:

Rockets.com's Jason Friedman has a much better analysis of what happened last night, including quotes from Adelman and players.

“We were talking amongst the guys: we stopped attacking,” said Shane Battier. “We have to be an attacking team and we tried to just go in isolation mode and run the pick-and-roll. We’re at our best when we’re attacking the basket, taking threes and we got away from that. We have to do that every night, no matter who we’re playing.”

----

Delonte West, if you didn't know, has some mental problems. Cleveland Scene looks at the difficulties writers face when covering a player with significant emotional issues.

Details like West “staring into space” present problems. Not every episode of silence — or joviality — is evidence of a disorder, but can start to look that way when West’s emotional state is the subject, especially when taking a retrospective look at a series of incidents. Otherwise, Windhorst’s piece put Delonte’s struggles throughout the year into perspective and illustrates the difficulties writers face when dealing with West’s actions. That struggle will undoubtedly continue through what could be the most important year in the Cavs’ history. There is no rule book for such situations, so the Cavs and the reporters who cover them better start writing one.

Shoals at Free Darko also comments on this issue.

----

If you're looking for some reactions to last night's game, Hardwood Paroxysm, Dwyer, and the Basketball Jones all have good perspectives on the night. It might be tough to see through the cloud of post-loss rage and disappointment, but we witnessed a pretty great game, after all.

TBJ also briefly discusses the subject of Ariza as a #1 option, while Dwyer offers his opinion on our man Chuck's evolution as a player:

Chuck Hayes is a 6-6 Kevin Garnett. His footwork belongs on Mt. Rushmore. His hands belong in the Smithsonian. He had two steals tonight, and caused as many jump balls. He's a center that's in the top five in steals, per game, in barely half a game. His defense is unbelievable. And now (7-9 shooting, no hesitation around the hoop) you have to pay attention to him when someone drives and dishes.

Hyperbole? Maybe, but that was probably the best game of the Chuckwagon's career. It's a shame we see it when Yao is out.

-----

Basketball Prospectus looks into the improving Cavs offense. It's an in-depth, technical look at a team, and I hope they cover Houston in similar detail at some point.

In Cleveland’s case, their overreliance on James (granted, he’s an easy guy to rely upon) is inhibiting the team's ability to become interdependent. Instead, when they need a result, they give it to one of the best players in the world and let him figure it out. This stunts their growth and fails to maximize how good the Cavaliers can be. It took Bryant and the Lakers a few years to learn this lesson—how long will it be before James and the Cavaliers take the next step?

-----

Lastly, here's a link to an interesting discussion of three-point shooting at APBRmetrics. The Rockets struggled to make their threes last night, but they're one of the leaders in attempts. Most basketball statistical analysts will tell you that the three point attempt is one of the game's best shots, and yet we see stats-oriented teams like the Thunder seemingly focus on players like Russell Westbrook. Weird, huh?

The Sports Guy's phone call to Daryl Morey (the secret recording)

2009-11-05T19:30:14Z

[scene: Daryl Morey at the office hard at work reviewing box scores, 100 page spreadsheets and his own super-secret player ratings formula. It's his version of coffee and the morning paper... ]

Daryl Morey: [looking at the Rockets/Lakers box score] F--king refs! How do we not get a single free throw attempt in the fourth quarter on our home court?!?! F--k!!!

suddenly the phone rings.
[Morey looks at his caller ID - the number is 213-SPORTS-G]

Morey: *sigh* [answers phone] What do you want, Simmons? I'm kinda busy right now.

Bill "the Sports Guy" Simmons: Yo, what up, Dork-E? Tough game for you guys last night. I DVR'd "America's Next Top Model" so I could watch. Um, I mean, I made the Sports Gal put it on DVR. Gotta pull rank sometime, am I right? But seriously, you need to front Kobe Bryant there at the end. You just can't let him beat you. Letting the Lakers win is almost like a loss for the Celtics, am I right? Did you see the Celtics are 6-0? I never doubted KG!

Morey: [interrupting] Did you just call me "dorky"? And how did you get through? I thought I had your number blocked last week?

Simmons: Ahhh, no way brah - I said "Dork-E", like the letter "E". It's "Dork Elvis" shortened, you get it? It's funny. I give all sorts of crazy funny names to all my friends... Hench, J-Bug, Hopper...

Morey: [overtly annoyed] Bill, the Elvis thing wasn't funny the first time you said it. Nor the 100th time. Don't you have a book to shill or something?

Simmons: Yeah! Did you see? My book is #11 at Amazon! I check this every day you know...

Morey: I'm sure you do. Bill, I'm kinda busy, what do you want?

Simmons: I wanted to know if you read my book! I sent you a free copy! Did you read it?

Morey: [stares at unopened box in corner of office....] Uhhh, yeah, ummm, I'm still in the middle of it. It's kinda long, you know.

Simmons: [boastfully] It's over 700 pages long! It can stop a bullet too! Or as I like to say: it's the Bill Russell to a bullet's Wilt Chamberlain. I wanted to make BIll Russell the #1 player of all time in my completely arbitrary ranking system, but my editors wouldn't let me put that in my book, so I just went with Michael Jordan.

Morey: [dismissive] Well, you know, Michael Jordan is by most statistical observations the best player of all-time. By far. It's not even really much of an argument. Besides, Bill Russell played in a league with only 8 teams and a de-facto racial quota system in place.

Simmons: [defensive] I don't know... Russell was a Celtic, man. And Jordan didn't win 11 rings. Did you know Russell was even the head coach at the end of that championship run?!?! Also, I was talking to Adam Corolla recently and he had this theory about basketball in the 1950s and 1960s........

Morey: Adam Corolla? The sidekick from the Man Show? That fuckin' guy?

Simmons: Hey, he hates it when you call him Jimmy's sidekick. How do we know Jimmy isn't Adam's sidekick?

Morey: Fair enough. Not that I give 2 shits either way. [lengthy pause] Look... Bill.... I gotta get back to this. I have to re-adjust some efficiency formulas today. Then I have to meet with Battier to go over game charts and our plan for stopping Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

Simmons: [having a fan-gasm] Ohhh, you can't stop Durant and the Zombies. No way. He's going to lead the league in scoring this year. And he's only 21! There is no ceiling for him.

Morey: Surprisingly, Bill, the recent numbers tell me all we gotta do is dare Durant to shoot from beyond 23 feet... and his +/- ratio suggests he might actually be hurting the Thunder. This is why I am crunching numbers today.

Simmons: No... no.... no. But enough about my man crush - what's this formula you are working on? Maybe we can write a book together about it? I mean... when I'm not scouring box scores and video so I can make my NFL picks!

Morey: Bill, it's secret. I think you can understand that. I only share this information with Shane. And yeah, awesome job going 4-9 with your exemplary research on NFL games last week.

Simmons: Hey, it was an unlucky week for my gambling manifesto. Shane? You mean Battier? What's with the two of you? Are you two dating or something? Come on, what's all this super secret stuff? You should be more like me - I make all my gambling formulas public!! Besides, I promise I won't use your basketball formula against you when I am GM of the Timberwolves. Promise!

Morey: [lauging] You as the GM? I thought you liked Ricky Rubio - why would you want to fuck up his career by being his future GM?

Simmons: Ahh, it's not like I could be worse than David Kahn. And I love Kevin McHale, but... you know. And Ricky would love me... we could watch all sorts of TV shows together that I am way too old to be watching. Couldn't you just see him as a guest star on 90210? Or maybe I could use my connections to get him cast on the Real World during the summer break?

Morey: You have got to stop watching that shit, Bill. I mean, I'm not the man you are at 40 yet, but... even I've grown beyond soap operas masquerading as teenager drama.

Simmons: [nearly in tears] but... but... I want to be cool!! I have to be hip!! It's just like in that movie Almost Famous. How will the other cool kids like me if I don't stay current with what's going on in pop culture?

Morey: [looking for a quick escape] Yeah, ummm, you are exactly like William Miller... you even have the same first name... uhhhhh...

Simmons: I'd never sing "Tiny Dancer" though.

Morey: Of course not.

Simmons: Well, anyway, I wanted to see what Dork Elvis was up to before I had my meetings with all the super-famous directors that are part of ESPN's 30-for-30. I recruited all of them. Me. Myself.

Morey: Seriously, stop with this "dork Elvis" shit. Just stop.

Simmons: [completely unaware] It's funny. It's a funny name. Okay, check ya later, Dork-E!

/hangs up/

Morey: ...... fucking finally. Now I can get back to work. I simply must figure out the proper measurement and ratio for incorporating "incompetent referees" as a variable into my secret formula. Next time we see the Lakers... they won't know what hit 'em. Moneyball can kiss my M.I.T. ass after I perfect this plan. Math, ftw.

Same old story: Rockets still lack true finisher to replace Yao & McGrady

2009-11-05T06:31:10Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

When the Lakers need a clutch shot, they have Number 24 to turn to. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Browse more photos »

You couldn't ignore it. The Rockets countered with baskets, but you still weren't convinced. And then, when it came down to the final 13 seconds of the game, you thought about it yet again.

Who is going to take the final shot?

With the final possession determining the outcome of the game, the Los Angeles Lakers weren't about to let anyone score the easy way.

How about sending Aaron Brooks through the lane for a dwarf-tastic layup? Nope. Andrew Bynum wasn't about give Brooks any space by stepping up late to help again.

Or how about giving Trevor Ariza space to isolate his defender? Nope. Ron Artest wasn't going to give an inch of room for Ariza to beat him off the dribble.

In the end, the Rockets got caught in between both options, and it resulted in a turnover. When we finally got our answer to who was going to step up at the end, it was pretty clear: Nobody.

As extraordinary as they've been, the Rockets lack a go-to guy when it counts, and there's nothing they can do about it. Up to this point, opponents hadn't forced the Rockets into a do-or-die situation on the offensive end. Golden State turned a 108-101 deficit into a single-point Houston victory. Each of the Portland games weren't as close as the final score indicated. And we beat the living Christ hell out of Utah.

Houston's offense revolves around the flow of the game. We want to be able to score when a defense isn't set - when a defense is most vulnerable. That's how we're going to get our points. If we're forced to slow it down, we take advantage of little things, such as backdoor cuts, short passes in the paint, and drive-and-kick opportunities. As the game tightens towards the end, and as the adrenaline picks up for the opposing defense, those "little things" suddenly become much harder to execute. Defenders become more focused on individual plays, and if they weren't giving 100% effort before, they certainly are when the game is one the line.

Yeah, the Rockets will make a clutch shot every once in a while. And no, Trevor Ariza won't have a defender like Artest on him all the time. But at the end of the day, the odds will rarely be in our favor.

That said, when Rick Adelman draws up an ingenious play to win a game, don't say I didn't tell you so. I'm not bold enough to put anything by him.

Thoughts on 103-102 loss vs Lakers

2009-11-05T06:16:40Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

You are not seeing two fouls here. That would be un-possible. (This is old, though - see the scruffy Catalonian? He wasn't there tonight.)

Browse more photos »

Bullet Points - The Lazy Man's Friend ^TM

This is the first game I have attended this season, and the first with an eye to writing for TDS. I tried to watch action away from the ball as much as I could, and also to the view the Lakers as dispassionately as possible. It made for an interesting night.
It's a big night for The House, isn't it? Lakers win another OT game on the road, the Yankees win the World Series. I think if you are not from New York or LA and you root for the Yankees or Lakers, respectively, it's like rooting for the house in blackjack. Or maybe rooting for cancer.
Do they even SELL any jersey but the Kobe Bryant one for the Lakers? There were a fair few supporters of the evil empire at Toyota Center tonight, and every single one I saw had "Bryant" on the back. Except for the seedy-looking guy who had his own name of the back of a #24 jersey. Well played. I respect those imaginative Laker fans. I wonder how many know of any historic Laker players, other than Magic, maybe.
Chuck Hayes - Just a splendid game from the Chuck Wagon. He scored the same number of points as Lamar Odom, and on six fewer shots. Everyone laughs at our tiny center, but no one has walked over him yet.

Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest had a Freaky Wednesday. Trevor shot 21 times and made 5 in a truly Artestian performance, meanwhile, Crazy Pills goes 6-14 with only 1 foul - 1 called foul, anyway. He was, annoyingly, 3-7 from 3pt range.

Why were people booing Artest? The Rockets weren't interested in signing him at the money he wanted. LA was. He never gave anything less than his best effort here. Why the hate?

IF LA (meaning Kobe) needs overtime to beat us with our lineup, I'm encouraged. With a bit better shooting, we win this one. And we need to win games that are there for the taking. This one was. This result looks good, in a moral victory sense, but looking deeper, this should have been a Rockets "W" - an actual victory.

Aaron Brooks drove and dished too often, mainly to Scola, who was immediately guarded by either Odom or Bynum. Luis often looked surprised by these passes, and appeared to be trying to position himself for a board off Brooks' shot most of the time. Put the shot up, Aaron, or find a guy who doesn't have a 7-footer 1 foot from him. That play would work great if the guy standing there was Yao, but, as they say, Yao isn't walking through that door, Mr. Brooks.

Too much dribbling late in the game. Far too much dribbling. Not enough movement without the ball. There was plenty of ball movement in the 1^st quarter, and it slowly melted away, until Houston seemed to be running nothing but unlikely-looking ISO plays. It recalled the heady days of scoring 74 points a night with JVG. Not getting a shot off in the last 24 seconds of overtime, down 1, that's not acceptable.

Along the same lines - no more behind-the-back passes for either Brooks or Lowry until their assist-to-turnover ratio improves. We gave away either 3-4 possessions on errant behind-the-back passes. In a one point loss in OT, all that stuff is magnified.

Watching the game, and focusing on movement away from the ball, I can tell you this: LA would be a bad team without Kobe. Not "barely a playoff team", not an "average team", a bad team. Its not just forcing the offense through him and him delivering. Due to what seems to be the lackadaisical character of the rest of the Lakers, they would be exposed on D and rarely find an open look without him. I wonder how long he can keep this up at 31? We'll see.

The NBA has apparently instituted a "No D on Kobe" rule this year. Players are no longer allowed to remain in place, or jump straight up when Kobe is shooting. That is now a foul. Watch for lots of FTs at an arena near you! The NBA: where marketing-oriented-favoritism-happens-all-too-frequently.

LA's bench looked horrible. Jackson couldn't leave them in the game against us. This was supposed to be a Laker strength. If Gasol and Bynum can't carry more of the load, I think LA (meaning Kobe) will wear down and be vulnerable.

If LA (meaning Kobe) needs 41 points and 48 minutes from Kobe to beat us in OT, on a bad shooting night for us, that is either a very good sign for us, or a very bad sign for them.

Could Hakeem don a Rockets jersey? I wish he had tonight. I think he could push Bynum around, even now. (I kid. Sort of.) Where did this plague of soft or inept 7 footers come from anyway? Gasol is a more forceful player than Odom or Bynum.

The "Fan Contests" - Prizes range from a bag of burritos, to a signed ball, to a cell phone, to some Greek food, OR a trip to Shanghai, or Amsterdam, or Rio, or San Francisco. Please, let me be in the Continental shooting game!

Phil Jackson always does something to remind me why I hate him so much. Tonight he stopped a Rockets inbounds play near the end of the game twice. Why? Presumably there was some dangerous object on the floor near LA's bench. The ref looked around, and didn't see it. So Phil stopped the inbounds play to get him to look again. Still no object. But the Lakers got a good look at Houston's set. What a pudwack.

A Jacksonian sort of respect from Silver Screen and Roll.

Game 5 Recap: Lakers Win, Rockets Lose, We All Learn A Little Something

2009-11-05T05:44:45Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Browse more photos »

Here we have a game where Kobe was allowed to get to the line freely. A game where the slightest contact by a Rocket in the 4th was cause for a foul. A game that was nevertheless a field goal away from a win.

Now, it should be noted that, unlike a lot of fans, I will freely admit that I blame games on the officials. And I'm pretty much going to do that here. You can use all the excuses you like ("That's the way stars are reffed" or "Kobe just takes over"), but that doesn't change the fact that Kobe was given a three point play after no Rocket came close to touching him. That doesn't change the fact that he was bailed out by the officials in the fourth, and it doesn't change the fact that this is not the way a professional basketball game is supposed to be officiated.

With that being said, the Rockets had plenty of opportunities to win this one, but they ultimately failed to do so, regardless of officiating blunders. Trevor Ariza was absolutely atrocious on the offensive end of the court: 15 points on 21 shots. Aaron Brooks had more turnovers than assists. Simply put, the two rising stars of the Rockets lineup failed to play efficiently or intelligently. Brooks was unable to beat the Lakers' guards, and he utterly failed to handle their trap defense properly. Ariza's attempts to create off the dribble were largely unnecessary and usually ended poorly. Not a good game for either of them.

The Rockets' frontcourt, however, was great. Luis Scola has seen better nights, but Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes were spectacular, combining for 34 points and 32 rebounds on 16-21 shooting. The Rockets outrebounded the Lakers, forced Kobe Bryant to take over the game (which is, despite what so many will tell you, not a winning plan most of the time), and kept everyone else but Andrew Bynum from being much of a factor. So what killed the Rockets?

Free throws could have been made (though the Lakers were converting about the same percentage). The overall defense could have been improved (about .03 pts/poss. worse than in the rest of the season). But what really killed the Rockets were turnovers. 19 of them will do that for you.

Ariza and Brooks combined for over half of that total. Not cool. AB has got to handle double teams and traps better. Ariza has to... well, I'm not sure how he can improve on that. He's not a great ball handler, and he should probably stop trying to take it inside. Make more cuts to the basket off the ball. Plenty of times tonight, the offense seemed to become stagnant, with Lowry or AB dribbling around the arc and everyone else standing still. Chuck made cuts, and so did Landry, and both of them finished at the rim. The same cannot be said of Ariza.

There is an incentive here to settle. "Well, the Rockets finished only a point behind the World Champs, right? Good show!" The Rockets fought hard, but they screwed up. I believe wholeheartedly that this team is *a lot* better than virtually everyone has said, and I as a fan am not going to settle for a game that could have been won if not for stupid errors. The Rockets are going to surprise a lot of people by just staying in these kinds of games, but I'm here to tell you that they're going to surprise a lot more by winning. Adelman, Morey, and the Rockets sure as hell aren't settling for this result tonight - you could see it on Chuck's face at the end of the game (okay, maybe that's just projection) - and neither should the fans. The Rox are better than this.

So, uh, I guess this is tradition here:

Three Up:
Chuck Hayes: MVP for the game. He cleaned up messes around the rim, fought for rebounds, and even created a play or two.

Carl Landry: Stud off the bench. Why wasn't he getting more PT? The fact that he had to replace either Chuck or Luis has everything to do with that. Given the way the Rockets played defense without Hayes on the court, I'd be hesitant to put both Landry and Scola together, too. Still, Luis Landry lives, and the Rockets aren't going to win against great opponents if they can't go to their two best post players at once. Particularly in OT, maybe Adelman should have been more willing to play all three. Maybe. I'm no expert.

Hakeem Olajuwon: Nice to see the greatest center of all time hanging around the Toyota Center. That should happen more often. (No, I wasn't really impressed with anyone else's performance)

Three Down:

Aaron Brooks: Couldn't get his shot to go for most of the night, though he eventually came back for a 3-7 performance from behind the arc. The 7 turnovers, however, killed the tean, and he needs to do a better job of running the motion offense.

Trevor Ariza: Do what comes naturally, not what you need to force. Stop trying to create off the dribble.

Three point shooting: You know what? Let's just chalk that up to bad luck, though the Rockets certainly weren't going to be shooting 50% forever.

GameThread for Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets, Nov 4, 2009 7:30 PM CST

2009-11-04T22:32:30Z

And here comes a big test for the Rockets. Home game against the defending NBA Champions. Rematch of the second round. This time the worst part of that Rockets series, Artest (who I still have a special place in my heart for) plays for the bad guys.

Game 5 Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers 11/04/2009 7:30PM CST

2009-11-04T22:29:21Z

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

4 months ago: FILE - In this May 6, 2009, file photo, Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest, right, has words for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during Game 2 of a second-round NBA playoff series in Los Angeles. Artest is joining Bryant and the Lakers. David Bauman, Artest's agent, told The Associated Press that the forward has verbally agreed to play for the NBA champions next season. Bauman said the final details are still being worked out, but could be finished as early as Thursday night, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

Browse more photos »

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Aaron Brooks - Aaron is having a good season, effectively everything Rockets fans were hoping he would be. Consistently getting 18+ points and 8-ish assists a game. If he can keep that up, then the sky is the limit for the Rockets. Those are bordering Chris Paul/Steve Nash numbers.

vs.

Derek Fisher - Sucks, and that's that. Sorry Laker's fans, I calls em how I sees em

Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard

Shane Battier - Playing his role as well, or better than he ever has. And that's really saying something. The question is, do the Rockets get him to guard Bryant? Or do they allow Ariza to do it and employ the same tactic they used last time out against Brandon Roy? Either way it will be interesting to watch

vs.

KobeBryant - He's like good and stuff.

Edge: Lakers - It's Kobe Bryant, still the best player in the world

Small Forward

Trevor Ariza - Playing like a great number one fill in. He's more than I expected, and has played through his one weakness, ball handling, by being constantly on the move. Can he keep that up all season? That's to be determined, but color me impressed for now.

vs.

Ron Artest -

Edge: Rockets - Definitely the newsworthy matchup of the night. The Rockets won this battle of the off-season, and I can be a man and admit I was wrong about it for this season (I thought the Rockets would win it starting next year)

Power Forward

Luis Scola - Scola has been up and down so far this season, with the passes into the post somehow seeming less available, even without Yao. He'll adjust to the way the offense is moving though. You could see it against Utah, he was figuring out the flow. Lamar Odom isn't going to start playing any defense on him tonight, so you could see a break out game.

vs.

Lamar Odom - Odom has always been a good player, and LA fits his skill set more than any other team could. He's solid, and can do pretty much everything. I wouldn't trade Scola for him, and Lakers fans might feel similar about the opposite (that would be a mistake though)

Edge: Even - I think Scola is the better player, because he wants it more, but statistically this is a straight up draw right now

Center

Chuck Hayes - Tonight it will be up to Chuck Hayes to slow a potential seizing Andrew Bynum. Since post defense is what Hayes excels at, if the Rockets are to win, he'll have to keep Bynum down.

vs.

Andrew Bynum - Stringing together 20-10 games like he's going to finally live up to Lakers fans hype. Let it be said that no one around here didn't think he could, we all simply stated that until he did it for a season, shut up already. He's looking like he's going to do that, but let's repeat to ourselves, it's been 4 games and the one center he played (Kaman) he played to an effective stand still.

Edge: Lakers - There you go Lakers fans. No Yao, you finally win this edge

Injuries/Suspensions

Houston Rockets

OUT - None

Los Angeles Lakers

OUT - Pau Gasol

My Prediction: Triple OT win for the Lakers

EmptyTheBench likes the Rockets so far

2009-11-04T19:03:18Z

EmptyTheBench likes the Rockets so far

Empty The Bench is on board with what the Rockets are doing this year and what Daryl Morey did to make it happen.

Though I do disagree about people not agreeing with the Rafer Alston trade. It was pretty blatantly the right thing to do.

Wednesday Rockets/NBA Links

2009-11-04T15:41:08Z

Sorry about the lack of links yesterday. I'm sure all of you were staring blankly at your computer screens, confused and scared at the absence of what has become the most important part of your daily routine. And for that, I apologize. Let's take a look at all the crazy shit happening around the league.

The Knicks edged out the Hornets on Monday night. In other words, Chris Paul and his merry men lost to a team that is basically phoning it in until this summer. Now, if the Pacers or the Thunder or the Suns lose to the Knicks, no big deal. But if a team that is headed up by the best PG in the land and is ostensibly in the running for a deep playoff spot loses to the Knicks... something has gone horribly wrong.

Well, that's exaggeration. But it's basically the line we're getting from sportswriters out there, even if a 1-3 start isn't any sort of death sentence. At the same time, Chris Paul's "frustration" (it's the word everyone's using, though I prefer Basketbawful's description: "the little guy is starting to lose his shit a little") with his team is pretty clear at this point. I compared it to Garnett with Minnesota earlier, but it's also reminiscent of Hakeem from about 1986 until 1992. Here we have one of the best players in the game - certainly the best at his position - surrounded by utter crap (Emeka and West are nice players, but a championship core they do not make), while his less-deserving peers experience a great deal of success. That's not cool, and his career is crying out for liberation from the hellhole that is a George Shin team.

----

After their loss to the Good Guys on Monday, the Jazz followed it up by losing to the Mavs in Dallas. And I gotta tell ya, it feels pretty great. For me, anyways. Not so much for Jazz fans, who have already decided to renew their hapless bleatings from last season.

If you want my honest opinion (and I know you do), it's that Jerry Sloan doesn't know how to coach defense in this league anymore. He's stuck in 1996, when "no layups" still made sense. It has been five years since the league revised hand-checking and contact rules (since they made basketball fun again), and Sloan still hasn't revised his thinking on proper defense. So if Jazz fans are wondering what the hell is wrong with the defense, they need look no further than the scowling apparition pacing in front of the bench and shouting at refs.

----

Pau Gasol is definitely out for tonight's game, but it could be a lot more serious than that. And yet the Lakers sustained a much more critical injury (not really) when Phil Jackson cut part of his finger off. And he lost the little nub, too. Ewww.

Oh, yeah, and the Lakers continue to struggle, almost losing to the Fightin' Durants last night. Whoops.

----

In even weirder news, the Raptors have offered to include Vince Carter in their 15th anniversary celebration this year.

To me, this is like offering to include Carlos Beltran in the Astros' upcoming 50th Anniversary (just a few years away!). Yeah, Carter was incredible, and I love watching him, but I doubt Toronto fans want to be reminded of his departure.

----

Lastly (and this is like a week old, but it's interesting), economics blog Marginal Revolution entertains a "way to improve basketball" (as if that's even possible).

Here is my simple thought: games should be played as best 4 out of 7 periods -- perhaps 7 minutes each or perhaps slightly varied period lengths, 6 - 8 minutes long. Maybe the number or usage of timeouts or foul-outs would need to be fiddled with. Maybe playoffs would be slightly different. But that's pretty much it. The best part of a basketball game is almost always the last few minutes, and it seems like the incentives for exciting play would persist more throughly under this design.

... but I like garbage time. It's what makes human victory cigars like Brian Cook possible.

Poll

It's the Rockets' 40th anniversary in Houston, and they're bringing out all the greats to celebrate. And for some reason Les Alexander invites Scottie Pippen to the ceremony. Your immediate reaction is to:

VOTE: Hakeem Olajuwon as Mr. Basketball

2009-11-03T20:53:58Z

Folks, before doing anything else, read this press release. It will fill you in on what is going on:

DAPHNE, Ala. - There is less than a month remaining to help the United States Sports Academy in its efforts to name "Mr. Basketball."

Voting to name the new sculpture dedicated to basketball in the Academy's environmentally-friendly Sport Sculpture Park closes on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November 2009. Through the Academy's website at www.ussa.edu/ballots/basketball-player, people are invited to help name the player from a list of 15 legends of the game. Voters may also write in another nominee if their desired choice isn't on the list, giving the vote a "Sweet 16" flavor.

The list of players to select from includes, in alphabetical order: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Michael Jordan, George Mikan, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell and Jerry West.

I want Hakeem Olajuwon to be sculpted. Not Yao Ming. So vote for The Dream here.

Let's be honest: Yao Ming hasn't come close to Hakeem as a player. As an international icon, yes. But not as a player, nor as an all-time great. I think we can make this happen. VOTE HAKEEM!

Guess who is in first place? That's right!

2009-11-03T14:58:31Z

Things I never thought I would be able to say after Opening Day:

Guess who is in first place!!!??

The Houston Rockets!!!!!

Southwest Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Houston	3	1	.750	0	Won 3
Dallas	2	1	.666	0.5	Won 2
San Antonio	2	1	.666	0.5	Won 1
New Orleans	1	3	.250	2	Lost 2
Memphis	1	3	.250	2	Lost 2

(updated 11.3.2009 at 8:56 AM CST)

........... these guys amaze me every single game. I've never been so happy to be so wrong about a team.

Game 4 Recap: 40% of Rockets Payroll Destroys Utah at Home 113-96

2009-11-03T05:08:44Z

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

The bear is awake. He's going to eat your liver, Utah. Except yours Jerry Sloan, that thing is nasty-looking.

Browse more photos »

So Utah, how'd you like 40% of our payroll delivering a comprehensive ass-kicking on your home court? I thought it was spiffy. Really neato.

So, speak up if you thought the Houston Rockets scoring would go 87, 107, 111, and 113 in their first four games. Anyone? It is very early in the season, but we may have an answer to the question "Where will the scoring come from?" From everywhere. 8 players in double digits, and the Rockets simply blew past Utah in the 4th, due in a large part to the 44th pick in the 2009 draft - Chase Budinger who poured in 17 on 7 for 11 shooting, and looked smooth, efficient and confident doing it.

Speak up, also, if you think Rick Adelman is sleeping now. The old bear is awake, interested, and his team is kicking ass. There, it appears, is a reason he's a million games over .500. Certain of us need to say a little prayer tonight and ask forgiveness for all the nasty stuff they've said about Adelman over the years. JVG love should not equal Adelman hate. Let the hate go, live in the light of 29 assists on Utah.

The defense was excellent, and the players never lost their cool, no matter how many Jazz**** splattered themselves on the floor with no contact. Houston was so quick, so poised, so committed to help defense that Utah was unable to exploit their serious height advantage.

Utah seemed a bit lackadaisical, and appeared to want Houston to roll over and give them the game. Instead, it was Utah who rolled over when Houston applied some pressure on both ends of the court. Utah, with its full complement of players couldn't handle Houston's depth. Depth that does not include our two best players and 60% of our payroll. This result is yet another brick in the shrine we are building to Dork Elvis.

Ok, now that the basketball analysis part of the recap is out of the way I'm going to speak my mind a bit. The Utah Jazz are a repugnant team, and are inexplicably indulged by the NBA refs. I'm no longer interested in what their fans have to say - seeing them lustily boo blatant foul calls on the Jazz obviates any need to listen to them. Watching this game at times made Tim Donaghy seem quite credible.

I make no secret, I hate the current incarnation of the Lakers. I hate their privileged arrogance, and the sometimes shocking favoritism shown them by the NBA. I don't hate how they play basketball. I hate everything about the Utah Jazz. Everything but their ring-less status.

Dare I say it? Why not?

Bring on the Lakers!

Three Up + Bonus Ups

1. 29 Assists. So THIS is how Adelman's offense is supposed to look? I like what I'm seeing. We are averaging 105 per game through 4 games. 105!

2. 8 players scoring in double figures. 8!

3. Chuck Hayes' sweet left-handed hook.

4. The immediate need for a nickname for Chase Budinger. This is an excellent sign.

5. All those empty green seats courtside midway through the 4^th. Nothing shows the depth of Utah's failure tonight more than that.

Three Down

1. Typical Utah flopping BS. Typical bogus whistles. Some things never change.

2. Deron Williams moves further into the darkside every year. We are witnessing a player who should be a delight to watch descend into whining, bitchy, unmanly Sloaness. This is a shame, and it will soon be too late for DWilly's salvation.

3. Chase Budinger's sprained ankle, and Trevor Ariza's dubious handle.

Enjoy the misery at SLC Dunk.

Poll

What should Chase Budinger's nickname be?

Air Bud

168 votes

C-Bud

81 votes

Bud Light

155 votes

Airbino

63 votes

Kind Bud

15 votes

ChaBu

20 votes

White Lightning

85 votes

None of the Abud

56 votes

643 votes | Poll has closed

Hey, Utah - your team just got beat by a bunch of midgets. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

2009-11-03T04:47:34Z

Damn that felt good.

The Rockets overcome Joey Crawford and his band of misfits to beat the s--t out of the evil Utah Jazz. It would have been a 20 point plus victory, but Brian Cook entered the game and ruined that... final score is 113-96. Suck it, Utah!

Seriously, Utah had a massive height advantage at most every position. They had home court. They had Deron freakin' Williams (who is really, really good and sadly misplaced among the rogues he has to call "teammates"). And, as noted, they had Joey Crawford and the other two refs that couldn't possibly be any worse than the replacement refs from pre-season. All of that........ the Rockets overcame. They could not - and would not - be stopped. Not even in Utah, where Rocket dreams went to die in the past.

Dear Daryl Morey,

I was wrong. About everything. I should never have doubted you.

This box score is just awesome though. Its beauty is in the simplicity and all-around consistency. I want to frame it.

Chase Budinger, ftw. My new favorite albino rookie went for 17 points, 5 rebounds and all sorts of clutch in the 2nd half. Then there's Chuck Hayes - who at this rate may lead the NBA in steals for the regular season. Chuck went for 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. On 6-8 shooting. Seriously, Utah, you let Chuck Hayes nearly get a double double on you. There's only one way to properly respond to that:

Look at the box score again. The Rockets put 8 players in double figures. EIGHT. That never really happens with our team, and yet that might be a regular occurrence with this unselfish roster. 50% shooting as a team (and a robust 52% from beyond the arc. Nice!). Even better? The undersized Rockets out-rebounded the Jazz 46-38. It's true. I couldn't believe my eyes either. Utah only got 8 offensive rebounds. EIGHT. So much for a size advantage. The Rockets have a heart advantage (not to mention a karma advantage).

The only way this could have been better would have been if Joey Dorsey got to play... got a gorilla dunk... and then impregnated all of Salt Lake City. To mark our newfound territory.

pwn3d, bitches.