Houston Rockets

In the NBA these days, it seems like there is a stat for everything. We’ve got PER, offensive efficiency ratings, defensive efficiency rating, and so on and so on.

It seems like every team in the league now employs their own stat guru. And while I’m not one to question the use of all these new statistics to evaluate NBA players (I actually kinda like them), I’m old school. 

Continue reading "Fun With Box Scores"

Happy New Year!

With the new NBA season set to tip off with four games tonight, here are some of the things I’ll be watching for in tonight’s action.

Boston @ Cleveland, 7:30pm

I can’t wait to see LeBron again this season. Last year, coming off the Olympics, you could see that his focus was on improving defensively. Now, without a summer in the spotlight, I’m curious to see if he’s made any improvements to his already unreal game. Is this the year we finally see LeBron use his Karl Malone-like body to beast on people inside?

Continue reading "NBA Opening Night Quick Thoughts"

I think the Houston Rockets are going to stink next year.  Here's why:  Yao Ming will not be there.  I think that's safe to assume.  We have no idea if T-Mac is going to be

Continue reading "Why Houston Will Stink Next Year"

10) They were spotted in Kobe's escalade at an 'N and Out drive-through. And yes, they both got "animal style."

9) When on road trips in Denver, Kobe's got Artest covered for booty calls.

Continue reading "Top 10 Reasons Kobe and Artest will work out"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

When Mark Cuban told Lydia Moore that her son, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, was a "thug" after Game 3 of the Nuggets-Mavs series, he crossed a line. I thought I'd point out the Top 10 Things he MEANT TO SAY to Ms. Moore:

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Okay, so here we are on Friday, a day after the Lakers lost a very important game but learned a very important lesson. The one thing that stands out about this particular matchup is how much people were expecting the Lakers to trounce Houston. This is way before Mutumbo and Ming even got injured. Everyone pretty much wrote off Houston once they heard they were facing my home town team. Showtime at Staples. It was supposed to be set in stone. This was supposed to be an easy series. The Lakers were supposed to do to Houston what King James (can I say how awesome he is? LOL) and The Cavs have done in the East. Steamroll. Sweep the Rockets and send them home to eat Ben and Jerry's in their favorite PJ's or whatever men do when their team is out of the playoffs.

Continue reading "The Element of Suprise"

Steroids has officially gone postal.

The list of all-star players who have been revealed to be using steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, now.......MANNY RAMIREZ.

Continue reading "Manny being Manny: The Latest twist ..."

Last night's loss to the Houston Rockets, putting them down 1-0 in the series, is to me, enough cause for concern. Phil Jackson needs to sit down Kobe and tell him the same thing he told Jordan: trust your teammates more.

Continue reading "Memo to Kobe: Be like Mike"

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

By now we've all heard the story and probably seen the video. Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats was driving his family to the Baylor Regional Medical Center in the Dallas Suburb of Plano, to make it to see his mother-in-law as she was in critical condition. She was suffering from breast cancer, and they had been told she didn't have much time. Moats put on his hazards, and by his account rolled through a red light after making sure the way was clear. Officer Robert Powell was parked nearby and attempted to pull him over. Moats continued to drive a short distance to the hospital, as Powell pursued. As he pulled up near the entrance of the hospital, the family jumped out of the car. Officer Powell instructed them to get back in the car, but Moats wife Tamishia and another family member ran inside. Ryan Moats tried explaining the situation to Officer Powell, who over the course of the next thirteen minutes would not listen, and herein lies the controversy.

Continue reading "Ryan Moats, You Are a Better Man Than Me..."

I was at my day job when I first read it on my phone, Rockets deal Alston to Magic for Cook, Lowry. It took a moment to sink in. We traded Rafer? Not McGrady? Not Artest? Was this the move thats going to put us over the top? I didn't know what to think. I didn't know who to ask. I didn't even know who Cook and Lowry were. ESPN was touting this as the biggest trade of the deadline, saying Rafer was the missing piece for the Magic as they had lost Jameer Nelson for the season.

Continue reading "Do Houston fans miss Rafer aka Skip to my Lou?"

So I just read todays Daily Dime article on ESPN.com by Tim Legler about who will miss out on the playoffs in the Western Conference. Guess who he chose would miss out? None other than ESPNs whipping boy, the Rockets. Is it just me or does it seem as though a majority of NBA analysts love to talk down about the Rockets, even when they are playing well? Well lets go ahead an straighten a few things out.

Continue reading "ESPN analysts saying the Rockets ..."

The Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets have certainly had their differences in the past on the court. Memorable physical drag-em-out games, down to the wire playoff games with the Jazz being the ones having the upper hand more times than not. However, both teams have had similar problems this season with...

Continue reading "The Bruised and the Restless"

The Houston Rockets are coming off a hard fought 1 point loss to the Indiana Pacers this past Wednesday at Toyota Center. The Yellow and blue stunned the home town team by scoring often and late snapping the Rockets' three game winning streak. The loss soured the return of forward Shane Battier who made his season debut after missing the first 15 games of the season due to inflammation in his surgically-repaired left ankle.

Continue reading "I-10 Rivalry renewed"

It was a game many Houston Rockets' fans circled on the teams' calendar as their first "can't miss game of the season". Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters leading up to Tuesday that games in November matter as much as games in April due to playoff implications. Newspapers and local radio hosts hyped Tracy McGrady as the new Kevin Garnett in terms of having some success in the league, but never being able to get a ring. All of that led to Tuesday's nights game matching the

Continue reading "Green Party wins"

t really got lucky that the Celtics sucked today.

November 4 = Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets&nbsp; <== ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES OF THE SEASON!

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Continue reading "Sloppy Celtics Lose to Lucky Pacers ..."

A doctor would say it’s bipolar disorder. Whatever you want to call it, the Houston Rockets’ play was diametrically opposed in their back-to-back games to open the 2008-2009 season.

Continue reading "The Houston Rockets: 2-0"

expert on television, news columnist, sports reporter to your chat room and forum users all say the Houston Rockets can go deep into the playoffs if A: They can keep Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming healthy and B: If Ron Artest can keep his composure on and off the court. Earlier tonight, if a single game was any indication; Rockets fans will have something to cheer about in late April and May and fellow NBA teams can expect Houston to be a legit threat all season.

Continue reading "Unity leads Rockets past Mavs"

The Houston Rockets will play their final pre-season game tonight against the Sacramento Kings. There's been several bright spots on the team; Von Wafer and DJ Strawberry have both arisen to the challenge and have both played good ball, new acquisition Ron Artest (despite a below average FG%) has been in good shape for the preseason as he tries to fit in with the team, Yao Ming is healthy and Aaron Brooks is steadily looking like the player many predicted he would develop his NBA game into. So the Rockets do have a few things to be happy about heading into the regular season.

Continue reading "New Season, Same old story?"

    Tomorrow, the Rockets and Jazz will be playing in Salt Lake City for Game 6 of the NBA First Round Playoffs.  So the question on everyones mind is can the Rockets win and force a Game 7?

Continue reading "Against all Odds, but Rockets can force a Game 7"

We have been waiting for this moment for months.  No, I’m not talking about the Jason Kidd trade to go through (which it did today).  I am talking to about the second half of the NBA season to begin.  The first three and a half months can be such a drag, and usually are but in the second half, everything picks up.  It is a two-month stretch run to the playoffs.  This is the time when teams like San Antonio and Detroit flip their switch on and look to be playing their best when the playoffs begin.  The flurry of trades that have gone on in the last two or three weeks has just made the second half that much more interesting.  The NBA season is about 20 games too long and it kills ratings but now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.  These next couple months of the regular season and the playoffs are going to be some of the best basketball since the ‘80’s.  The NBA, where exciting happens.

Continue reading "The NBA, Where Only the Second Half ..."