Houston @ Toronto GameThread, Jan 2, 2009 6:00 PM CST

Game 34 - Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors, Friday 6:05 PM CST

by UofTOrange on Jan 2, 2009 8:30 AM CST in Game Previews Comment 18 comments

Houston @ Toronto

The Match-ups: I just realized this is the first of 3 back to backs. Thanks NBA schedule makers, you're fantastic! 6 games in 10 nights too, 3 of which Tracy McGrady is expected to sit out.

On a side note, the Rockets are 21-12, with the 8th best record in the NBA, with a win they'd be around 6th. Why are we so disappointed? I think it's because of the way they have lost when they did lose those 12 games. More to come on that next week.

I'm not high on this Raptors team at all. I think they are overloaded with good but not great players and they don't have their hearts in it this year.

Point Guard
Alston - Rafer is keeping his starting job with defense. It's been very solid and I like that he's playing it hard.
vs.
Calderon - Not nearly as good as they thought he would be this year. I'd venture to say that Raptors fans miss a certain former Longhorn.
Edge: Raptors - He's still better than Rafer

Shooting Guard
McGrady - I'm not going to vent here. I want to, but I'm not going to. I'm assuming he plays tonight but not tomorrow against the Hawks. That's probably good, means he won't have to run as much.
vs.
Kapono - Sat out the last game with a thigh bruise but should play tonight. I like the guy, but I'm not sure he's a starter on too many other teams that aren't deep and just need a shooter which he is very good at. For example, he would rule on the Rockets.
Edge: Rockets

Small Forward
Artest - He's becoming more and more disappointed with this team. Frankly I hope he has an outburst. One of the things I liked about him coming here is his passion. You can see it in his eyes that he is upset, now it's time to unleash the fury.
vs.
Moon - I'm not really sure why people were so excited about him last year. He's a decent player with insane athleticism. Those guys are on every pick up court in America.
Edge: Rockets

Power Forward
Scola - Filling his role extremely well. With Battier out, more offense is needed from him though.
vs.
Bosh - I thought he could carry a team, but I'm not seeing it. Maybe his best bet really is to join Lebron in New York or Brooklyn.
Edge: Raptors

Center
Yao - He needs 19 rebounds and 20 points tonight to be a 20/10 guy again. Can he do it? It will really depend on how badly the Raptors shoot, but if he gets 13-14 tonight, he'll surpass 10 per game in the Hawks game
vs.
O'Neal - Once a dominant player, now a shell of his former self. Do you think Kobe prays every night thanking God for not sending him to the Celtics for Odom and Bynum after all?
Edge: Rockets

Key Reserve
Brooks - Needs to start shooting the ball better, plain and simple
vs.
Bargnani - This guy sucks, don't pass to him! The second straight number one pick that Yao will get to destroy
Edge: Rockets

Injuries
Houston Rockets
OUT - Shane Battier, rest up sir, we are going to need you down the stretch

Toronto Raptors
DTD - O'Neal and Kapono will likely play tonight

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Comments

Chuck Hayes used to own Bosh

then again he used to do well on David West too. I heard Chuck gained a lot of weight this year to play the 4/5 more, which slowed him down.

by goingforthecorner on Jan 2, 2009 1:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

he did gain weight

Not sure if there was a reason for it… but he’s clearly bigger. Sadly, he can’t grow taller.

by grungedave on Jan 2, 2009 3:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Moon benefitted from low expectations

It’s clear he’s not a great player by any means—replacement-level, at best—but the fact that he was an undrafted free agent who stuck around and eventually started for a playoff team impressed. I’m pretty sure he’s playing for the minimum, so the Raptors are actually getting decent bang for their buck there.

Then again, they blew the mid-level on Jason Kapono two years ago, so it evens out.

I doubt Colangelo (or any other GM) will be silly enough to offer Moon more than the minimum this summer. He’s learned his lesson from the Kings’ splurging on Beno Udrih.

Third Quarter Collapse: An Orlando Magic blog at SB Nation

by Ben Q Rock on Jan 2, 2009 2:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

lol

We’re 21-12 going into Toronto.

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 5:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Houston Rockets – Toronto Raptors

LIVE

http://www.iddaliyim.tr.gg/Canli-Mac-izle-_-salon-2.htm

www.iddaliyim.tr.gg

by milleniumprince on Jan 2, 2009 6:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

oh fuck you Luther Head

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 6:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

jesus

what an awful first half

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 7:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

and the first few minutes of the second are even worse

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 7:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This isn't even the same team

it’s like EVERYONE decided to go in a funk at once. I just hope we get this crap out of our system by the all-star break. At this point I don’t even care about our playoff seeding, as long as it’s not the 8 seed.

by goingforthecorner on Jan 2, 2009 7:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

playoffs? You're talking about playoffs?!

I just hope we can win a game!

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 7:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have my

doubts too… Western conf has 9 contenders for the playoff spots.. i am wondering what is gonna happen.. the team looks ready to implode…

by the_hustler on Jan 3, 2009 7:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The Rockets

are possibly the most infuriating team in basketball. They’re capable of bringing their A game and taking on anybody. And then they can shoot 33% and look like a bunch of scrubs. You expect that sort of variability out of mediocre teams, but not from a team that most were ranking #2 or #3 in the West.

Of course, it’s been like that for years now. I blame it on T-Mac’s unpredictability. The dude can carry the team for months straight, and then he can just go invisible.

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 7:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

WTF, Tracy?

As things go, I tend to be a T-Mac apologist, but Adelman needs to bench McGrady if he’s just standing seven feet off the 3-point line and passing the ball in. That’s fucking putrid.

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 7:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah we're definitely starting to cross a line here

Bullard and Worrell are all over his ass on pretty much every play.

They were right though that we were basically play 4 vs 5 on offense when T-Mac was around midcourt standing around. When he got the ball, he passed it immediately.

He obviously shouldn’t be out there at all. Whether it’s T-mac being in pain, or just quitting on the team, it’s irrelevent. Adelman has to have the balls to bench him or anyone else that’s being a liability. A guy like Pop or JVG probably would have.

You can’t justify T-Mac’s play, but I will continue to center my hate on Adelman. For one thing, why was Head starting today, while Wafer is just a bench warmer that plays in blowouts?

by goingforthecorner on Jan 2, 2009 8:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, if nothing else

Von Wafer seems to have made a strong case that he should start tomorrow night.

by Only_A_Lad on Jan 2, 2009 8:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

....

Lad, we can only hope that Adelman was actually awake for that 4th quarter.

by SackLunch on Jan 2, 2009 8:14 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Adelman is helpless and hopeless

Garbage time was the only reason we got to see Wafer play (and end up leading the team in scoring). Were it not for the blowout, we wouldn’t see this. But Adelman here thinks Head should be starting over him.

When things go into the crapper, Adelman can’t lead. He’s your typical coach that looks real good when everyone’s healthy and playing his system. But at any hint of adversity he crumbles. It’s so obvious that the solution here is to expand the bench and limit the minutes of the struggling and unhealthy players (especially McGrady).

by goingforthecorner on Jan 2, 2009 8:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs