Game 30 Preview: Washington Wizards vs. Houston Rockets
by ak2themax on Dec 27, 2010 9:00 AM CST
in Game Previews
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PrintThe only thing I can say about the Wizards is that they're bad. But they beat us, so what can I say?
The Wizards are dead last in the Eastern Conference and have not won a single road game. Compound that with the fact that John Wall (aka Ray J) is hurt and that the team just traded Gilbert Arenas for Rashard Lewis in a move that will take some time to develop, and you're looking at a pretty desperate team.
The last time these teams met, Yao went out with what seemed like a simple bruise. It led to something much worse. It was so bad that I will no longer talk about it.
The Wizards will try to beat the Rockets with size. Size and length, that is. It killed the Rockets the last time out, as the Wiz got way too many easy putbacks and altered a ton of shots. I want to say that Jordan Hill will get a lot of playing time today, but I never know with Adelman. He is the only guy we have who can really match up with Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee.
To the matchups!
Point Guard
Kyle Lowry/Aaron Brooks vs. Kirk Hinrich/John Wall
Poor Kirk Hinrich. He was one of my favorite players in college at Kansas (sorry Tom), but he isn't the same guy in the NBA. Sure, the Bulls paid him way too much money, but they gave starter's salary to a guy who's too good to be a backup PG and not really good enough to start at PG for a good team. It also doesn't help that John Calipari keeps churning out one-and-dones who will save franchises.
I don't know if Adelman will use this opportunity to re-insert Brooks back into the starting lineup. After a four day layoff, this might be the right time.
Update: Wall came off the bench against the Spurs the other day, so he may start today. If he plays, call this even, since he got a triple-double against us last time. He doesn't get the advantage because he's still probably a little hurt and not in full playing shape yet.
Edge: Rockets/Even
Shooting Guard
Nick Young gets to start with Wall out and Hinrich moving to point. And it has helped. Young is killing it at the moment and has taken over with Wall injured and Arenas gone. The addition of Rashard Lewis did nothing to stop him. He's averaging 23.2 points per game over his last five and that comes with two 3-pointers per night.
K-Mart is still better.
Edge: Rockets
Small Forward
Shane Battier vs. Al Thornton
Lewis may start over Thornton, or he may get more minutes, but I'm sticking with Thornton here.
But here's some crazy news from this piece in the Washington Post.
Apparently, Blatche and McGee got into an argument at a club early Friday morning. They started to fight, but Thornton got between them to try to stop the madness, only to be punched by a club bouncer.
Wow. Thornton was doing the right thing, but doesn't this make you glad you are a Rockets fan? I don't know anyone on the team who would act this way. Granted, I don't know any of the players at all. And I'm certainly not trying to make this a race issue, but could you see Chuck Hayes at a club grinding on some chick? Or Brad Miller and Courtney Lee getting into a fist fight?
No, you can't. And if it ever happened, I know the Rockets organization wouldn't stand for it. I hope for the sake of Wizards fans that it's just an isolated incident.
Edge: Even
Power Forward
Blatche is averaging 17/8, but shoots 43% from the field. The Rockets will need to keep him off the boards to be successful. Also, he's only averaging half-a-block per game, which is baffling considering his length and height.
Have I mentioned how much I love the pick-and-roll late in games between Lowry and Scola. It worked twice late against the Clippers. It's putting the conversation about closers to rest, which I love.
Edge: Rockets
Center
Chuck Hayes vs. JaVale McGee
I hate not giving Chuck the advantage ever. He's been a serviceable center since Yao went down, so he deserves credit for that.
However, he's just not tall. I'm sorry. I wish he were. But I'm calling this even.
Edge: Even
Bench
Wizards: Wall/Hinrich, Lester Hudson, Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis, and our good friend Hilton Armstrong
Rockets: Lowry/Brooks, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Brad Miller
Edge: Rockets. Pretty talented bench for the Wiz, but teamwork wins out.
Injuries
Wizards: Yi Jianlian out
Rockets: Yao Ming out
Prediction: Rockets complete the climb back to .500. We will welcome back the non-believers on Tuesday.
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haven't been to a game since the 5th loss of the season
I believe against NO. I’m going tonight, excited to break in my newly-acquired Martin jersey I got for Christmas. Also excited to see the squad hopefully hit .500 for the first time this season.
Wafer . . . again. (Marv Albert, HOU v. CLE Feb 2009)
-one of the FEW at Toyota Center who has the Wafer jersey
With this extended time off
There is really no reason T Will shouldnt see any playin time. Hes been here about 2 weeks and Im pretty sure he knows how to play basketball. Please Rick, dont P Pat him.
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 9:13 AM CST via mobile reply actions
They've only practiced once
In over a week (since before the road trip started), but I hope he plays
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Dec 27, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions
But they have to had
Walkthroughs, light practices, and film studies. Look at the Orlando Magic. They put their new players in ASAP and turned around to beat the Bulls on Christmas. By now there is no excuse other than Rick isnt thrilled to have him
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 11:55 AM CST up reply actions
You're right
Which is even better than beating the Bulls
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
I still think the Celtics are the team to beat
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
I do as well
Im not buying into the Heat until they can show they can beat the Celtics, and they are 0-2 against them this season.
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
To be fair to the Heat
both wins were early, before the Heat went on this recent tear. I like the Celtics, but we’ll see.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
I know I was going to put that
but I dont want to give the Heat any excuses, seeing as how “King” James said they would win “not 4, not 5, not 6, but more championships” Plus I think it was a Van Gundy who said that they would break the Bulls record for most wins in a regular season. In a nutshell Im a Heat Hater. There I said and I dont care
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 12:14 PM CST up reply actions
the Magic
had to throw the new guys to the wolves. It was either that or start Jameer, JJ, Dwight, and third-stringers.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
true
but Im not saying to start him, just give him some, not all, of Buds minutes for now until Bud gets his act together. I like Bud, but I like the Rockets more
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 12:06 PM CST up reply actions
I think something else
is that Rick has to figure out how to use him. He needs the ball to distribute or drive. He’s not like Chase where you just run and play for him and that’s that.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
Real quick
Bargnani isn’t playing against us on new years eve. Sweeeeeet. no outside shooting center = win for us!
by basketball is cool on Dec 27, 2010 9:45 AM CST reply actions
that is a nice birthday gift
but the Rockets gave me a big one last year when they beat Dallas on New Year’s Eve. I gave my friends grief about that for months.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
Another interesting tidbit
We are 9th in the conference, half a game behind Portland. They play Utah in SLC tonight where the line is 7.5 in favor of the Jazz, and at 15-15, the Blazers would fall half a game behind us and we’d officially be back in the playoff picture.
Wafer . . . again. (Marv Albert, HOU v. CLE Feb 2009)
-one of the FEW at Toyota Center who has the Wafer jersey
can't we just hope they beat the jazz and everyone else does too so that both us and Portland can be in the playoffs
I just despise the jazz and love portland too much to wish otherwise. I can wait a while until our inevitable jump into playoff land if the ultimately result is Portland in and Jazz out…but this is probably just wishful thinking
I think the safer bet
is that the Hornets are left out. After starting off really hot, they’ve cooled off and become the team we expected them to be: good, but not good enough to make noise in the crowded West.
Of course I wish Utah would miss the playoffs, but with our luck they’d probably land the number one overall pick. Then again, we would have one of the funnies scenarios ever:
“With the first pick in the NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select…Kyle Singler, another white guy!”
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
This is a trap game!
The Christmas Lull (team has been off since wed), combined with only 1 practice in over a week is going to mess up our momentum. Plus, John Wall is coming back from injury and 2 of their starters didn’t play last night vs San Antonio. And now they got Rashard Lewis, who has just barely played 2 games since the trade
Game will be closer than expected, hope the Rockets edge out the win
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Dec 27, 2010 9:57 AM CST reply actions
Agree
Wall is back now, and may not be 100% yet, but he can still break the Rockets down. McGee and Blatche got us on size and strength. And the new matchup with Lewis out there could prove to be a greater challenge than anyone’s expecting.
by Nobody is Better Than Jordan on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
don't underestimate
days off. Players like them, and most of the time come back hungry. Plus, it allows for those nagging injuries that don’t make the injury report to go away.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
Yao shouldn't even count on the injuries list anymore
he has become a regular there.
I have noticed that Luis Scola never loses his matchup in the previews. He is always even, at worst. SCOLAAAAA!
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
Yes
Yao should be taken off. But I just can’t bear it.
And Scola isn’t the best PF in the game, but there aren’t many good ones. Duncan is more of a 5 now, Dirk is better offensively, but can’t stop Scola on defense. Ditto for Amare. I’d take Luis over David West and Aldridge, guys who are his “equals” though I know that won’t go over well with some. Chip Crain and I argued over Luis vs. Z-Bo, but I still like the Argentine there. Garnett is too old. Josh Smith is more of a 3. I hate Carlos Boozer so much he’ll never get the advantage. Chris Bosh is OK, and playing better right now.
I’d say Pau is better than Luis. And don’t misjudge this for a statement of “I wouldn’t trade Luis Scola unless it was for Pau.” That is not what I mean. And I’m not saying Luis Scola is better than any of those players. I just mean that, all things considered, Scola can match up with any power forward in the game. Including Pau.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
Scola is probably my favorite player playing these days...
but even still, I would take Pau over him in a heartbeat…cause he is good and stuff.
Also, Garnett may be old but his game (D in particular) is more well rounded then Luis’…plus you get the added benefit of the intimidation factor…
"there aren’t many good ones."
I feel like it’s the most loaded position in the league. Certainly the most loaded position in the frontcourt. You left out Milsap, Griffin, Love, Brand.
Players with PER >20, by position:
PG 8
SG 6
SF 3
PF 13
C 4
Honestly
I don’t like Brand. Millsap plays for a team I don’t like. I’d take Scola over Love, and Scola is better right now than Griffin.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
but your point is valid
there are a lot of good PFs. What I should have said was there aren’t too many “top tier” power forwards. And don’t take PER too seriously. According to PER, Alexis Ajinca and Ian Mahinmi are better centers in Dallas than Tyson Chandler, and Yao Ming is number 7 overall at 19.95.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
More importnant than this game
is that the Rockets are exploring trading Yao Ming.
by twinkilling0303 on Dec 27, 2010 10:50 AM CST reply actions
There is a fanshot about it
but here ya go
by twinkilling0303 on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
WALL IS NOT OUT
He played Sunday against the spurs. Was rusty rusty, but he’s in the lineup so you should reassess the matchups accordingly. Especially when you consider how good he did against the Rockets last time.
by Nobody is Better Than Jordan on Dec 27, 2010 11:08 AM CST via mobile reply actions
what hotel are they at?
he will be out soon enough.
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
I just don't like it when we get the matchups wrong.
It makes the site and its readers look like misinformed homers. Which on some occasions is tolerably funny. But when simply stating matchups and how they truly measure up, at least try to be accurate and relatively objective, ya know.
by Nobody is Better Than Jordan on Dec 27, 2010 11:35 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
well lets make it right
lets kidnap John Wall. That way we have a better chance of winning and we get the matchups right.
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
by batman713 on Dec 27, 2010 11:58 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
sorry about that
last I checked (on Saturday), he would be out for another week. I don’t mean to be misinformed, but I did have to write this one two days early. I still should have checked, but I had no internet access yesterday, my apartment got robbed, and my bank thought my credit card had been stolen and shut it down.
Let’s just say whether or not John Wall starts today means absolutely nothing to me. But I will change it.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
I think that alone
gives the bench advantage to the Wiz
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Dec 27, 2010 1:33 PM CST up reply actions
Bad Behavior and the Rockets Organization...
We got rid of Ron Artest, and before that who remembers Mad Max (Vernon Maxwell).
I’m hopeful for a win. I posted a shout about it after the 4th game of the streak, and it started when my firstborn baby boy Makai was born.
Go Red Nation!
High Risk, High Reward.
It’s not like there’s a universal formula for determining which risks yeild greater rewards among the NBA’s headcases. But there does seem to be greater success with said headcases on teams that have a legitimate chance at getting a championship. LA, Boston, NY, Detroit, Chicago, Orlando….
Those teams, in addition to having “bad boys” on their roster, had great players as well. Somehow, those teams managed to achieve some success and recognition even with the so-called bad behavior. Is it not worth wondering if Houston will even come as close as they did in 2009 when they had an edgy but explosive Von Wafer, and Ron Artest?
Sure, Houston might be able to get there again with the moral ground firmly beneath their feet, but I don’t think it can be done without a legitimately perceived “enforcer” helping them hold their ground.
by Nobody is Better Than Jordan on Dec 27, 2010 11:53 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Does anyone know
If P Pat is going to be sent back down to the D League where he can get some PT, or is he just going to ride the pine for a good while longer?
by fanoflosingteams on Dec 27, 2010 12:02 PM CST reply actions
I hope he play more
Chuck Hayes/Brad Miller isnt exactly the bee’s knees for front court(personally I think Brad Miller should be used as a specialist when offense needs some structure), Jordan is still fouling at an alarming rate. Pat played well for the short time he was on the court, I’d like to see if he can do that for more extended minutes
Have no fear, Jeffries is here
Lol. I’m pretty sure they’ll send him back and Jeffries will be activated to be a back-up in case of emergency
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Dec 27, 2010 1:35 PM CST up reply actions
For those of you who don't know:
We are shopping Yao. Via A WOJ on twitter.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
Eh
As far as calling it “shopping Yao” I know every GM gets calls for every player annually. I don’t necessarily think Woj broke anything new there. The Lakers get calls for Bryant, the Heat get calls for Wade/Dumbass/Bosh, etc… The only difference between before and now is that it’s more tangible that Yao can be moved as a giant expiring contract since his career is basically shot.
I don't usually plan out my days because the word "premeditation" gets thrown around a lot in courts today.
well, I think the scenario this is vastly different
Yao is being shopped like a JJ/T-mac, instead an over the top piece that would’ve gotten some great leverage for rebuild
Shopping a player
is shopping a player. It’s just being a decent GM to check the value of what you’ve got. Where teams find that value is irrelevant.
I don't usually plan out my days because the word "premeditation" gets thrown around a lot in courts today.
Well
There are guys that are untouchable, sure people try to find out what they are worth, but deep down everyone knows these guys are untouchable, not shpped
Yao was part of that group until the injuries struck
I guess to me shopping player means actually having the intention to give the player away
True
but think about it: If the Rockets can re-up Yao for say, three years for $20ish million total (not really far-fetched, but a little bit, of course), that would be a great extension for the Rockets and it wouldn’t matter too much if Yao got more hurt. Les would still get his money, and all would be happy.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
If Yao was healthy and playing right
now, and even if it was only the 24 minutes he had been playing, the Rockets would not try to trade him. Other teams would wait and see if he would make it through the whole year, and then they would think about signing him. Besides maybe NeNe he is the only solid center we can get, who has offense. So the chance of replacing what Yao did when healthy is short. Get a tall presence to protect the rim, and make other moves to replace Yao’s output.
by since86rocketsfan on Dec 27, 2010 2:34 PM CST reply actions
they just wont extend his rookie contract
I have a strange feeling we may take a chance on him though.
GO ROCKETS, GO TEXANS, GO ASTROS (EVEN THOUGH THEY SUCK)!!!
Then you might as well keep Yao......
who knows he could have surgery to heal this fracture and come back playing really good, you just never know.
Oden is younger
Has a better chance of recovering
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Dec 27, 2010 4:07 PM CST up reply actions
have you seen him?
Oden is at least 43 years old!
haha true, Yao looks much younger than Oden
"Welcome to the show where everything is made up and the points don't matter. That's right, the points are just like the Texans' defense" - Bring Whose Line back!
by RocketsAstros on Dec 27, 2010 4:32 PM CST up reply actions
Wizards
I think I saw that they are 0-14 on the road
by twinkilling0303 on Dec 27, 2010 6:58 PM CST reply actions
You're right
I mentioned it up top. It speaks to their youth I think. Winning games on the road is tough, even for good teams. I don’t think they’ll go winless on the road or anything, but it’s worth watching.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
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