Game 14 Preview: Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets
by ak2themax on Jan 17, 2012 9:00 AM CST
in Game Previews
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PrintWhat's that I see in the distance? A .500 record? Mediocrity? Unfulfilled goals?
Oh yes, and it can all be ours with a win tonight in Houston. The Pistons are 3-10 to start the season, and are 29th in points per game and 30th in rebounding. Their defense is still decent, giving up 95 points per game.
It's so weird to think about this Pistons team, remembering them from the last decade when they were constantly getting to the Eastern Conference Finals and always a threat to win the title. Even though some of the players are the same, this is a shell of those Pistons, and speaks to the inability of Joe Dumars to strike a big deal to get maximum value for his core. Now, Tayshaun Prince is too old for anyone to give much for him and Rip Hamilton never drew serious enough attention when Dumars was ready to deal him.
There are a lot of exciting young pieces on this team, though. And if they can get them to stick around they can be a dangerous team in a few years, just like the Wizards. And their coach isn't Flip Saunders, so there's that. Though he was once. Anyway...
Tip is at 7:00pm CT.
Oh, and big thanks to BD34 for covering the preview yesterday. We'll have another guest preview writer next Monday, so keep an eye out for that.
Matchups after the jump.
Matchups:
PG: Kyle Lowry vs. Brandon Knight:
Knight isn't playing poorly for a rookie at all. In fact, 12/3/4 is pretty impressive. My issue with the pick is that it's difficult to justify drafting a point guard of the future without jettisoning either Rodney Stuckey or Will Bynum, both of whom I like. I did like Knight out of Kentucky, and I think he can be a really good player in the league, though.
Lowry looked human, and even if he does again tonight, I expect him to outplay the rookie.
Advantage: Rockets
SG: Kevin Martin vs. Ben Gordon:
In Pistons wins, Gordon is averaging 19/5/4 on 50% shooting. In losses, it's 13/3/2 on 38% shooting. Conclusion: defending Gordon well is important.
Galice put me on to this picture, and he said that he though Kevin Martin had earned the right to have Calvin and Hobbes comics again. He's right, because yesterday may have been K-Mart's best all-around game as a Rocket. Also, he figured out who at the league office is accepting bribes for officials, because suddenly the calls that he couldn't get in the first 10 games are coming, and K-Mart is at his most effective when opposing players are more worried about fouling him than actually defending him.
Advantage: Rockets
SF: Chandler Parsons vs. Tayshaun Prince:
If Prince guards K-Mart, then we'll need Parsons to do a little more than normal on offense. Cuts to the basket and shots when the defense sags are important parts of Parsons game that he needs to improve upon.
And if Bull calls him Chandler Bang again I'm taking away his microphone. No, Bull. Just, no. Bang is a last name for a porn actor, not a basketball player.
Advantage: Pistons
PF: Luis Scola vs. Jonas Jerebko:
Jerebko is averaging 10/6 and can shoot the three ball, but I fully expect Scola to kill him in the paint, which means we should be ready to see a lot of Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace potentially.
Scola game is disappearing in the fourth quarter, but it's not for a lack of effort. He's still running the court and setting picks and making smart plays. I'm beginning to think his age might finally be catching up with him.
Advantage: Rockets
C: Samuel Dalembert vs. Greg Monroe:
Monroe has been the bright spot for the Pistons this season. He's averaging 17/9 and shooting 58%. You can't foul him because he shoots 84% from the line and he'll make you pay. He's already made a leap in his second year. Something BD is fond of saying (or at least he said it once yesterday) is that players make their biggest jump between their second and third years. If that's the case, Monroe could be terrifying next year. Oh, and he's only 21 years old.
Advantage: Pistons
---
Bench:
Pistons: Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Ben Wallace, Austin Daye
Rockets: Goran Dragic, Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson, Courtney Lee?
Advantage: Um, even?
Injuries:
Pistons: Charlie Villanueva out, Will Bynum DTD
Rockets: Courtney Lee questionable?
Prediction: Rockets 92-83
Make sure you get in on TCWHRO (we have to figure out another way to say that)'s fantasy basketball game. Details here. Just make your predictions in the comments, and maybe explain how you came to that conclusion so we have something to talk about.
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I've got the Rockets taking this one 96-89
sloppy, forgettable game.
Sonicsgate: A movie about how the Sonics were stolen from Seattle.
Courtney Lee was green lighted to play yesterday.
I busted out laughing with your intro with what you see in the distance. Thank you for that.
Rockets win a sloppy game, 98-82
I could see the Rockets losing this one, especially if they don't get on the glass
but I’m taking the Rockets to win, 95-87
by twinkilling0303 on Jan 17, 2012 9:36 AM CST reply actions
Rockets 103 - Pistons 91
I’m going to miss the game today, I’m really upset about it also, I’m missing my only opportunity to watch my 2nd favorite rookie Brandon Knight..
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
Rockets are now #9 in offense on the season
All it took was not playing some elite defenses every night.
rockets 89-74 pistons
one of these days we’ll play a low-scorer
Dalembert has been doing a good job keep young centers in check
Hopefully the trend continues so I say ADVANTAGE ROCKETS in the center position.
Rockets win 97 – 89
TEXT VOTE FOR LOWRY FOR A.S. GAME
i been doing computer but can text also
Lowry to 69622
Rockets 91 – Pistons 86…
.
I had to stop arguing with drunks, Steeler fans, and all other fools.
It was making my brick wall jealous...
.
Dedicated to the "Pride of the Steelers"
.
Rockets win
Lee is the X-factor for the 2nd unit coming off the bench. Bud will have an off game and won’t get many minutes at all. I see Hill also having a bad game. Lowry will be lights out. Parson again will surprise many. McHale gets a Technical foul some point in this game.
by Mitul V. Patel on Jan 17, 2012 12:18 PM CST reply actions
Ok, there's no way McHale doesn't play at least T-Will tonight, right?
Rockets blow out the Pistons 110-92
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Jan 17, 2012 12:30 PM CST reply actions
Twill is screwed and isn't going to get any playing time..
Dallas and Houston fan making it work. Gig 'em!
by OJ ATM on Jan 17, 2012 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
McHale said everyone will get a chance
right now that is Parsons. soon Bud will also show that he sucks as a backup 3 and Twill takes his spot….
Yep. Looks like easy money to me.
“Twill is screwed”. Yes, he probably is. But only in the sense that he is not good enough and does not succeed in the things necessary to play on this team right now. You can say that about 99.999% of the population.
TWill prob already lost his chance
its not just games the coaches watch its training and shoot arounds to
by IrishThrasher on Jan 17, 2012 6:59 PM CST up reply actions
I guess you watch training and shoot arounds too.
How about he just has to wait his chance like Lowry did. In memphis Lowry was not getting the burn he did in here. So did he have bad practice habits and bad shoot arounds? In houston he didn’t get starting chance until Ginibili was dick to Aaron Brooks. He started off playing like complete and utter shit but he got better with time and more comfortable and we all know what has happened since. This is all a matter off circumstance in my opinion. He’ll get a chance one way or another, with us or with someone else. No one can deny his talent. Let’s just wait and see what happens.
I hate david stern!
the most interesting thing in any of our games
Is how long it will take for the 2nd unit to lose a big lead. 92-85 Houston
by Christopher Dion Harris on Jan 17, 2012 1:27 PM CST via iPhone app reply actions
yay mentioned :P
thx to ak2themax for granting me a place in the spotlight. In more important news, the Rockets win this one 114-92.
Rockets win 104-94
"I always keep a ball in the car. You never know."
-Hakeem Olajuwon
"Stern Sucks"
-Me
I think Parsons is going to have a big game.
I think around 18 points 7 rebounds and 4 assists is where he’ll finish.
Rockets win this one 91-82
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
I want Twill to practice taking it to the rack on Thabeet....
because he’ll have to finish while being fouled EVERY TIME.
rockets 109 pistons 100
Go Rockets!
"Our players knew we were going to win so kinda let up on defense." Kevin Mchale
"Screw Stern!" Me
strike that rockets 98 det 87
Go Rockets!
"Our players knew we were going to win so kinda let up on defense." Kevin Mchale
"Screw Stern!" Me
Does anyone else beside myself
see T-Will’s game as massively unpolished? To the point that he doesn’t deserve PT. It’s myopic to believe that he’s a decent player. He is a great talent. Practice is the only thing that will complete his game. Just look at how he holds the ball, never in a real triple threat, ready to explode position. Look at how he dribbles the ball, it seems like he’s fighting the ball from going under his shorts every bounce.
I know he’s a phenomenal athlete, but he’s a lot more like Rodney Carney than he is Blake Griffin. He’s got to get in the gym, polish his game, and then wait for his turn. You can’t hone your craft in 10-15 minutes of game time. It takes days and days and days of work in a gym by yourself and with coaches.
by AhForJustOneTime on Jan 17, 2012 3:36 PM CST reply actions
I think people like
The idea of twill more than they like him as a player. We haven’t had a super athletic wing like that since TMac was healthy. I don’t know how fundamentally sound he is, but I know he can get better if he has the drive to. His limitations are all mental.
by Christopher Dion Harris on Jan 17, 2012 4:21 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
People like athletic players.
They create highlight-reel stuff. That sticks out in your mind more than quality offensive rebounding or shot selection.
The problem Williams has is that he isn’t as good as Lee, Martin, Dragic, Budinger, etc. And, yes, a lot of that comes down to “polish” — development. As Tom is fond of pointing out, for the most part Williams doesn’t know what to do when he gets near the rim. Parsons does: he shoots the ball. For some reason, Williams is very hesitant to actually shoot near the rim. He prefers to pass rather than go up against contact.
I agree that most of his development can only come from practice. But there’s a lot of value to just being on the court and playing the game against guys who really want to beat you.
I agree
that he would be an exciting player to have out there, but I know the kids I played D3 basketball with had more fundamentally sound games than him. I don’t have anything personally against him, and I really hope he develops and keeps working hard because he has athleticism in spades. It just seems like people bitch about him not playing too much for his actual skill set in the professional game. Practice? We talking about practice? Yup.
by AhForJustOneTime on Jan 17, 2012 5:16 PM CST up reply actions
Courtney Lee probably won't see many minutes, of course.
Coming back from an injury, I don’t expect we’ll get much from him. However, I’d like to see a Jordan Hill moment tonight. Something tells me this is a trap game. Nothing logical, just a feeling. The Pistons are hungry for a win, and reaching the .500 mark after a digging themselves into a hole (a la last season) is a big mental issue for the Rockets. Hill could go a long way toward a W if he has one of his big games off the bench. I think Lowry and Martin are going to be incredibly human tonight. They’ve been logging a lot of minutes lately, and, for whatever reason, we can’t seem to rely on Scola after the third quarter. That means someone will have to step up in a meaningful way, and we can’t rely on Dalembert overachieving every night.
David Stern announced today that fines can now be levied against NBA fans who disagree with him or make disparaging marks against his character.
Detroit plays hard tonight
But Lowry schools the youngster for the W.
Rockets 102 – Pistons 89
by Slackary on Jan 17, 2012 3:56 PM CST via mobile reply actions
I thought he was saying "Chandler Bing"
My wife pointed this out. She was a huge “Friends” fan when she was younger. That was Matthew Perry’s characters name. I gave my wife an in-house rec for this one.
"Listen here you beautiful bitch, I'm about to fuck you up with some truth" - Kenny Powers
Actually
I came up with Chandler Bing the first time he dunked, but is that really a worthwhile nickname that demonstrates his prowess?
And give her a rec for me too.
Was too far to huck a beer at a Stro’s player as per bone’s request. Jess (girlfriend) said I was too far, I said challenge accepted, a security guard said guess again.-BD34
That is the reason I don't go to Battle Red Blog. I would be too rational and guys would flag my posts as spam.-batman713
I had a friend that shouted:
“Good night Mr. Chand Man!” after he dunked on the Wiz. Liked it, but it could grow old.
Was too far to huck a beer at a Stro’s player as per bone’s request. Jess (girlfriend) said I was too far, I said challenge accepted, a security guard said guess again.-BD34
That is the reason I don't go to Battle Red Blog. I would be too rational and guys would flag my posts as spam.-batman713
Makes me think of Kam Chancellor from the Seahawks.
That dude is a beast, although he gets fined weekly.
Sonicsgate: A movie about how the Sonics were stolen from Seattle.
Agreed
"I always keep a ball in the car. You never know."
-Hakeem Olajuwon
"Stern Sucks"
-Me
by Rockets4LIFE on Jan 17, 2012 11:20 PM CST up reply actions
Rockets pull it out 101-95
and as ak pointed out, we are hurdling at break-neck speeds to our appointed 14th pick. This is simply regression to the mean my friends.
It happens as the worm turns for others, but not us.
"Listen here you beautiful bitch, I'm about to fuck you up with some truth" - Kenny Powers
Rockets 96-92
As long as Kyle can still go, I think we win. Hope we can see better from the bench tonight.
Your scores, gentlemen. Good job to all.
Rockets4LIFE-242
.Bonzo-231
ak2themax-213
OJ ATM-213
sohum-208
RiiseRockets-203
jake_471-189
twinkilling0303-187
dech-179
BD34-173
Dmo_Htx-170
Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic-163
BuckeyeBob-163
craigj007-148
Camouflage14-145
bone31crusher-141
Irish Trasher-138
steeler-hater-136
btrizzle25-136
TWCIR-132
jbars-132
VBG-129
galicae-128
Rocketsfanforbasketballreasons88-122
Rockets7-117
AIDe2356-116
johnsmith-114
Slackary-113
Christopher Dion Harris-112
Mike Kerns-110
MeLioRate-110
Mellowman-110
tunatango-110
f22a4bandit-106
arnold p-105
mitmil22-103
ShookednShanghaied11-102
AllenOU-96
makinmajik-96
Bighaircut-96
TiEaB-96
Mannan Ali-96
Valiant1-96
chuckiepoo-96
Nike86-96
Texas08-96
olivarezq1-92
Rockets78-92
Xiane-92
taylorrohrman-92
lucneguye92-92
"I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information." Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Jan 17, 2012 4:50 PM CST reply actions
I predict an ugly affair, with us winning 97-92
"I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information." Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Jan 17, 2012 4:51 PM CST up reply actions
I enjoy how you name yourself TCWIR.
Also you’re not doing as bad as you were at the beginning.
Sonicsgate: A movie about how the Sonics were stolen from Seattle.
Throw me down for...
Rockets 110 – Pistons 98
by AhForJustOneTime on Jan 17, 2012 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
I'm still sucking compared to the regulars. Lol.
And I just have TWCIR bc that’s what most people know me as.
"I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information." Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Jan 17, 2012 6:21 PM CST up reply actions
Awesome picture, btw
"I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information." Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Jan 17, 2012 4:52 PM CST reply actions
There's a ton of really cool fan art for C&H
And I’ve always liked them, but just in case there are people here who never read the comic, just putting the original stuff makes it easier to understand.
Was too far to huck a beer at a Stro’s player as per bone’s request. Jess (girlfriend) said I was too far, I said challenge accepted, a security guard said guess again.-BD34
That is the reason I don't go to Battle Red Blog. I would be too rational and guys would flag my posts as spam.-batman713
Calvin and Hobbes got me through elementary.
And then once again in high school once I could understand most of the wordier jokes.
Sonicsgate: A movie about how the Sonics were stolen from Seattle.
Pistons vs Rockets
I got the Rockets winning even though I’m a Pistons fan our season is over unless we pull off an unbelievable trade Greg Monroe is our only bright spot Go Pistons
by tommy38ism on Jan 17, 2012 5:56 PM CST via iPhone app reply actions
I've always liked the Pistons. Tough guys. I hope ya'll can get your team back on track
"I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information." Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Jan 17, 2012 6:23 PM CST up reply actions
Houston 96-89
Close Game however. Our 6th Game in 8 days’ going to be hard.
by RiiseRockets on Jan 17, 2012 6:28 PM CST via mobile reply actions
houstan win her but close one
Martin and Lowry decent games but not great,we win cause we play just abit better and get big on the boards against this team
Rockets 98 – pistons 91
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