The Dream Shake: All Posts by Patrick Harrel

Dwight Howard and Houston Rockets a potential free agency match, reports say

2013-05-20T00:01:26Z

We haven't even hit June yet, but free agency speculation is beginning to ramp up. With the Rockets set to make a pitch to Dwight Howard in less than six weeks, Ken Berger of CBS Sports is reporting that they are the Rockets "intrigue him the most" at this juncture. Here's what Berger had to say:

With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard's free-agent decision. The Rockets have a young star, James Harden, who has proved himself worthy of playing the leading role for the franchise; a budding 3-point shooting threat in Chandler Parsons; a defensive-minded coach in Kevin McHale; and Omer Asik, the kind of 7-footer Howard is believed to want next to him in the frontcourt.The clear advantage for the Lakers in their effort to re-sign Howard is the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, which allows LA to give Howard a five-year deal with annual increases based on 7.5 percent of his first-year salary in a new deal -- which will be in excess of $20 million. Another team with cap room to sign Howard could only give him a four-year deal with 4.5 percent annual increases -- the same arrangement Howard would be limited to if he agreed to leave via a sign-and-trade.

But Howard is only 27, and barring a career-ending injury, he'll clearly get one more max deal after this one. A four-year deal with an opt-out after three years, for example, would in some ways be preferable to Howard because he'd hit the open market again at age 30 and could then secure his five-year max deal. Also, by signing with a team in Texas -- where the Rockets and Mavs obviously reside -- Howard would reap substantial savings by paying no state income tax. According to some early estimates, Howard's tax savings in Texas could approach $10 million over four years.

In short: Let the Dwightmare begin. Again.

We've discussed Dwight Howard over and over in past 15 months as the Rockets have targeted him over and over again, so you pretty much know the book on him. He, along with James Harden, would form one of the top duos in the league, and would instantly vault the Rockets into the conversation with all the contenders in the Western Conference. There's little doubt that Morey will do whatever he can to get him in a Rockets uniform because the potential payoff is so high.

What is in doubt is how healthy Howard will be and how much of a long-term effect his back injuries will have. There was talk before the season that Howard's back had a degenerative condition, but as the season went along, Howard progressed and improved immensely. By the end of the year, he was clearly approaching 100%, and helped push the Lakers into the playoffs.

Whether that healthy back will hold up is what would give Morey the slightest bit on anxiety before signing him a four year max contract. After waiting years for Yao and Tracy McGrady's contracts to finally expire, the Rockets can't afford to deal with another injured star sucking up space on the payroll.

Regardless of the concerns, it's extremely exciting to even be in the conversation and to imagine Howard in this offense. In Los Angeles, Howard was miscast for his role, and with the Rockets, Kevin McHale could put Howard in the middle and space the floor with four shooters around him, allowing him the space he had to operate in Orlando. Surely that freedom will be a big part of the Rockets pitch to Howard, and let's hope it, along with the potential for a number of titles in Houston is enough to sway him to turn down Los Angeles.

SB Nation Network NBA Playoffs Open Thread: Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies try to take 3-1 leads over Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder

2013-05-13T22:18:39Z

The Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies are in enviable positions with the chance to take control of their series in their quest to punch their tickets to the Conference Finals. The Bulls and Thunder, on the other hand, will do everything they can to stop that and even the serieses at 2-2. After these pivotal game four's, we'll know a lot more about the NBA Playoff picture.

Sit back, relax, and join us in the SB Nation Network Open Thread at the Dream Shake tonight, with the Heat and Bulls squaring off at 7 PM EST and the Grizzlies and Thunder matching up at 9:30 PM, both of which will be broadcast on TNT. Join in on the conversation!

Next Game

Miami Heat
@ Chicago Bulls

Monday, May 13, 2013, 6:00 PM CDT
United Center

Complete Coverage >

Next Game

Oklahoma City Thunder
@ Memphis Grizzlies

Monday, May 13, 2013, 8:30 PM CDT
FedEx Forum

Complete Coverage >

Houston Rockets executive Sam Hinkie hired to be 76ers GM

2013-05-10T20:51:00Z

Less than one year after they passed up on him to promote Tony DiLeo from within, the Philadelphia 76ers have chosen to hire Sam Hinkie, a Rockets executive, to be their new General Manager. For the 76ers, this move marks a huge shakeup at the top as Rod Thorn is leaving his post as President to consult for the team, Doug Collins has resigned as head coach, and now Tony DiLeo has been ousted as well.

On the other hand, the Rockets lose a tremendous asset in their front office. Hinkie was a pioneer of analytics in the statistically-minded Rockets front office and was a big reason why the Rockets were always on the cutting edge in analytics. He had a huge role in the Rockets' use of SportVU technology to track the players at all times, and is extremely well-respected around the league for his skills in player evaluation.

He is going to be difficult to replace, but this hire shows that the Rockets are doing something right. With Hinkie in Philadelphia as a GM and two assistant coaches getting numerous interviews for head coaching positions, the Rockets front office is being endorsed by the league for doing something right.

Harden struggles, but Parsons lifts Rockets to thrilling game four win over Thunder

2013-04-30T04:48:10Z

With Jeremy Lin in a suit on the bench and James Harden completely ineffective in the early going, things were not looking good for the Rockets on Monday night. Then, in something of a surprise, a dashingly handsome, tall, chiseled figure atop a galloping stallion entered from stage right. His breath smelled of corndogs, but he said he was ready to help in any way possible. That knight was Chandler Parsons, and in game four, he delivered the performance of his young career, willing the Rockets to a tremendous victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The second year forward, expected by many to be a complementary player going into the year, essentially carried the Rockets' offense and defense, scoring 28 points, grabbing 10 boards, and dishing 8 assists, all while guarding Kevin Durant for a good portion of the night.

No, he was not alone in the victory but he's just so darn charming that the other players are easy to forget. Omer Asik locked down the middle and had his best game of the series, going for a double-double and making the game-winning contest on a Reggie Jackson drive, Patrick Beverley continued his strong play, and Carlos Delfino and Aaron Brooks gave the Rockets some great minutes off the bench.

With the Rockets taking this one, they force a game five in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Look for more of our analysis as the night progresses and we digest this exhausting but incredible victory!

Rockets fight back from 26 down, ultimately fall to Thunder 104-101

2013-04-28T04:45:58Z

Just one day after the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that guard Russell Westbrook would miss the remainder of the postseason with a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Houston Rockets and Thunder faced off in the Toyota Center in a dramatically different series than the one they had left in Oklahoma City. Without Westbrook, the Thunder would face a tall task to complete the sweep and take out the Rockets, but they certainly made a case to put the Rockets away early, going up as many as 26 in the first quarter.

The real story in Houston, however, was how the Rockets responded. Not deterred by the poor first half, the Rockets, propelled by big performances from Francisco Garcia and Carlos Delfino, went nuts in the third and fourth quarters to erase the deficit and bring the Rockets back into the game. With just 45 seconds left, Garcia hit his 4th triple of the night to put the Rockets up two, and it seemed like they would be able to seal the deal.

Then, this happened. The Rockets had already been victimized by absurd luck on the rims earlier in this season when Monta Ellis hit a game-winning buzzer beater that took off all the paint on the rim, but Durant's was even more vicious, climbing some twenty feet off the ground before going off the rim again and into the basket. A few seconds later, the Rockets had fallen and the series had seemed to go along with it.

As an outside observer, it's easy to talk about how important these licks the Rockets are taking are for their development as a young team, but they are downright painful to watch as a fan. Still, there were signs of life yet again from the Rockets and a lot to be optimistic about for the future tonight. Can they fight back and take game four? Only time will tell.

Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery for torn meniscus

2013-04-26T17:05:27Z

One day before a potentially pivotal game three, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that point guard Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus and will be out indefinitely. This news came on the heels of a game where Westbrook appeared to be limping at times following a hit to the knee from Patrick Beverley.

The team has not confirmed that Westbrook suffered the injury on that play, but did say that the injury was sustained on a play in the second quarter, the same quarter where that altercation occurred.

The Thunder are still extremely dangerous and seem likely to carry this series behind Kevin Durant, but this injury certainly changes the dynamic of the series. The Rockets will look to capitalize with Westbrook out, but they are still facing a tall task. Kevin Durant is probably the league's best scorer, and his supporting cast of Serge Ibaka, Kevin Martin, and Thabo Sefolosha are plenty potent. If Reggie Jackson can keep playing well, the Thunder will be extremely tough to beat.

Meanwhile, assuming the series returns to Oklahoma City, Patrick Beverley is going to need a police escort to get to the arena. I don't think it's fair to blame him for a play that happens everyday in the NBA, but fans of the Thunder will certainly disagree.

We'll have more on the injury as this story develops.

Rockets comeback furiously, fall to Thunder in game two

2013-04-25T02:08:25Z

There were so many moments when it looked like the Thunder would run away with this one, but it wasn't until the clock hit zero that the result was clear. The Rockets fought back hard, but came up just a little bit short in a thrilling 103-100 Thunder victory. James Harden was magnificent, keying an improbable Rockets run that saw the Rockets go from 10 down to 4 up with just three and a half minutes to go, and finishing with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Patrick Beverley also had an excellent performance, giving the Rockets 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists while filling in for Jeremy Lin who went down with a chest injury.

As has been the case so often this season, an inability to execute down the stretch doomed the Rockets. They led by four after a Carlos Delfino three with 3:27 left in the fourth, but a quick 10-2 run by the Thunder turned that four point lead into a four point deficit as the Rockets missed shot after shot and the Thunder hit everything they looked at.

Then, when all the chips were down with 14 seconds left, the Rockets had the ball and a chance to pull within one with a three pointer. Carlos Delfino and Patrick Beverley promptly held the ball for 12 seconds until Beverley scored on a floater with 1.6 seconds to go that was too little, too late. Carlos Delfino had a chance for a 90 footer at the buzzer to tie, but that, like the Rockets, fell short.

These games are painful to watch at times, but extremely important for the Rockets' growth as a young team. James Harden is growing into his role as a first option, Patrick Beverley is quietly becoming one of the better reserve guards in the league, and Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin are entering their first season in the playoffs. What they are finding is that it's a completely different game. Just as this current Thunder team went through these growing pains, so must the Rockets. A year or two from now, and they'll be better for it.

Jeremy Lin exits Rockets-Thunder game two with shoulder injury

2013-04-25T00:42:24Z

After a close first half, the Rockets came out of the tunnel with the same lineup they started with. By the time the whistle blew to start the half, however, Jeremy Lin was headed to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury.

As they came out to start the second half, Lin lagged behind the other starters, being attended to by trainer Keith Jones, and after trying to take a free throw, he went to the locker room for further tests. Patrick Beverley, who was inserted into the lineup for Greg Smith, will have a heavy load if Lin can't return (Update: Rockets say Lin is questionable to return with a shoulder contusion.

In the first half, Beverley got under Russell Westbrook's skin, and had a 9 point, 6 rebound, and 5 assist performance. Perhaps with more time, he will cool off, but so far in this series, he has been the team's most valuable player.