Timberwolves at Rockets

The Rockets opened the season at the Timberwolves. It was a greatly anticipated game. It was a time of hope, a time of new beginnings. It was a thorough ass-kicking. Not in the right direction.

Tonight will be an opportunity for the Rockets to get a measure of revenge for the spanking at the hands of a .500ish team with high hopes in a weak Western Conference. An opportunity, but confidence in this happening is not high.

Why?

Confidence is low because the Rockets just got another thorough ass-kicking at the hands of the Lukaless Dallas Mavericks. It was a listless defensive effort, and barely a listful offensive one.

As usual when this team turns in a bad performance people begin to find villains. It’s Player X, it’s the absence of Player Y. It’s the coach!

It might be all three. But usually the reason teams lose or win in the NBA is related to the talent level of the team, and how well that talent works together.

The FUTURE talent level of this Rockets team might be very high. Right now? It’s not. Right now there’s a clear difference between the level of competence of an NBA journeyman and the Rockets sexy draft picks and young players. That comparison is in the favor, heavily so, of the NBA journeyman. That’s why a fringe guy like Garrison Matthews can do more than just eat minutes on this team, but actually be important. Experience is important, and Garrison Matthews still has more experience in terms of NBA minutes than Kevin Porter Jr.

In other NBA and sports news, Klay Thompson returns tonight after two years away from the NBA. He’s never been a Warrior I disliked, and I wish him well.

In the NFL there’s a game wherein a tie is highly beneficial to both teams, or at least assures the playoffs for both, whereas a loss kicks one team out. What will happen?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgrace_of_Gij%C3%B3n

I’ve given up predicting starting lineups, available players, and the like for the present. Sorry.