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Makes sense
Houston Rockets 2017 Preseason Thread - Spurs MyPlayers Take Over
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by Peep Game,
- Start date
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don't want to panic, but I thought our absoute floor would be going .500 range over the last 10 games despite the away schedule.
9 game winning streak followed by losing 7 of the last 11 :x
We've taken some kinda wack Ls during this stretch. Somebody has to be looking forward, schedule - wise. Thought we'd try to buckle down for this stretch before the AS break .We have the most home games after the AS break I believe. They won't all be gimmes, but our schedule gets "lighter" in theory. We lowkey need to win out this home-stand before the AS break.
9 game winning streak followed by losing 7 of the last 11 :x
We've taken some kinda wack Ls during this stretch. Somebody has to be looking forward, schedule - wise. Thought we'd try to buckle down for this stretch before the AS break .We have the most home games after the AS break I believe. They won't all be gimmes, but our schedule gets "lighter" in theory. We lowkey need to win out this home-stand before the AS break.
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loved Nene's defense against Boogie tonight. He's officially our big man specialist, ha.
s/o Beard not fishing for stats tonight and just doing what was needed to get a W. I'm surprised he played 31 min. seemed like less
s/o Beard not fishing for stats tonight and just doing what was needed to get a W. I'm surprised he played 31 min. seemed like less
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I thought he played less too
felt like 25 or so. Good to get a dominating rebound win like that. Need to keep that up heading into the break, and regroup afterwards. Teams are starting to get closer in the standings, and I'm not feeling that.
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REDNATION
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Fansided article
Houston Rockets: Should They Make A Play For Serge Ibaka?
With the trade deadline occurring at a later date in the season this year it seems like the rumors have been swirling for a lifetime about which players will be on the move within the Association and as always, the Houston Rockets are in the mix.
Serge Ibaka is one of those whose name has been thrown around in trade circles and it makes sense based on the direction the Magic seem to be headed in. This seems to be following the same pattern that the Magic followed last year, remaining quiet until pretty late in the piece before trading away veterans for not much in return.
There are several reasons why Ibaka and the Houston Rockets have been mentioned in the same sentence over the past couple of days and it’s plausible that GM Daryl Morey puts a package together in an attempt to acquire him before the deadline. Especially as it seems that his value is almost at an all time low.
The Houston Rockets are in dire need of a shot blocker and that is what Ibaka has made his reputation in the NBA by doing. He has averaged around two blocks a game over the span of his NBA career.
Not only will Ibaka add his three blocks a game he’s currently averaging, but he contests so many shots at the rim that players have to change their shot or just avoid going to the rim when he’s there.
Ibaka also fits the bill for the Houston Rockets in many other ways. He is the definition of a Stretch-4, shooting 38 percent from behind-the-arc this season on a poor Orlando team with little spacing, so imagine the damage he could cause by reuniting with James Harden.
He is also a competent rebounder, averaging 7.4 of those for his career thus far. This is an upgrade over Ryan Anderson and something that has become a problem over the last couple of weeks.
The Rockets now rank 25th in rebound percentage over the last 15 games at 48 percent, which means they’re securing less than half of the available rebounds per game.
This has had a perilous flow on effect to the defense which is conceding an almost league worst 111.4 points per game in January, something that Ibaka would most definitely fix.
There is an obvious case as to why someone with the versatility of Serge would be a valuable asset to the Rockets playoff hopes now and into the future.
As a power forward who is able to shoot the three well and also guard and play the center, he is someone who the Rockets should seriously be taking a look at as the deadline ticks ever closer as he seems to be a good fit in Houston.
The only issue now, is how much the Rockets are willing to give up to acquire a Ibaka rental because his contract expires this season.
Ibaka’s value is quite low at the moment and teams aren’t likely to alter their franchise in return for the big man to play around 30 games for them.
The market will also be small as teams will have to be sure that Ibaka is going to resign with them, and having Harden and being a contender will certainly aid that cause.
Sources indicate Orlando has had several offers for Serge Ibaka, but continue to hold out for a package that includes young players/picks.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 30, 2017
Per Keith Smith of 16 Wins a Ring, it’s going to require young players and other reports have specified Orlando is on the look out for a wing.
So what do the Rockets have that they can offer?
This is a simple trade the Rockets can make which has multiple benefits for them. The Rockets can give the Magic K.J. McDaniels, a young and explosive wing who is buried deep in Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation.
The Rockets aren’t using him all that much at this point, so he won’t be missed if he’s flipped for Ibaka.
In order to make the salaries match Corey Brewer is going to be used as the filler. The three-year deal Morey gave him after the Western Conference Finals run has been a disaster and Brewers departure from Houston is long overdue.
But it’s good that the Rockets are able to get him off the books this way.
Brewer is guaranteed for another year after this, and so is McDaniels so in reality if Serge doesn’t end up being the player they’re expecting him to be they’ve just freed up an extra $11M for free agency to go an acquire a second star to Harden.
The Magic will probably require a pick with this trade but as a Rockets fan I would be happy with that deal.
This trade offers the franchise an opportunity to get deep into the playoffs this season for in reality no real loss.
Plus, I would love to see Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti’s head explode when a James Harden – Serge Ibaka led team beats the Thunder in the playoffs.
Wouldn’t that be magical?
So I say go for it Houston, you’ve got nothing to lose and it all to gain.
-Fansided, 2/1/2017
Houston Rockets: Should They Make A Play For Serge Ibaka?
With the trade deadline occurring at a later date in the season this year it seems like the rumors have been swirling for a lifetime about which players will be on the move within the Association and as always, the Houston Rockets are in the mix.
Serge Ibaka is one of those whose name has been thrown around in trade circles and it makes sense based on the direction the Magic seem to be headed in. This seems to be following the same pattern that the Magic followed last year, remaining quiet until pretty late in the piece before trading away veterans for not much in return.
There are several reasons why Ibaka and the Houston Rockets have been mentioned in the same sentence over the past couple of days and it’s plausible that GM Daryl Morey puts a package together in an attempt to acquire him before the deadline. Especially as it seems that his value is almost at an all time low.
The Houston Rockets are in dire need of a shot blocker and that is what Ibaka has made his reputation in the NBA by doing. He has averaged around two blocks a game over the span of his NBA career.
Not only will Ibaka add his three blocks a game he’s currently averaging, but he contests so many shots at the rim that players have to change their shot or just avoid going to the rim when he’s there.
Ibaka also fits the bill for the Houston Rockets in many other ways. He is the definition of a Stretch-4, shooting 38 percent from behind-the-arc this season on a poor Orlando team with little spacing, so imagine the damage he could cause by reuniting with James Harden.
He is also a competent rebounder, averaging 7.4 of those for his career thus far. This is an upgrade over Ryan Anderson and something that has become a problem over the last couple of weeks.
The Rockets now rank 25th in rebound percentage over the last 15 games at 48 percent, which means they’re securing less than half of the available rebounds per game.
This has had a perilous flow on effect to the defense which is conceding an almost league worst 111.4 points per game in January, something that Ibaka would most definitely fix.
There is an obvious case as to why someone with the versatility of Serge would be a valuable asset to the Rockets playoff hopes now and into the future.
As a power forward who is able to shoot the three well and also guard and play the center, he is someone who the Rockets should seriously be taking a look at as the deadline ticks ever closer as he seems to be a good fit in Houston.
The only issue now, is how much the Rockets are willing to give up to acquire a Ibaka rental because his contract expires this season.
Ibaka’s value is quite low at the moment and teams aren’t likely to alter their franchise in return for the big man to play around 30 games for them.
The market will also be small as teams will have to be sure that Ibaka is going to resign with them, and having Harden and being a contender will certainly aid that cause.
Sources indicate Orlando has had several offers for Serge Ibaka, but continue to hold out for a package that includes young players/picks.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 30, 2017
Per Keith Smith of 16 Wins a Ring, it’s going to require young players and other reports have specified Orlando is on the look out for a wing.
So what do the Rockets have that they can offer?
This is a simple trade the Rockets can make which has multiple benefits for them. The Rockets can give the Magic K.J. McDaniels, a young and explosive wing who is buried deep in Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation.
The Rockets aren’t using him all that much at this point, so he won’t be missed if he’s flipped for Ibaka.
In order to make the salaries match Corey Brewer is going to be used as the filler. The three-year deal Morey gave him after the Western Conference Finals run has been a disaster and Brewers departure from Houston is long overdue.
But it’s good that the Rockets are able to get him off the books this way.
Brewer is guaranteed for another year after this, and so is McDaniels so in reality if Serge doesn’t end up being the player they’re expecting him to be they’ve just freed up an extra $11M for free agency to go an acquire a second star to Harden.
The Magic will probably require a pick with this trade but as a Rockets fan I would be happy with that deal.
This trade offers the franchise an opportunity to get deep into the playoffs this season for in reality no real loss.
Plus, I would love to see Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti’s head explode when a James Harden – Serge Ibaka led team beats the Thunder in the playoffs.
Wouldn’t that be magical?
So I say go for it Houston, you’ve got nothing to lose and it all to gain.
-Fansided, 2/1/2017
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Ibaka is a role player, we have enough of those. We need a real difference maker.
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True, but I'd be cool with a sure-fire positive player over a negative player and a player you never use anyway
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The Associated Press
Rockets put pieces in place to combat Hawks' Howard
HOUSTON -- In just 13 minutes on Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets received what they needed from veteran center Nene in their win over the Sacramento Kings.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is striking a delicate balance in divvying minutes within his center rotation, focusing intently on matchups while exercising caution to not overwork Nene, 34. That scheme was compromised when starting center Clint Capela was sidelined for a month with a leg fracture, but with Capela making his 32nd start of the season on Tuesday night, Nene was back in his comfort zone.
Nene scored 11 points and blocked two shots in the Rockets' 105-83 victory. He provided a physical presence against Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, the brute force that the slender Capela and undersized center Montrezl Harrell lack.
By sparingly using Nene, who is averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds, D'Antoni set the stage for Nene to work similarly against Dwight Howard when the Rockets (36-16) host the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night at Toyota Center.
"I just want to make sure that when I can rest him, I want to," D'Antoni said of Nene, who is averaging 17.1 minutes. "I'll never play him when we don't need him. There'll be days that we give him off because we feel that the matchup is OK for us. But if there's a somebody like a Cousins, there's somebody he's playing, so we look at the calendar and make sure that Nene is ready to go on those days."
Nene sat for rest three times in January, and the preseason script called for D'Antoni to avoid playing Nene in back-to-backs. However, when Capela missed 15 games, Nene played with greater frequency. Now that Capela is healthy again, Nene can resume his role as a specialist against bruisers like Cousins and Howard.
For Howard, Thursday will mark his first time playing in Houston for the opposition since Dec. 4, 2012. Howard signed with the Rockets as a free agent in July 2013 following his lone season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he averaged 16 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over three seasons and 183 games in Houston.
Despite his elevated performance in the postseason with the Rockets (17.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks), his relationship with All-Star guard James Harden deteriorated to the point where the organization didn't make a strong push to re-sign him during the offseason, facilitating his return to his hometown of Atlanta.
Per 36 minutes, Howard is rebounding at a clip (15.6) better than any time previously in his career. But after averaging 13.7 points per game in his final season in Houston, Howard carries a 13.6 scoring average into Thursday. He had his string of consecutive double-doubles snapped at five games after scoring just six points in the Hawks' 116-93 road loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
"We have to come out with a little more intensity," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap said. "Defensively ... we weren't making it hard on them."
The Hawks (28-21) have alternated wins and losses for six games and are 6-5 over their past 11. Their inconsistency, a season-long issue, remains mystifying.
Rockets put pieces in place to combat Hawks' Howard
HOUSTON -- In just 13 minutes on Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets received what they needed from veteran center Nene in their win over the Sacramento Kings.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is striking a delicate balance in divvying minutes within his center rotation, focusing intently on matchups while exercising caution to not overwork Nene, 34. That scheme was compromised when starting center Clint Capela was sidelined for a month with a leg fracture, but with Capela making his 32nd start of the season on Tuesday night, Nene was back in his comfort zone.
Nene scored 11 points and blocked two shots in the Rockets' 105-83 victory. He provided a physical presence against Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, the brute force that the slender Capela and undersized center Montrezl Harrell lack.
By sparingly using Nene, who is averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds, D'Antoni set the stage for Nene to work similarly against Dwight Howard when the Rockets (36-16) host the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night at Toyota Center.
"I just want to make sure that when I can rest him, I want to," D'Antoni said of Nene, who is averaging 17.1 minutes. "I'll never play him when we don't need him. There'll be days that we give him off because we feel that the matchup is OK for us. But if there's a somebody like a Cousins, there's somebody he's playing, so we look at the calendar and make sure that Nene is ready to go on those days."
Nene sat for rest three times in January, and the preseason script called for D'Antoni to avoid playing Nene in back-to-backs. However, when Capela missed 15 games, Nene played with greater frequency. Now that Capela is healthy again, Nene can resume his role as a specialist against bruisers like Cousins and Howard.
For Howard, Thursday will mark his first time playing in Houston for the opposition since Dec. 4, 2012. Howard signed with the Rockets as a free agent in July 2013 following his lone season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he averaged 16 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over three seasons and 183 games in Houston.
Despite his elevated performance in the postseason with the Rockets (17.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks), his relationship with All-Star guard James Harden deteriorated to the point where the organization didn't make a strong push to re-sign him during the offseason, facilitating his return to his hometown of Atlanta.
Per 36 minutes, Howard is rebounding at a clip (15.6) better than any time previously in his career. But after averaging 13.7 points per game in his final season in Houston, Howard carries a 13.6 scoring average into Thursday. He had his string of consecutive double-doubles snapped at five games after scoring just six points in the Hawks' 116-93 road loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
"We have to come out with a little more intensity," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap said. "Defensively ... we weren't making it hard on them."
The Hawks (28-21) have alternated wins and losses for six games and are 6-5 over their past 11. Their inconsistency, a season-long issue, remains mystifying.
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This game has been very sloppy so far by both teams
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A 20 point lead becomes a game again. I hate this part of this team.
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Makes no sense at all, and it's from sloppiness and simple non contesting
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Tim Hardway Jordan
why are they letting this dude do this on national tv. **** is embarassing
why are they letting this dude do this on national tv. **** is embarassing
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Ariza can go
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wow
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get banged on....worked by backups...that awkward airball/celebration too
embarassing as ****
embarassing as ****
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Epic meltdown
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That was a Clipper like meltdown, the game was deadass over to everyone other than Tim Hardaway. Sorry *** performance, and every single player is to blame
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Anderson didn't want none
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Choking *** chumps. As that meltdown was happening, not a single person was showing any heart or drive. They let a 12ppg bench player drop like 33 on them. ******* losers. They clearly thought the game was over (as a bunch of other people did too), rolled over, and choked. Embarrassed themselves in from of Yao, Hakeem, Booker T, and probably other notable Houston legends. Damaging loss, especially on national TV. That 3rd place positioning don't mean ****. This game probably confirmed to a host of people that they are frauds that are staring at a first round exit. They'll end up letting Memphis and Utah jump them at this rate. Clowns.
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worst loss so far smfh
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I'm dying at you calling Booker T a Houston legend.
