do work son
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huge game tonight boys. lets see how this team stacks up. no pat bev to annoy fatboy cp3 though 
HOUSTON ROCKETS Thread '14/'15 - Offseason - Picks (+ Jason Terry)
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by Peep Game,
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took rockets the last 3 games. i think i'm going to have to sit out on this game. hopefully we come out with the W though. 
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Dwight Howard making health strides
J.A. Adande and Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com | November 4, 2013
LOS ANGELES -- The lingering effects from Dwight Howard's 2012 back surgery were so severe that Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale had concerns even after Houston signed the All-Star center to an $88 million contract last summer.
"Last July, when we got him, he was not healthy," McHale said Monday after the Rockets finished their morning shootaround at UCLA in advance of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers. "We signed him, and our biggest fear was his health.
Dwight Howard has shown dramatic improvement in his conditioning and health since joining the Rockets, coach Kevin McHale said.
"We knew he could play. He already had been three-time defensive player of the year, he'd been first-team all pro. He could still play, and he was young enough. We were more concerned about his back and his strength and flexibility."
Since then, Howard's condition has improved dramatically. Howard has averaged 15.0 points and 17.0 rebounds as the Rockets have gotten off to a 3-0 start this season.
"His health is 100 percent different," McHale said. "When we did a physical after we signed him, I sat down with our training staff and they were all like, 'Oh boy.' He had a huge discrepancy in his strength in his right leg and his left leg. His glutes and his hamstrings were really weak and his flexibility was completely ... funky.
"He really spent a lot of time this summer getting right. He's getting closer."
Howard averaged 17.1 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds with the Los Angeles Lakers during his lone, drama-filled season in which he didn't mesh with Kobe Bryant and had issues with coach Mike D'Antoni's system.
What's different in Howard's body in the four months since signing with Houston?
"Everything," Howard said Monday. "I'm moving a lot better. I'm going to get balls that I couldn't get last season. Rebounds, blocked shots, all that stuff is a lot different. I've been doing a lot of work in the offseason just to get my body back right. I feel a lot better."
Howard recognizes that many of the Lakers fans still feel stung by his choice to continue the Rockets' big-man lineage of Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming over the L.A. line of centers in George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.
"Fans are very passionate about their team, and unfortunately the Lakers have the most fans in the world," Howard said. "So, I think it's kind of a tough thing to let go and the way the season was last year, a lot of people don't know what really happened on the court or in the locker room. They just know what was being fed to them, and they made their decision based off that.
"But I'm pretty sure if any of those people had to make a decision in front of the whole world, they wouldn't know how to react or how to do it. It was a tough decision to make, but I think I did what's best for Dwight. Like I said, I'm in a very good place. These guys have been great since Day 1. Kevin has been amazing and I'm happy. I'm really happy."
Howard will play his first game back in Staples Center on Monday after being ejected from the Lakers' playoff series-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in April. He will follow that up by playing the Lakers in Houston on Thursday.
"We play 82 (games)," McHale said of the early timing of the Lakers game for Howard so early in the season. "I assume that they'll be on our schedule at some point."
The 27-year-old Howard went through the ritual of facing a former team last season when the Lakers played the Orlando Magic. He memorably scored 39 points and tied his own NBA record for free throw attempts by going 25-for-39 from the line while grabbing 16 rebounds in a win for the Lakers.
Howard was reluctant to compare the two reunions, however.
"This is a totally different situation," Howard said. "I was in Orlando for eight years. That was my home. I grew up in Orlando, and going back home was tough for me and tough for a lot of the fans there. The situation was completely different.
"I never tried to do anything to hurt these people in L.A., but I understand that they're just passionate about their team and when you do something that's best for you, everybody else might not like it and they tend to react in crazy ways. You see the jerseys getting burnt and the 'Coward' jerseys and all that stuff. But that's just fans being passionate about their teams, and it's totally understandable. I have nothing bad to say about those people."
On the contrary, Howard said that he appreciated his time with the Lakers, no matter how short it may have been.
"I have never been a bad guy and I won't be that bad guy ever," Howard said. "I will always be gracious and happy to have the opportunity to play with the Lakers. It was a learning experience and I think it helped me with this team. So, I'm glad that I had the chance to play in L.A. even though it ended soon it was a learning lesson for myself and for everybody else. I think this year you'll see a different Dwight."
J.A. Adande and Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com | November 4, 2013
LOS ANGELES -- The lingering effects from Dwight Howard's 2012 back surgery were so severe that Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale had concerns even after Houston signed the All-Star center to an $88 million contract last summer.
"Last July, when we got him, he was not healthy," McHale said Monday after the Rockets finished their morning shootaround at UCLA in advance of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers. "We signed him, and our biggest fear was his health.
Dwight Howard has shown dramatic improvement in his conditioning and health since joining the Rockets, coach Kevin McHale said.
"We knew he could play. He already had been three-time defensive player of the year, he'd been first-team all pro. He could still play, and he was young enough. We were more concerned about his back and his strength and flexibility."
Since then, Howard's condition has improved dramatically. Howard has averaged 15.0 points and 17.0 rebounds as the Rockets have gotten off to a 3-0 start this season.
"His health is 100 percent different," McHale said. "When we did a physical after we signed him, I sat down with our training staff and they were all like, 'Oh boy.' He had a huge discrepancy in his strength in his right leg and his left leg. His glutes and his hamstrings were really weak and his flexibility was completely ... funky.
"He really spent a lot of time this summer getting right. He's getting closer."
Howard averaged 17.1 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds with the Los Angeles Lakers during his lone, drama-filled season in which he didn't mesh with Kobe Bryant and had issues with coach Mike D'Antoni's system.
What's different in Howard's body in the four months since signing with Houston?
"Everything," Howard said Monday. "I'm moving a lot better. I'm going to get balls that I couldn't get last season. Rebounds, blocked shots, all that stuff is a lot different. I've been doing a lot of work in the offseason just to get my body back right. I feel a lot better."
Howard recognizes that many of the Lakers fans still feel stung by his choice to continue the Rockets' big-man lineage of Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming over the L.A. line of centers in George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.
"Fans are very passionate about their team, and unfortunately the Lakers have the most fans in the world," Howard said. "So, I think it's kind of a tough thing to let go and the way the season was last year, a lot of people don't know what really happened on the court or in the locker room. They just know what was being fed to them, and they made their decision based off that.
"But I'm pretty sure if any of those people had to make a decision in front of the whole world, they wouldn't know how to react or how to do it. It was a tough decision to make, but I think I did what's best for Dwight. Like I said, I'm in a very good place. These guys have been great since Day 1. Kevin has been amazing and I'm happy. I'm really happy."
Howard will play his first game back in Staples Center on Monday after being ejected from the Lakers' playoff series-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in April. He will follow that up by playing the Lakers in Houston on Thursday.
"We play 82 (games)," McHale said of the early timing of the Lakers game for Howard so early in the season. "I assume that they'll be on our schedule at some point."
The 27-year-old Howard went through the ritual of facing a former team last season when the Lakers played the Orlando Magic. He memorably scored 39 points and tied his own NBA record for free throw attempts by going 25-for-39 from the line while grabbing 16 rebounds in a win for the Lakers.
Howard was reluctant to compare the two reunions, however.
"This is a totally different situation," Howard said. "I was in Orlando for eight years. That was my home. I grew up in Orlando, and going back home was tough for me and tough for a lot of the fans there. The situation was completely different.
"I never tried to do anything to hurt these people in L.A., but I understand that they're just passionate about their team and when you do something that's best for you, everybody else might not like it and they tend to react in crazy ways. You see the jerseys getting burnt and the 'Coward' jerseys and all that stuff. But that's just fans being passionate about their teams, and it's totally understandable. I have nothing bad to say about those people."
On the contrary, Howard said that he appreciated his time with the Lakers, no matter how short it may have been.
"I have never been a bad guy and I won't be that bad guy ever," Howard said. "I will always be gracious and happy to have the opportunity to play with the Lakers. It was a learning experience and I think it helped me with this team. So, I'm glad that I had the chance to play in L.A. even though it ended soon it was a learning lesson for myself and for everybody else. I think this year you'll see a different Dwight."
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Great read, thanks Peep
do work son
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played terribly on defense. no rotations, no heart. harden has to be better. how did greg smith get ZERO burn after providing a huge spark?
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greg smith was the only bright spot besides casspi. it almost feels like the team expects to play half *** and still be able to win. they wait for loose balls to come to them instead of going to them and getting them before the other team can.
hope Beverly can make it back in time for Saturday when we play the clippers again, because lin has absolutely no chance in staying in front of cp3. that **** was pitiful.
hope Beverly can make it back in time for Saturday when we play the clippers again, because lin has absolutely no chance in staying in front of cp3. that **** was pitiful.
do work son
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as the screen is coming, you usually adjust to how you're going to play it. lin literally would stand there and let the screen be set, and trust asik or dwight to keep cp3 in front of them as blake or DJ was rolling. like, how stupid can you be jeremy 
i expect saturday to be different. i do see why people get annoyed by cp3 though. the guy is damn good but man does he get the benefit of a lot of calls.
i expect saturday to be different. i do see why people get annoyed by cp3 though. the guy is damn good but man does he get the benefit of a lot of calls.
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Lin does stupid **** for a Harvard guy...
The whole team sucked tonight. I expect a better effort tomorrow. I hope we wash the Clippers on Saturday.
The whole team sucked tonight. I expect a better effort tomorrow. I hope we wash the Clippers on Saturday.
do work son
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takeaways from this game:
-dwight looks better on the block. missed a few gimmes that i thought he could've just dunked.
-harden can still score at will in transition. if he isolates, he has to be decisive. too many times he just stands there, dribbles, then kicks it to a covered guy for a contested 3.
-casspi and garcia can make it rain.
-mchale is still hardheaded. smith getting getting hardly any minutes is just bad coaching.
-this team has had a lot of trouble starting out of the gate
-dwight looks better on the block. missed a few gimmes that i thought he could've just dunked.
-harden can still score at will in transition. if he isolates, he has to be decisive. too many times he just stands there, dribbles, then kicks it to a covered guy for a contested 3.
-casspi and garcia can make it rain.
-mchale is still hardheaded. smith getting getting hardly any minutes is just bad coaching.
-this team has had a lot of trouble starting out of the gate
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but damn i wish we had somehow gotten him along with dwight.
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Embarrassing lost for the projected No 1 out the West
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Very embarrassing. No excuse for the awful defense like that, and based on the score, even a fraction of defense would have either put you in position to win, or made the game closer. Just letting the Clippers get open shots all night. JJ Reddick is a good player, but cone on, it's JJ Reddick. Do tveven get me started on bun as Jared Dudley, wanna smack his kufi.
Smith and Casspi were the only guys who you felt played. Everybody else had empty points pretty much. Nothing impactful. You can't get on your own way when whistles start blowing.
Portland tonight, this team needs a quick turnaround and should show some life.
Smith and Casspi were the only guys who you felt played. Everybody else had empty points pretty much. Nothing impactful. You can't get on your own way when whistles start blowing.
Portland tonight, this team needs a quick turnaround and should show some life.
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mchale needs to give them a whole day of training where they dribble the ball before they take a step. so many stupid traveling calls although i feel like the refs have been calling them super, extra tight this year.
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No defense. Clips were hitting everything. Refs were clearly in favor of the clips
Ju Smith showing he wants some playing time
If it hadn't been for Garcia/Casspi, we would've lost by 40
Time to regroup and adjust, hopefully we come out better, next time we play them this week.
Ju Smith showing he wants some playing time
If it hadn't been for Garcia/Casspi, we would've lost by 40
Time to regroup and adjust, hopefully we come out better, next time we play them this week.
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yea man, chit is redicoulous
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the projects as #1 out of the west were kinda high. Warranted, but you gotta taper that. This team hasn't had any time to mold, yet we still see very bright spots of hope. The loss was pretty dissapointing, but there are a lot of takeaways positive and negative. they just need to not be content and get better.
They need to relieve some of Harden's offensive duties and make him LOCK UP. He's capable at the very least in spurts. (west conf finals against Kobe)
They need to relieve some of Harden's offensive duties and make him LOCK UP. He's capable at the very least in spurts. (west conf finals against Kobe)
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Hopefully Harden slept off his hangover and is well rested for tonight.
do work son
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I'm going to start downloading the games, and if I can start editing video just to see what I can do. Want to get some footage on Dwight. I'll keep y'all posted
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^ that would be dope dws
Hopefully we bounce back tonight
Hopefully we bounce back tonight
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Good looks do work
Project Pat Bev back in the lineup tonight, but McHale will be easing him back in, so he'll be coming off the bench.
Maybe Harden and Howard are looking at a future teammate in LMA????? IONO, but this needs to be a bounceback win. Full effort from everybody.
Project Pat Bev back in the lineup tonight, but McHale will be easing him back in, so he'll be coming off the bench.
Maybe Harden and Howard are looking at a future teammate in LMA????? IONO, but this needs to be a bounceback win. Full effort from everybody.
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View media item 643160
I want this
I want this
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Bill mixing up Casspi with Omer
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dwight actually did work in the post this game and even hit his ft's
do work son
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i can tell they made a huge effort to close out on shooters. only issue is poor rotations left shooters open because we rotated the wrong way
dwight cooked tonight. i'm gonna download this game film as soon as i can, and i'm still learning how to edit files in adobe premiere pro so i can put together some clips of his back to the basket game. i've got the clippers and jazz games downloaded already
dwight cooked tonight. i'm gonna download this game film as soon as i can, and i'm still learning how to edit files in adobe premiere pro so i can put together some clips of his back to the basket game. i've got the clippers and jazz games downloaded already
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Good bounce back game, but these turnover are so frustrating. The number of possessions we give other teams is insane, but the defensive intensity was their for the Rockets to make up for that. Pat Bev basically ignited that defense. I thought it was early for him to come back, but looks like he's all good. Howard and Harden playing like the duo they should be, Lin hit some timely shots here and there, Cisco and Casspi coming through with aggressiveness and time shots themselves, and Asik still showing his value and importance. Well deserved rest before next game.
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