Houston Rockets 2017 Preseason Thread - Spurs MyPlayers Take Over

Pretty much. The difference between his passing and Paul's is crazy. Paul puts it right where it needs to be, and Harden just throws it up assuming you'll get it

Didn't mind MDA trying out random rotations since Tarik and Nene were out.

It was also pretty funny to see Melo baking Ryno as if he was making him pay for the reason he's not in a Rocket uniform

 

http://www.nba.com/rockets/live/media-day

If you're not getting the broadcast

 

This was a hilarious game to watch you could tell half the team would rather be somewhere kicking back to relax. Having a tomato can like that at least lets the entire roster play. Really curious to see if Qi is on the final roster instead of RGV

 

Chris Paul has often said he can always get a teammate a good shot.

He has said it so often, he prefaces that with "I've always said ... "

But in his first week of games with the Rockets, he has added an observation about running the offense. It is easier to shoot when the rim is lit by a green light. Players live for that freedom. Rockets players, particularly veteran newcomers, delight in it.

They will never feel as free to fire away as they did in Thursday's 144-82 blowout of the overmatched, injury-depleted Shanghai Sharks. But the theory is the same. With little to get in their way, the Rockets demonstrated the plan, from James Harden and Paul getting double-digit assists, to the 52 3-pointers the Rockets launched while forcing none.

"Our guys can play," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We're good. It comes easy. They're just learning to play with each other. I thought, pretty good stuff."

As the Rockets Altuved the Sharks, who were without Chinese Basketball Association MVP Jimmer Fredette, they knew it won't be as easy against any NBA team as it was against their guests from China. But the Rockets moved the ball around a floor filled with shooters and then did what comes naturally. The Rockets went from hitting 24 3-pointers Tuesday to 22 on Thursday.

"We're wide-open," forward P.J. Tucker said of the Rockets' style. "It's easy, the offense, the way we play. So free."

In a system based on improvisation, getting acclimated to one another is at a premium. But for Harden and Paul, there is also a need to get used to playing off the ball. Harden continued to struggle with his shot, making just one of eight 3-pointers. But most of those were off the dribble and not unlike last season's looks. Paul was in a shooting guard position far more often than through much of his career. He was 3-of-8 on 3s and seemed to enjoy the change.

"For us, it's about feel and playing and getting open shots the way that we have," Paul said. "I was telling James, Coach drew up a play for me to come off and shoot tonight. I don't recall that happening for a while. Getting used to catch-and-shoot is something we're both going to keep getting used to. That's fun."

The Rockets opened the game making their first seven shots and leading 32-7 before they seemed to at times grow bored with the whole thing. Harden had 10 assists in 26 minutes. Paul had 12 assists in his 26 minutes. Ariza followed his 18 points Tuesday with 18. Eric Gordon went from 6-of-8 on 3s against the Thunder to 5-of-8 on Thursday. The Rockets got to show off their import from the CBA, with Zhou Qi scoring eight points in 11½ minutes.

The second unit of Gordon, Nene and Luc Mbah a Moute (P.J. Tucker started with Ryan Anderson out with a bruised hip) combined to make 15 of 19 shots. The bench outscored the Shanghai team 90-82, getting good shots as easily as the starters.

"It is in a good way different," said Mbah a Moute, who was 5-of-6 for 12 points in 16 minutes, of the Rockets' style. "It keeps it really simple. It's fun to play our way. You know you are encouraged to shoot. It's easier to shoot that way, for sure."

It will rarely be as easy as Thursday at Toyota Center, with the Rockets returning to an NBA schedule and an increasing level of difficulty - Knicks, Grizzlies and Spurs - next week.

"I think we've still got some work to do, but we're on the right track," Paul said. "We have to clean up some things defensively. But we're moving the ball well. All in all, not bad." - CHRON

 

The Rockets will play their third preseason game of the year tonight, this time against the New York Knicks.

The Houston Rockets will be at Madison Square Garden tonight as they face the team that almost traded them Carmelo Anthony. The New York Knicks come into tonight having lost to Brooklyn just last night.

The Rockets, on the other hand, haven’t played since last Thursday when they beat the Shanghai Sharks handily.

Let’s take a look at the injury report for tonight:

Injury Report
Tarik Black will miss this game for the Rockets as well as the Wednesday game in Memphis. Per Jonathan Feigen, he is dealing with a sore knee.

Ryan Anderson returns to the Rockets after missing one game with a bruised hip.

The Knicks will be without their rookie point guard Frank Ntikilina and maybe Kristaps Porzingis according to Feigen. As he noted, this game will be the third straight the Rockets play where the opposing team does not have their point guard (Westbrook, Fredette).

Projected Starting 5
Rockets
Chris Paul/James Harden/Trevor Ariza/Ryan Anderson/Clint Capela

Knicks
Ron Baker/Tim Hardaway Jr./Doug McDermott/Kyle O’Quinn/Willy Hernangomez

Analysis
Same old, same old, for the Rockets. They have the better starting 5, and it isn’t even close.

It will likely be O’Quinn or Michael Beasley starting at power forward tonight for New York with Porzingis possibly out. Maybe B-Easy will want to have some revenge on his former team.

McDermott will find himself in a huge role in New York this season after being a deep bench player with Oklahoma City last year. Will he step up his game and deliver?

Score Prediction
This one shouldn’t be very close. Still, it is tough to predict a score whenever you have the G-League team playing the fourth quarter. We’ll say the score will be something like 120-105, just to be safe.

 

Qi didn't play much, but I like that he makes those default blocks simply cause of his height and length needs to learn how to avoid so many fouls, but that'll come in time

 

Melo FRIED Ryno the other night

 

Last night's game was soooooo ugly, but it's cool to win an ugly game cause we'll have to win those during the regular season as well. Bad shooting night for Harden, Paul, and Gordon, but other guys picked up the slack. The defense helped get this game mostly.

 

Agreed. Hopefully Paul uses it during the regular season.

 

Why Rockets are relying on 2 journeymen to get 'nasty' and defend the Warriors
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...c-richard-mbah-a-moute-warriors-mike-dantoni/

 

The Houston Rockets added several dynamic defenders this offseason, which gives them the potential to throw out various small-ball lineups this season.

In previous seasons, the Houston Rockets haven’t had numerous above-average wing defenders. This can put a team in a tough position as teams around the league increasingly turn to small-ball lineups. Of course, the most notable (and feared) small-ball lineup is the “Death Lineup” employed by the Golden State Warriors.

However, this offseason, the Rockets brought in P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute to help on the defensive end and in turn, make the Rockets a more versatile defensive team. Although they won’t always turn to small-ball lineups due to their impressive depth at center, it is important that as a result of these additions, they can now throw different variations of a such lineups at opposing teams when necessary.

Let’s take a closer look at some dynamic and versatile small-ball lineups we may see on the court this season for the Rockets .

1. A defensive-focused lineup
Lineup: Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Mbah a Moute, Tucker

Simply put, this lineup would be employed to get stops. The Rockets would have above-average defenders at four of the five positions on the floor, while Gordon can be average on that end of the floor as well.

Offensively, this lineup could struggle, as Ariza, Mbah a Moute and Tucker aren’t consistent threats from beyond the arc. Also, all three players are severely limited in terms of ball-handling, which would put a lot of pressure on Paul (and Gordon to an extent) to create good looks for them.

However, Paul and Gordon should be up to the task, and with both of them being elite shooters, that would also help the offense in such a lineup. However, the primary goal/focus of this lineup is clamping down opponents on the defensive end.

Mbah a Moute is perhaps the most underrated defender in the league. Last season, he posted a 1.6 defensive box plus-minusand was ninth in the leagueamong power forwards in Defensive Real Plus-Minus, posting a 2.32. Mbah a Moute is a very versatile defender, and at 6’8″ he is able to guard a variety of positions, from guards to power forwards. This makes him a vital inclusion in any small-ball lineup, as he can switch onto smaller wings or guard opposing bigs.

In a February game against the San Antonio Spurs, Mbah a Moute displayed his versatile defensive abilities as he masterfully guarded both Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge:


Meanwhile, P.J. Tucker is one of the most physical defenders in the league, which allows him to guard on the perimeter and in the post. Last season Tucker posted a defensive box plus-minus of 1.9 and a defensive real plus-minus of 1.78, good for 12th in the league among small forwards.

It is very likely that Tucker plays the Draymond Green role in any small-ball lineup the Rockets throw out on the floor, and while Tucker is nowhere near the versatile player Green is on both ends of the floor, the Rockets haven’t had someone of Tucker’s defensive prowess and versatility in recent seasons.

And perhaps more importantly, Tucker has an attitude toward the game (and defense specifically) that will lift up and motivate his teammates, similar to Patrick Beverley‘s role in recent years.

When you combine those two with Ariza (who is still a slightly above average defender) and Paul, you have the recipe for a lockdown defensive lineup, one that can go toe-to-toe with most small-ball lineups around the league.

2. Adding an offensive twist
Lineup: Paul, James Harden, Gordon, Mbah a Moute, Tucker

Small-ball lineups don’t have to be solely focused on the defensive end. By inserting Harden into the lineup in place of Ariza, the Rockets have the makings of a lineup that will be dynamic offensively while still being able to get stops due to the frontcourt versatility.

While Harden is a liability on defense (though it is possible that he may improve this season due to a decreased offensive load), Paul, Mbah a Moute and Tucker are still on the floor, providing defensive versatility. Houston could insert Ariza for Mbah a Moute if they desire more shooting, but having Paul, Gordon and Harden on the floor should space defenses out enough.

This lineup would still be able to switch all pick-and-rolls on defense, but it would be able to torment opposing defenses more with both Harden and Paul on the floor. With both guards on the floor, the role players would see quality looks on a consistent basis from beyond the arc, which would prevent the offense from stalling.

Mbah a Moute shot 41.5 percent on corner 3-pointers last season, while Tucker hit 45.5 percent of such attempts. It’s safe to say that when provided quality looks (especially in the corners), both can shoot well from beyond the arc.

There are other small-ball lineups that could include Ryan Anderson at center for more shooting, but at that point Houston would be sacrificing its defensive versatility. In the end, the Rockets have a plethora of small-ball lineups that when used in conjunction with their traditional lineups, will make them a nightmare for opponents on a nightly basis. -FANSIDED

 

I'm pretty done with Nanu

 

Headed to the game right now. When I bought the tickets, I totally didn't think about the Stros playing the same day