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The Houston Rockets are going to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. There’s no point in trying to bury the lede, here. There’s no intrigue to this award, at least not this year. Any volatility the race may have had was undermined when Lou Williams was traded to the Rockets. The only contender other than Eric Gordon got shipped to Houston, and now the question is simply which one is seen as the sixth man. With just a few games left in the season, the answer is that Eric Gordon probably has his this locked down. Let’s look at why.
Showing posts with label Lou Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lou Williams. Show all posts
Report: Ryan Anderson Out Two Weeks with Ankle Sprain
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Mark Berman has announced per Mike D’Antoni that Rockets forward Ryan Anderson will be out for two weeks with a right ankle sprain. Anderson has also been dealing with a back injury throughout March. With there only being nine games left, there is a chance he will miss the remainder of the regular season.
https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/846056845261389824
Fortunately, this is the first time this season that Anderson will miss an extended period of time. Injuries were one of his biggest issues during his tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hopefully, he can come back for a game or two at the end of the regular season to get back on track before the playoffs start.
Eric Gordon started in place of Anderson on Sunday, which is what we should expect to see for the remainder of his absence. With there being three guards now in the starting lineup, this is small ball at its finest. D’Antoni said that with Gordon in the starting lineup, it will open up the floor more for Lou Williams with the 2nd unit. Gordon can get going earlier in games, which could help the Rockets finish games early and rest players as the postseason nears.
Anderson’s perimeter shooting will be needed to help the Rockets have a deep playoff run. Hopefully, his ankle is good to go in two weeks.
Mark Berman has announced per Mike D’Antoni that Rockets forward Ryan Anderson will be out for two weeks with a right ankle sprain. Anderson has also been dealing with a back injury throughout March. With there only being nine games left, there is a chance he will miss the remainder of the regular season.
https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/846056845261389824
Fortunately, this is the first time this season that Anderson will miss an extended period of time. Injuries were one of his biggest issues during his tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hopefully, he can come back for a game or two at the end of the regular season to get back on track before the playoffs start.
Eric Gordon started in place of Anderson on Sunday, which is what we should expect to see for the remainder of his absence. With there being three guards now in the starting lineup, this is small ball at its finest. D’Antoni said that with Gordon in the starting lineup, it will open up the floor more for Lou Williams with the 2nd unit. Gordon can get going earlier in games, which could help the Rockets finish games early and rest players as the postseason nears.
Anderson’s perimeter shooting will be needed to help the Rockets have a deep playoff run. Hopefully, his ankle is good to go in two weeks.
Rockets 137, Thunder 125 - Role Players Shine in MVP Battle
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To say the Rockets caught fire in the first half of this game would be a gross understatement. Anytime a team shoots over 70% from the field, you can expect a fun basketball game – well, assuming you’re a fan of the team draining nearly every shot they take. After opening the game on a 9-0 run, the Rockets defense eased up a bit and OKC managed to keep this game close in the first quarter. In fact, both teams shot the ball extremely well in the opening period as the Rockets hit two-thirds of their shots from the field and the Thunder shot a more-than-respectable 57%. Despite OKC’s offensive execution taking over late in the first (and Westbrook putting up incredible stats), the Rockets held a 37-31 lead at the end of the first.
The second quarter is where things really took off in the Rockets favor. With Harden getting his usual rest to start the period, Houston’s second unit managed to build and maintain a nine-point lead. It didn’t matter that Houston’s MVP candidate was sitting on the bench; the Rockets were getting whatever they wanted offensively and Toyota Center came unglued when Nene punctuated a transition opportunity with a beautiful Eurostep layup. Someone’s been watching Harden’s game film...
Harden checked back into the game and the Rockets quickly doubled up on their lead, extending it to as much as 20 by halftime. The Rockets were led by a much-more-comfortable-in-the-offense Lou Williams and Trevor Ariza, who combined for 34 points on 100% shooting (including eight three-pointers) until Ariza missed a buzzer-beating heave from midcourt that very nearly went in. Aside from Patrick Beverley, who went scoreless in the game, no Rocket that saw the floor scored less than seven points. Even Sam Dekker, who has hit the rookie wall in depressing fashion, got back-to-back and-one opportunities with tough finishes in traffic.
A lethargic start to the second half allowed OKC to briefly close the gap to 12 points. Given that the Rockets blew an 18-point halftime lead the last time they played the Thunder, it would be understandable if Rockets fans grew nervous about blowing another big lead. But never fear, as has happened many times this season, Eric Gordon was here to save the day with three makes from deep that helped the Rockets build the lead back up to 18. Lou stayed on fire as well, hitting a couple of threes, and staying perfect from the field. After a buzzer-beating three from Harden in transition, the Rockets went into the final period with a 113-88 lead.
The Rockets eased up again in the fourth quarter and weren’t quite able to put OKC away until the final moments. The Thunder had cut the lead down to 13 with three minutes left, and got as close as within eight, but it was too little, too late for the Thunder. The fourth period proved to be more about padding stats than miraculous comebacks, which is important in this awards race the Rockets find themselves in. Russell Westbrook got his usual triple-double (39 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds), James Harden had 22 points and 12 assists, plus leading Sixth Man of the Year candidates Lou Williams and Eric Gordon brought their scoring totals to 31 and 24, respectively.
This was maybe the most complete win of the season for the Rockets, and on national TV no less. They shot 63.3% from the field and 51.3% from beyond the arc (20/39). Six Rockets scored in double figures (Sam Dekker almost did with his eight points), and four players (Lou, Gordon, Ariza, and Harden) scored at least 22.
The Rockets got a bit of scare in the final minute of the game when Harden went down hard after a made layup, and stayed on the hardwood clutching his previously injured wrist. After the game, he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that “[he’ll] be alright” and that he just needs ice, but with the NBA Playoffs just a few weeks away, this will be a situation to keep an eye on.
The Rockets look to win their fourth straight on Tuesday when the Golden State Warriors make a trip to Houston - another must see battle of the league's elite.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Sunday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Lou Williams’ shooting has been inconsistent since being traded to Houston, but games like Sunday are why he can single-handedly improve the Rockets’ chances at winning a championship. Scoring 31 points on an insane 73.3% (11/15) shooting from the field, including seven threes, is exactly what the Rockets need from a second unit that was already very strong.
The Sixth Man of the Year trophy seems certain to make a home in Houston this year, but it’s not certain as to who will be hoisting it up. After Sunday, Eric Gordon might be feeling Lou creeping up on his heels.
To say the Rockets caught fire in the first half of this game would be a gross understatement. Anytime a team shoots over 70% from the field, you can expect a fun basketball game – well, assuming you’re a fan of the team draining nearly every shot they take. After opening the game on a 9-0 run, the Rockets defense eased up a bit and OKC managed to keep this game close in the first quarter. In fact, both teams shot the ball extremely well in the opening period as the Rockets hit two-thirds of their shots from the field and the Thunder shot a more-than-respectable 57%. Despite OKC’s offensive execution taking over late in the first (and Westbrook putting up incredible stats), the Rockets held a 37-31 lead at the end of the first.
The second quarter is where things really took off in the Rockets favor. With Harden getting his usual rest to start the period, Houston’s second unit managed to build and maintain a nine-point lead. It didn’t matter that Houston’s MVP candidate was sitting on the bench; the Rockets were getting whatever they wanted offensively and Toyota Center came unglued when Nene punctuated a transition opportunity with a beautiful Eurostep layup. Someone’s been watching Harden’s game film...
The Brazilian step! 👀🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/YFD6gcUdvG
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 26, 2017
Harden checked back into the game and the Rockets quickly doubled up on their lead, extending it to as much as 20 by halftime. The Rockets were led by a much-more-comfortable-in-the-offense Lou Williams and Trevor Ariza, who combined for 34 points on 100% shooting (including eight three-pointers) until Ariza missed a buzzer-beating heave from midcourt that very nearly went in. Aside from Patrick Beverley, who went scoreless in the game, no Rocket that saw the floor scored less than seven points. Even Sam Dekker, who has hit the rookie wall in depressing fashion, got back-to-back and-one opportunities with tough finishes in traffic.
A lethargic start to the second half allowed OKC to briefly close the gap to 12 points. Given that the Rockets blew an 18-point halftime lead the last time they played the Thunder, it would be understandable if Rockets fans grew nervous about blowing another big lead. But never fear, as has happened many times this season, Eric Gordon was here to save the day with three makes from deep that helped the Rockets build the lead back up to 18. Lou stayed on fire as well, hitting a couple of threes, and staying perfect from the field. After a buzzer-beating three from Harden in transition, the Rockets went into the final period with a 113-88 lead.
MOST VALUABLE BEARD PT. 2! #ROCKETS50 pic.twitter.com/aE3tUD4kZ2
— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2017
The Rockets eased up again in the fourth quarter and weren’t quite able to put OKC away until the final moments. The Thunder had cut the lead down to 13 with three minutes left, and got as close as within eight, but it was too little, too late for the Thunder. The fourth period proved to be more about padding stats than miraculous comebacks, which is important in this awards race the Rockets find themselves in. Russell Westbrook got his usual triple-double (39 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds), James Harden had 22 points and 12 assists, plus leading Sixth Man of the Year candidates Lou Williams and Eric Gordon brought their scoring totals to 31 and 24, respectively.
This was maybe the most complete win of the season for the Rockets, and on national TV no less. They shot 63.3% from the field and 51.3% from beyond the arc (20/39). Six Rockets scored in double figures (Sam Dekker almost did with his eight points), and four players (Lou, Gordon, Ariza, and Harden) scored at least 22.
The Rockets got a bit of scare in the final minute of the game when Harden went down hard after a made layup, and stayed on the hardwood clutching his previously injured wrist. After the game, he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that “[he’ll] be alright” and that he just needs ice, but with the NBA Playoffs just a few weeks away, this will be a situation to keep an eye on.
The Rockets look to win their fourth straight on Tuesday when the Golden State Warriors make a trip to Houston - another must see battle of the league's elite.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Sunday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Lou Williams’ shooting has been inconsistent since being traded to Houston, but games like Sunday are why he can single-handedly improve the Rockets’ chances at winning a championship. Scoring 31 points on an insane 73.3% (11/15) shooting from the field, including seven threes, is exactly what the Rockets need from a second unit that was already very strong.
The Sixth Man of the Year trophy seems certain to make a home in Houston this year, but it’s not certain as to who will be hoisting it up. After Sunday, Eric Gordon might be feeling Lou creeping up on his heels.
Rockets 139, Lakers 100 - Lou Williams Meh-venge Game
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Coming off one of this biggest wins of the season on Sunday, the Rockets took care of business Wednesday by handling the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that saw ex-Laker Lou Williams find a major groove. It wasn't exactly a revenge game, given how bad the Lakers are, but Lou made sure to show out against his former team.
The Rockets quickly set the tone in this game, scoring at will. James Harden, in particular, got whatever he wanted on the floor. The MVP finalist scored 12 points and dished out eight assists in the opening period. His focus was on finding his teammates (and padding his assist numbers) early on, especially with the goal of getting Clint Capela heavily involved. At the end of first, Capela was well on his way to a double-double with early contributions of nine points and four rebounds, and the Rockets held a 37-26 lead.
The second quarter belonged to Lou Williams, who faced the team that traded him for the first time since February’s trade deadline. Lou scored 17 points in the period (19 for the half) on perfect shooting from the field, including four from beyond the arc.
Similarly, Julius Randle had himself a great first half offensively for the Lakers. He was the only Laker that was causing the Rockets any real problems on the floor, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Randle also caused the Rockets physical problems as he caught three different players – Clint Capela, Ryan Anderson, and Montrezl Harrell – with errant elbows to the face. Capela was subbed out with a headache, Anderson made a trip to the locker room to stop the bleeding, and Harrell was down on the ground while the Rockets played defense a man down. This slowed Houston’s momentum considerably, but the Rockets were able to pick themselves up and maintain a 66-52 lead at halftime.
The Rockets energy – and defense – was nonexistent for the majority of the third period, which allowed the Lakers to cut the lead down to single-digits multiple times. James Harden’s assist hunting carried over from the second period and, unfortunately, so did the turnovers (he had nine by quarter’s end). After a timeout with about five minutes left, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run and righted the ship a little bit. Harden would have his 17th triple-double before the quarter ended, and, following another 7-0 run, the Rockets held a commanding 93-75 lead.
Lou Williams was relatively quiet in the third, but immediately made his presence felt with back-to-back threes to start the final period. Despite the fourth quarter largely being garbage time for the Rockets, Patrick Beverley did his best to make it interesting by drawing offensive fouls and hitting teammates for rim-rattling dunks. Houston coasted, which allowed Harden to rest for the entire period.
Julius Randle and Harden’s assist hunting were the only problems the Rockets faced in this game. Houston played down to the Lakers a little bit, and need to tighten the screws defensively going forward, but beating a team by 39 is a pretty good way to win. Statistically, the Rockets had awesome contributions from Lou Williams (30 points, seven assists), James Harden (18 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds), and Trevor Ariza (20 points), but this was a total team win – and a convincing one at that.
The Rockets look to win its third straight on Friday in New Orleans.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Wednesday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Another Harden triple-double, another game where someone else is actually more deserving of the game ball. That’s just how good this team is. Since making an incredible impact in his Rockets debut, Lou has been kind of ineffective from the field and hasn’t really caught a groove like he did post-trade deadline. On Wednesday, Lou caught fire and hit his first seven attempts from the field, and was instrumental in giving the Rockets a huge lead in the second period.
Houston will need both Lou and Eric Gordon to catch fire at the same time to have significant playoff success, and this was just the kind of game to get that rhythm going.
Coming off one of this biggest wins of the season on Sunday, the Rockets took care of business Wednesday by handling the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that saw ex-Laker Lou Williams find a major groove. It wasn't exactly a revenge game, given how bad the Lakers are, but Lou made sure to show out against his former team.
The Rockets quickly set the tone in this game, scoring at will. James Harden, in particular, got whatever he wanted on the floor. The MVP finalist scored 12 points and dished out eight assists in the opening period. His focus was on finding his teammates (and padding his assist numbers) early on, especially with the goal of getting Clint Capela heavily involved. At the end of first, Capela was well on his way to a double-double with early contributions of nine points and four rebounds, and the Rockets held a 37-26 lead.
👀🚀 pic.twitter.com/EScapc2vF9
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 16, 2017
The second quarter belonged to Lou Williams, who faced the team that traded him for the first time since February’s trade deadline. Lou scored 17 points in the period (19 for the half) on perfect shooting from the field, including four from beyond the arc.
Similarly, Julius Randle had himself a great first half offensively for the Lakers. He was the only Laker that was causing the Rockets any real problems on the floor, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Randle also caused the Rockets physical problems as he caught three different players – Clint Capela, Ryan Anderson, and Montrezl Harrell – with errant elbows to the face. Capela was subbed out with a headache, Anderson made a trip to the locker room to stop the bleeding, and Harrell was down on the ground while the Rockets played defense a man down. This slowed Houston’s momentum considerably, but the Rockets were able to pick themselves up and maintain a 66-52 lead at halftime.
The Rockets energy – and defense – was nonexistent for the majority of the third period, which allowed the Lakers to cut the lead down to single-digits multiple times. James Harden’s assist hunting carried over from the second period and, unfortunately, so did the turnovers (he had nine by quarter’s end). After a timeout with about five minutes left, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run and righted the ship a little bit. Harden would have his 17th triple-double before the quarter ended, and, following another 7-0 run, the Rockets held a commanding 93-75 lead.
Lou Williams was relatively quiet in the third, but immediately made his presence felt with back-to-back threes to start the final period. Despite the fourth quarter largely being garbage time for the Rockets, Patrick Beverley did his best to make it interesting by drawing offensive fouls and hitting teammates for rim-rattling dunks. Houston coasted, which allowed Harden to rest for the entire period.
Julius Randle and Harden’s assist hunting were the only problems the Rockets faced in this game. Houston played down to the Lakers a little bit, and need to tighten the screws defensively going forward, but beating a team by 39 is a pretty good way to win. Statistically, the Rockets had awesome contributions from Lou Williams (30 points, seven assists), James Harden (18 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds), and Trevor Ariza (20 points), but this was a total team win – and a convincing one at that.
The Rockets look to win its third straight on Friday in New Orleans.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Wednesday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Another Harden triple-double, another game where someone else is actually more deserving of the game ball. That’s just how good this team is. Since making an incredible impact in his Rockets debut, Lou has been kind of ineffective from the field and hasn’t really caught a groove like he did post-trade deadline. On Wednesday, Lou caught fire and hit his first seven attempts from the field, and was instrumental in giving the Rockets a huge lead in the second period.
Houston will need both Lou and Eric Gordon to catch fire at the same time to have significant playoff success, and this was just the kind of game to get that rhythm going.
Rockets 108, Pacers 117 - When the Threes Don't Fall, the Rockets Do
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This game could not have started any better for the Rockets, who opened the game up on an 18-2 run. In that stretch, the Rockets defense really took center stage as they forced the Pacers to miss ten of their first eleven attempts, as well as forcing five turnovers. Houston made four of their first six attempts and got to the free throw line a lot in the quarter (they hit all ten attempts). Despite everything clicking for the Rockets at pretty much every other aspect of the floor, the Rockets’ three-point shooting was basically nonexistent – they just hit one of their nine attempts. After a 10-2 run from Indiana, Houston closed the quarter out strong – getting awesome contributions from Nene, who imposed his will and scored nine points in the period.
Houston continued playing well to start the second period, and Lou Williams stayed hot as a Rocket to bring his scoring total up to 11 points, which included two more threes. Unfortunately, Lou was the only Rockets to shoot well at all from downtown (aside from Sam Dekker’s one make in two attempts) in the first half and Houston’s double-digit lead was slowly whittled down to nothing. As a matter of fact, a pair of free throws gave the Pacers their first lead of the game with 24 seconds left in the first half. At halftime, the Rockets were down 59-58.
Houston’s poor outside shooting continued to haunt the Rockets in the third quarter, and it seemed that the Pacers had found that three-point shooting stroke the Rockets so desired. Ironically, it would be a three-pointer (and-one) from Eric Gordon that would momentarily regain the lead for the Rockets. Houston’s defense was extremely porous following that play, and the Pacers went on a 9-0 run. Down 88-80, the Rockets faced their largest deficit of the game going into the fourth quarter.
After a barrage of turnovers and, yes, more missed shots, the Pacers built their lead to double-digits and things were looking pretty bleak. However, Lou Williams was not going to let the Rockets go down without a fight. With Harden really struggling to get going offensively (and just being too passive on that end of the court), Houston needed every single one of Lou’s 15 points in the quarter (game-high 28 for the game). Lou put his final stamp on this game when he drew a Myles Turner foul on a deep three, which he hit to bring to Rockets to within two points (110-108) with just over one minute left in the game. Unfortunately, he missed the free throw and Trevor Ariza missed a layup attempt after hauling in the rebound in traffic. The Rockets failed to execute defensively, and the Pacers ended the game on a 7-0 run.
Houston’s inability to hit outside shots wasn’t the only problem in this game (but it was a big one, 22% on 45 three-point attempts just won't cut it), however, as the Pacers outrebounded the Rockets 64-53 and winning the battle of points in the paint, second chance points, fastbreak points, and points off turnovers. Nonetheless, this is a game the Rockets should have won, but it was just one of those rare off shooting nights that not only affects the stat sheet, but the team’s demeanor as well.
The Rockets look to get back on the winning track on Wednesday, when they head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Monday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Lou Williams continues to provide immediate dividends following the trade deadline, and his fourth quarter scoring nearly saved the Rockets from the jaws of defeat. His scoring is exactly what the Rockets need to contend for an NBA championship but the Rockets are going to need other guys, particularly Eric Gordon, to step up on the same nights.
This game could not have started any better for the Rockets, who opened the game up on an 18-2 run. In that stretch, the Rockets defense really took center stage as they forced the Pacers to miss ten of their first eleven attempts, as well as forcing five turnovers. Houston made four of their first six attempts and got to the free throw line a lot in the quarter (they hit all ten attempts). Despite everything clicking for the Rockets at pretty much every other aspect of the floor, the Rockets’ three-point shooting was basically nonexistent – they just hit one of their nine attempts. After a 10-2 run from Indiana, Houston closed the quarter out strong – getting awesome contributions from Nene, who imposed his will and scored nine points in the period.
Houston continued playing well to start the second period, and Lou Williams stayed hot as a Rocket to bring his scoring total up to 11 points, which included two more threes. Unfortunately, Lou was the only Rockets to shoot well at all from downtown (aside from Sam Dekker’s one make in two attempts) in the first half and Houston’s double-digit lead was slowly whittled down to nothing. As a matter of fact, a pair of free throws gave the Pacers their first lead of the game with 24 seconds left in the first half. At halftime, the Rockets were down 59-58.
Houston’s poor outside shooting continued to haunt the Rockets in the third quarter, and it seemed that the Pacers had found that three-point shooting stroke the Rockets so desired. Ironically, it would be a three-pointer (and-one) from Eric Gordon that would momentarily regain the lead for the Rockets. Houston’s defense was extremely porous following that play, and the Pacers went on a 9-0 run. Down 88-80, the Rockets faced their largest deficit of the game going into the fourth quarter.
After a barrage of turnovers and, yes, more missed shots, the Pacers built their lead to double-digits and things were looking pretty bleak. However, Lou Williams was not going to let the Rockets go down without a fight. With Harden really struggling to get going offensively (and just being too passive on that end of the court), Houston needed every single one of Lou’s 15 points in the quarter (game-high 28 for the game). Lou put his final stamp on this game when he drew a Myles Turner foul on a deep three, which he hit to bring to Rockets to within two points (110-108) with just over one minute left in the game. Unfortunately, he missed the free throw and Trevor Ariza missed a layup attempt after hauling in the rebound in traffic. The Rockets failed to execute defensively, and the Pacers ended the game on a 7-0 run.
Houston’s inability to hit outside shots wasn’t the only problem in this game (but it was a big one, 22% on 45 three-point attempts just won't cut it), however, as the Pacers outrebounded the Rockets 64-53 and winning the battle of points in the paint, second chance points, fastbreak points, and points off turnovers. Nonetheless, this is a game the Rockets should have won, but it was just one of those rare off shooting nights that not only affects the stat sheet, but the team’s demeanor as well.
The Rockets look to get back on the winning track on Wednesday, when they head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Monday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
Lou Williams continues to provide immediate dividends following the trade deadline, and his fourth quarter scoring nearly saved the Rockets from the jaws of defeat. His scoring is exactly what the Rockets need to contend for an NBA championship but the Rockets are going to need other guys, particularly Eric Gordon, to step up on the same nights.
Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
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Following a blowout win over the Pelicans, the Rockets head home to face the young Timberwolves. Holding firm at 3rd in the West, the Rockets have tied their win total from last season, at 41-18. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 28.9 points, 11.3 assists, and 8.2 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 13th in defensive rating, and 3rd in net rating.
The Timberwolves are on the outside looking in, sitting at 22-35, after a win over the Mavericks, three games out of the playoffs in the West. The Wolves are led in scoring and rebounding by Karl Anthony-Towns, at 23.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, while Ricky Rubio leads them in assists at 8.4 per game. The Timberwolves rank 11th in offensive rating, 23rd in defensive rating, and 16th in net rating.
Starting Lineups
We should expect more of the same from the Rockets, with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center to start the game, with Eric Gordon and possibly Lou Williams, getting starter’s minutes.
The Timberwolves will be without explosive swingman Zach LaVine on Saturday, as he will be out for the season with a torn ACL. The Wolves will likely start the game with Ricky Rubio at point guard, Brandon Rush at shooting guard, Andrew Wiggins at small forward, Gorgui Dieng at power forward, and Karl Anthony-Towns at center.
Three Things to Watch
Prediction and Tip-Off
The Rockets have struggled to put away the Timberwolves like they should, but I expect that to change in a Rockets win, with the Rockets' added firepower and the Wolves coming off the first game of a back-to-back.
Tip-off will be at 8:00 P.M. Central Time in Houston on Saturday, February 25th. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
Following a blowout win over the Pelicans, the Rockets head home to face the young Timberwolves. Holding firm at 3rd in the West, the Rockets have tied their win total from last season, at 41-18. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 28.9 points, 11.3 assists, and 8.2 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 13th in defensive rating, and 3rd in net rating.
The Timberwolves are on the outside looking in, sitting at 22-35, after a win over the Mavericks, three games out of the playoffs in the West. The Wolves are led in scoring and rebounding by Karl Anthony-Towns, at 23.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, while Ricky Rubio leads them in assists at 8.4 per game. The Timberwolves rank 11th in offensive rating, 23rd in defensive rating, and 16th in net rating.
Starting Lineups
We should expect more of the same from the Rockets, with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center to start the game, with Eric Gordon and possibly Lou Williams, getting starter’s minutes.
The Timberwolves will be without explosive swingman Zach LaVine on Saturday, as he will be out for the season with a torn ACL. The Wolves will likely start the game with Ricky Rubio at point guard, Brandon Rush at shooting guard, Andrew Wiggins at small forward, Gorgui Dieng at power forward, and Karl Anthony-Towns at center.
Three Things to Watch
- Sweet Lou – The day before the deadline the Rockets traded for bench scorer Lou Williams, who made his debut Thursday with no practice or even a shoot around, and didn't disappoint. In his first game as a Rocket, Lou made a career high seven threes on his way to 27 points in only 26 minutes. Watch to see how Lou Will follows that debut performance on Saturday.
- Pace and Space vs Slow and Steady – Though both teams are top 11 offensively, they do their damage in very different ways. The Rockets are one of the faster and three-point-happy teams in the league, sitting at 4th in pace and 1st in three point attempt rate, while the Timberwolves rank just 24th in pace and 28th in three point attempt rate. Watch to see how these two styles clash and which team is able to set the tempo early.
- Third Time Around – These two teams have split the season series 1-1 so far this season. Something very interesting about the first two meetings is that both games were in Minnesota and the second half of a back-to-back for the Rockets, but now the tables have turned, as the Wolves head into Houston after just playing the night before. Watch to see if the loss and unnecessarily close victory were attributable to fatigue over anything else.
Prediction and Tip-Off
The Rockets have struggled to put away the Timberwolves like they should, but I expect that to change in a Rockets win, with the Rockets' added firepower and the Wolves coming off the first game of a back-to-back.
Tip-off will be at 8:00 P.M. Central Time in Houston on Saturday, February 25th. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
Rockets 129, Pelicans 99 - Welcome to Houston, Lou Williams!
[embed align="center"]http://gty.im/621561340[/embed]
The biggest story of the NBA Trade Deadline (and probably the biggest in the entire NBA since Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to the California Bay) is the recent trade of DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. In the first game following the All-Star Break, Rockets fans were treated to a game with a lot of intrigue. Not only were the Rockets witness to Cousins’ debut with New Orleans, but the newly acquired Lou Williams made his Rockets debut, and Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon returned to New Orleans for the first time wearing Rockets uniforms – well, aside from Gordon’s victory in the Three-Point contest last Saturday.
The Smoothie King Center was buzzing in anticipation of ‘Boogie’ Cousins’ Pelicans debut, and he responded by hitting the first basket of the game. Neither team could get much going early in the quarter, as there was clear ‘ring rust’ after the All-Star Break. Both teams had six turnovers in the quarter and the game grew pretty sloppy. However, a pair of 8-2 runs and a 10-0 run from the Rockets gave the Rockets a 25-16 lead. Amidst the last run, Lou Williams checked into the game for the first time as a Rocket and immediately drained two corner threes. Former Houston Rocket Omri Casspi scored five straight for New Orleans, which kicked off a 12-5 run that would close the quarter out and cut Houston’s lead to just two (30-28).
After Cousins opened the second quarter with a bucket, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run that saw Sam Dekker, who figures to get more playing time with Corey Brewer’s departure, hit a three-pointer and a weirdly Brewer-esque twisting transition layup.
The second period also saw Donatas Motiejunas check into the game. Fans will remember that D-Mo had a strange and rocky relationship with the Rockets earlier this season. Adding his skillset and professional attitude to the tandem of Cousins and Anthony Davis can be very beneficial in terms of depth for this Pelicans’ frontcourt.
Mike D’Antoni rolled out a lineup in the second period that figures to be a staple for the Rockets going forward – a lineup that featured Gordon, Williams, and Beverley running the offense. This lineup paid immediate dividends as Gordon and Williams ended three straight possessions with wide-open threes. New Orleans’ length defensively became an issue for the Rockets, which kept the game close, but Houston quickly bounced back once James Harden checked back into the game. Montrezl Harrell put in six quick points on tough baskets in the paint (any basket in the paint is tough Cousins and Davis are in position), and the Rockets bench actually outscored the starters with an impressive 40 points as a whole. The Rockets ended the period on a 20-6 run, going into halftime with a 66-50 lead.
Things got extremely physical early in the third quarter, specifically between Cousins and Nene. After a double foul was called for both guys trying to establish position without actually boxing out, Nene came alive with two straight baskets at the rim – including a nice jam coming off a pick-and-roll with Harden. Houston held New Orleans to just eight points in the first nine minutes of the period, building up an insurmountable 32-point lead. The Pelicans made a tiny run to cut the lead to less than 30, but Lou Williams made sure to provide a spark by hitting another wide-open corner three and assisting on a Clint Capela alley-oop. Houston outscored the Pelicans 34-17 and got to 100 points by the end of the period. The game was all but over.
This contest wasn’t really about either team’s superstars, but about debuting and returning players (albeit, DeMarcus Cousins is a superstar). ‘Boogie’ made his Pelicans’ debut to much fanfare and put up really good numbers in an overall really bad game (27 points on 60% shooting, 14 rebounds, five steals, and four blocks). On the flip side, Lou Williams was stellar in his Rockets debut, scoring 27 points on 56% shooting – including hitting seven of his eleven attempts from three. Former Pelicans Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson heard smatterings of boos all night, but weren’t fazed as they scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. Even Omri Casspi scored 12 points!
Houston has now won 41 games this season, which is the same win total as all of last season. The Rockets look to continue winning with this new-look squad when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Houston on Saturday.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Thursday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
NOW THAT’S HOW YOU MAKE AN ENTRANCE!
Despite the trade being finalized and officially announced just six hours or so before tip-off, and without a single practice or shootaround under his belt, Lou Williams shined like an absolute diamond in his Rockets debut. Hitting seven threes and creating offense for himself as well as his teammates is exactly why the Rockets gave up Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to get him. After Thursday there’s no question about his fit within D’Antoni’s offense, specifically with how he can help Eric Gordon run the second unit.
Now, the real question mark revolves around who gets to take home the ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ trophy – Gordon or Williams. Is there a “Seventh Man of the Year” award? Can they share the trophy? Either way, Daryl Morey does it again.
Welcome to Houston, Lou!
The biggest story of the NBA Trade Deadline (and probably the biggest in the entire NBA since Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to the California Bay) is the recent trade of DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. In the first game following the All-Star Break, Rockets fans were treated to a game with a lot of intrigue. Not only were the Rockets witness to Cousins’ debut with New Orleans, but the newly acquired Lou Williams made his Rockets debut, and Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon returned to New Orleans for the first time wearing Rockets uniforms – well, aside from Gordon’s victory in the Three-Point contest last Saturday.
The Smoothie King Center was buzzing in anticipation of ‘Boogie’ Cousins’ Pelicans debut, and he responded by hitting the first basket of the game. Neither team could get much going early in the quarter, as there was clear ‘ring rust’ after the All-Star Break. Both teams had six turnovers in the quarter and the game grew pretty sloppy. However, a pair of 8-2 runs and a 10-0 run from the Rockets gave the Rockets a 25-16 lead. Amidst the last run, Lou Williams checked into the game for the first time as a Rocket and immediately drained two corner threes. Former Houston Rocket Omri Casspi scored five straight for New Orleans, which kicked off a 12-5 run that would close the quarter out and cut Houston’s lead to just two (30-28).
After Cousins opened the second quarter with a bucket, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run that saw Sam Dekker, who figures to get more playing time with Corey Brewer’s departure, hit a three-pointer and a weirdly Brewer-esque twisting transition layup.
.@dekker with the nice finish. 👀
That Beard reaction on the bench... 😂 pic.twitter.com/rOKpJxCyF3
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 24, 2017
The second period also saw Donatas Motiejunas check into the game. Fans will remember that D-Mo had a strange and rocky relationship with the Rockets earlier this season. Adding his skillset and professional attitude to the tandem of Cousins and Anthony Davis can be very beneficial in terms of depth for this Pelicans’ frontcourt.
Mike D’Antoni rolled out a lineup in the second period that figures to be a staple for the Rockets going forward – a lineup that featured Gordon, Williams, and Beverley running the offense. This lineup paid immediate dividends as Gordon and Williams ended three straight possessions with wide-open threes. New Orleans’ length defensively became an issue for the Rockets, which kept the game close, but Houston quickly bounced back once James Harden checked back into the game. Montrezl Harrell put in six quick points on tough baskets in the paint (any basket in the paint is tough Cousins and Davis are in position), and the Rockets bench actually outscored the starters with an impressive 40 points as a whole. The Rockets ended the period on a 20-6 run, going into halftime with a 66-50 lead.
Things got extremely physical early in the third quarter, specifically between Cousins and Nene. After a double foul was called for both guys trying to establish position without actually boxing out, Nene came alive with two straight baskets at the rim – including a nice jam coming off a pick-and-roll with Harden. Houston held New Orleans to just eight points in the first nine minutes of the period, building up an insurmountable 32-point lead. The Pelicans made a tiny run to cut the lead to less than 30, but Lou Williams made sure to provide a spark by hitting another wide-open corner three and assisting on a Clint Capela alley-oop. Houston outscored the Pelicans 34-17 and got to 100 points by the end of the period. The game was all but over.
This contest wasn’t really about either team’s superstars, but about debuting and returning players (albeit, DeMarcus Cousins is a superstar). ‘Boogie’ made his Pelicans’ debut to much fanfare and put up really good numbers in an overall really bad game (27 points on 60% shooting, 14 rebounds, five steals, and four blocks). On the flip side, Lou Williams was stellar in his Rockets debut, scoring 27 points on 56% shooting – including hitting seven of his eleven attempts from three. Former Pelicans Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson heard smatterings of boos all night, but weren’t fazed as they scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. Even Omri Casspi scored 12 points!
Houston has now won 41 games this season, which is the same win total as all of last season. The Rockets look to continue winning with this new-look squad when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Houston on Saturday.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
Thursday’s game ball goes to Lou Williams.
NOW THAT’S HOW YOU MAKE AN ENTRANCE!
.@TeamLou23 has 6 three-pointers tonight. He's going to fit in just fine. #Rockets50 pic.twitter.com/oLevsdUYns
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 24, 2017
Despite the trade being finalized and officially announced just six hours or so before tip-off, and without a single practice or shootaround under his belt, Lou Williams shined like an absolute diamond in his Rockets debut. Hitting seven threes and creating offense for himself as well as his teammates is exactly why the Rockets gave up Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to get him. After Thursday there’s no question about his fit within D’Antoni’s offense, specifically with how he can help Eric Gordon run the second unit.
Now, the real question mark revolves around who gets to take home the ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ trophy – Gordon or Williams. Is there a “Seventh Man of the Year” award? Can they share the trophy? Either way, Daryl Morey does it again.
Welcome to Houston, Lou!
Recap: The 2017 NBA Trade Deadline
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Ah yes, the NBA Trade Deadline. Aside from July 1st in a loaded free agency class, the trade deadline is probably the most exciting day of the NBA’s calendar year. The suspense, the surprises, and the rumors of teams making phone calls take center stage just days after the All-Star Game. NBA Twitter is fully engaged and locked in to the accounts of the likes of Adrian Wojnarowski, Shams Charania, Marc Stein, Brian Windhorst, etc., hoping to be hit with huge trade announcements.
Now, the trade deadline isn’t always as exciting as Twitter rumors make it out to be. Sometimes, nothing happens that would shift the NBA landscape or, as was the case last year, stuff doesn’t materialize until after the 3 PM Eastern/2 PM Central deadline (trades can still be announced after the deadline, so long as the league is notified before). This year, the madness started with two major moves before the All-Star Break had fully settled down – and no, I’m not talking about the Mason Plumlee/ Jusuf Nurkic trade.
On February 14th, the fans of Toronto got a pretty nice Valentine’s Day gift in the form of Serge Ibaka, a guy who has undoubtedly slipped defensively compared to his role on a monstrous Thunder team a few years ago, but a guy who has improved his shooting range and will definitely help the Raptors in their quest to dethrone the Cleveland Cavaliers in the east. For a team that sees Kyle Lowry’s free agency on the horizon (he can opt out of his contract at season’s end) and is clearly in “win now” mode, giving up an inconsistent bench player like Terrence Ross and a low first-round pick is not a ton to give up for a guy with the name-value Ibaka has.
Then, on Sunday, February 19th, just hours after the All-Star game ended, the Sacramento Kings dropped a major bombshell when they agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins (and Omri Casspi) to the New Orleans Pelicans for a lackluster package of Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and two picks in this year’s draft. This move pairs Cousins with Anthony Davis and now gives the Pelicans the most formidable backcourt in the NBA. It also allows for the Kings to move on from the controversial Cousins or, perhaps more importantly, it allows for ‘Boogie’ to move on from the highly dysfunctional organization that is the Sacramento Kings. With the addition of a superstar like Boogie, expect the Pelicans to make a major push for the eighth-seed in the Western Conference (they’re only 2.5 games back).
There was a lot of chatter about Paul George and Jimmy Butler potentially being moved with the Boston Celtics and their treasure chest of assets being the likely destination, but, alas, those moves weren’t meant to be.
Here’s a recap of the moves made at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline (including those mentioned above):
Not a lot off significant moves were made at the actual trade deadline as some of the most impactful moves were made in the days leading up to it. However, there are some clear winners as far as teams improving at this year's deadline goes. First, as mentioned above, both the Pelicans and DeMarcus Cousins are huge winners following the most notable move of this deadline. Also, the Raptors, who have fallen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks, are big winners with the additions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker – two pieces that will certainly help the Raptors make a run at the Cavs.
The Houston Rockets, who will always be active at the trade deadline, were also big winners with the addition of Lou Williams – a perennial sixth man of the year candidate (and Eric Gordon’s only competition in that regard this season) and a scorer that is seemingly a perfect fit for what Mike D’Antoni wants to do with that offense. Also, trading K.J. McDaniels and Tyler Ennis away for essentially nothing (Marcelo Huertas is going to be released) gives the Rockets some extra cap space, allowing for the acquisition of players that may be bought out post-deadline (i.e. Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams).
The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the excitement for the rest of this season is just ramping up. With championship contenders looking to sign free agents to bolster roster depth and with roughly 26 games left in the season, the NBA is preparing for the last, most exciting phase of the calendar year – The Playoffs.
Ah yes, the NBA Trade Deadline. Aside from July 1st in a loaded free agency class, the trade deadline is probably the most exciting day of the NBA’s calendar year. The suspense, the surprises, and the rumors of teams making phone calls take center stage just days after the All-Star Game. NBA Twitter is fully engaged and locked in to the accounts of the likes of Adrian Wojnarowski, Shams Charania, Marc Stein, Brian Windhorst, etc., hoping to be hit with huge trade announcements.
Now, the trade deadline isn’t always as exciting as Twitter rumors make it out to be. Sometimes, nothing happens that would shift the NBA landscape or, as was the case last year, stuff doesn’t materialize until after the 3 PM Eastern/2 PM Central deadline (trades can still be announced after the deadline, so long as the league is notified before). This year, the madness started with two major moves before the All-Star Break had fully settled down – and no, I’m not talking about the Mason Plumlee/ Jusuf Nurkic trade.
On February 14th, the fans of Toronto got a pretty nice Valentine’s Day gift in the form of Serge Ibaka, a guy who has undoubtedly slipped defensively compared to his role on a monstrous Thunder team a few years ago, but a guy who has improved his shooting range and will definitely help the Raptors in their quest to dethrone the Cleveland Cavaliers in the east. For a team that sees Kyle Lowry’s free agency on the horizon (he can opt out of his contract at season’s end) and is clearly in “win now” mode, giving up an inconsistent bench player like Terrence Ross and a low first-round pick is not a ton to give up for a guy with the name-value Ibaka has.
Then, on Sunday, February 19th, just hours after the All-Star game ended, the Sacramento Kings dropped a major bombshell when they agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins (and Omri Casspi) to the New Orleans Pelicans for a lackluster package of Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and two picks in this year’s draft. This move pairs Cousins with Anthony Davis and now gives the Pelicans the most formidable backcourt in the NBA. It also allows for the Kings to move on from the controversial Cousins or, perhaps more importantly, it allows for ‘Boogie’ to move on from the highly dysfunctional organization that is the Sacramento Kings. With the addition of a superstar like Boogie, expect the Pelicans to make a major push for the eighth-seed in the Western Conference (they’re only 2.5 games back).
There was a lot of chatter about Paul George and Jimmy Butler potentially being moved with the Boston Celtics and their treasure chest of assets being the likely destination, but, alas, those moves weren’t meant to be.
Here’s a recap of the moves made at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline (including those mentioned above):
- Portland Trailblazers traded Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second-round pick, and cash considerations to the Denver Nuggets for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick
- Orlando Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 first-round pick
- Sacramento Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and 2017 first- and second-round picks
- Brooklyn Nets traded Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullogh to the Washington Wizards for Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton, and a 2017 first-round pick
- Philadelphia 76ers traded Ersan Illyasova for the Atlanta Hawks for Tiago Splitter, a protected 2017 first-round pick that has a pick-swap option
- Los Angeles Lakers traded Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and a 2017 first-round pick
- Philadelphia 76ers traded Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a 2017 first-round pick
- Houston Rockets traded KJ McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets for a heavily protected future second-round pick
- Chicago Bulls traded Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Anthony Morrow
- Milwaukee Bucks traded Roy Hibbert to the Denver Nuggets for a heavily protected second-round pick
- Houston Rockets traded Tyler Ennis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marcelo Huertas
- Atlanta Hawks traded Mike Scott to the Phoenix Suns for cash considerations
- Phoenix Suns traded P.J. Tucker to the Toronto Raptors for Jared Sullinger and 2017 and 2018 second-round picks
Not a lot off significant moves were made at the actual trade deadline as some of the most impactful moves were made in the days leading up to it. However, there are some clear winners as far as teams improving at this year's deadline goes. First, as mentioned above, both the Pelicans and DeMarcus Cousins are huge winners following the most notable move of this deadline. Also, the Raptors, who have fallen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks, are big winners with the additions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker – two pieces that will certainly help the Raptors make a run at the Cavs.
The Houston Rockets, who will always be active at the trade deadline, were also big winners with the addition of Lou Williams – a perennial sixth man of the year candidate (and Eric Gordon’s only competition in that regard this season) and a scorer that is seemingly a perfect fit for what Mike D’Antoni wants to do with that offense. Also, trading K.J. McDaniels and Tyler Ennis away for essentially nothing (Marcelo Huertas is going to be released) gives the Rockets some extra cap space, allowing for the acquisition of players that may be bought out post-deadline (i.e. Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams).
The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the excitement for the rest of this season is just ramping up. With championship contenders looking to sign free agents to bolster roster depth and with roughly 26 games left in the season, the NBA is preparing for the last, most exciting phase of the calendar year – The Playoffs.
Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans
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The Rockets are back! After a week off for the all star break the Rockets get ready to face the Pelicans to start off the last stretch of the season. The Rockets are currently 3rd in the West and 40-18 on the season. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 29.2 points, 11.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating, and 3rd in net rating.
The new look Pelicans (more on that later) come into town at 23-24, and 11th in the West, desperate to close the 2.5 game gap between they and the 8th seeded Nuggets. The Pelicans are led in scoring and rebounding by Anthony Davis, at 27.7 points and 12 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday leads them in assists at 7.5 per game. The Pelicans rank 27th in offensive rating, 8th in defensive rating, and 22nd in net rating.
Starting Lineups
The Rockets are all rested up, and barring any late deadline shakeups, will likely continue start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.
The trade deadline madness kicked off with the Pelicans snatching superstar center, DeMarcus Cousins, along with Omri Caspi, from the Kings. While Cousins' debut will be made on Thursday, Omri Caspi will be out with a calf injury. The Pelicans will start the game with Jrue Holiday at point guard, E'Twaun Moore at shooting guard, Soloman Hill at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.
Three Things to Watch
Prediction and Tip-Off
Even with the Pelicans new front court the Rockets are the better team, and have better chemistry than their shaken up opponents. I expect the Rockets to win, and match last seasons win total, at 41.
Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in New Orleans on Thursday, February 23rd. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
The Rockets are back! After a week off for the all star break the Rockets get ready to face the Pelicans to start off the last stretch of the season. The Rockets are currently 3rd in the West and 40-18 on the season. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by MVP candidate James Harden, at 29.2 points, 11.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds a game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating, and 3rd in net rating.
The new look Pelicans (more on that later) come into town at 23-24, and 11th in the West, desperate to close the 2.5 game gap between they and the 8th seeded Nuggets. The Pelicans are led in scoring and rebounding by Anthony Davis, at 27.7 points and 12 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday leads them in assists at 7.5 per game. The Pelicans rank 27th in offensive rating, 8th in defensive rating, and 22nd in net rating.
Starting Lineups
The Rockets are all rested up, and barring any late deadline shakeups, will likely continue start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.
The trade deadline madness kicked off with the Pelicans snatching superstar center, DeMarcus Cousins, along with Omri Caspi, from the Kings. While Cousins' debut will be made on Thursday, Omri Caspi will be out with a calf injury. The Pelicans will start the game with Jrue Holiday at point guard, E'Twaun Moore at shooting guard, Soloman Hill at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.
Three Things to Watch
- Goodbye Brewer – To no ones surprise, Morey pulled off a move near the deadline, shipping Brewer and a first rounder away for super sixth man, now seventh man, Lou Williams. Although Lou likely won't be able to make his Rockets debut on Thursday, we will get to see how the rotations change with Brewer gone, or any other pieces Morey moves by Thursday afternoons deadline.
- "Fire And Ice" – The Rockets are lucky enough to be the first team to get a close up look at the new super front court of Brow and Boogie, who decided to call themselves Fire and Ice (lame, I know). Watch to see how these two dominate big man mesh together in their first game, and how the Rockets try to stop that deadly combo.
- More Trade Deadline Shenanigans? – Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (if you're not following him on twitter, how dare you: @WojVerticalNBA) reported Wednesday morning that the Rockets are hoping to get another deal done before the deadline, just hours before Thursday's game. Watch to see what names come up in rumors, and if the Rockets are able to make another deal to bolster the roster as they head into the playoffs.
Prediction and Tip-Off
Even with the Pelicans new front court the Rockets are the better team, and have better chemistry than their shaken up opponents. I expect the Rockets to win, and match last seasons win total, at 41.
Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in New Orleans on Thursday, February 23rd. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
Report: Lou Williams Traded to Rockets
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Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Vertical have reported that the Rockets have acquired Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Corey Brewer and a first round pick in this year's draft.
https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/834201053692325889
Once again, Daryl Morey pulls off a big trade for the Rockets. His maneuvers have launched the Rockets to an incredible turnaround this season. The Rockets now have arguably the two frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year on the same team. Williams and Eric Gordon have scored the most points off the bench this year, respectively.
https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/834208456525672449
This trade looks to be a steal for the Rockets. Since they are going to finish with one of the best records in the league, the first-round draft pick is going to be a low pick. Because of that, it is not a big deal that they had to give up that draft pick to offload Brewer's contract.
It was becoming clear that Brewer was not going to be with the Rockets much longer. He has one of the worst +/- in the league and the Rockets always seemed to do worse when he was on the floor. With his three-point shooting being a huge liability this season, the fit for him on the team just wasn’t there.
Williams is currently averaging 18.6 PPG this season while shooting 38.5% from three. Offensively, he is almost a perfect with the Rockets. While with the Lakers, Williams did a lot of his work in isolation and having to create his own shots. With the Rockets, he’ll have a lot more open shots and will allow for Harden to get more rest on the bench.
This is a trade that will give the Rockets even more perimeter shooting. The bench has become stronger and will be able to provide more rest for the starters. It is clear that the Rockets are all in on a deep playoff run this season with championship aspirations.
Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Vertical have reported that the Rockets have acquired Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Corey Brewer and a first round pick in this year's draft.
https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/834201053692325889
Once again, Daryl Morey pulls off a big trade for the Rockets. His maneuvers have launched the Rockets to an incredible turnaround this season. The Rockets now have arguably the two frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year on the same team. Williams and Eric Gordon have scored the most points off the bench this year, respectively.
https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/834208456525672449
This trade looks to be a steal for the Rockets. Since they are going to finish with one of the best records in the league, the first-round draft pick is going to be a low pick. Because of that, it is not a big deal that they had to give up that draft pick to offload Brewer's contract.
It was becoming clear that Brewer was not going to be with the Rockets much longer. He has one of the worst +/- in the league and the Rockets always seemed to do worse when he was on the floor. With his three-point shooting being a huge liability this season, the fit for him on the team just wasn’t there.
Williams is currently averaging 18.6 PPG this season while shooting 38.5% from three. Offensively, he is almost a perfect with the Rockets. While with the Lakers, Williams did a lot of his work in isolation and having to create his own shots. With the Rockets, he’ll have a lot more open shots and will allow for Harden to get more rest on the bench.
This is a trade that will give the Rockets even more perimeter shooting. The bench has become stronger and will be able to provide more rest for the starters. It is clear that the Rockets are all in on a deep playoff run this season with championship aspirations.
Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
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After a wild win over the Boston Celtics, the Rockets sit at 14-7, looking to get revenge on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets are led in both scoring and assists by James Harden (28.7 points and 11.6 assists per game), and in rebounding by Clint Capela, who pulls in 8.4 rebounds a game. The Rockets now rank third in offensive rating, 26th in defensive rating, and 7th in net rating.
The Lakers surprised many to start the season, going 7-5 in their first twelve games, but have since started to regress to where everyone thought they would be, going 3-8 in their last 11. The Lakers, who are now 10-13, are led in scoring by Lou Williams (18.4 points per game), in assists by D'Angelo Russell (4.8 assists per game), and in rebounds by Julius Randle (8.8 assists per game). The Lakers rank 15th in offensive rating, 28th in defensive rating, and 26th in net rating.
Starting Lineups
After a brief scare, with Eric Gordon twisting his ankle at the end of the game against Boston, the Rockets appear to still be healthy. The Rockets are likely to continue to start with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.
The Lakers have been hit with the injury bug early this season, with starters D'Angelo Russell (knee) and Nick Young (calf) expected to miss Wednesday's game. In their last game, the Lakers went with a strange starting lineup of Brandon Ingram, Metta World Peace, Luol Deng, Julius Randle, and Timofey Mozgov, outside of Mozgov at center and Randle at power forward, I have no idea who is playing what in that lineup. The Lakers didn't play this strange lineup too much however, with Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson playing 38 and 34 minutes in the last game, respectively.
Three Things to Watch
Prediction and Tip-Off
I don't think we will see a repeat of the first game of the year. The Rockets are playing great basketball and the Lakers are beat up and on a bit of a backslide. I predict a big Rockets win to move up to 15-7 on the season.
Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time at in Houston on Wednesday, December 7th. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
After a wild win over the Boston Celtics, the Rockets sit at 14-7, looking to get revenge on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets are led in both scoring and assists by James Harden (28.7 points and 11.6 assists per game), and in rebounding by Clint Capela, who pulls in 8.4 rebounds a game. The Rockets now rank third in offensive rating, 26th in defensive rating, and 7th in net rating.
The Lakers surprised many to start the season, going 7-5 in their first twelve games, but have since started to regress to where everyone thought they would be, going 3-8 in their last 11. The Lakers, who are now 10-13, are led in scoring by Lou Williams (18.4 points per game), in assists by D'Angelo Russell (4.8 assists per game), and in rebounds by Julius Randle (8.8 assists per game). The Lakers rank 15th in offensive rating, 28th in defensive rating, and 26th in net rating.
Starting Lineups
After a brief scare, with Eric Gordon twisting his ankle at the end of the game against Boston, the Rockets appear to still be healthy. The Rockets are likely to continue to start with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.
The Lakers have been hit with the injury bug early this season, with starters D'Angelo Russell (knee) and Nick Young (calf) expected to miss Wednesday's game. In their last game, the Lakers went with a strange starting lineup of Brandon Ingram, Metta World Peace, Luol Deng, Julius Randle, and Timofey Mozgov, outside of Mozgov at center and Randle at power forward, I have no idea who is playing what in that lineup. The Lakers didn't play this strange lineup too much however, with Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson playing 38 and 34 minutes in the last game, respectively.
Three Things to Watch
- All the points – This game features a top three offense, and two of the bottom 5 defenses in the NBA, so much like the first game, it could be a shootout. Watch to see if the Rockets are able to take advantage of the Lakers' poor defense, while not giving it right back on the other end.
- Revenge. – After filling fans full of excitement, the Rockets tripped coming out of the gates, dropping their first game to these very Lakers. Watch to see if the Rockets are able to get their revenge and finish the night with a win.
- Rockets on a streak – The Rockets are now 8-2 over their last ten games, and are on pace to win about 54 games. Watch to see if the Rockets can keep their great play going and continue to win at a pace that few thought they could going into the season.
Prediction and Tip-Off
I don't think we will see a repeat of the first game of the year. The Rockets are playing great basketball and the Lakers are beat up and on a bit of a backslide. I predict a big Rockets win to move up to 15-7 on the season.
Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time at in Houston on Wednesday, December 7th. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.
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