Guitarsoup, Yankees, Cokehead, Simplebay?

Have any fans of other teams watched any rockets games since the break?

I ask because I am seeing a COMPLETELY different team and I want to see if its ust my red glasses.

Here is what I see..

1. Kyle Lowry is playing like a top 10 PG.

Kyle played 33 mpg before the break averaging 12 pts, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers. Since the break he is averaging between 15-20 ppg, 8 assists, and 2 turnovers. He is almost perfect on fast break opportunities and he is rebounding well for a PG.

2. Chase Buddinger is playing like a starter.

Since Chase has become a starter he has gone from 7 ppg to near 15 ppg. While you can attribute that to increased minutes, his shooting % is up and he has provided an efficient athletic option at SF that Battier never could.

3. We score more, and team defense is improved.

While our defense isn't good, you can tell that every player is putting in more effort on the defensive end when they used to just take plays off and rely on Battier.

4. Backup PG has become a hell of a lot more efficient. Brooks had become a turnover waiting to happen, and he didn't score at the clip we expected. Dragic is not turning the ball over much, and other than picking up too many cheap fouls, he has really anchored the second unit.

5. Courtney Lee is playing like a starter in his 6th man role.

He has had the same increased production that Buddinger has. He is 6th in the league in 3pt% for the season, and giving him twice the minutes has meant twice the points. Between Lee and Bud, we have gained more points than Battier could have ever scored or defended against. I think this is the biggest reason we are playing better.

6. Patrick Patterson is a player.

Anytime somebody steps up to minimize Jordan Hill's minutes, it is a good thing. Hill has become a garbage time player thanks to Patterson. He is an athletic freak who can rebound well and run the floor. His athleticism has been huge for us.

7. Chuck Hayes is playing like one of the best defensive centers in the league.

He limited Blake Griffin, Lamarcus Aldridge, and just about every other player he has faced to below their season average. He had Aldridge so frustrated that he couldn't even make a free throw. Add his improved offensive game and you have a guy that used to be a liability playing like an asset.


Now I know we haven't played the hardest schedule. But our only loss since the break is to the incredibly long and athletic Clippers whose length we just couldn't contain for a full game coming off a back-to-back. We have beaten New Orleans and Portland though. And we are finally blowing out the teams that we were losing to earlier this season. This team is playing like a playoff team and if the dont make it, you can attribute it to the multiple head scratching losses we had prior to February.

I'm a Rockets homer, but if I take off the red-tinted glasses for a moment this is what I usually see.

Lowry, Martin, and Scola are the only 3 players that would be a starter for a contending team. I love Chuck Hayes, but you said it best, he's a great defender and that's about it. His offensive game is improving for sure, but he's best suited as a backup center who can provide defensive stops. I like Buddinger a lot too, and he seems to be improving, but let's be honest, he's only a starter because Battier is gone. I truly hope Bud, Lee, Patterson, Dragic, Thabeet, and TWill continue to develop because they will be instrumental in bringing an upgrade down the line. Or, best case scenario, one of them elevates their game enough to make us into a contender.

[This message has been edited by coop87 (edited 3/8/2011 12:16p).]

i just feel bad for the rockets. they shouldve been amazing. with tmac, yao, and the aaron brooks lazy express....can't really fault morey.

i thought carl landry brought a lot to the table, shouldnt have traded him.

chuck hayes is underrated. he could matchup against perkins if they played OKC

big game tonight for them

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Guitarsoup, Yankees, Cokehead, Simplebay?

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Yankees is a Rockets fan I believe.

He outplayed Nash last night.

OP referring to Chuck Hayes:

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Add his improved offensive game. . .

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Last night it was horrendous.

[This message has been edited by ElCheAg (edited 3/9/2011 3:17p).]

His game this year has been way better though. Last night he was having to do more than usual because Luis Scola was out.

Yes because one game a whole season makes.

I am not calling Lowry all world or anything but I will say this and I don' think it is very debatable; since the all star break Lowry has seriously outplayed. D Williams, C Paul and Nash. He is he main reason the Rockets have played better. He single handily kept them in the game last night.

The guy is balling.

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since the all star break Lowry has seriously outplayed. D Williams, C Paul and Nash.

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Lowery: 17ppg, 6.7apg
Williams: 15.8ppg, 15.2apg

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Lowery: 17ppg, 6.7apg
Williams: 15.8ppg, 15.2apg

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And??? Dwill is the focus for the nets....rockets are something like 7-2 since the All Star break..



[This message has been edited by XIaggie (edited 3/10/2011 10:14a).]

[This message has been edited by XIaggie (edited 3/10/2011 10:16a).]

They suck.

Im talking head to head soup. He out played those three when going head to head.

i am a rockets fan

The Rockets are scrubs in the top-heavy West.

Comparable to Nebraska in the Big 12 the last few years. Pesky, but scrubs nonetheless.

I was at the game last night to see my Spurs in action...

The rockets current make-up is scrappy...they play hard, but they only have one consistent star: KMart...

To be honest, they reminded me of the Ags in their NIT season under BCG...

I'm a Rockets fan, but here is my best try at an objective take:

1. Lowry is an average point guard overall, but if he can continue to improve his 3 pointer he could become pretty solid. Dragic is a somewhat decent backup, but nothing special for sure. GRADE: B-

2. Martin is a great scorer and shooter (great at using screens without the ball), but he doesn't play good D or make teammates better. I really think Courtney Lee is a great role player on a good team. GRADE: B+

3. Bud is a good athlete that can hit threes but also can't play D - these types are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The rest of the 3's are trash. GRADE: D

4. Scola can score and rebound and it is amaze to watch him work as a go to guy with such little athleticism. But he is just not food enough of an athlete to play defense and protect the paint. Patterson has some upside, although he is a little undersized. I see him getting better than Landry was, but not an all-star. GRADE: B

5. Hayes can guard great low post players one on one, but he can't protect the paint like a 6'-9" center, much less a 7 footer. He has improved his offense from worst in the league to terrible. Jordan Hill has some talent, but he's a career backup that could develop into a serviceable starter. Thabeet is a project. GRADE: C-

Basically, the Rockets are an average team - below average talent but good role players that fit. Martin and Scola are good scorers, but they don't guard opponents well. Look at the list of 2's and 4's that are better around the league.

The biggest problem is very few of these players are young, so they are kind of stuck in this borderline lottery/ first round exit type of team that won't get a good draft pick.

I would blow it up - trade Martin and Scola (maybe Lee or Bud) to get young talent and draft picks. Hopefully you can get a young star to go along with Patterson and Lowry.

Lowery could be a starting PG on a championship team. Limit mistakes, play good D, hit the occasional three, get the ball into the hands of the guys that can do more with it. Good role player.

Martin would be best as a 2nd or 3rd option. He sucks at D, so you need to pair him with a good defensive PG and a great defensive SF. He is good at drawing fouls, but he gets super frustrated when he pump fakes, jumps into it defender initiating contact and doesn't get the call. He *****es incessantly. If you are getting reffed by a Dan Crawford that lets the guys play, he is going to be fairly worthless. That also goes for the playoffs. The refs call him out on initiating contact all the time, and he may get these calls in December, but he will never get them in June. He'd be a terrible guy to rely on in crunch time.

Buddinger is a dime a dozen. Should have capitalized on his supreme whiteness and traded him for Deron Williams.

Scola is a great blue-collar guy... does the little things. His defense is average. He will get you buckets without running plays for him. You need to combine him with a very good center.

Hayes should play no more than 15 minutes on a good team. His defense is nice, his hustle is great but pretty much everything else is a liability.

Rockets have good role players. But they need a star. Not sure how they can convince one how great it is to live in Sugarland.

meen,

How often do you watch the Rockets? Not trying to be mean, just curious.

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1. Lowry is an average point guard overall, but if he can continue to improve his 3 pointer he could become pretty solid. Dragic is a somewhat decent backup, but nothing special for sure. GRADE: B-
You realize that Lowry already has improved his 3-point shooting dramatically right? For the 5 years preceding this year he was around a 27% shooter and this year he has been a 37% shooter.

2. Martin is a great scorer and shooter (great at using screens without the ball), but he doesn't play good D or make teammates better. I really think Courtney Lee is a great role player on a good team. GRADE: B+
Do the Rockets ask Martin to carry a heavy load on defense? No. I actually don't think he's that bad on defense unless someone is posting him up. He gets his hands on a lot of balls and denies penetration well.

3. Bud is a good athlete that can hit threes but also can't play D - these types are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The rest of the 3's are trash. GRADE: D
Budinger is definitely not a D. He's been leading the charge for the team since he's been put in the starting lineup. He's been a dangerous scorer, moves the ball well, makes impact plays, and has been adequate on defense. Our defense has actually gotten BETTER as a team since Budinger replaced Battier in the starting lineup.

4. Scola can score and rebound and it is amaze to watch him work as a go to guy with such little athleticism. But he is just not food enough of an athlete to play defense and protect the paint. Patterson has some upside, although he is a little undersized. I see him getting better than Landry was, but not an all-star. GRADE: B

5. Hayes can guard great low post players one on one, but he can't protect the paint like a 6'-9" center, much less a 7 footer. He has improved his offense from worst in the league to terrible. Jordan Hill has some talent, but he's a career backup that could develop into a serviceable starter. Thabeet is a project. GRADE: C-
You still think Hayes is terrible on offense? He has been shooting 54% this year and is probably one of the best passers on the team. It also is worth mentioning that he gest 3.4 offensive rebounds per game, which adds extra possessions and he's been a good finisher at the rim. I'm not saying he's good at offense, but he's been more than adequate.

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Daryl Morey recently pointed out that our starting lineup was actually one of the top 5 in the league, but it was our bench that has been holding us back this year. It's true -- our bench has not been living up to expectations. Aaron Brooks was terrible during his time here and Goran Dragic has not been much better. Jordan Hill dissappears and has a ton of mental breakdowns. Brad Miller is a good passer, but he's still a huge liability if he's not knocking down open shots which he hasn't been. The only two guys you get regular/consistent contributions out of are Courtney Lee and Patrick Patterson and now Patterson is even in the starting lineup for an injured Scola. Add that to the fact that there's still not a player on this team that can defend the paint (wish Thabeet could grow up fast) and that's the biggest problem with this team. One of the reasons that we've been performing better lately is because Adelman has started playing the starters more minutes.