What I was trying to say is that the Rockets win/lose doesn't depend on Brooks. From NBA.com, at home, Brooks's FG% is .373 averaging 9.7 FGA & 3.6 FGM & 10.3 PPG; at road, Brooks's FG% is .434 while averaging 9.8 FGA, 4.3 FGM & 12 PPG. Brooks higher FG% at road was probably the results of opponents defense on Yao at their homecourts which left Brooks more open.
I can agree with that. I definately think it was the D on Yao that left Brooks a bit more open. It was just an interesting observation that he shoots much better on the road. But you did imply a correlation between Brooks scoring more and the Rockets losing. Strange thing is its usually the role players that do worse away from home and play well at home with the crowd up for them. Brooks is a bit different though.
figured this is the place. Brooks at home in Rockets’ series with Blazers By ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writer Apr 20, 6:19 pm EDT PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—The warm applause that greeted former Oregon star Aaron Brooks at the Rose Garden in the first game of the playoff series between the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers won’t likely be repeated. The second-year guard had 27 points, seven assists and four rebounds in Houston’s 108-81 series-opening victory on Saturday night. “I hope I didn’t lose any friends out there,” Brooks said. While Yao Ming and Ron Artest were loudly booed during player introductions for Game 1, Brooks—who grew up in the Seattle area—got a welcome. The speedy 6-footer earned a starting role when Houston sent Rafer Alston to the Magic in a three-team deal on Feb. 19, which also brought Kyle Lowry to the Rockets from Memphis and Brian Cook from Orlando. Brooks averaged 13 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 35 starts during the regular season for the Rockets. Overall, he averaged 11.2 points, two rebounds and three assists. He is remembered by Oregon fans for leading the Ducks to the regional final of the 2007 NCAA tournament, where he had 27 points in a loss to Florida. In his senior season, he was the Pac-10’s leading scorer with an average of 17.7 points. Houston took him with the 26th overall pick in the 2007 draft. Now he’s known for outwitting the Blazers in their first playoff game since 2003. Brooks and Lowry were key to the Rockets’ game plan to spread out the court against Portland. “We get stagnant sometimes offensively—the more we can flatten the defense out, the more we can get those guys the ball in their hands, the better off we are,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said. “When Aaron shoots it like he did, they are in trouble. They’ll make adjustments, but we want to continue to keep attacking.” Brooks wasn’t the only trouble for the Blazers in the opener. Yao scored 24 points, all in the first half, and had nine rebounds for Houston. The 7-foot-6 Chinese center was a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor and 6-for-6 at the foul line. The Blazers tried single coverage on Yao, with Joel Przybilla playing behind the seven-time All-Star. Obviously that didn’t work. Coach Nate McMillan said the Blazers were going to make adjustments, and suggested at practice that he may even try using both Przybilla and Greg Oden, both 7-footers, at the same time against the Rockets. “They are going to come out, if possible, even more aggressive to get Game 2, to try to finish this thing up going back to Houston,” McMillan said. “It’s an important game that we need to get on Tuesday.” Houston fell to the fifth seed in the Western Conference after losing the regular-season finale to Dallas. The Rockets have not made it out of the first round of the playoffs in six tries since 1997. Portland, the youngest team in the postseason, clinched the West’s fourth seed and home-court advantage for this round with a victory over Denver in the season’s final game. The Blazers went 34-7 at the Rose Garden during the regular season. The loss Saturday snapped a six-game winning streak at home. Roy led Portland with 21 points. The only other Blazers player in double figures was Oden, who had 15 as a reserve in the Blazers’ worst loss this season. Brooks hit five of eight 3-point attempts against the Blazers, tying his career best. His total points were three off his career-high. He doesn’t expect the Blazers will give him as many chances in Game 2. “You hear about stealing a game on their court, so that’s good, but honestly, they still have Game 7 here if it goes there, so they will have the advantage,” he said. “We have a big game on Tuesday. I think the pressure is on them now because we just have to go out there and play free and play smart.” http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...lug=ap-rockets-trailblazers&prov=ap&type=lgns
Brooks simply is not good enough because if he was good enough to score 50 points on 75% shooting in 24 minutes, we'd win those damn road games even with crap road performance of Yao, Scola, TMAC, Artest, Rafer....
You haven't been watching the celtics then, Rondo is easily the best player for them the first two games against the bulls. Right now Rondo is better than Brooks in every aspect of the game except shooting the 3 ball, its really not that close.
Rondo's played really well, but who knows where he would be if it weren't for the rest of the Celtics team being so good? Playing with those guys really helped him realize his potential. I see a lot of potential in Brooks, too. Not that he'll definitely turn into a great player, but he's got the right tools and needs to be developed properly. Also whoever said "what you see is what you get"; I disagree. I can't remember where I read this, but the third year is usually the year where a player breaks out if they're going to. Look at guys like Devin Harris -- once he was put into the right kind of role he started to excel. I think Adelman understands how to coach a young player along. Some other people have also said "this is basically his rookie season...." It's not really. He was practicing with the team last year. He was on the road with the team last year. He was learning things. This is not his rookie season, it's his sophomore season, and I think he's show sufficient improvement so far. So, the OP....I'm not really sure what you mean by the question. I don't think he will ever put up a stat line like Rondo did last night, if that's how you measure the quality of a player. I think he could turn into a top-tier scorer if he works at it and is given the opportunity. Game 1 gave a glimpse of the kind of player he can be if the conditions are right for it.
I can't believe you asked this question lol. Aaron Brooks is already better than Rondo. I'm sorry but as someone who watches everyone in the NBA Rondo is just plain OVERRATED!!!!! He is surrounded by 3 very high skilled players. Put him on any other team and lets see what he does.
Brooks is very fast and he can shoot, but his low Basketball IQ and defensive liability really neutralize his strengths... IMO, at best, Brooks could become a 70% Basketball IQ Tony Parker, with a 40% shooting outside of the arc shooting and Earl Boykin defense...
I can't answer your question. All I know is The time when AB become Rondo comes , Rockets may have to find a new starting centre
The only way AB becomes as good as Rondo is to let a donkey kick Rondo's head to lower Rondo's B-Ball IQ.
Aaron Brooks, he is your colloquial fool's gold: 27 points in a blowout, hitting 3s one after another after you literally throw the game away. Some fools will buy into that. But he is not your point guard for success. I mean, even Barea helps Mavs to win one game - dominated by Parker as bas as he was.
