Anyone else shocked at how good Ariza has gotten?

There was WAY too much placed on his shoulders. I could see that. Felt bad he was a target. He is what he is, just a great fit for us. I am super excited about watching him SHUT down other SF's etc. he will do it.

Go Rockets ! Morey Wins Again ! Yah yah, time !

 

Exactly. Parsons made Batum look like LeBron in the playoffs. We saw what Batum can do when you actually play defense on him, like the Spurs did...Parsons was as soft as Charmin Tissue defensively.

 

Ariza and Battier are totally different kinds of player. The only similarity is that they are both so-called 3&D players. But they do it in very different ways.

 

Ariza's game kinda reminds me of Horry's during our championship years. While not flashy, very efficient.

 

Horry seemed to have a ton of flash. High riser!

 

True, he had some monster dunks, as Ariza will... Man, I"m so pumped about having him on our team.

 

I'm still shocked that Ariza has become a knockdown three point shooter. Every time he made a three I was surprised.

 

Ariza still has some of the same deficiencies in his game that he had in 2009. Still doesn't dribble very well. Doesn't make shots or passes off the dribble all that well, either.

However, he has become much better at not trying to do what he sucks at and just focus on his strengths.

 

Athreeza last night, courtesy of Clutch:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aKLvGBSWa78" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

I always liked his game. Even when he first came here I accused others of scapegoating him.

Now that he's in this natural role I feel like he will really thrive.

 

I'm more surprised that he's not just a catch and shoot guy. Just stat watching last year I knew he had gotten a more consistent stroke but he dropped a couple those coming off curls, jab stepping Kobe and catching full speed off the break. He fits in so well with our offense.

Once again, Morey seems to have made the right long term move even if we (I) hated the decision at the time. Watching Parsons go 2-10 last night and bricking a possible game winner helped too.

 

Hope people don't get too pumped after just one game.

I really like his game, but he'll have tough nights too. They all do.

 

And when he has tough nights he can force other players to have tough nights.

 

Thank you Morey!

 

There was a moment in the game that clicked for me.

That moment when Kobe was bringing the ball down the court and ARIZA was on him.....and knowing that the Rockets NOW have THAT GUY...THAT GUY that can guard other team's top wing players.

Felt reassuring and satisfying.

As much as losing Parsons hurts, the reality was he was the big elephant in the room, a player that just couldn't mesh with Harden in terms of defending twos and threes. We have the right mesh now.

Ariza will frustrate us at times and isn't perfect, but has the look of someone that will be a good pairing for Harden.

 

Kobe was so bad defensively. Yikes.

Ariza's jab steps were killing him.

 

Not shocked but positively surprised

 

Parsons subtraction won't hurt this team.

I think the offense when Harden or Howard is out will be a bit more stagnant, but McHale can fix that by mixing in Terry when one of the two come out.

I am really impressed with Terry's decision making in the PNR.

 

His jumper is wet, nice to have a knock-down quick release shooter like him out there with Harden/Howard.

 

Gout is easily controlled with medication, I haven't had a flareup in years.