Just got back from the game. We had seats right behind the Jazz bench. Best seats I've ever had. Heard some very colorful language. Ostertag is a hot head. Security was thick. Had a good time. ~ Kountzer ~
hopefully this game gives Dwes the confidence he needs to not suck in the regular season..if he can consistently hit an open shot..we will be in good shape
Wesley has been a good shooter his whole career. If we can get Bowen to make wide open shots, then we would be in awesome shape. Nobody in the NBA has a larger ratio of wide open shots/shot attempts
I know this will disappoint many of you, but isn't it obvious that JH will be the starter with Yao, with Swift and Deke coming off the bench? I assume Skip and Wesley will be the other two starters (along with T-Mac of course). DA and Barry will be there to step in quickly for Wesley if he isn't effective. Luther's role will be reduced significantly when the games count. Baxter & Bowen will fill out the 12 man active roster while Moochie and Glover participate in practice. Since JVG isn't very comfortable with Luther at backup PG, we got the "experiment" with T-Mac starting at PG with DA & Wesley on the floor. Even though we should win the first 3 games, I think we will start the season slowly because the next 8/10 games are on the road and this team isn't anywhere near clicking.
Rafer Alston is playing like crap right now. I love the passes into Yao. But it seems he is overpassing out on the perimeter all game. Maybe he is just trying to please JVG by not looking for his own shot too much. But in these games he is not looking for it at all. There are possessions where the set play has broken down and he as the point guard with the ball in his hands needs to make something happen as the clock is dwindling down. Time and time again he just swings the ball along the perimeter like it's a hot potato, which results in essentially a dead possession for us. I mean the previous game he was setting up Dikembe for 16ft jumpshots. Rafer needs to attack the paint when necessary just like Brooklyn taught him.
It's gonna take time for both Skip and Stromile to find their place and role in the offense. For whatever reason, it seems JVG is hard to adjust to, just ask T-Mac and JH. But once players figure it out, it's all good. When we have the rough start again this year, don't jump off the ship. This squad is very talented and when we start clicking, it will be sweet. But I think it could be painful until the end of November.
No pro team in Houston has ever been comparable to the Rockets, which is the only successful pro team this city has ever had. It's funny how Texas is a football and baseball state and yet the only pro teams in it worth anything are b-ball teams (Spurs, Rockets, Mavs). Anyways, I went to the game tonight and it was nice. Swift was, once again, rather impressive (the kid is not only athletic, but he actually has nice foot-work and good instincts on both ends of the court; I think he can still be an all-star caliber player if a team was built around him and he was actually coached, i.e. taught the game). DW seemed to finally make a few shots more consistently. Alston is impressing me more and more with his decision-making and lack of turnovers (how many TOs does he have in the ENTIRE preseason?). DA has a really nice looking shot, what a bargain this guy is if he stays healthy. Howard is still lost out there as far as his shot is concerned, he was missing a few wide open 15 footers that he made a living off last season, but I chalk it up to him still getting back in game-shape after such a long time without any serious physical activity). Yao has certainly made strides as far as his inside positioning is concerned (he gets position earlier, holds his position longer, and seems more aggressive going to the basket, including going up for hard dunks, and not settling for layups any more, which is good to see -- it speaks loudly about his determination to play tougher and be more assertive). So just my take... P.S.: The starting lineup will probably be as follows -- Alston, DW, T-Mac, JHo, and Yao. EDIT: I heard about the parking situation, but I don't understand what people were complaining about! You could've parked right across from the Tundra parking garage for $10, or inside the Tundra itself for $15 (and there were PLENTY of places to park inside the garage). So no, there wasn't much price-gouging around the TC tonight, at least not from what I saw.
How were the Mavs comparable to the Astros this year or the Dallas Cowboys Franchise? (ugh.... that's one comparison I'd hate to make.)
Yeah, don't forget how Cowboys dominated the early 90's (and damn good in the 70's too). That, America's team, was what made Texas a football state.
Rockets vs Jazz preseason game highlight clip seeed and enjoy KNWS looked worse than normal tonight, so I apologize in advance for the quality being below my standards.
I HATE KNWS, anyways the Rockets as a team really looked solid tonight. BTW thank you R2K, I love your highlight clips
Jeez. Yao is like a friggin' MONSTER out there. Gone is the boy who seemed lost on the court, not knowing where to stand, when to shoot.... his experience is really starting to show. How many more days until the regular season? 6? It's gonna be great!
