please lock if posted already.. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6651337.html South America wins For forward Luis Scola, the news Brazil landed the 2016 Olympics brought mixed feelings. He was happy the Olympics will be in South America but had hoped for Buenos Aires to have landed the Games in previous years. Either way, he said, his international playing career will be over by then. “I will be long retired by then,” said Scola, who is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. “It will be a great event for the whole South America, but especially for Brazil. We, Buenos Aires, were close a couple years ago. We couldn't get it. It was about time somebody from South America organized the Olympics. I think it's going to grow the Olympics. I think it's a great thing for Brazil. They're growing as a country. They're growing as a sport country, too.” Dueling point guards Coach Rick Adelman has been changing lineups but has usually kept Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola and Trevor Ariza together. After three days in which point guards Brooks and Kyle Lowry had shared the backcourt, Adelman has had them matched up against one another. “I think it's really helpful for them,” Adelman said. “Kyle, in the first three days, was playing with Aaron, and he wasn't initiating the offense. We put him on the other team so he would do that.” Brooks was just happy with the variety. “Everybody is different,” Brooks said. “Today, I got speed with Lowry, I had physical with Will (Conroy), and tall with Garrett (Temple). I get to go against everybody.” On the floor Saturday was the last day when NBA rules permitted the Rockets to hold two-a-day practices. The Rockets won’t notice the change. They held two-a-days only once, and not since Tuesday, opting for one 3½-hour practice each afternoon. “I’ve tried it both ways,” coach Rick Adelman said. “We did it the first day just to cover some things. I thought about going two-a-days because we have so many young people, but we don’t have that many people either. You go in the morning, you’re not supposed to do any five-on-five in the morning. They limit what you can do. I just think you get just as much out of one practice. I’ve done it now for years, maybe throw one or two two-a-days in there. Back in the old days, when you used to be able to do whatever you want at either practice, I would find you would have three or four of your main guys sitting out the morning practice, waiting for the evening. “If we go 3½ hours, I find we get everything we want in. They stay with it just as long. You can scrimmage halfway through and scrimmage at the end. I find you get just as much done with one practice, and the other thing it does, guys basically have almost 24 hours to recover for the next practice. I just find it works better.” One-on-one Carl Landry has not begun his third season and has played in just 111 career games. That is enough for him to feel like one of the veterans on the roster. “It’s my third year,” Landry, 26, said. “Sometimes I look up and look around, and everybody’s younger than me. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I feel old. I feel like a vet.’” More than feel like a veteran, Landry said he has had to act like one. “My role has changed a little bit,” Landry said. “I have to lead a little bit more, by example sometimes or even if it’s pulling a youngster to the side and saying, ‘Look, focus on this,’ or (talking about) playing defense that way or coming off a screen that way.” Free throws Forward Shane Battier, out since the first day of camp with a pulled hamstring, traveled with the team to McAllen but was not sure if he would be cleared to practice Thursday in McAllen or play Friday in Orlando... The highlights of the “open practice” were a Pops Mensah-Bonsu windmill dunk and a Kyle Lowry pass to himself off the backboard for a slam. … Guard Garrett Temple won the annual rookie dance competition, beating center David Andersen, who advanced to the finals largely so fans could see him try to dance a second time. By the numbers The Rockets’ heaviest player is 6-8 Joey Dorsey at 279 pounds.
Coach Rick Adelman has been changing lineups but has usually kept Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola and Trevor Ariza together. Hmm. This is informative.
It was pretty obvious that Brooks would be starting.... But it should be even more clear to the people that wanted Lowry to start as well, now. DD
Perhaps, but Brooks will be starting regardless of the matchups, his offensive abilities and shot making are desperatly needed on this team. DD
Well if T-mac isn't ready yet and Battier has a tweaked hammy I don't see a reason why they both can't start. The way I see it the Rox really should take Conroy or Temple with that last roster spot, Brooks and Lowry are the only ones who can man the 1 spot right now, if one of them get injured we have no one else to play pg.
Yup. I'm a bit worried about the distribution of ball after Tmac returns. You know both Brooks and Tmac needs the ball on their hands to be efficient.
adelman has said before that the starting lineup may change from game to game this year, depending on match up. i would assume that brooks, scola, and ariza are in any starting lineup... probably shane too. the change might be going from andersen (a more traditional lineup) to lowry (a small ball lineup).
Lowry may start, but he's not starting over Brooks. Brooks is a bigger threat even with less touches, before Lowry learns how to shoot.
Scola, Ariza, and Brooks are the guaranteed starters. I think Hayes will start ahead of Andersen... Just like Hayes started before Scola was "ready" to be in the starting 5. Brooks and Lowry might start together but that is obviously dependent on the starting 2 of the other team.
Every player in the NBA can dunk.. I would put money on that. You don't get to the NBA without being an elite athlete.
