[East Valley Tribune] Battier out Friday with foot injury http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/113580 Shane Battier will not play for the Houston Rockets tonight when they host the Suns in a key Western Conference game for playoff seeding. Battier has been ruled out after he injured his left foot and ankle during the second half of Houston's 103-80 win over Seattle on Wednesday. The Rockets will have all-star Tracy McGrady back after he missed Wedcnesday's game with a sore left shoulder that has bothered him for more than a week. Houston currently holds the No. 3 seed in the West with a 53-25 record, but would fall behind the fifth-seeded Suns (53-26) with a loss tonight.
First game missed as a Rocket. The way he plays all out for 35+ minutes every night, that's shocking. Luther Head better have his offensive game together tonight.
Could be a good thing since the Suns don't have anyone that requires Battier to defend. I want to see more Head, Novak.
Automatic loss.... It's going to be a bad night for us. I don't think we have enough firepower to match... Hopefully i'm wrong...
do we ever get to play phoenix on a regular schedule with all our players? it's either somebody's hurt or we play them on the second half of a back to back.
True, I was thinking about that. Who would he have matched up with? Bell? Hill? I would like him out there against someone like Barbosa, but we can make up for his absence with offense from Head and Novak.
It always seems like we play all the top contenders on a back to back. It never fails. I hardly ever see us play some weak teams on a back to back.
Irnonically Battier matches up the worst with the Suns.....they have smaller speed guys on the perimeter in Barbossa, Bell and Nash....so the Rockets can rest Battier and play Luther and Brooks more...... DD
Not that the team won't miss Battier, but it's not like the Suns have a great wing scorer that needs to be stopped. Unless he was going to spend time fronting Stoudamire, his replacement is more than capable of guarding Grant Hill (jumpshooter), Raja Bell (jumpshooter) or Boris Diaw (offensive spazz).
Yeah but having Battier's rebounding and outside shooting is going to key. You can't replace a Battier regardless in my opinion.
Exactly the same thing I was saying earlier today. I think we can only hope the Suns start posting up Raja Bell or Grant Hill instead of Amare/Shaq This might be one of those big surprise games where no one gives us a chance and Mario Elie comes through with a dagger shot to ice it Is there anyway we can get McGrady on an IV before the tip off?!?
You forgot to mention Boris Diaw. Brooks is a "maybe" but I don't see Luther Head affecting this game at all. He always struggles against taller athletes that close out quicker on the perimeter. (See: Jazz, Utah - 2007 playoffs). If I were lookng for an X-Factor in a high-octane game, Mike Harris would be my choice.
Diaw is a perimeter player and non agressive, he can be taken out of the game with smaller quicker players.... Too passive. Mike Harris is a good bet though.....and he is an aggressive player.....nice call. DD
id like to see the starting 5 tonight be: hayes scola tmac head rafer w/ landry and harris the first ones off the bench. will deke be starting because they have the big cactus?
