Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Rockets vs Lakers Game #17 Pregame Thread

Can the Rockets keep their home win streak going? Can JLin keep up his stellar play that we've seen in the last four games? It's gonna be tough one as the Lakers and Kobe come in extra motivated after getting their butts kicked at home by the Magic.


  1. I hope Lin can keep up scoring in double figure. Even though it's nice and all to create and get the best of teammates, a PG can't be a totally non scoring threat in modern day game. At least 10 points please Jeremy.

    1. I think he will because he seems more confidence in his game now. Plus Lakers didn't play very well under MDA system. I believe Rockets have the chance will win this game tonight.

  2. Replies
    1. Damn, as great as D12 is his FT are awful. Maybe it is mental or something.

    2. He is awful in FT. Hope he keeps playing like that today.

  3. I hope Lin can pull this one off.

  4. Both teams are terrible defensively. The Rockets are 2nd in the league in most points allowed. There improved offense as of late also made them bad defensively. The Lakers have too many advantages when it comes to their lineups.

    Expect this game to be a high scoring game. Asik better use his fouls rather than let Dwight make him look like a scrub. Moreover, Parsons did a poor job on Kobe last time they met. Lin needs to avoid overhelping that leads to so many open threes. he also needs to attack the poor pnr defense by the Lakers.

    This game is not an automatic loss due to the Lakers' struggles and lack of chemistry.

    Don't expect the dunks and layups they had in the Jazz game. They have Howard to protect the rim. What the Rockets can do is to make their threes. The Lakers will surely give the Rockets a ton of open perimeter jumpers. They also need to run the break more.

    This game will be decided by who can score more?

    This isn't going to be about defense.

    my prediction:

    Lakers by 10, Both teams score at least 100 points.

    1. I expect 14 and 10 from Lin in this game.

    2. "Terrible defense?"

      Rockets are #2 in the NBA in pace, #21 in defensive efficiency.

      That paints the picture of an up tempo team that is likely OK at worst on defense.

      Considering the quality oppnents that the Rockets have played early in the season, the Rockets defense looks just fine teamwise. They're still vulnerable to high scoring small forwards, though.

      I as Rockets coach wouldn't hesitate to play Jeremy Lin against some of those high scoring small forwards like Lebron James or Nicholas Batum or Kevin Durant, at least in short stints.

    3. Haha .. as dangerous as it sounds, KHuang is right.

      Lin had actually defended against LeBron with some success. Remember when he got a block or a steal against King James, probably because LeBron was so surprised he didn't know what to do against Lin :)

      Durant will be too long for Lin and will just shoot over him.

    4. #21 in defensive efficiency is bad. They are in the bottom ten.

      They allowed Bryant to have a triple-double, they made Foye look like a superstar, they have an atrocious transition defense, and a lot more deficiencies on the defensive end.

      So, they are indeed a terrible defensive team.

    5. Durant is like 6-11. He's not even going to see Lin when he shoots the basketball.

      Lebron will just bulldoze Lin.

      Maybe Batum, he's not really on Durant's or Lebron's level.

    6. Don't worry neph, the 0.500 Rockets are no threat to your Spurs.

      You and the Spurs have nothing to fear from the Rockets on defense or offense.

      Feel better, bubby?

    7. Of course the non-playoff team like the Rockets will not stand any chance against a championship caliber team like the Spurs.

      My point was that the Rockets need to improve their pathetic defense if they want to go to the playoffs.

      Why in the world will I be worried about the Rockets who have been a failure as an organization after the Hakeem era?

      I want Lin to experience some playoff games. It will be beneficial for his development.

    8. "The Rockets are 2nd in the league in most points allowed."

      Please do not ever quote raw points allowed (or points for, for that matter) ever again if you want to be taken seriously. It's often hard for me to tell if you want to be taken seriously. You make self-important pronouncements in every thread, very critical judgmental ones, but you seem to have only a passing acquaintance with what's important in basketball. It's why I always start to think you're a troll. If you know as little about basketball as you seem, why do you post so often and with such confidence? And if you DO understand basketball, why on earth do you bring up utterly irrelevant stats like the Rockets ranking in "points allowed"?

      For those who are new to basketball, "points allowed" is irrelevant due to something called "pace". Pace is how "fast" a team plays. You have 24 seconds to take a shot on each possession, but you are not required to do so. Some teams, like the Rockets, take way under 24 seconds per shot. In fact, the Rockets have the #1 pace in the NBA, which means that they take a lot more shots over the course of the game than other teams. However, in basketball, you trade possessions. Therefore, when you take a lot of possessions, the other team also gets a lot of possessions. That means the other team scores a lot of points. At this point, it should be clear, then, that how many points you allow in a game is meaningless without knowing your pace. The correct stat to look for is "defensive efficiency".

      If you do not like me calling you a troll, keep in mind that you're a big fan of "tough love" criticism. So I'm giving you some tough love. I'm "calling it as I see it" as some of you in the hyper critical "tough love" community like to say. Maybe if you get some direct criticism you can learn to be a better fan. Or maybe you don't want to be a better fan. Maybe you're just a troll. If I ever see you quote raw "points allowed" or "points scored" again, I'll know it's the latter.

    9. Ok fine, you want a better evidence.

      Rockets opponents:

      FG% = 45.5% Pretty high
      3pt% = 38.9%

      Defensive efficiency: #21 in the league

      Also, if you watch them, then you will see how many baskets they give up on fastbreak situations.

      I was merely stating the obvious so I just used a simplified stat. Anyone who watches the Rockets know that they are pretty bad defensively.

    10. #21. Doesn't sounds nearly as bad as last in the NBA, now, does it? See, that's the difference between trolling and telling it like it is.

      So, the Rockets are bottom 3rd of the league in defense, right now. And top quarter of the league in offense! Yay! That's actually really not so bad at all for a team that was predicted to finish 10 games under .500. When you put those two together, that's actually a little above average, and this is the youngest team in the NBA, and they even seem to be improving! Yay, for telling it like it is!

      Here's some more "telling it like it is", rather than trolling:

      Houston Rockets 11th in Wages of Wins Power Rankings. Expected wins: 46. :o Wow, Houston must really suck! Only 46 wins from the youngest team in the league, based on current play?

      Let's see what they had to say:

      "Houston is very intriguing given their youth. This is looking to very possibly be a very good team for a very long time."


      Uh oh, that doesn't sound very much like the @neph narrative. Weird that neutral observers with PH.D. stats skills would be Houston homers, no? Or maybe, just maybe, some folks on here don't know what they're talking about. Shocking, I know.

    11. 46 is too much.

      The defense hasn't adjusted to the likes of Patterson and Parsons.

      And Yes Houston does Sucks! especially their fans :)

    12. Well neph, you now have a big Rockets sized TARGET painted on your butt.

      This is a Lin forum, which means that Lin fans will support the Rockets. Consequently, you've declared open season on yourself since you hate all Rockets fans.

      Trolls like you routinely get embarrassed here, as you've been so many times.

    13. Michael Terry, you're KILLING this neph troll with stats again!

      I learned from you. For once, I actually looked up the stats to corroborate what anybody could see with an unbiased eye test. Houston is doing just fine defensively and they're WINNING.

      The anti Lin anti Rockets trolls like neph hate stats because stats expose their fatally flawed thinking. STATS RULE!!!

    14. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be embarrassed. I'm here to support Lin ALONE. Screw his teammates.

      And I still have the Spurs so I'll still get the last laugh :)

    15. Oh yeah.

      Lin did JUST FINE against Lebron and Durant. Lin did better than just about any other single defender in the NBA does, actually.

      Trolls like neph lie about Lin's supposedly bad defense, but the GAMES always prove the anti Lin trolls WRONG.

    16. According to the Stats, the Rockets are still in the bottom 10 in defense.

      Not sure, what is good about that.

    17. Don't lie about supporting Lin, neph.

      When you first came on this site to flame Lin, you said that "racism had nothing to do with Lin being overlooked and benched".

      Over time, you've exposed yourself as an anti Lin fan.

  5. The Lakers won't be able to keep up in the track meet.

  6. Lin needs to go watch and study how Jameer Nelson broke down the Lakers D down the stretch in the recent Magic game.

    Nelson is actually a pretty good PG and veteran leader when healthy and someone Lin can model his game after.

  7. Off topic:

    Did someone call JLin Yao Ming when he was shooting fts here or what? 10:40


  8. them rocket's need to finish at the rim when they get a shuhow assist. I can't tell you how many times they don't finish at the rim or get fouled and our boy doesn't get the assist. 2Pat is legit. we better not trade him for soft scrubs like beasley or even flow killers like gasol. shuhow is the truth, the way. too much is being made about his offense, his shooting mechanics, is defense, his turnovers. if we all look at the bigger picture, you have a group of hardcourt warriors that aren't afraid of any challenge. They come out as a TEAM and give it their all each night. They walk away practically each night with balanced scoring, nothing to be ashamed of. Now the pieces are melding and they're producing. they just need to stay healthy and get asik a face mask and give machado and Dmo some of those backup minutes. They got huge talent and depth on that bench...use it, baby!

    1. You do realize that Patterson is also soft. He has been hitting his OPEN shots due to the trapping done by the opposing teams. I think he and Parsons will regress to the mean.

      Too early to tell that Patterson is legitimate. He just got hot at the right time.

      machado and Dmo are not ready for significant minutes.

    2. patterson is a beast. straight up and down like 6 o'clock. you can keep saying otherwise, but he's scoring from all over the court and so far nobody's been able to stop him. NOBODY. and you don't post numbers in the dleague like DMo did without talent. I'm not suggesting they play like 20 minutes a game or nothing like that. but i do think they deserve like 5 straight minutes a game to show the coach what they can do as a second unit. Patterson is gonna have another big game tonight. Shuhow to 2Pat all day all NIGHT!

    3. You're too high on Patterson. He's able to score due to the defense of the opposing teams. No one is guarding him because they want to trap the guards. Same as Parsons.

      Before this 3 straight 20+ point games from patterson, he was basically a scrub who cannot rebound. So, don't treat Patterson like he is some beast. When the defense adjusts, expect the likes of Parsons and Patterson to be exposed to what they are. Role Players.

      Dmo and Machado are another defensive liabilities. Also, who will they replace in the rotations. Douglas is terrible but Machado will be worse due to his non-existent defense.

      The defense of the Lakers is pretty inconsistent so I'm not sure if Patterson will be guarded at all or not.

      Nobody is able to stop Patterson because they are forcing the ball through him instead of the guards. That is why they are trapping the pnr. They choose their poison.

    4. Law of Averages will catch up on Parsons and Patterson. Sometimes you're hot and sometimes you're not. Before these 3 previous games, you wouldn't say he's a beast.

    5. Patterson and Parsons are getting HOTTER.

      With the Rockets coaches sending those two out to the 3 point line, Lin has been able to pass to them out of traps for uncontested perimeter jump shots. Essentially both those players are reprising Steve Novak's role with Lin being the primary Linstigator.

      Teams are now hesitating on doubling Lin due to Parsons and Patterson firing those uncontested shots. That puts single coverage on Lin, and he's shredded defenses for his improving numbers.

      The only way to stop Patterson and Parsons is to crowd them on the perimeter and make them pit the ball on the floor. Of course, that means more single coverage of Lin and more Linbarrassing of defenses.

    6. i think we need to recognize that shuhow instills belief in his teammates. they see a chinaman ballin in the NBA and breakin fools down and it's inspiring. so what if they're "role players". call me whatever you want if you're getting me the ball where i want it and i can drop 20 on the other team. shuhow's "role" as a facilitating poing guard is a huge part of this rocket's team transcending expectations. He did this last year while running with what was basically the knicks' second unit on a huge run, and this year, the rocket's are going to continue to fight for that respect and recognition they deserve as among the top teams in the NBA.
      Also, i think it's great that shuhow always goes right and harden always goes left. that's what i call BALANCE!

    7. As i see it Parsons and Patterson are doing great job. In my iper optimistic thoughts they wouldn't play like that. And... Patterson is improving on defence. I've seen couple of blocks against utah's big.men too. Offensively Patterson is fantastic: he hits long jumpers, 3s if he learns some post moves he'll be all star :D

      if i'm morey i'd be very cautious to trade someone and much more in bringing the right fit. Maybe the only thing that still concerns me is when Asik is off there isn't a good replacement. So i'd bring a pf/c not too expansive ...

    8. Patterson and Parsons are both 2nd year players, meaning they are still improving and still a ways away from their ceilings.

      There's no reason to believe they will regress to their rookie year numbers.


  9. Pau Gasol will not play in this game.

    Still not an automatic win for the Rockets but at least Patterson won't have to be exposed in the paint.

    On the other hand, Jamison is a better fit in Dantoni's system due to his 3pt shooting. So, Lakers will still put up big numbers.

    Lakers by 15

    1. Even if Houston lose, it won't be double digits. No Gasol, no Nash/Blake, their bench threat is only Jamison. The Lakers' bench is among the worst in the league with 23.4 points per game.

      The blowout game in LA was a back-to-back game after the tough Portland loss so they'll come out fired this game to avenge the loss. I expect Asik will do a better job blocking Howard and Lin not to repeat the mistakes of overhelping on team defense leaving open 3PTs.

      If Houston can get their transition game going along with 3PT shooting, they will win by 5.

      Houston wins 113-108. Lin has 15pts, 8asts, 4rebs, 2stls.

    2. Heh. The trolliness is strong with this one. Houston's lost one game by >= 15 all year, and that was to OKC, the defending Western Conference Champions, on the road. But now they're going to lose to a team with a losing record, at home, by 15? Your trolling is going to have to start being a teensy bit more subtle if you want it to continue to be effective.

    3. Asik cannot guard Howard. Too quick for the slow-footed Asik. Parsons is also overrated when it comes to his defense. He actually regressed this season compared to last season. Kobe had his way against Parsons. Too many mismatches.

      The Rockets also have a bad bench or should I say inconsistent bench.

    4. @Michael Terry

      You do realize that they were blown out by the Lakers in their previous meeting. The game got closer in GARBAGE time. So it wasn't competitive already.

      Your Rockets fanboynism also needs to be more subtle if you want me to treat you more seriously.

    5. You have to factor in that Jamison is a better fit than Gasol. Their offense will be more fluid. Expect the Lakers to be extremely motivated due to the loss against the Magic.

    6. I agree with Michael Terry about neph's anti Rockets trolling.

      Coaching tweaks and sheer familiarity are winning games for the Rockets.

      neph's anti Rockets anti Lin anti Lin fan diatribes are 100% trolling. He HATES US ALL!!!

    7. Not all, I only like Lin. But the rest , probably!

      They are winning for now.

    8. @neph, the problem is you only looked at the negatives from the last HOU-LA game without considering the contributing factors (back-to-back game, worse team chemistry with Harden's iso-ball, noone stopped both Howard and Gasol).

      How can you still conclude Houston will lose even worse by 15 tonight when Gasol is not playing (so HOU can double-team Howard more with Asik and/or Greg Smith/Morris)?

      And by your own words, HOU "only" lost by 11 points in the last game because of garbage time.

      Now you conclude HOU will lose by 15 at home:
      - w/o Gasol playing and
      - so far the worst they lost at home is 10 (in OT against Portland)
      - the worst they lost is 11 on the road against Lakers and Jazz

      Houston can definitely lose tonight against the short-handed Lakers but by 15? Come on, where do you get that number? Even if that happens with Lakers shooting lights out, there are no facts supporting it.

    9. Houston has been practicing defense yesterday so I expect they will throw double-team with Asik and Morris/TJones/GSmith so Howard won't get the ball comfortably too deep in the post within 5-8ft.

      They will follow Orlando's plan to use the C and PFs to foul Howard and hoping for under 45%FT again.

      Houston should also prevent Jamison and Jodie Meeks to get wide-open 3 pointers. Let Kobe get his 35-40pts and contain Howard plus the 3PT shooters, I think that's Houston's best chance.

    10. Why you called Michael Terry rocket fanboynism when you are a spur fanboynism? Don't know how u should called ur self a Lin fan if all u see is negative on the rockets. Just support without too much of ur whining about rockets this b that. I can't understand how u called others whining when you are the one who actually put up the negative things. Maybe u just a spur fan only n only.

    11. If i'd be the lakers i'd be so worried right now. Houston is playing great and would gladly have the revenge in the game where Asik was blooding Lin was hit hard... And la is not playing good at all. It'llbe interesting... Hope rockets can win with Lin playin solid game

    12. Neph has the right to his opinion that Rockets might lose by 15. I don't see that as trolling at all. If that happens, I for one will not be surprised. Lakers can play super or so-so against anyone. For example, if Dwight shotts 80% FTs, that alone will count for 5 or 6 more points. Also, Rockets' success with 3 points shooting may not continue. Lakers will probably be motivated for sure.

    13. Having said this, my prediction is Lakers by 8 and 20 points/8 assists by Lin.

    14. Lakers were favored by -2 yesterday, now that Rockets are favored by -1 with news Gasol is out. This will NOT be a blowout by the Lakers. Vegas knows. It's more likely to be a close game decided in the final minute.

    15. Sure, Asik loses against D12 in a heads up, but Asik will be good enough so Howard doesn't go off with 50 points. Along with his usual contributions on help D and rebounding.

      Rox have lots of bodies to throw fouls at him too.

      I don't think the Lakers will be able to keep up with the young Rox flying up and down the court. Let's hope the Rox try to push and expose these old guys.

    16. D12 struggled against Demarcus Cousins of all players. The dude is inconsistent and you never know if he'll drop 28 and 18 or 7 and 9. I think Asik will do fine against him.

    17. Hate to say it but I think the Lakers are actually better off without a struggling Gasol, the similar way that the Knicks are better without Amare. The roles are more defined without 2 post players clogging the lane for them. It could open up more minutes for fresher players like Jordan Hill as well.

  10. Perhaps teams should try a hack-a-Dwight strategy to expose his poor FT shooting like 10-12 years ago with Shaq.

  11. http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2012/11/30/20121129-sasha-mchale-essay.nba/index.html

    A touching tribute to Sasha McHale.

  12. Rox by 5, JLin will get 15 & 10. See you all during and after the game.

  13. The Lakers are indeed much better than their current record showed. They lost some close games due to "Hack a Howard" but as Shaq has showed, this wouldn't work long. I read somewhere that their point differential is actually something like 3rd in the league and there are a lot of advanced metrics showing that they have the makings of an elite team. And this was with Steve Nash hardly playing yet!

    Nep, don't sleep on the Lakers. They will get it together sooner than later. I like the Spurs in regular season but you gonna have doubt about them in playoffs with Duncan starting to show his age. In fact, I still believe the Lakers are primed for more playoffs success than the Spurs this year.

  14. Steve Blake is out for several weeks, joining Steve Nash.

    Could this be an opening for a trade of Jlin to the Lakers?

    Picture this: JLin joins an underachieving team with championship aspirations struggling to stay above .500 with Mike D'Antoni as a coach and a revolving door at point guard.

    That's not just the scenario last year with the Knicks. It could be the scenario this year with the Lakers!

    Lin should view this game as an audition for LA! I kid....

    1. If we want Lin to become Kobe's punching bag, replacing Gasol and his previous PGs, then yes, a trade to the Lakers could work lol.

  15. Rockets by 6. It will be a close game. Lin will have 6/6 in the first half and finish with 16/9. Delfino will hit the crucial shot.

  16. I envision lin having a big game on both ends because of his advantage over the young laker PGs. Look for him to exploit and take more shots (hopefully hit some of those midrange shots)

    Houston by 5.
    Lin with 22pts - 7asts - 3rebs - 4stls

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