The Return of Vakeaton Quamar Wafer

Don't let the nay sayers tell you otherwise (red as it gets, cough, cough) but Von Wafer's triumphant return to Houston is good for the Rockets. Let me tell you a little secret about my co-blogger, he bet me $100 dollars that the Rockets would win less than 41 games this year. You might think to yourself, "Ok, lots of people doubted the Rockets before the season and this bet was perfectly acceptable;" however, he made this bet a little over a week ago! When the Rockets had already gotten off to a torrid start. Although he would say otherwise, he is secretly rooting against these Rockets. The real reason he is pissed about the Wafer signing is the fact that it clearly improves the Rockets.

Von Wafer is the athletic 2 guard the Rockets have been lacking. We hoped Jermaine Taylor could fill that role, but so far he hasn't worked out (although he did play well tonight). T-Mac is no longer the super athlete he once was, and Battier, Ariza, Budinger, and he are all small forwards at heart. Lowry has been gutsy filling in at shooting guard for stretches this season, but he provides nowhere near the possibilities of Wafer. The real casualty in this signing isn't Tracy (as others would have you believe), but Budinger. Chase has been a pleasant surprise to everyone but the biggest Arizona fans, but he is only the 4th best small forward on the roster. He has some skills, but he is not integral to the Rockets success. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy to death, but Wafer gives us a better chance to win. I would be skeptical, but Daryl Morrey has never made a mistake in his entire life so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Also, who doesn't want a good Von-hawk?

Von's Back, Tell A Friend

Tonight is a night of returns for your Houston Rockets. Not only is (The Great) Steve Novak back in town, we just learned today that the Rockets will resign Von Wafer. So yeah, that's cool. Not like he yelled at our head coach and was sent to the locker room during the playoffs or anything. Oh wait. It's okay, at least we get to add another raw talent with oodles (yeah, I used oodles) of potential but a penchant for careless mistakes, since, you know, Brooks and Ariza weren't enough. Never mind, even comparing him to Brooks and Ariza is an insult to our two leading scorers. Wafer's stupidity on the basketball floor is untouchable.

Don't get me wrong, I love Von, but I really don't like adding a headcase to a team that's worked so well mainly because we haven't had a headcase. He's a phenomenal player and if he ever straightens out the league better be careful, but right now I really don't think we need him.

Plus, this move effectively marginalizes Tracy Mcgrady, meaning that we're most likely leaning towards trading him. Jermaine O'neal, here we come. I had hoped that we'd give T-Mac a shot in the time Budinger was out, but clearly it looks like we have other plans.

Now don't get me wrong, this move could turn out to be an ingenious one, and it wouldn't surprise me if Morey's plan to resign Wafer all along was let him leave to Greece, struggle with his new team and return here for cheaper than ever before, but, as dumb as it sounds to say this about a player who really only made a difference for a few months, I'd gotten over Von. I was excited to see what he would do this year with Mcgrady out for extended time, but after he decided that he'd rather go overseas I'd figured that we were done with him.

In any case, my opinion is, at the end of the day, utterly worthless. I can bitch and moan all I want about the signing, but Wafer is still going to be suiting up for us and getting burn while Mcgrady sits on the bench and watches. So yeah, yay for Von Wafer. I knew he'd be back all along. He's got so much talent, I can't wait to see how he does when he's finally given the opportunity. It's not that he has attitude issues, it's just that he hasn't received proper direction. No, no, he doesn't make stupid mistakes, he's just over-eager. And look, he's so happy he's "about to start crying."

Fuck it. I'm unhappy we signed him and that's that. Hopefully he'll at least have the courtesy to bring the Von-hawk back. Game's going on right now against the Clippers, here's Billy's preview.

The Return of Novak

Tonight, the Rockets take on the Los Angeles Clippers. This is yet another opportunity for us to measure our team this year. How will we respond after a couple of big wins? How will we handle our 5th game in 8 days? Can we keep from looking ahead to the Orlando game tomorrow? The Clippers are a mediocre team. They are no longer the laughing stock of the West and have a pretty talented roster including Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, and Chris Kaman. Personally, I have a special place in my heart for B-Diddy because of his performance in the 2007 playoffs for the Warriors. If you remember, he led Golden State to a huge upset over the hated, #1 seeded Mavericks. And he had this sick dunk on Kirlenko in the next round.



However, the most intriguing story line in tonight's game is the triumphant return of Steve Novak to the Toyota Center. I was at the game last year vs. the Clips and was treated to a show by Novak and Von Wafer. In the 4th quarter (we were up 20 or so points), Novak and Wafer decided to play an impromptu game of horse. Novak followed each of Von's swishes with perfect shots of his own. We were mesmerized by the performance and waved our Welcome Back Novak signs with pride. I can't make it to tonight's game, but I will be watching Novak closely on TV. He's averaging a respectable 1.5 points per game and is a frequent topic of discussion for ESPN's Bill Simmons.

Tonight is also our best chance to watch the single worst coach in the NBA, Mike Dunleavy. Instead of wasting my time writing about this idiot, just go read anything Simmons has written about him.

And now I leave you with our memories of the Great Steve Novak

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Recap

"Lord knows you try and I'm glad to have you on our team, but please, for everyone's sake, could you just tone it down a little? Ariza's effective field goal percentage this season is a little under 45 percent. For perspective reasons, that's right above Larry Hughes." - Me calling out Trevor Ariza on his shooting struggles

So, uh, this is awkward. In the two games after I criticized Ariza's shot selection he's gone 16 of 30, good for about 53 percent, capped off by his 31 point explosion tonight on just 20 shots. The way I see it, there are only two rational explanations for this phenomena. One, Ariza reads my articles and values my opinion so greatly that he altered his game according to what I suggested to him. The other is that he found the ball in Space Jam that the Mon-stars used to steal the abilities of NBA players and took Kevin Durant's shooting stroke. Personally, I think it's the latter. His two best games this season have come against the Cavaliers and the Thunder. Who plays on the Cavs and Thunder? None other than two of the best scorers in the NBA, Lebron James and the aforementioned Durant. I think we're onto something here. Sorry for outing you, Trevor.

But in all seriousness, Ariza has been sensational as of late, especially tonight. He took over for the Rockets in the first half when nobody else could by a bucket, scoring 23 points in the 23 minutes that he played. He picked his spots, had a couple of impressive moves and finishes in the lane and was quick with his release on his threes, leading to a 5-8 night from beyond the arc. My only complaint is his 4-10 shooting from the free throw line, coming on the heels of a 3-5 night against the Mavericks. I understand that players have cold streaks from the line, but when the game is hanging in the balance, missing five straight free throws in unacceptable. All in all though, a spectacular effort from Ariza that made the difference between a narrow win and an ugly loss.

A few more random notes on the game before we get to the actual recapping. Firstly, I was in attendance tonight. I broke out the six-year old, throwback Steve Francis jersey and my "Luis Scola the Argentine Machine" sign to trek up to the nosebleeds. I also caught a shirt. Not really sure what the point of mentioning that was, I just thought somebody should know. But yeah, overall it was a very fun game, the Toyota Center crowd was a little underwhelming in size but definitely made up for it in noise when it mattered late in the game.

Secondly, what is wrong with the Thunder's offense? They look extremely stagnant on the offensive side of the ball and their sets are essentially just isolations for Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green or James Harden. Once in a while they bring Durant off screens for jumpers or let him go one-on-one, but it really seems like there's no flow, rhyme or reason to what they're trying to do. I realize this is just one game, but there's no way a team this talented should be 21st in the league in offensive efficiency. Scott Brooks has done a tremendous job with this outfit and turned them into one of the best defensive teams in the league, but please, let's see a little creativity on offensive, shall we? I'm sure the offense will improve as the team grows together and becomes more consistent, but I'd just like to see a little more movement on offense, if that's not too much to ask.

In any case, here's what I liked and disliked about tonight's game in no particular order.

The Good

-Like I mentioned before, Trevor Ariza was amazing tonight. He didn't force anything, worked hard in the post for position and went strong to the basket, hit open threes and also contributed 8 boards and 6 assists to go with his usual 2 steals and block.

-The Chuckwagon was at his best tonight, pouring in 14 points to go with his 15 rebounds. He also had a few nifty moves in the lane, including a jump hook and a no-look layup that he flipped behind his head a la Steve Nash. Yeah, I just compared Chuck Hayes' offensive game to Steve Nash. I'm sorry, Stevie, you know I love you. More than you could ever imagine, in fact. But Chuck Hayes' layup was truly a thing of beauty.

-James Harden. I know usually Rockets players are supposed to go here, but Harden was the one Thunder player who genuinely entertained me tonight. He threw down a monstrous slam on three Rocket defenders and skied for a huge rejection on the next play. The kid's got a bright, bright future ahead of him.

-Our defense on Kevin Durant was also wonderful to watch tonight. Battier was once again Battier, fighting all night, shading Durant and making life difficult in general for the budding superstar. We held Durant to 13 points on 18 shots, not an easy feat for any team.

The Bad

-Aaron Brooks was a no-show tonight, going 2 of 15 from the field en route to 5 points and 4 assists. Yeah, he's young, and yeah, he's a bit of a streaky player. I know, I know, Russell Westbrook is an excellent defender and did a hell of a job guarding Brooks, but for a team with as little room for error as us, we need Brooks to either be scoring or dishing well to win most games.

-The injury bug seems to have stricken (or is it struck?) us again. A day after Landry bit the dust (yeah, you see what I did there), Budinger went down with an apparent ankle/foot injury in the first half. If either player misses significant time that's a big blow to our bench, which has been one of our greatest strengths all season.

-The free throw shooting was also depressing, as we went 11-21 from the line. I don't see anything worrying here, it's just something to note. In a game as close as this one, every point counts, and missing free ones and the line can be disastrous. Brooks missed a key free throw late in the game and Ariza went absolutely cold from the line for a stretch in the fourth, but I'm confident this was more of an anomaly than anything else.

-We couldn't close out the Thunder in the third, which frightens me just a little. We had our collective foot on their throats late in the third quarter and were up 17, only to let them cut the defecit to single digits by the end of the period and get within one in the fourth. This didn't really come back to hurt us tonight, but against better offensive teams? You bet it will. We either need to tighten up on the defensive end or find and effective way to score when everyone goes cold, a recurring problem this season.

The Ugly

-I never, ever thought I would say this, but the ugly tonight was Kevin Durant. Not only did he miss 12 of his 18 shot attempts, he looked sluggish on offense and spent most of the game standing in the corner waiting for the ball. I don't know if this is a product of the offensive system or just an off night (I'm thinking it's the latter), but he has to understand that he can't just disappear or his team simply won't be able to win games. Also, there might be some fans out there who wanted him to somehow score 50 in a valiant but losing effort so they could see a Rockets win and a great performance from him, and he let me down. I mean them. He let them down.

Overall it was a great effort from the Rockets today and a win that could come in handy later in the season if we find ourselves battling with the Thunder for a playoff spot. Also, I didn't get to mention Jeff Green anywhere above, so I'd just to note that he scored 21 on 16 shots on an array of drives, post up moves and jumpers, looking very comfortable the whole time. A good night for Green, it's too bad he had little help. We're now 16-11 and staying at home for the next few days before meeting the Clippers on Tuesday, a potential trap game as we're playing the Magic the very next night. But as for now, sleep well tonight, Houston, your team's a winner. And, as always, go Rockets.

Houston Rockets @ Dallas Mavericks Game Preview

So, here we are again. Round III of Rockets-Mavs, also known by many as Jason Terry's Third Favorite Day of the Year. In case you were wondering, the first two were the first two times the Mavericks play us. No, not Christmas. Not Thanksgiving. Not Halloween. I know, I know, Jason Terry must be some sort of horrible, sinister man. And guess what? His fourth favorite day of the year? It's the fourth time he plays the Rockets. Yeah, that's right. Out of the Big Three of winter holidays, only one of them makes Terry's list of favorite days of the year. And if you're thoroughly confused by my feeble attempts at a segue/introduction to an article, I'll stop by saying that the joke is that Terry lights up the Rockets. And I mean really, really, lights up the Rockets. I could probably make a joke here about him lighting us up so badly we look like firecrackers, or something of that ilk, but I'll save you the anger and myself the embarrassment by moving on.

The first two games of this series have been blowouts, with the Mavericks beating the Rockets by a combined 49 points. In two games. That's a lot of points. For all you fans of advanced stats, and pardon me if I'm wrong, I'm not exactly a mathematician, that's an average of 24.5 points a game. So what can everyone's favorite overachievers do to stop the bleeding? I'm glad you asked, me from ten seconds ago. In fact, I'm so glad, I think I'll tell you.

We should start by putting Chuck Hayes/Carl Landry on Dirk Nowitzki. I know, I know, the idea that this guy is one of the most feared players in the league maddens me, but the sad truth is that the best way to stop the Mavericks is to slow down Dirk. The way the rosters line up, Scola would be the one guarding Dirk. As great of a defender as Scola is, I like the idea of putting the smaller, quicker Hayes and the more athletic Landry on Dirk. We saw in 2007 that smaller, more athletic players give Dirk troubles, and while the idea of banking on a strategy two years old when so many players have changed, grown or regressed is ludicrous, it's not like people have found any other way to defend Dirk successfully. Plus, what we've been doing against the Mavericks clearly hasn't been working, so there's no harm in switching things up a little, no?

Well, yes, there kind of is. Switching how we guard Dirk is going to be rendered useless if we can't stop Jason Terry. In two games against us, Terry's scored 51 points and missed two shots. He has an effective field goal percentage of 108.3 against us. I don't know if that's so depressing that it's funny yet, but it's still pretty damn depressing. Yes, I know, talented players get hot and there's little you can do to stop them when they do. And yes, Jason Terry is one of the deadliest players in the league when he's stroking the ball, but really? Put a damn hand in his face. Push him around a little. I don't care if Trevor Ariza doesn't take a damn shot (that might actually be a positive on both ends of the floor, but I'll get to that in a minute) he needs to be all over Terry. Yeah, Terry might still get his 25, but I'd rather have it be a hard earned 25 than 25 off of open midrange jumpers and threes.

Remember when I mentioned Ariza up there? Well depending on your reading profiency it may or may not have been a minute, but I'm addressing Ariza now anyways. Before I say anything, Trevor, I want you to know that I love you. I really do. Lord knows you try and I'm glad to have you on our team, but please, for everyone's sake, could you just tone it down a little? Ariza's effective field goal percentage this season is a little under 45 percent. For perspective reasons, that's right above Larry Hughes. Yes, this Larry Hughes. Ariza's futility is only made even more egregious when you realize that he takes nearly 7 threes a game.

"So wait," I bet you're asking me right now. "Ariza's shooting percentage when calculated using a metric that is supposed to favor three point shooters still says he can't shoot?" "Yes," I bet I would answer, "that's exactly right." What does this tell us about Ariza? He needs to take the damn ball to the basket more often. He's starting to look more comfortable driving than he was earlier in the year and he's also began to finish with authority rather than trying to finesse the ball into the hoop like he was at the season's beginning. I'm fine with him taking wide open, spot up threes, but that means three a game at most, no more of these 1-8 nights from range like he put up against Denver two days ago. Ariza has all the tools to be a sensational player, he just needs to use the talents he has and play his game. Please, Trevor, no more channeling your inner Rafer Alston. Drive hard to the basket, finish strong, take your open shots, play tough defense and start turning into the guy we all hoped you'd become.

So where are our points going to come from? Enter, Aaron Brooks. Brooks has been lethal recently, averaging 21 points a game in December while getting into the lane almost at will. Brooks is quietly turning into the player everyone hoped he'd be at the beginning of the season, penetrating into the lane to create shots for himself and others, stopping on a dime for his Calvin Murphy-esque pull-up jumper and dishing the ball better than I'd dare hoped for him to before the season began. He'll need to be extra-dominant tonight, as Jason Kidd will be guarding him and, if you hadn't really heard, Jason Kidd can't stay in front of anyone anymore.

And while the Mavericks have the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Jason Terry, we have a sub of our own who's not too shabby himself. Carl Landry has been phenomenal this season, and we'll need him to be at his best tonight against the Mavericks. We've struggled to score agains the Mavericks this season, averaging a little over 101 points per 100 possessions against them, which would put us at 9th worst in the league. Landry's going to need to shoulder some of the scoring burden, which hasn't been a problem for him thus far.

Next, threes are the key to our success. In two games against the Mavericks this season we've shot a combined 11 for 43 from beyond the arc, good for about 26 percent. When you take the third most threes in the NBA like we do, you need to hit them to beat good teams like the Mavericks. Like they say, if you live by the three then you'll die by the three, and against the Mavericks the three has been, well, it's been murdering the shit out of us.

And it's not just our threes. The Mavericks have been knocking them down from deep against us, going 16 of 27 from behind the arc in the two games we've played, good for 55 percent. If we can defend the three a little better while hitting them at our usual clip, we should be in a much better position to win tonight than we have been the past two times we've matched up against the Mavericks.

Finally, I think we've just been a little unlucky against the Mavericks this season. Jason Terry is great, but not going 17 of 19 great. We're a good three point shooting team, so we're surely not going to shoot 25 percent from long range for a third game against the same team. Also, it's not like the Mavericks have really killed us in any one aspect in both games, it's been more of them hitting shots at an unsustainable clip and our players missing. If that happens for a third time, then so be it. Sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles. You're going to have nights when you can't seem to hit the side of a barn (Which, when you think about it, is sort of irrelevant. We're playing basketball, not some twisted rural game that involves throwing balls at a barn.) and you're opponent can't seem to miss. That's just basketball. Hopefully, it doesn't happen to us for a third straight game. I honestly can't stand the sight of seeing Jason Terry pretending to fly around like a plane against us one more time. We get it, Jason, your nickname is JET. It's very original, you're a funny guy. Now please stop it.

Expect a hard fought, well-contested matchup tonight folks. I understand, you're probably going to be tempted to go out and you know, have a life tonight, but stay in, for his sake. Oh god I uploaded the wrong picture. That's more like it. And, as always, go Rockets.

Houston Rockets: 14-11, 96.5 possessions per game (9th), 104.2 points scored per 100 possessions (16th), 103.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (15th)

Dallas Mavericks: 19-7, 93.9 possessions per game (23rd), 106.2 points scored per 100 possessions (11th), 99.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (4th)

All stats courtesy of hoopdata.com

Hold On, Kenny Thomas Is In Town: Rockets Beat Kings 113-106

Three months ago, if someone had told you, and by you I mean me, that watching the Rockets sans Yao and Mcgrady play the Kevin Martin-less Sacramento Kings in late November would be a highly competitive, tightly contested, back and forth affair, you (I) would have chucked a crumpled up Rockets 2009-10 Season Preview at them and kept wallowing in self-pity, dreading a season in which the Rockets would be without their three leading scorers from last year.

Yet, here we are. Those season previews are still crumpled up but we're too happy to throw them at anyone, Mcgrady and Yao and still out and the Rockets are still as exciting to watch as ever. And oh, yeah, those Kings are 4-3 without Martin and actually bearable to watch.

The Rockets, in a manner nearly the exact opposite of what one would expect from a team playing its fifth game in seven nights just 25 hours after losing on a buzzer-beating tip-in, came out and played what I've come to know as "Daryl Morey Presents: Rockets Basketball". The ball movement was crisp, the cuts were sharp, the loose balls were chased and the points were scored. In bunches. Yet, those pesky Kings, despite the absence of Tyreke Evans due to ankle and finger injuries, hung tough and played tougher.

After a back and forth second quarter, the Kings came roaring back in the third thanks to what has been the Rockets' only Achilles Heel this season, their tendency to go through scoring droughts, thanks in no small part to Spencer Hawes and Beno Udrih. 24 and 18 points for each, respectively.

Then came along the fourth quarter, which was all about Kyle Lowry and Carl Landry, or, as Matt Bullard affectionately called them, the "L and L Railroad." And, as if it was even a question, I'm buying. Landry has become our best and most consistent all around scorer, and came through once again with a 13-point effort in the fourth. Lowry was the catalyst that sparked Landry's offensive explosion, running the offense so well that Adelman actually called Aaron Brooks back to the bench with two minutes left in the fourth as the former Oregon Duck was about to reenter the game. (On a side note, why has nobody started calling Aaron Brooks the Mighty Duck yet? This need to happen. Like now.)

Scola was my pick for MVP of the night with a typically Scola-ian effort, tallying 22 and 12 with at least four "Plays That Every NBA Player Can Make But Only A Few Do." My favorite came halfway through the first quarter when, after scoring on a layup, Scola abruptly deciding to stop running down the court and deflect the inbounds pass, nearly coming up with the steal. Yes, the ball harmlessly rolled out of bounds and the Kings still advanced up the court without any real difficulty, but I still loved the play. It was completely unnecessary and utterly useless in the grander scheme of things, but that's what made it so special, it was a microcosm of what the Rockets have been this season.

Scola, and the Rockets as a whole this year, keep doing the little things that nobody pays attention to, and, as stated in nearly every relationship-related conflict by the member of the couple that belongs to the fairer sex, it's the little things that matter.

Ariza continued to simultaneously frustrate and woo Rockets fans everywhere, taking his share of bad shots but more than canceling out his 7-19 shooting with 19 points, his usual active, disruptive defense and a gorgeous, athletic layup in the waning minutes that all but iced the game. Oh, and he didn't turn the ball over once. In 43 minutes. Coming from a guy who uses just one less possession per game than Steve Nash even though he's had about nine less years to get used to being a high-volume player. That's the definition of helping your team.

The Rockets as a whole were stingy with the ball, only coughing it up 8 times to the Kings' 14. That, coupled with a plus-three advantage on the offensive glass means the Rockets had nine more opportunities to score than their opponents. In a seven point game, nine extra possessions is just huge.The Kings shot better than the Rockets both from the field and beyond the arc, but the Rockets were just able to put up more shots, and on a night like this, quantity overcame quality. And of course, that 24-26 mark from the free throw line didn't hurt any.

The Rockets out-rebounded the Kings tonight by seven, and while that isn't a huge margin of victory it's still significant, especially when you consider the massacre that was the rebounding battle the last time these two teams met. Credit here goes first to Scola, who snagged 12 caroms while helping to keep Jason Thompson off the boards.

The Rockets bench was also a huge factor tonight, which shouldn't be a surprise when your bench has Carl Landry, Kyle Lowry, Chase Budinger and David Andersen. 42 points off the pine for the Rockets against 24 for the Kings, and while that stat is telling, it still doesn't convey how important the Rockets bench was, and has been all year, for this team. The Rockets' crunch time lineup included both Lowry and Landry, who, if you've been reading carefully, don't start. Yes, in the fourth quarter of a close game, two fifths of our lineup were guys who were sitting down at tip-off. Or doing this. But hopefully they were just sitting. In case you're wondering, one of those Kings bench points was scored by Kenny Thomas. Yes, ex-Rocket Kenny Thomas. Oh Kenny, how I've missed you.

And for those of you wondering exactly when the hell those Kings became so, for lack of a better phrase, annoying, ponder no further. Just know that if it wasn't for the Rockets and Morey, I would call the way the Rockets have been playing this year "Sacramento Kings Without Kevin Martin Basketball," if that makes any sense. Yet, unfortunately for the Kings, we exist, so it's still "Dary Morey Presents: Rockets Basketball" in my heart.

All in all, a stellar effort from both sides, and, to channel my inner rec-league soccer coach, it's a pity only one team could win. But I'm still glad it wasn't us. Keep those season previews out of the air, my friends, all's well in Houston. We're 8-6 and have three days off before Dirk and the Mavericks come to town. And, as always, go Rockets.

We're slightly surprised that there was no standing ovation for Kenny, who, in our opinion, was always one of the good ones

Don't Go Breaking My Heart

It never fails. It really, truly, never fails. Tracy "You Better Still Call Me T-Mac" Mcgrady is at it again. This happens every time we show the slightest hint of optimism about him, every time a sliver of hope peaks through the shroud of darkness that is Tracy Mcgrady's tenure as a Rocket: he squashes it. To stay recent, after a phenomenal 2008 Playoffs he announced he needed shoulder and knee surgery, quelling any ideas that he was for once fully healthy. Last season he distracted and restricted the team, trying to play through an injury while making sure everybody knew that he was, in fact, injured by looking absolutely miserable on the floor, shooting like it was 2002 and then destroying any shot we had at trading him by announcing the day before the trade deadline that he would be getting microfracture surgery. Now, after weeks of stories about how motivated he is and how well he is progressing, apparently Mcgrady and Adelman had a heated exchange before Wednesday night's Timberwolves game about when he would return. Mcgrady was frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of communication between him and the organization, and continued his passive-aggressive assault on the Rockets by suiting up for the game and shooting around before actually approaching Adelman. The confrontation was icy at best and sources even said that shouting could be heard coming from the coach's office.

This is not a new story, rather just the resurgence of an old one. Mcgrady and the Rockets, and Adelman to be more specific, do not get along. What Mcgrady doesn't understand, though, is that the Rockets do not need him this season. The team is more than happy to continue the way it has been, fighting hard every night and winning enough to make it worthwhile. Yes, we probably need Mcgrady to truly contend for the title, but not if he's going to act like a prima donna. We need the Mcgrady that played for us from January to April of 2008, the selfless leader who led a defense, rebounded hard, distributed when he needed to and cold-bloodedly took over games when he had to. I know, I've romanticized what Mcgrady was during those three months, but compared to what he is now that's hardly an exaggeration. Mcgrady is still scheduled to undergo an MRI before the team clears him to return, and I'm guessing that the organization will choose a course of action based on the results of the scan. If Mcgrady is in fact fully healthy and ready to return, he and Adelman need to work out whatever the hell is bothering them if we're going to get anywhere this year. Otherwise, things like this will continue to happen.

Now, in spite of all this, I just want to establish that I'm still very, very excited for Mcgrady's return. This teams potential with an invested, motivated T-Mac is off the charts. If he understands how great he can be without shooting contested, step-back 20 footers every time he touches the ball we can truly be a special team. If he realizes how talented of a passer he is and how badly we need him to run the offense, we can be dominant. If he puts the Rockets as a whole before himself, and disproves his doubters with his teammates rather than in spite of them, we're a title contender. Damn, that's a lot of if's.

Sloth Is A Sin

If you're one of our loyal fans who regularly checks and reads Bring Back Novak, I'd first off like to thank you for your support. All two of you. And I guess I can't really count myself, so thanks for reading my articles, Billy. It means a lot. In any case, you've probably realized that we haven't been doing much posting. But I promise you, that's a thing of the past. And if you're thinking that I made this exact same promise about three weeks ago and spectacularly failed to come through on it, you're exactly right. Broken promises and shoddy articles, that's the stuff we're made of here at Bring Back Novak. But in any case, a lot of stuff's been going on in Red Nation (an apology to all our Cherokee readers, that link was in jest) and it's our job to give you our two cents on them. And, I guess it's our job to also let you know that two cents is way, way too much to pay to hear what we have to say.


Houston Rockets 101, Los Angeles Lakers 91

A redemptive (I don't think that's a word) victory of sorts for the good guys. After a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Kobe's, we (read: Aaron Brooks and our bench) were able to steal a game in Los Angeles. I'll admit that I was only able to watch the first half and the last 8 minutes of the fourth quarter thanks to Peyton Manning's heroics and my inability to change the channel, but I really, really liked what I saw. Especially the part when the Lakers fans started to boo them. Quality fans, Los Angeles, quality fans. Ariza looked a little skittish playing against his old team, but then again it might just have been that the weight of that ring was throwing off his shot. Damnit, not that ring. This ring. Brooks played like a man possessed, dropping 33 on 23 shots, Andersen saw Pau Gasol hurt and realized that one soft European had to step up his game, Carl Landry was as efficient as ever and Kyle Lowry was, for lack of a better phrase, an absolute bulldog. The hands down best moment of the game was Lowry, by far the smallest guy on the floor at 6'0, grabbing two offensive rebounds on the same possession late in the fourth. You're not quite there yet, Andrew. Oh, and this happened. So yeah, thanks for that Ron. You're a real swell guy.

Houston Rockets 105, Phoenix Suns 111

Just as a disclaimer, I know I'm supposed to be mad at the Suns, but I really can't help but fawn over Steve Nash. So if you notice me starting to ramble feel free to gloss over a few sentences. This was a hard, hard fought loss and I can't really blame the Rockets for not being able to beat a very talented, more experienced Suns team, who, by the way, seems to also be overachieving just a little. I had high expectations going into this game for the Nash vs. Brooks matchup, and the guys did not disappoint. Brooks had a career high 13 assists and while Nash's shot wasn't falling, he still was able to get 16 of his own. Which, well, was not a career high for him. Not even close. Watching Steve Nash play basketball is one of the few, pure, unadulterated joys man has left. Looking at his stats, impressive as they are, does not do the man justice. He's so smooth, so in control, so poised, he executes the pick-and-roll like no other and that pull-up jumper is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen. And believe me, I've seen some pretty things. Yes, that was necessary. And then of course there's Goran Dragic, once commonly known as "The Other White Guy Who Kind of Looks Like Nash from a Distance but is Nowhere Near as Good," but now more frequently referred to as "The Guy Who Goes in to Make Sure People Realize How Good Nash is by Comparison." A career night for Carl Landry, who I'm convinced is our best, or at least most consistent, scorer. 27 points on 18 shots for The Toothless One. But to briefly sum up the game, we came out hot, as usual, and were looking like we would take a double digit lead into halftime before the Suns utilized a 12-0 run to cut our lead to three at the break. Amare sort of had his way inside (I say sort of because until he realizes that to truly control the paint he has to do so on the defensive end of the floor as well as the offensive one he'll never really dominate the inside) and Jason Richardson had a couple of hot streaks, and the second half, especially the fourth quarter, was made up of us struggling to create quality shots against a surprisingly resilient Suns defense. All in all, a tough loss against a tough team, nothing to get too down about.

Houston Rockets 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 84

So, uh, looks like Ricky Rubio might have made the right decision after all. There really is nothing like playing the Timberwolves to get you back on track. Except, maybe, playing the Nets. Or the Warriors. Or the Grizzlies. Or the Clippers. Oh, those Clippers. Those poor, poor Clippers. In any case, this is why I wasn't too broken up about losing to the Suns. We had the Timberwolves next. But in all seriousness, this was actually a great win for the Rockets. I don't think there's anything harder in the NBA than the end of a back-to-back that makes you leave home for the second game, as both the Suns and then Lakers have just shown us. Ariza once again struggled to prove that he can handle using 23 possessions a game, a usage rate that puts him just under Steve Nash. Ariza is a great player and is filled to the brim with talent, but that doesn't mean he needs to be a high volume player. He can dominate a game without having to hang on to the ball, and we need to more actively find ways for him to do that. Still, a solid outing for Trevor, nothing that really deserves those last few sentences. Scola was the standout with 20 and 16. Landry came back down to Earth pretty hard, with a 5-0-0 line that looks like something Derek Fisher would boast. The game was a lot closer than the final score might indicate, with the 'Wolves hanging around for 3 and a half quarters before we finally put them away. Al Jefferson was 20-10 on 9 shots and is starting to round back into last season's form, but was held down for the last eight minutes of the game after a Carl Landry kick to the head, which, not coincidentally, coincided with us pulling away and the Timberwolves struggling to score. I take back that Derek Fisher joke, Carl, you might have just won the game for us. A much needed break in a tough game against an opponent desperate, and I truly mean desperate, for a win. 2010 and the long, flowing, Spanish hair it will bring can't come soon enough for the T-Wolves.


Houston Rockets @ Atlanta Hawks, Thursday (6:30 Central)

We've got the Hawks in Atlanta on Thursday in what's sure to be a great game. Josh Smith is reborn and re-topping my list of favorite non-Rockets, trailing only Steve Nash for the number one spot. Joe Johnson is Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford has been a revelation and Mike Bibby is, well, he's really damn old and showing signs of decline. The key Thursday is containing Horford, who's truly been a man amongst boys so far this season. Like our own Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes, Horford is slightly undersized, even if it is to a lesser extent, and still manages to dominate the paint, even if it is to a greater extent. Our bench output will need to be as strong as ever to counteract the combustible Jamar Crawford, because if he gets hot we'll need Landry, Lowry and Budinger to all produce, which is hardly unlikely. Andersen can help too. Defense will be essential tomorrow, as the Hawks are third in offensive efficiency in the NBA with a phenomenal 110.1 points per 100 possessions. To put that in perspective, we only score about 105 per 100. Ariza, Hayes and company will also need to have hands as active as ever, as the Hawks are the second stingiest team with possession in the NBA as they turn the ball over just a shade under 21 percent of the time. If you're wondering whether there's a correlation between the Hawks' turnover rate and their offensive efficiency, there is, and if we can create turnovers and easy opportunities in transition it'll go a long way to helping us return home with the win. In any case, it's going to be a fun one at Philips Arena, and hopefully we can leave the A-Town after handing the Hawks their first home loss of this young season. And, as always, go Rockets.

He's Baaaaack

Tracy Mcgrady has announced that he plans to play on November 18. As excited as I am to see a motivated, hopefully healthy T-Mac back on the floor, I can't help but wonder what it's going to do to our chemistry. Hopefully he'll play within the offense, pick his spots, focus on distributing and take over in crunch time, but that's all in a perfect world. There's just as real of a chance that he'll be selfish, disrupt ball movement and ruin the flow of the offense, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. This Rockets team has been spectacular so far and adding a versatile player like Mcgrady who could potentially play unselfish, involved basketball is just deadly. If he can find a way to still let Ariza, Scola and Brooks get their touches while maintaining control of the game, we're in pretty shape. I think that in an offense as up-tempo as ours there will always be points to go around, so I can easily see the aforementioned three still averaging their 15-17 a game with Mcgrady getting his 20. I think the key to everything meshing is running the offense through Mcgrady, as he's still our best passer. Ariza will still score on his open threes and jumpers off of drive-and-kicks, Brooks will still be able to attack the basket when he wants or work the pick and roll, Scola will get his post touches and easy baskets off Mcgrady's drives and Mcgrady will find a way to score, just as he has for his whole career. I fully understand how risky it is to add a partially past his prime superstar with an ego and a personal agenda, but I also have to stress how dangerous this Rockets team can be with Tracy Mcgrady. Adding T-Mac doubles the potential this group has, and that's in no way an exaggeration. He is good enough of a passer that he'll make up for the shots he takes by creating more open looks for guys, meaning that the well-balanced offense that's become the Rockets' trademark this year will not just disappear, and he'll also provide us with a go-to guy, something we've been sorely lacking.

So, here's hoping that the Mcgrady we get is the Mcgrady we grew to worship during the 22-game winning streak. The guy that made his teammates better, passed when he could and scored when he had to, dominated the game without overpowering his teammates and brought the most out of a team that many left for dead. And, just as a little reminder of who Mcgrady is, I'll leave you with a little video. Hopefully you'll find it slightly more than familiar.

On a side note, Mcgrady's November 18 return is not a concrete date. There's conflicting information coming from the Rockets, who say it's after November 23, and Mcgrady, who said the 18th. But we think the story is much more exciting if it's the 18th, so yeah, Mcgrady is back on the 18th!!!

Raise Your Hand If You Called 3-1...

I'm going to go ahead and guess that nobody has their hands up. That includes me. I want to be entirely frank and say that I did not see us winning 3 of 4 games to start the season. I didn't think we would make the playoffs, I thought we would struggle to score and I sure as hell didn't have us sitting at first in the Southwest Division, regardless of how many games have been played. Granted, it's only been four. There's plenty of time remaining for all three of the aforementioned problems to arise, but that's currently irrelevant. What matters right now is that the Rockets are 3-1, which, to be honest, we should have expected if only because none of us expected it. Yeah, low expectations, lots of doubters, an undermanned team comes out and proves everyone wrong. If that story sounds familiar, it's because it's the same damn story we have every year with these guys. I'm going to be the first to say that I need to learn to stop doubting this team, hope for the best and just roll with the wheels. Of the wagon. Of the Chuck-wagon. You saw what I did there, I don't even need to explain it. Aaron Brooks is averaging his 20 a game, which was to be expected, but he's also doing it within the offense and getting 8 assists a night, which I didn't believe him to be capable of doing. Ariza is scoring 20 points an outing after never averaging more than 9 a game. Because that's just how the NBA works? Because he's just tapping into his vast talent? Because basketball is more dependent on the situation than the player? Anyone? I didn't think so. Trying to make sense of what is going on is futile, just like trying to make sense of taking the Lakers to 7 games was futile, just like trying to make sense of winning 12 games in a row after losing our best player was futile.

Anyways, credit for all of this must once again go to Daryl Morey. You know your GM is good when late in the second round he picks a stringy white guy whose claim to fame is how good of a volleyball player he was and you find yourself buying into the pick. You know your GM is great when the pick actually pans out four games in to the year. Thank you, Daryl Morey, for being you. And, if you're wondering whether or not "stringy" is actually an adjective, I am too.

In other news, the Rockets play the Lakers tonight. Everyone's been making a big deal of how the Lakers have been struggling, but they're fans have been chalking it up to the absence of Pau. I'd like to point out to our friends in Hollywood that we're without Yao and Mcgrady. Oh, and the guy with the tight shorts starting at small forward for you? He's actually our second best player from last year. And you still have Vanessa Bryant. So I don't think missing out on Pau is really good enough of an excuse.

Also, just as a heads up, Budinger is out with an ankle injury and is listed as day-to-day. Ankle injuries are fickle, so here's hoping it's not to serious.

Back to talk about the game again, tonight is going to be a hell of a fight, so let's hope the good guys can keep the magic rolling. Speaking of Magic rolling, Orlando fans should probably get used to this image. There's going to be a lot of Vince Carter rolling around on the floor over the course of the next year. But to get back on topic, tonight also doubles as Ron Artest's homecoming and Ariza's first game against his old team, so let's hope their ex-guy who's now our guy destroys their guy who used to be our guy. And Kobe too. Not because he used to be on our team, but because Kobe sucks.

Pictured: The heart of the Lakers team. And Kobe.

I'd make a prediction for tonight's game, but I've pretty much given up on making predictions with this team. We've reached a point where I'm actually considering taking the most logical prediction and just going the entirely opposite way with it when it comes to the Rockets, because they clearly just don't understand the concept of not having enough talent. They don't get that you can't win games with grit, hard work and heart, that teams are never more than the sum of their parts. They don't understand that they're not supposed to be a playoff team, that second round picks who've built careers as role players don't just transform into 18-a-game guys. And, quite honestly, I'm glad they don't. Let's hear it for ignorance, let's hear it for overcoming odds and let's hear it for the Red Nation. And, as always, go Rockets.