The Goat Pen

Not too disappointed that the Rox lose at Orlando to open the season, particularly when Kevin Martin has a horrible shooting night. Martin might not be deemed a superstar but he's a Top 20-30 type player, and as he goes, so do the Rockets against playoff caliber teams. They were in it until the final few minutes, despite a big nothing coming from him.

Especially not too disappointed when they follow that performance with a blowout win over the Spurs. Final score wasn't even indicative of how one-sided the game was. As ineffective as Martin was in the season opener, he was that effective tonight. Let's hope tonight is more indicative of how the Rockets will look for the majority of the season.

It's hard to evaluate the Rockets yet when they blow out a team on the back end of a back to back with the Rockets who had been off for a few days.

We'll know how much better they are tonight when they have to play back to back against the Grizzlies and after their third night in a row against the Hawks on Saturday (the flying to Memphis and back home against Atlanta) is going to be tough. I am cautiously optimistic.

Yeah, I'm actually hoping that they can get a split of the next two games. If they can steal a win in Memphis tonight, I like their chances tomorrow on NYE versus the Hawks.

Back-to-backs are killing most teams right now. The Rockets looked slow on defense Friday against Memphis and then Atlanta looked like they didn't have their legs last night in Houston.

Anyway, a split's a split. I just wish we had another reliable low-post scorer to go with Scola.

Just saw ESPN mag predictions. Have Houston 14rh, Memphis 2nd, Clippers 1st and Lakers 6th

Clippers are too thin up front and too poorly coached to get a #1 seed in this shortened season. Maybe I'll feel different if they sign Joel P and he actually provides some help. Otherwise...

This team is essentially a brown paper bag with twelve large monkey turds inside it.

Yay! We won a game! Time for some Absolut and Pinneaple soda.

A favorable recent schedule has helped this team get back to .500. But in addition, I give McHale credit for figuring out pretty early who he wants his starting 5 to be. It seems to fit. Dalembert has been a pleasant early surprise, as has Chandler Parsons. No one even expected him to make the roster much less start. The negative is that he shows how far Morris has to go in that he, even as a higher pick, is now relegated to earning playing time down in the D League.

Also, last year's first rounder, Pat Patterson, looks pretty good. I can see him being a consistent 17 points/game type player by next year. If someone can keep a fire under Jordan Hill's ass, he could be pretty special, too.

If the Rox can take care of SA and NOLA over the next couple of games, there's definite reason for expanded optimism.

The second half of last night's game between the Rox and Hornets was easily the worst half of professional basketball I've ever seen played by two teams. NOLA was down 58-49 at half time and scored only 33 second half points--and yet was STILL able to send the game into OT.

There are no words. The Rox don't deserve the W they eventually got. Scola was a scared little girl with the ball, Lowry couldn't make a shot and the bench outside of Courtney Lee was utterly useless (when Chase Budinger is off, you might as well put him in a suit and tie and let him watch the rest of the night).

I can't see this team beating the Spurs on Saturday if they play even half as bad as they did in the second half last night.

there are obviously a lot of failed teams out there. I had no expectatations for a Rox win tonight--even without Duncan--but thye figured out a way to win their sixth straight. If you had seen the second half of the NOLA game, you would've figured this team had almost no chance to win tonight.

Of course, this is also the same Spurs team that was outscored by like 30 points in the second half of their loss at Miami.

I'm probably jinxing it, but looking at the upcoming schedule, the Rox could very realistically stretch this to a ten-game win streak by the time they go on the road to face the Spurs.

Bucks, Wizards and Knicks at home over the next week.

The Knicks are poopy. Outside of Stoudmire, Anthony, Chandler and maybe Davis and Bibby, the Knicks roster sucks (or is young). Their support guys just ain't cuttin' it. The Rox basically blew the Knicks out tonight based on the reserves being MUCH better.

Woah... I'm sure we'll be getting more details on this. Scary, regardless.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2 ... -accident/

Please click

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=383

I have a heavy heart today.

We all do

RIP Hizzy

RIP Hizzy

Hoops thread at The Goat Pen has some good stories about Hizzy Inc.