HOUSTON ROCKETS: A New Era

[coreymouch]

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
(58 Game season, All-Star difficulty, default sliders, no force trades, 8min Quarters)

2011 Season
ORIGINAL PLAYERS TRADED-
Kevin Martin, Samuel Dalembert, Jonny Flynn, Courtney Lee, Hasheem Thabeet
ACQUIRED PLAYERS TRADED-
Andrew Bogut, JR Smith
TOTAL PLAYERS RECEIVED
Rajon Rondo, Jermaine O'Neal, Drew Gooden, Monta Ellis

NOTABLE PLAYER STATS/ACHIEVEMENTS
Rajon Rondo(since coming to Houston)- 13ppg, 10ast
Monta Ellis- 19ppg, 4ast, 3reb
Luis Scola- 12ppg, 7reb

TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS-
-30-28 Record
-20-24 entering All-Star weekend, went on a 8-1 streak of games that all ended in OT or ended 3pts lead or closer
-10-4 after all-star break
-4th seed in playoffs, knocked off by champion Clippers in 2nd round

2012-13 GOALS
-Finish w/38-20 record or better
-Rondo & Ellis All-Stars
-JR Smith or Marcus Morris 6th man of year

[coreymouch]

Houston Rockets: A New Era




Today, after rumors swirled for weeks, Houston GM Daryl Morey alongside coach Kevin McHale, confirmed a multi-player deal with the Milwaukee Bucks had been completed.

The deal sent away franchise PG Kyle Lowry along with star Kevin Martin and Samuel Dalembert to Milwaukee, and brought in soon-to-be superstar Brandon Jennings along with big men Andrew Bogut and Drew Gooden to town. Perhaps the biggest name in the trade, though, was Stephen Jackson who is now headed in to help lead the Rockets' squad.
"I had absolutely no clue this was happening until today," Jackson said at the airport this morning. "All I can say is I enjoyed my short time with the Bucks and my teammates' and I are excited to begin the next step in our careers in Houston". Reporters also caught up with Houston's likely new starting PG Brandon Jennings, who said "I did get a call from coach McHale yesterday evening. He mentioned a trade was in the works. He said I'd be essential to what was going on over there in Houston, so I'm pretty excited now."
We caught up with Kevin Martin before his departure to Milwaukee this morning. Martin said solemnly, "I guess I always wanted what was best for the organization. I'm glad I don't have to endure this move alone, my teammates and I will be looking forward to how we fit in up in the Bucks' organization".

Perhaps the biggest issue from this trade is that now 3 out of 5 of Houston's likely starters will have come from the Bucks. Starting SF Terrence Williams mentioned he didn't feel threatened, and all indications lead us to assume he shouldn't feel as such. Luis Scola, on the other hand, will have to battle it out with incoming PF Drew Gooden, who is deadly from mid-range.

With the opener looming next week, it will be very interesting to see how this new era unfolds for Houston Rockets basketball.

The Rockets face off against the Pistons at the Palace on Tuesday. "A few days should be enough to incorporate these guys into the offense..." said Coach McHale somewhat hesitantly. "It'll have to be."

[coreymouch]

NEW ADDITIONS SHINE IN ROCKETS' 75-66 HANDLING OF DETROIT



The Houston Rockets handled a weak Detroit Pistons team last night, debuting new starters Brandon Jennings, Stephen Jackson and Andrew Bogut. Jennings led the team with 22pts and 3 steals, while Jackson came out with 16pts and 7 rebounds. Bogut, on the other hand, struggled to create a presence, finishing with 4pts on 2 of just 4 shot attempts. He also struggled on the glass, managing to pick up just 2 boards.

Luis Scola made up where Bogut struggled, scoring 12pts and grabbing 9 rebounds in the solid opener. The defense played well aside from the Pistons' one high point of the game, Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey posted 27 points and gave Houston's defense fits, but he couldn't lead a comeback as Houston held strong to a double-digit lead before letting it slip to a 9pt deficit in the closing seconds.

"It was an all-around team effort," Coach McHale said after the game, "all of the new guys grasped our system even better than I had hoped for and fit in very well with the guys we had put in place earlier on." When asked of his impression on new PG Brandon Jennings, McHale said confidently, "I'm not [surprised] at all, no. Brandon did a great job scoring for us tonight. Now he's got to work on his assists, and then we will have one heck of a Point Guard."

The Rockets travel to Toronto for the 2nd of a 3 game road trip to start the season tomorrow night to face off against the Raptors at 7:00 PM

Houston Rockets at Detroit Pistons
Jan 1,	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Houston (1-0)	25	15	15	20	75
Detroit (0-1)	14	20	12	20	66

Houston Rockets
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
B. Jennings	23	10-14	1-2	1-2	2	2	3	1	2	22
S. Jackson	30	6-11	3-6	1-2	7	4	2	2	3	16
L. Scola	24	6-7	0-0	0-0	9	0	0	0	1	12
T. Williams	24	2-7	0-2	2-2	5	6	1	1	1	6
A. Bogut	21	2-4	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	1	0	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Flynn	14	3-7	1-3	0-0	0	1	3	1	0	7
TEAM TOTALS		33-61	5-15	4-6	31	17	9	6	7	75

Detroit Pistons
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Stuckey	29	12-19	1-3	2-3	2	3	1	1	1	27
B. Knight	27	5-14	0-1	3-4	2	2	1	0	3
TEAM TOTALS		29-61	1-9	7-10	29	12	5	2	10	66

[coreymouch]

4th Quarter a Massive one for Bogut



1pt. 0/9 Field goals. 1/3 Free throws. 4 rebounds. That was Andrew Bogut's stat line after three quarters of extremely rough waters for Andrew Bogut in what looked to be another huge struggle in the 7'0 big man's second game with the Rockets.

"I said to myself, it's time to start contributing now, Andrew," Bogut said after the game. He was truly a massive contributor for the team in the 4th quarter, scoring 9 points, dishing out 2 assists and grabbing 9 rebounds in the fourth alone. This is a stat many big men would cherish for an entire game. Bogut finished with a double-double (10pts, 13reb) in the Rockets 84-67 thrashing of Toronto. "I didn't want to tell myself, third game's a charm!" Bogut joked with a smile.

Brandon Jennings and Stephen Jackson each scored 15pts, while Terrence Williams added 11pts and 5 assists. Drew Gooden also saw his first minutes of the season. The sixth man scored 11 points of the bench and grabbed 7 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive.

Houston travels to Memphis on Saturday to complete the 3-game road trip to open the season.

Matchup Preview | November 5, 2011
	@
Houston Rockets (2-0, 2-0 Away)		Memphis Grizzlies (1-0, 1-0 Home)
Stats Comparison 79.5 Points Per Game 78.0 66.5 PPG Allowed 62.0 47.8% Field Goal % 49.1% 32.5 Rebounds 37.0 46.2% 3-Point % 14.3% Projected Starters Brandon Jennings Point Guard Michael Conley Stephen Jackson Shooting Guard Tony Allen Terrence Williams Small Forward Rudy Gay Luis Scola Power Forward Zach Randolph Andrew Bogut Center Marc Gasol Injury Report Courtney Lee Twisted Ankle (2-4 Weeks) Game Notes The Houston Rockets (2-0) look to head into their first home game undefeated off a 3-game road trip as they travel to the FedEx Forum to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies (1-0) and their star forwards, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph.

[coreymouch]

CLUTCH!






19-5: That was the score when Kevin McHale began to wonder what his team was really made of, calling his first timeout. While the team weathered the storm and ended up with an 11 point lead late in the third quarter, McHale still rightfully had his doubts.

Subsequently, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley combined for 13 points in the last 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter, and the Grizzlies' run went for 17 unanswered points before the Rockets called a TO. Down 51-46 with just under four minutes, the Rockets took the floor again.

Cue Brandon Jennings.

Finishing with 21 pts (19 in the 2nd half), Jennings hit 3 key 3 pointers late in the game to take the lead and send Memphis to an eventual 67-59 loss.

"I guess outside was just my spot tonight. Usually it's not, but tonight, I'll take what i can get," Brandon Jennings huffed just moments after beating the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum.

Stephen Jackson had another big game, contributing 14 while Luis Scola posted 12 points. For Memphis, Rudy Gay finished with 12 while Michael Conley had 10 points.

"It's the tough games where you learn what you're made of," Coach McHale stated, "It's those games you're not supposed to win, but somehow come out victorious that really prove that to a coach. Tonight I learned my team was much more resilient than i thought. It feels great to head home undefeated."

The Rockets head home to Houston for the first time of the season to take on the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night.

[zay916]

Wait a minute, why did you trade Kyle Lowry?

[coreymouch]

Quote: Originally Posted by zay916

Wait a minute, why did you trade Kyle Lowry?

I did all i could to try and execute the trade with the Bucks to keep Lowry and let them keep Jennings. But between salary cap and my interest in Jennings, i thought the trade-off would work out decently. I ended up getting a PG with more potential, a better Center, and a better defensive SG. The only problem i've had with Jennings is turnovers, which obviously is a problem i wouldn't have had with Lowry. That's my only complaint.

[coreymouch]

First Setback

Thursday night the Rockets had no answer for Michael Beasley and the T'Wolves. Despite a fast 7-0 start, the Wolves quickly jumped to a 13-7 lead. Up until the middle of the 3rd quarter, the game shaped up to be a classic. There had been 14 lead changes and 10 ties with the largest lead being just 7 by the Rockets early on.

Then, Michael Beasley hit a shot. And another.

And another.

The Small Forward finished with 23 points, dominating the mid-range game alongside Derrick Williams, who had 16 points and 7 rebounds.

"It's odd to me," Coach McHale stuttered, "It's just... Weird. We win 4 straight, 3 of which are on the road, we play hard to victory against a [Memphis] squad slated to finish in the top or middle of the conference, and then we lose like this. This can't become a trend."

McHale is right, however the road doesn't get any easier from here on. The Rockets' 3 game home-stand ends this Sunday with the Los Angeles Lakers (3-3) coming in off a 3 game win streak.

Dragic off to Golden State



After the loss to the Timberwolves, a reliable source announced that young guard Goran Dragic was sent to Golden State along with the 2013 first round draft pick for rookie 3-point stud Klay Thompson. With Courtney Lee out, this should help the team in the next few games.