CubbieBum

I've seen plenty of Cavs games including one in person this season. Mo Williams is a big improvement from what LeBron has had in the past and is the guy capable of consistently punishing the Rockets if they focus on LeBron too much. However, like the article I posted before the Rockets are able to consistently cover the second option even when rotating towards LeBron. I really don't understand why everyone refusing to do the research and see that the Cavs don't do well against the Rockets. Yes they won 66 games but that doesn't mean they dominated every team. Some teams are just built in a way that causes problems for even the best of teams. Utah is that for the Rockets. The Rockets are that for the Cavs and they have proved it over the years. The Rockets and Cavs have actually played each other with their current teams and rotations this year and the Rockets won by 19. Earlier in the season the Cavs beat the Rockets by 9. You all need to quit just looking at how the Cavs won 66 games and think its impossible for any team other than the Lakers to beat them. Any 50+ win team is capable of beating another.

Where the hell are you guys finding all these random pictures? Google image search has provided me with only mundane choices. Thats where I saw it. Looking again its on page 7 for me.

Hahaha almost posted that pic when Harden was starting for my game thread. Decided not to because its when he is with the A's.

Who said it was easy? You said the Rockets have a good chance of winning a series against a team that has home court advantage and won 80% of their games. Yes I did. That's far from easy. You do know that teams match up differently with one another right? The Rockets are one of the few teams that matchup well with the Cavs. Based on how the teams have done against each other in recent years its rather obvious the Cavs don't do well against the Rockets.

Who said it was easy? LeBron is the most unstoppable player perhaps ever because of his speed, height and ridiculous strength. The Rockets are capable of making LeBron work for his points and not shoot a very good percentage. They won't ever stop him completely but no one else in the league has two of the best perimeter defenders in the league to have him marked at all times.

It has to do with your asinine "The Rockets do better against teams with superstars" theory. Ok well, LeBron had an uncommonly bad shooting game in one game against your boys, so that doesn't count either. You should be 0-2 against them this year by that reasoning. You didn't seriously put those 2 sentences back to back did you? Yes. Yes he did. Seriously cbum, you're really, really reaching here. I'm not sure why you want to convince yourself you're being anything other than a homer. Please just save your energy. Also, let me know when that sig is gone so I can unblock photobucket images. The Rockets are one of the best teams at shutting down a superstar. If you don't want to see that then so be it but the fact remains. I don't see how I'm being a homer when I say the Rockets will likely lose to the Lakers. The Lakers aren't a very good matchup for the Rockets because they are one of the few teams with the height and bench depth to beat the Rockets consistently. The Cavs don't have that and LeBron will have as tough of a time scoring on the Rockets than any team. I'm not saying the Rockets will dominate the Cavs. I'm saying in a 7 game series the Rockets would have a good chance of winning because the Cavs don't matchup well with the Rockets. I can keep going back on this to the year the Rockets acquired Battier. In the three years the Rockets have had Battier LeBron has averaged 26.5 points on 42.7% shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 4 turnovers. Obviously still an impressive stat line but all of those, except rebounding, are worse than his career averages and quite a bit below his averages over the last three seasons. The Rockets are 4-2 in those 6 games too. We also now have Artest which can only help in defending LeBron.

My reign is over :cry:

Then by all means, post some of these stats. Just fyi, if actually do have some stats that back it up, which I doubt, I will just point out the dubious relationship between traditional statistics and the game of basketball and discredit you that way. I don't have specific stats. I have the example of the Portland series and have read numerous quotes from our GM Daryl Morey that they indeed employ this strategy when they play teams with a superstar because statistically it gives you a better chance to win. Morey is a uncommon stat guru so I'll trust what he says. Well you were 0-4 against the Lakers in the regular season and 1-1 vs the Cavs, so forgive me if 1-5 doesn't really make me want to buy in. We'll see. I don't see how the Rockets against Lakers has anything to do with how the Rockets would do against the Cavs. I already said that the Lakers will likely beat the Rockets BUT IF THEY DON'T and the Rockets play Cavs in Finals I like the Rockets chances. They are 3-1 the last two years against the Cavs and LeBron doesn't do well against us. Anyways the Rockets 0-4 to Lakers is very misleading and incomplete. Only one of those games were played with the current Rockets team. We still had Rafer in games one and two (plus T-Mac in game one when we were still finding a rotation), Battier was out in game one, Artest is game two, Landry in game four. Only in game three was it this current Rockets team and we lost by 6 points when Artest shot 4 of 16.

We are starting a normal starter so I don't see how Lou gets the blame for the Giants scoring.

Then by all means, post some of these stats. Just fyi, if actually do have some stats that back it up, which I doubt, I will just point out the dubious relationship between traditional statistics and the game of basketball and discredit you that way. I don't have specific stats. I have the example of the Portland series and have read numerous quotes from our GM Daryl Morey that they indeed employ this strategy when they play teams with a superstar because statistically it gives you a better chance to win. Morey is a uncommon stat guru so I'll trust what he says.

Lol, of course they do. If they didn't they'd have no business being pro athletes, but that doesn't you should believe it too. Why? The stats back it up. Sure the Cavs could be hot for a series and the Rockets lose but more times than not the Rockets will win the series. If you go the other way and make sure no one other than LeBron does anything you will lose more often. The LeBron's, Kobe's and such are just too good. If you let them go you will lose almost every time. The Rockets should be able to do to LeBron what they have done to Kobe. Force him to take jump shots. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-40-15/Houston-Gets-Defensive.html Thats a story about how the Rockets play on defense. Here's the best paragraph. They forced Kobe to take a jump shot almost every possession. That strategy will work against LeBron as well. Battier won't be as good of a matchup on LeBron as Kobe but Artest will be a much better matchup on LeBron.

Then its their fault. This is solely about today's game and thus belongs in today's game thread. If you choose to not read the game thread then so be it, but don't start a thread about something already being discussed in the game thread.

Hah, no way Kobe is suspended when the Lakers are already down 0-1. Yeah I was going to say, I don't think he knows how the NBA works. Dwight got suspended because they were going to roll anyway. Although I'm sure Stern died a little inside when he his hand was forced on that one. If Stern didn't suspend Rondo for dragging Hinrich 10 feet and throwing him into the scorers table and then throwing an elbow (that was harder but didn't connect), there's no way they suspend Kobe for this. He probably won't suspend Kobe. However Rondo could at least say he tried to go for the ball. Kobe's elbow happened when the ball was no where near so there is no way he can say he was trying to get the ball. He also doesn't get much leeway by claiming it was an accident because he was suspended a couple years ago for throwing elbows so he has a history. If the media were making a massive deal about this and showing the video over and over again Stern would probably be forced to suspend him. Instead the media is caught up in the upset and how they were all wrong about how easily the Lakers would cruise.

So you think they probably won't beat the Lakers but you think they'd beat the Cavs. Am I to believe you think Battier and Artest match up better against LeBron than Kobe? The Cavs are a much better matchup for the Rockets than the Lakers. The Rockets strengths are great defense, a center who no one can really matchup one alone, and a deep bench. The Lakers have a lot of size so they do as well as anyone in matching up with the Rockets size and they have a deep bench. The Cavs don't have much of a bench so when starters need rest the Rockets should be able to catchup/pull away. As to your question ... No Artest and Battier don't matchup better against Lebron than Kobe. No one does. LeBron is too strong for any perimeter player and too quick for a PF/C. However the Rockets do matchup against LeBron better than any other team in the league. Because the Rockets are stronger have a deeper team and don't have to rely on one player as much they tend to beat the Cavs. What the Rockets would do (just as with Portland and LA) is make sure every LeBron shot is contested whether it be on the perimeter or with Yao when LeBron drives. This means LeBron won't be able to score at will and not rely on his teammates. It will come down to whether or not the supporting cast can hit their shots. Over the course of a 7 game series the Rockets believe they can win 4 games when its up to the non-LeBron players to make the shot.

http://i40.tinypic.com/xelpxl.gif Kobe could be receiving a suspension. The Rockets are likely to be sending this in to the league office and its rather clear it was purposeful. Howard got 1 game for an elbow with no contact Kobe will get at least one.

If Rockets pull the upset and meet Cavs in the Finals Rockets will beat the Cavs. LeBron has less help than Kobe, although more than in years past, and just like with Kobe the Rockets are one of the rare teams in history to have two of the top perimeter defenders in the league. Battier won't be as good on LeBron as he is with Kobe because LeBron will muscle him but Artest is probably the only guy in the league that isn't a PF/C that has the strength to matchup on LeBron. You're on crack. Your team will not beat the Lakers. Even on the chance they do, they will not beat the LeBrons. I agree we probably won't be the Lakers but my post clearly says if the Rockets do beat the Lakers (and whoever is in Conf. Finals) they can beat the Cavs. The Cavs don't have the depth like the Rockets (and Lakers) and the Rockets have two players that can do as well as anyone can on LeBron. Its not a good matchup for the Cavs. There's a reason why the Cavs have lost 3 of 4 to the Rockets over the last two seasons and why Lebron averaged 24 pts, 5 rebs, 2.5 assts on 41% shooting against the Rockets this season.

I don't see why this needs its own thread. There's a game thread for this type of stuff.

I was curious cause I haven't really looked all season but for all our complaining we are still 16th in runs. I realize for this talented of a team that's awful but considering the injuries and how Lee and Soto have been ridiculously bad I'll take 16th. Pretty much we have had as bad of a start offensively as this team is capable of and we are still an average offensive team. When Ramirez is truly healthy, Lee and Soto start hitting .280 rather than .200 and Bradley gets healthy and starts hitting we will shoot up the ranks. The fact that we are currently in a playoff position even with all this means we shouldn't really worry.

If Rockets pull the upset and meet Cavs in the Finals Rockets will beat the Cavs. LeBron has less help than Kobe, although more than in years past, and just like with Kobe the Rockets are one of the rare teams in history to have two of the top perimeter defenders in the league. Battier won't be as good on LeBron as he is with Kobe because LeBron will muscle him but Artest is probably the only guy in the league that isn't a PF/C that has the strength to matchup on LeBron.

Party like its 1994.

I'll bet you're happier than a pig in you know what that you missed your schedule start on Thursday !! :wink: It was divine intervention, what are you talking about. Hey that's right...these should be my wins! :evil: :hello:

Should be a great year. Although I will be out of Big Ten country so I won't be able to watch.

So you don't think he will hit 2 more the rest of the season?

I'll bet you're happier than a pig in you know what that you missed your schedule start on Thursday !! :wink: It was divine intervention, what are you talking about.