Blast to the 'Ship - A Houston Rockets Story

[Rizzo]

Nice trade with Conley, fits in much better then Lin in my opinion!

I agree and he has been on my radar for awhile but when I play I like to stay the course the first year through without making any major deals. As soon as I saw them take Trey Burke I knew I could pry at least one of them from Memphis but with my luck I got both and am not looking back!

[Rizzo]

November 16, 2013

Royce White will miss his first road trip of the season.

Houston Rockets (4-3) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (4-4)

Rockets – 104
Chandler Parsons – 23 PTS, 6 REB
James Harden – 23 PTS, 4 AST
Trey Burke – 12 PTS, 5 AST
Ronnie Brewer – 11 PTS
Nerlens Noel – 5 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK

Bucks – 121
Brandon Jennings – 36 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL
Monta Ellis – 29 PTS, 7 TO
Ersan Ilyasova – 20 PTS, 16 REB

Turnovers, foul trouble and poor shooting doomed us in this one as well as getting outrebounded. There wasn’t a single stat that we outplayed Milwaukee in and that usually ends in a loss. After the game, JJ Redick complained to the media about playing time. When asked about it, Kris Eisley said that he does not discuss player issues with the media and neither should the players.

November 17, 2013

Orlando Magic (3-5) vs. Houston Rockets (4-4)

Magic – 97
Arron Afflalo – 25 PTS, 6 REB off the bench
Rodney Stuckey – 13 PTS
Wilson Chandler – 12 PTS, 11 REB
Nikola Vucevic – 8 PTS, 11 REB
Shabazz Muhammad – 6 PTS, 2 REB in 7 minutes off the bench

Rockets – 120
Mike Conley – 23 PTS, 8 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
James Harden – 25 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST
Royce White – 20 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK
Chandler Parsons – 17 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK
Omer Asik – 10 PTS, 11 REB

After connecting on 50% of our shots and having half the turnovers as the Magic, we got ourselves an easy win at home against the Magic. The first overall pick in this past June’s draft, Shabazz Muhammad, has been a non-factor so far this season as he plays limited minutes off the bench behind Wilson Chandler. He is only averaging ten minutes per contest.

November 19, 2013

Royce White makes the trip to the Big Apple.

Houston Rockets (5-4) vs. New York Knicks (4-5)

Rockets – 98
James Harden – 28 PTS
Chandler Parsons – 12 PTS
Mike Conley – 9 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB, 5 TO
Nerlens Noel – 8 PTS, 10 REB, 3 STL

Knicks – 118
Carmelo Anthony – 25 PTS, 14 REB
Tyson Chandler – 22 PTS, 11 REB
Amar’e Stoudemire – 21 PTS, 7 REB

Stoudemire and Chandler utterly dominated Omer Asik and Patrick Patterson and set the tone for the game. Even Ian Mahinmi did his thing in the post for ten points off the bench. We need to step our defensive game up, but also need to remember that we are still very young and need time to grow.

November 21, 2013

Houston Rockets (5-5) vs. Washington Wizards (7-2)

Rockets – 86
James Harden – 22 PTS, 4 AST
Royce White – 17 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB
JJ Redick – 10 PTS
Omer Asik – 10 PTS, 8 REB, 4 BLK
Trey Burke – 9 PTS

Wizards – 114
John Wall – 23 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB, 4 STL, 2 BLK
Jordan Crawford – 15 PTS
Bradley Beal – 14 PTS, 5 REB
Trevor Booker – 14 PTS, 9 REB, 4 BLK
Nene Hilario – 12 PTS, 21 REB, 3 STL

A dominating defensive performance by the Wizards as they force us into 21 turnovers and we shot only 40%. The Wizards also out rebounded us by 21, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds. Extra possessions galore for Washington.

[Rizzo]

November 22, 2013

Houston Rockets (5-6) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7-4)

Rockets – 101
Royce White – 19 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL
James Harden – 18 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
Trey Burke – 16 PTS, 3 AST
Patrick Patterson – 12 PTS, 8 REB

Spurs – 127
Kawhi Leonard – 29 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK
Tim Duncan – 20 PTS, 6 REB, 2 BLK
DeJuan Blair – 18 PTS
Tony Parker – 15 PTS, 5 AST

After forcing us into 25 turnovers and putting five of our guys into serious foul trouble, we didn’t have much of a chance in this one. Our defensive effort needs to improve and fast!

November 24, 2013

New Orleans Pelicans (4-7) vs. Houston Rockets (5-7)

Pelicans – 101
Anthony Davis – 16 PTS, 10 REB, 4 STL, 2 BLK
Eric Gordon – 18 PTS, 5 REB
Brandon Rush – 17 PTS

Rockets – 95
James Harden – 21 PTS (5/20 FGs), 6 REB, 5 TO
Royce White – 15 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
Trey Burke – 13 PTS
Omer Asik – 13 PTS, 17 REB, 4 BLK
Chandler Parsons – 12 PTS, 6 REB, 5 STL
Nerlens Noel – 2 PTS, 2 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK

A heart-breaking six-point loss at home to the Pelicans will sting. We shot just 35% from the floor. We turned it over less than them and dominated them on the glass, but we just couldn’t score the basketball with any efficiency.

November 28, 2013

Detroit Pistons (8-4) vs. Houston Rockets (5-8)

Pistons – 132
Greg Monroe – 37 PTS, 8 REB
Jonas Jerebko – 21 PTS, 4 REB
Khris Middleton – 20 PTS
Andre Drummond – 14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK

Rockets – 116
Royce White – 21 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST
James Harden – 17 PTS, 5 REB
Omer Asik – 14 PTS
Mike Conley – 12 PTS, 3 AST
Nerlens Noel – 12 PTS, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK
Trey Burke – 11 PTS, 3 REB

How do you lose a game after scorring 116 points? How about letting the opponents score on 58% of their field goal attempts and putting them on the line 40 times. We need a serious change in game plan and perhaps need to slow down the pace as well as turn down the defensive intensity a notch.

[Rizzo]

[color="Red"]Royce White Update[/color]

At the end of the month, let's take a look at the anxiety levels of Royce White. He came in to this season with a Mental Health Rating of 52, way up from the 45 he started with. After making three road trips this month and missing out on one, his rating will now climb up to 54! If this trend continues and hits 65, he will no longer be subject to the number generator and will have essentially conquered his anxiety disorder.

[color="DarkOrange"]League Standings Overview[/color]

Looking around the league quickly, we the Spurs atop the Southwest Division, as usual, with a 10-6 record. We are four games behind them with a 5-9 record at the moment and fading fast. Fortunately for us, the Dallas Mavericks have the worst record in the league so far. We currently own their 2014 first round pick thanks to the Donatas Motiejunas trade last season.

The Northwest is looking like a two horse race with Denver leading the Thunder by 2.5 games. Don’t count out the rest of the division just yet as Portland, Minnesota and Utah are hanging around just a handful of games back of both.

The Pacific is being led by the Warriors at 11-4 on the season. The Clippers are second at 7-6 and the Lakers are behind them with a 7-9 record.

In the East, the Nets sit atop the Atlantic Division which looks to be the tightest in all of the NBA. The Knicks are in last place in the division but just 2.5 games back for the lead. Looks like the Atlantic will be tight throughout the season.

The Central is right up there with the Atlantic as all five teams are within three games of each other with the Pacers in the basement at just 6-8. The Pistons are on top at 9-5, but with the Cavs (9-6) and Bulls (10-7) right behind them, it wouldn’t surprise us to see the Pistons fade just a bit.

The Southeast division belongs to the back-to-back champion Miami Heat at 13-2 so far. Don’t look now, because the Washington Wizards look to have staying power at 10-4, just 2.5 games back of the mighty Heat. Washington loves to get physical and dirty up the game, but do they have the firepower to catch the Heat?

The bottom five teams in the league are the Dallas Mavericks (1-13), the Charlotte Hornets (3-11), the Orlando Magic (4-12), the Phoenix Suns (4-11) and our Houston Rockets at (5-9). Kris Eisley told Mr. Marble we would have an average season, but it’s looking below average right about now.

[color="DeepSkyBlue"]2014 Draft Class Preview[/color]

But if there were any draft to have two top-5 picks in, it would be this year! Draft experts are calling this the “Draft of Kings” considering it is the best class since LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade in 2003. So who is considered the top king so far this year? Leading the way is the Canadian import Andrew Wiggins. The Kansas Jayhawk small forward is an athletic freak and makes scoring look effortless. On to of that, he loves to dig in and play some defense, too. Regardless of how any other prospect plays, he should be the top pick in the draft.

After Wiggins, we have three more small forwards ranked from two to four. James Michael McAdoo out of North Carolina comes in at the second spot. Seen as a bit of a tweener forward, the 6-9 McAdoo can create mismatches on offense, but those mismatches could come back to bite him down the other end of the floor.

The third ranked prospect is Hoosier freshman Noah Vonleh. With Cody Zeller (Rockets) and Victor Oladipo (Raptors) gone from Indiana, Vonleh has assumed the lead dog role in just his first semester on campus. Can he live up to the hype or will the experts move him down the rankings as the season continues?

Coming in at No. 4 is Syracuse sophomore Jerami Grant. Grant won’t be asked to be the first option on offense for the Cuse, but he certainly has got the ability. At 6’8”, he will fit right into the backline of that vaunted Orange 2-3 zone. We may not know his true ability to play defense on the NBA level by watching his game film from college.

Rounding out the top-5 is Kentucky sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein. The 7-foot prospect played side-by-side with Nerlens Noel last season for Big Blue Nation. Instead of declaring like most expected, he decided to stay for another season to refine his game. It could make a major difference in his draft stock as he is already pegged as a top-5 pick.

Other notable prospects in this year’s class are Jabari Parker (#6), Julius Randle (#8), Andrew Harrison (#11) and Marcus Smart (#15). Look for these four players to make some noise throughout their respective collegiate season.

[color="Green"]Rookie Stat Leaders[/color]

Speaking of rookies, let’s take a look at the rookie stat leaders thus far:

Points Per Game:

1. [color="Red"]Trey Burke (HOU) - 11.1[/color]
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (CLE) - 10.7
3. Norvel Pelle (BKN) - 8.7
4. Ben McLemore (DET) - 8.2
5. Michael Carter-Williams (IND) 6.4

Rebounds Per Game:

1. Norvel Pell (BKN) - 5.9
   [color="Red"]
2. Nerlens Noel (HOU) - 3.6[/color]
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (CLE) - 3.2
   [color="Red"]
4. Cody Zeller (HOU) - 3.1[/color]
5. Alex Len (ATL) - 3.0

Assists Per Game:

1. Michael Carter-Williams (IND) - 3.6
2. Reggie Bullock (TOR) - 2.5
   [color="Red"]
3. Trey Burke (HOU) - 2.2[/color]
4. Ben McLemore (DET) - 2.0
   [color="Red"]
5. Nerlens Noel (HOU) - 1.6[/color]

Blocks Per Game:

1. Norvel Pelle (BKN) - 1.9
   [color="Red"]
2. Nerlens Noel (HOU) - 1.8
3. Cody Zeller (HOU) - 0.9[/color]
4. Tony Mitchell (TOR) - 0.7
5. Jackie Carmichael (BKN) - 0.6

Steals Per Game:

1. Ben McLemore (DET) - 1.6
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (CLE) - 1.5
   [color="Red"]
3. Nerlens Noel (HOU) - 1.3
4. Trey Burke (HOU) - 0.6[/color]
5. Norvel Pelle (BKN) - 0.5

[Rizzo]

December 1, 2013

Houston Rockets (5-9) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (7-6)

Royce White is not with the team.

Rockets – 104
James Harden – 32 PTS, 4 REB
Chandler Parsons – 17 PTS, 5 REB
Trey Burke – 14 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
JJ Redick – 13 PTS
Omer Asik – 6 PTS, 10 REB, 5 BLK

Clippers – 120
Blake Griffin – 33 PTS, 21 REB
Chris Paul – 29 PTS, 11 AST, 4 STL
DeAndre Jordan – 16 PTS, 14 REB

We get walloped on the road to Lob City as Blake Griffin goes bananas on us. Omer Asik was in foul trouble all game and still put up a pretty respectable line. Trey Burke and JJ Redick played well off the bench, but Burke is too much of a gunner at this point and doesn’t look to pass as much as he should. That needs to change.

December 2, 2013

Houston Rockets (5-10) vs. Sacramento Kings (7-11)

Rockets – 84
JJ Redick – 15 PTS
Mike Conley – 14 PTS, 6 AST
Trey Burke – 12 PTS
Patrick Patterson – 10 PTS, 8 REB

Kings – 102
DeMarcus Cousins – 26 PTS, 20 REB
Tyreke Evans – 21 PTS, 4 REB, 4 STL
Marcus Thornton – 19 PTS

We get utterly destroyed by a bad Sacramento team as Cousins goes for a 20-20 game on us. We shoot just 35% from the floor while James Harden scores his lowest output in a Rocket uniform with just six points.

After the game, we get a phone call from the Phoenix Suns’ GM Lon Babby, inquiring about Chandler Parsons. They offer their first round pick in this coming draft. They currently have the 4th worst record in the league at 5-13. We already own the Mavericks’ first round pick as they have the worst record in the league at 2-14.

We also have a budding star in Royce White. Yes, he has his mental health issues, but when he is on the court he’s as good as any small forward in the league. Chandler Parsons’ contract situation is also a sticky one. Being a second round pick, he is not extension eligible, so he will be hitting the open mark after next season. He’s going to want a huge pay increase from his current $926,500 that he’s making now.

Also, looking at his metric stats, Chandler Parsons was one of our worse offensive players. He had an eFG% of 41% as well as a TS% of 41.1%. Those were good for dead last on our team, not including the oft-inactive Jerome Randle.

Kris Eisley does not think we will be able to make that sort of commitment to him, so we bit the bullet and move on from Parsons. To fill in at small forward, we sign Mickael Pietrus to the league minimum. We now own three picks that currently sit within the top-5 of an absolutely stacked draft. Whether or not we make all of those picks remains to be seen. We will be active on draft day regardless.

[PointGuard]

Looks like a draft bonanza...really building from the ground up! Cool.

[Rizzo]

Looks like a draft bonanza...really building from the ground up! Cool.

I will have to do some serious tinkering to this roster. I'm probably going to try to package players and picks during the draft and hope to land a stud somewhere along the line. But, that is a ways away. For now, my goal is to develop the young talent.

[Rizzo]

December 5, 2013

Golden State Warriors (12-4) vs. Houston Rockets (5-11)

Warriors – 110
Stephen Curry – 23 PTS, 6 AST, 6 TO
David Lee – 17 PTS, 5 REB
Klay Thompson – 15 PTS, 8 AST, 5 TO

Rockets – 137
James Harden – 42 PTS (15-24 FG, 7-13 3PT, 5-6 FT)
Royce White – 29 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST
Omer Asik – 16 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK
Mike Conley – 6 PTS, 10 AST, 5 STL

In our first game without Chandler Parsons we blow out the Warriors, who are now sitting 2nd in the Western Conference standings. We will go as James Harden and Royce White go this season. Let’s just hope White makes as many road trips as possible.

December 7, 2013

Los Angeles Lakers (9-10) vs. Houston Rockets (6-11)

Lakers – 100
Dwight Howard – 25 PTS, 11 REB, 2 BLK
Kobe Bryant – 20 PTS (6-23 FG)
Pau Gasol – 15 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK
Carlos Delfino – 15 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL

Rockets – 118
Royce White – 29 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL
Trey Burke – 27 PTS (12-17 FG), 2 AST
James Harden – 13 PTS, 24 MIN, 5 PF
Omer Asik – 12 PTS, 8 REB, 3 STL
Nerlens Noel – 4 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK
Cody Zeller – 7 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK

Break up the Rockets! Two straight home wins over very good Western Conference teams has this squad feeling good about themselves. Royce White has two straight games with near triple-doubles. For this team to put up 118 points with Harden only scoring 13 is pretty amazing.

December 9, 2013

Charlotte Hornets (5-13) vs. Houston Rockets (7-11)

Hornets – 89
JJ Hickson – 22 PTS, 12 REB
Ben Gordon – 22 PTS, 7 REB
Gerald Henderson – 12 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 8 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL

Rockets – 119
James Harden – 23 PTS (6-21 FG, 1-9 3PT), 4 REB
Royce White – 15 PTS, 8 REB, 9 AST
Trey Burke – 17 PTS, 3 AST
Omer Asik – 12 PTS, 6 REB, 2 BLK
JJ Redick – 11 PTS
Nerlens Noel – 4 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK

After two wins over top opponents, we carry that momentum into a beat down of the Charlotte Hornets. This team is playing well, especially on the defensive end. The people of Houston are starting to get very excited about this team’s potential.

December 12, 2013

Dallas Mavericks (4-15) vs. Houston Rockets (8-11)

Mavericks – 130
Dirk Nowitzki – 29 PTS, 6 REB
Shawn Marion – 24 PTS, 6 REB, 7 TO
OJ Mayo – 22 PTS
Darren Collison – 4 PTS, 6 REB, 14 AST

Rockets – 138
James Harden – 31 PTS, 3 AST, 2 STL
Omer Asik – 20 PTS, 11 REB, 2 BLK
Mike Conley – 16 PTS, 6 AST
Royce White – 13 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Patrick Patterson – 12 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK
Trey Burke – 12 PTS, 3 AST

So much for that defensive prowess we have shown the past three games as the Mavericks come into town and put 130 up on the board. Luckily, we were able to top that with 138 of our own. Even better than the win is the fact we hand the Mavericks another loss, making their draft pick that much better for us.

December 14, 2013

Washington Wizards (14-8) vs. Houston Rockets (9-11)

Wizards – 108
John Wall – 15 PTS, 10 REB, 14 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK
Nene Hilario – 23 PTS, 5 REB, 2 STL
Bradley Beal – 21 PTS

Rockets – 102
Royce White – 28 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
James Harden – 24 PTS, 4 REB, 28 MIN, Fouled Out
Trey Burke – 14 PTS, 7 AST
Nerlens Noel – 8 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK

All good things must come to an end and John Wall made sure of it as his triple-double snaps the Rockets’ four-game winning streak. No time to hang our heads as we get the Thunder in our building in two nights.

December 16, 2013

Oklahoma City Thunder (14-9) vs. Houston Rockets (9-12)

Thunder – 108
Kevin Durant – 33 PTS, 9 REB
Russell Westbrook – 27 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST

Rockets – 98
James Harden – 19 PTS, 23 MIN, Fouled Out
Royce White – 4 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK, Fouled Out
JJ Redick – 16 PTS
Trey Burke – 14 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST
Patrick Patterson – 12 PTS, 10 REB, 1 BLK
Mike Conley – 9 PTS, 7 AST, Fouled Out

We took a two-point lead into the 4th quarter but just didn’t have the gas left in the tank to hang with the Thunder. With Harden, White and Conley all fouling out, the 4th quarter was not pretty for us.

December 18, 2013

Utah Jazz (12-11) vs. Houston Rockets (9-13)

Jazz – 99
Gordon Hayward – 20 PTS, 6 REB
Alonzo Gee – 18 PTS
Derrick Favors – 13 PTS, 5 REB
Al Jefferson – 12 PTS, 7 REB

Rockets – 143
James Harden – 38 PTS (15-24 FG, 6-10 3PT)
Royce White – 27 PTS, 8 REB, 11 AST
Trey Burke – 17 PTS, 4 AST
Nerlens Noel – 11 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK
JJ Redick – 10 PTS
Mike Conley – 9 PTS, 8 AST
Cody Zeller – 9 PTS, 9 REB, 1 BLK

A start-to-finish dominant performance by the Rockets capped off with a 40-12 4th quarter spanking. To beat a team like the Jazz on the glass is beyond impressive.

[Rizzo]

December 20, 2013

Houston Rockets (10-13) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (10-14)

Royce White is traveling with the team.

Rockets – 119
Royce White – 34 PTS, 9 REB
James Harden – 25 PTS
Trey Burke – 14 PTS, 5 AST
JJ Redick – 13 PTS
Patrick Patterson – 11 PTS, 8 REB

76ers – 103
Jrue Holiday – 21 PTS, 10 AST, 2 STL
Thaddeus Young – 18 PTS, 4 REB
Dorell Wright – 18 PTS, 5 REB
Spencer Hawes – 8 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK

A road win for the Rockets to start the trip is a great sign. Royce White has been on an absolute tear since the Parsons trade, showcasing that he is one of the best, young small forwards in the entire league!

December 22, 2013

Houston Rockets (11-13) vs. Brooklyn Nets (12-12)

Rockets – 106
James Harden – 25 PTS
Royce White – 20 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL
Mike Conley – 17 PTS, 4 AST
JJ Redick – 10 PTS, 6 REB
Omer Asik – 8 PTS, 10 REB, 3 BLK
Nerlens Noel – 4 PTS, 8 REB, 4 BLK

Nets – 105
Norvel Pelle – 17 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK
Gerald Wallace – 17 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL
Joe Johnson – 16 PTS, 8 AST
Kris Humphries – 13 PTS, 10 REB
Brook Lopez – 14 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK

A one-point win to the Nets gives us a lot of confidence as we head down to the Dirty South to take on the Atlanta Hawks. With James Harden and Royce White playing some good ball lately, the Rockets have found a groove. Unfortunately, Omer Asik has sprained his ankle that will almost certainly hinder his play. Look for rookie Nerlens Noel to usurp a few more minutes for the foreseeable future.

December 24, 2013

Houston Rockets (12-13) vs. Atlanta Hawks (12-12)

Rockets – 111
Royce White – 27 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK
James Harden – 24 PTS, 4 REB, Fouled Out in 29 Mins
Nerlends Noel – 18 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK
Trey Burke – 11 PTS, 3 AST
Cody Zeller – 6 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL

Hawks – 121
Lou Williams – 24 PTS, 4 AST, 6 STL
Jeff Teague – 22 PTS, 5 AST
Derrick Brown – 19 PTS
Al Horford – 16 PTS, 10 REB, 2 BLK

A ten-point loss on the road when our starting center was clearly hampered with an ankle injury isn’t something to get too down on. Nerlens Noel got his first start of his career and played admirably. What we were most impressed with was him being able to log 36 minutes with only committing two fouls while blocking three shots and altering numerous others. Great sign!

December 26, 2013

New Orleans Pelicans (16-11) vs. Houston Rockets (12-14)

Pelicans – 109

Eric Gordon – 26 PTS, 3 STL
Brandon Rush – 17 PTS, 5 REB
Anthony Davis – 16 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK

Rockets – 121
Royce White – 24 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
Mike Conley – 17 PTS, 5 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
Ronnie Brewer – 17 PTS, 5 STL
Patrick Patterson – 14 PTS, 5 REB
Nerlens Noel – 12 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK

The up-and-coming Pelicans were put down by the Rockets as we had seven players score in double figures. A balanced offense will keep teams on their heals for sure.

December 28, 2013

Again, Royce White is making the trip with the Rockets, this time for three games.

Houston Rockets (13-14) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-11)

Rockets – 104
Royce White – 29 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK
James Harden – 27 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL
Nerlens Noel – 12 PTS, 6 REB, 2 BLK

Timberwolves – 114
Kevin Love – 23 PTS, 13 REB
Chase Budinger – 21 PTS, 5 REB
Nikola Pekovic – 20 PTS, 8 REB
Ricky Rubio – 13 PTS, 13 AST

Minnesota is a good team, but these are the games we need to start winning if we want to be taken seriously. We beat up on the bottom feeders, but playoff teams we struggle against.

December 29, 2013

Houston Rockets (13-15) vs. Portland Trailblazers (14-16)

Rockets – 115
James Harden – 27 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL
Mike Conley – 20 PTS, 9 AST
Royce White – 19 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 4 STL

Trailblazers – 101
LaMarcus Aldridge – 45 PTS, 8 REB
Nicolas Batum – 16 PTS
Damian Lillard – 13 PTS, 12 AST

Sure, Aldridge went off on us, but at least we were able to keep the rest of the team in check. We beat another team that will struggle to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, we could be grouped into that same category with our play against better teams.

December 31, 2013

Houston Rockets (14-15) vs. Golden State Warriors (16-12)

Rockets – James Harden – 32 PTS, 5 REB
Royce White – 16 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST
Mike Conley – 15 PTS, 6 AST
Patrick Patterson – 14 PTS, 9 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Omer Asik – 12 PTS, 8 REB, 1 BLK
Nerlens Noel – 10 PTS, 9 REB, 6 BLK
Trey Burke – 5 PTS, 4, REB, 4 AST

Warriors – 114
David Lee – 26 PTS, 9 REB
Klay Thompson – 23 PTS, 4 AST
Stephen Curry – 16 PTS, 5 REB, 14 AST
Andrew Bogut – 15 PTS, 15 REB, 8 BLK

The Warriors are a playoff team and in play for a top-3 seed and we take them down on their home court. That is a win we can hang our hats on as we come home to start the New Year off against the Nuggets.

[zike_42]

Wow Royce is tearing it up. It's strange to see what players can do when given the chance, in my dynasty Royce was just a bench player/fifth starter because he didn't get a chance to grow.