All season long, Sonics Beat will be consulting an expert on the opposing team as part our gameday preview. Damien Pierce, who does a great job of covering the team for Rockets.com, joins us today. In my preview, I touched on the key role played by Houston's draft picks, and that's the subject of Rockets.com's preview. Now, to the questions.
What does Tracy McGrady's return to the lineup mean to the team?
Obviously, it will probably take a few games for McGrady to regain his rhythm and get back in shape after a month-long layoff. But his presence alone certainly gives the Rockets a boost. He automatically commands attention on the perimeter, which should help open things up a little more for Yao Ming. That's really what the Rockets need from him. Over the past few games, the team has been trying to lean on Yao down the stretch, but they've had trouble getting the ball to him. With McGrady back, they'd have another option to finish games.
It doesn't seem like we've heard a lot about the Rockets defense, but statistically it's as good as any D save for Boston's. Does that fit what you're seeing from the defense?
The Rockets developed a reputation as one of the league's best defensive teams under Jeff Van Gundy. But since he's gone, I think the Rockets are getting less credit for their defensive effort. Obviously, the numbers suggest that's not fair. They have statistically remained one of the NBA's better defensive teams and have still won plenty of games this season relying on that. But with that said, I don't think they're perfect on defense. The Rockets have struggled with their transition defense in recent games. On Tuesday, they allowed Philadelphia to score 12 fast-break points in the fourth quarter. That's something that has to improve if the Rockets want to be considered one of the league's best.
Luis Scola has put together some big games but also seen his minutes fluctuate. Does he figure to play a bigger role for the Rockets as he adjusts to the NBA?
Luis Scola has had an up-and-down rookie campaign. He's shown flashes of what he could bring to the Rockets on a nightly basis, but like any rookie, he's spent much of his first season learning the NBA game. Scola is still figuring out how to play off Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and is learning the rule differences between the NBA and international play. He has struggled at times to avoid foul trouble. But since he's a guy used to playing in offenses with a ton of movement, he's looked great whenever the Rockets are moving the ball. I suspect that he's going to become a greater asset as the season progresses.
What have you seen from Seattle native Aaron Brooks in January as he's seen increased minutes?
The kid can fly. Just ask Tracy McGrady. McGrady said about a week ago that he thought Brooks was the fastest player in the NBA. In any case, the Rockets first-round pick has made the most of his opportunity. He got a chance to play about three weeks ago because Rick Adelman was hoping the point guard would help Houston pick up the tempo and get easier baskets in transition. Brooks has done that and because of that, he's remained in the rotation. He's still got to improve his decision-making and the Rockets expect him to shoot a higher percentage. But his speed alone will keep him in the rotation.
What don't we know but should about the Rockets?
The Rockets have done a much better job of winning without Tracy McGrady. Before this season, the Rockets were 11-42 when they played without T-Mac over the past three seasons. So far, they're 7-7 without the star this season. How have they done it? Better offensive movement. In the past, the Rockets struggled to win without McGrady because so much of the offense depended on McGrady's ability to generate looks for everyone else. But since the team is beginning to get comfortable with Rick Adelman's high-motion scheme, the supporting cast is beginning to find scoring opportunities within the offense rather than through an individual.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Kia Surprising Stat: 1/21 at Houston
Rockets rookie Carl Landry had a streak of 11 consecutive field goals snapped Saturday against San Antonio. Landry had last missed on Dec. 9 against Toronto. In that game, Landry was 1-for-6 from the field against the Raptors; the rest of the season, he is 15-of-16 (93.8%).
Friday, January 18, 2008
Kia Surprising Stat: 1/19 at Dallas
Sonics point guard Luke Ridnour has boosted his assist-to-turnover ratio recently. Through Dec. 19, Ridnour's assist-to-turnover ratio was just 1.61 (29 assists, 18 turnovers). Since then, however, Ridnour has handed out 27 assists against just five turnovers (5.4).
Durant Q&A
While the Sonics were in New Orleans earlier this week, Hornets.com went 1-on-1 with Sonics rookie Kevin Durant. Check it out.
Hornets.com: Texas is currently ranked 19th in the country and the
college season is getting into conference play. Do you miss the excitement of the Big 12, March Madness, and college basketball in general?
Durant: You know, I more miss my teammates than anything else, man. That was a great experience for me and the atmosphere was just a great atmosphere to play in. But I just miss my teammates, just joking around with them and having fun with them every day.
Opposing View: 1/18 at Memphis
All season long, Sonics Beat will be consulting an expert on the opposing team as part our gameday preview. Today, we chat with Graham Kendrick of Grizzlies.com about a young Memphis squad. I also answered some questions for Graham about the Sonics.
3 Shades of Blue has done the best job blogging the Grizzlies on the Internets, including a recent theory that might explain the team's poor luck in close games this season. The Beale Street Blog provides another perspective on the Grizzlies. Also see Chris Herrington's Beyond the Arc Grizzlies blog.
Pau Gasol seems to have picked up his game lately. What's been the difference?
There’s a few factors that come into play here, beginning with health. Pau was dealing with nagging back and toe injuries through the first couple months of the season that really hampered him, but he’s shaken those off and appears to be healthy. But perhaps more than that is that he’s found his comfort zone in new head coach Marc Iavaroni’s system. Gasol mentioned just this week that he didn’t adapt to the new system as quickly as he would have liked, and the first couple of months of the season were spent trying to find his place in the offense. I also think he and Rudy Gay were trying to develop on-court chemistry in light of Gay’s explosion this season. That’s not to say there have been any issues between them, far from it. But Gasol and Gay had to figure out how to work off of each other, and they seem to be doing a much better job of that. For instance, they combined for 49 points and 21 rebounds in the team’s last game, an overtime loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. I think the numbers you see Gasol putting up this month are much more indicative of what he’ll do for the rest of the season than the numbers he put up in November and December.
Mike Conley has moved into the starting lineup in January. Are you seeing the flashes of brilliance and occasional rough patches from him to be expected of a point guard so obviously talented but also so inexperienced?
Right now the good is far outweighing the bad with Mike Conley. Perhaps one of the biggest compliments you can pay him right now is that you don’t even think about the fact he’s only 20 years old when you watch him play. When you consider that in the last four years he’s won three state titles in high school then went to the NCAA title game as a freshman starter, all of a sudden a midseason NBA game doesn’t seem so daunting. Mike’s biggest asset is his speed. He’s perfect for the up-tempo game Iavaroni has preached since his hiring, and he can get into the lane at will, where he’s adept at finishing. But on top of that, he plays in control, and has a knack for finding his teammates in the right spots at the right times. If there are any areas of concern, it’s that he’s still fairly slender, and bigger point guards can give him trouble. Furthermore, the knock on him coming out of college was a shaky shot, and while he’s been a solid shooter thus far, he needs to keep knocking them down to keep defenses from sagging and waiting for his dribble penetration. But all in all, he’s been as good as advertised.
When you look at the development of Rudy Gay between his first and second seasons, what stands out?
There’s a few things that stand out, most notably a much-improved three-point shot that’s added another dimension to his game. Gay is now hurting teams inside and out. In fact, our intrepid PR department tells me he’s the only player in the NBA who has both at least 50 three-pointers made and dunks. Along with his outside shot, another reason for his improvement is his decision-making. As a rookie last season, too often he was tentative. He’d get the ball, and would overthink everything, trying not to mess up rather than just do what came naturally to him. There was no flow to his game, it was paralysis by analysis. But this season, that’s gone. He’s much more decisive with the ball, but more importantly, that decisiveness usually produces positive results.
Who's the best shooter on the Grizzlies - Mike Miller or Juan Carlos Navarro?
That’s like asking who you prefer watching between Ichiro and Felix Hernandez, you can’t go wrong either way. Right now the edge goes to Mike Miller, who’s been consistently good all season and is making 42.9% of his three-point attempts. Navarro’s been a bit up and down this year, which is to be expected as an NBA rookie making the transition from the Spanish league, but when he’s locked in, he’s fun to watch. Despite being a little undersized for the two-guard spot at 6-3, Navarro doesn’t need much room to get his shot off because his release is so fast, and he doesn’t necessarily need to set his feet. He’s made lots of his threes on the run or off-balance, and sometimes you just have to shake your head at some of the shots he makes. Plus, and this has to count for something, his nickname of La Bomba (which is actually a reference to his patented running floater in the lane) has to be one of the best monikers in the league.
What don't we know but should about the Grizzlies?
What sticks out is an almost unbelievable record in games decided by three points or less: 1-9. It’s been amazing how this team just can’t catch a break in close games. Whether it’s been buzzer-beaters, poor execution or just bad luck, it seems like every time the Grizzlies are in a close game, something bad happens to them down the stretch. I suppose you can look at it two ways: a glass half-full person would say this is a young team hanging in and still learning how to close out games. A glass half-empty person would contend it’s a team that doesn’t know how to finish. As with most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But sooner or later you have to think the team will start pulling those close one out.
3 Shades of Blue has done the best job blogging the Grizzlies on the Internets, including a recent theory that might explain the team's poor luck in close games this season. The Beale Street Blog provides another perspective on the Grizzlies. Also see Chris Herrington's Beyond the Arc Grizzlies blog.
Pau Gasol seems to have picked up his game lately. What's been the difference?
There’s a few factors that come into play here, beginning with health. Pau was dealing with nagging back and toe injuries through the first couple months of the season that really hampered him, but he’s shaken those off and appears to be healthy. But perhaps more than that is that he’s found his comfort zone in new head coach Marc Iavaroni’s system. Gasol mentioned just this week that he didn’t adapt to the new system as quickly as he would have liked, and the first couple of months of the season were spent trying to find his place in the offense. I also think he and Rudy Gay were trying to develop on-court chemistry in light of Gay’s explosion this season. That’s not to say there have been any issues between them, far from it. But Gasol and Gay had to figure out how to work off of each other, and they seem to be doing a much better job of that. For instance, they combined for 49 points and 21 rebounds in the team’s last game, an overtime loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. I think the numbers you see Gasol putting up this month are much more indicative of what he’ll do for the rest of the season than the numbers he put up in November and December.
Mike Conley has moved into the starting lineup in January. Are you seeing the flashes of brilliance and occasional rough patches from him to be expected of a point guard so obviously talented but also so inexperienced?
Right now the good is far outweighing the bad with Mike Conley. Perhaps one of the biggest compliments you can pay him right now is that you don’t even think about the fact he’s only 20 years old when you watch him play. When you consider that in the last four years he’s won three state titles in high school then went to the NCAA title game as a freshman starter, all of a sudden a midseason NBA game doesn’t seem so daunting. Mike’s biggest asset is his speed. He’s perfect for the up-tempo game Iavaroni has preached since his hiring, and he can get into the lane at will, where he’s adept at finishing. But on top of that, he plays in control, and has a knack for finding his teammates in the right spots at the right times. If there are any areas of concern, it’s that he’s still fairly slender, and bigger point guards can give him trouble. Furthermore, the knock on him coming out of college was a shaky shot, and while he’s been a solid shooter thus far, he needs to keep knocking them down to keep defenses from sagging and waiting for his dribble penetration. But all in all, he’s been as good as advertised.
When you look at the development of Rudy Gay between his first and second seasons, what stands out?
There’s a few things that stand out, most notably a much-improved three-point shot that’s added another dimension to his game. Gay is now hurting teams inside and out. In fact, our intrepid PR department tells me he’s the only player in the NBA who has both at least 50 three-pointers made and dunks. Along with his outside shot, another reason for his improvement is his decision-making. As a rookie last season, too often he was tentative. He’d get the ball, and would overthink everything, trying not to mess up rather than just do what came naturally to him. There was no flow to his game, it was paralysis by analysis. But this season, that’s gone. He’s much more decisive with the ball, but more importantly, that decisiveness usually produces positive results.
Who's the best shooter on the Grizzlies - Mike Miller or Juan Carlos Navarro?
That’s like asking who you prefer watching between Ichiro and Felix Hernandez, you can’t go wrong either way. Right now the edge goes to Mike Miller, who’s been consistently good all season and is making 42.9% of his three-point attempts. Navarro’s been a bit up and down this year, which is to be expected as an NBA rookie making the transition from the Spanish league, but when he’s locked in, he’s fun to watch. Despite being a little undersized for the two-guard spot at 6-3, Navarro doesn’t need much room to get his shot off because his release is so fast, and he doesn’t necessarily need to set his feet. He’s made lots of his threes on the run or off-balance, and sometimes you just have to shake your head at some of the shots he makes. Plus, and this has to count for something, his nickname of La Bomba (which is actually a reference to his patented running floater in the lane) has to be one of the best monikers in the league.
What don't we know but should about the Grizzlies?
What sticks out is an almost unbelievable record in games decided by three points or less: 1-9. It’s been amazing how this team just can’t catch a break in close games. Whether it’s been buzzer-beaters, poor execution or just bad luck, it seems like every time the Grizzlies are in a close game, something bad happens to them down the stretch. I suppose you can look at it two ways: a glass half-full person would say this is a young team hanging in and still learning how to close out games. A glass half-empty person would contend it’s a team that doesn’t know how to finish. As with most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But sooner or later you have to think the team will start pulling those close one out.
Kia Surprising Stat: 1/18 at Memphis
Tonight's game will be, as noted by the Memphis Commercial Appeal, a celebration of rookies. Of the seven NBA rookies averaging at least 23.8 minutes per game, four will be on the court tonight: Sonics Kevin Durant (33.2 mpg, first) and Jeff Green (24.9 mpg, fifth) and Memphis' Mike Conley, Jr. (24.8 mpg, sixth) and Juan Carlos Navarro (23.8 mpg, seventh).
Thursday, January 17, 2008
D-League Update: 1/17/08
With your humble blogger back in Seattle, the D-League Showcase wrapped up this evening and the host Idaho Stampede closed things out with a 117-93 blowout victory over the "home" team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. That's the 11th straight win for the Stampede, who have not lost since the Sonics assigned center Mouhamed Sene to Idaho.
Sene played a big role in tonight's win. In 28 minutes of action, Sene made all six of his shot attempts, scoring 14 points. He grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked three shots and even picked up an assist and a steal before fouling out.
Here's what Matt Wurst had to say about Sene in the "Scouting the Showcase" blog on the D-League's Web site:
"One of the eight remaining NBA assignees, Sene is a second-year forward with the Sonics and one of the best raw athletes we have seen here in four days. He spent some time in the D-League last season, but has really improved since then. Very powerful around the rim, Sene also rebounds and blocks shots like an NBA player.
"After three quarters, he has 14 points and 13 rebounds and is a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor. I also think he just pulled a rebound off the top of the backboard. Not sure if he left change up there, though."
Thanks for the scouting report, Matt, though I think Todd Gallagher has some thoughts on making change off the backboard for you.
Sene played a big role in tonight's win. In 28 minutes of action, Sene made all six of his shot attempts, scoring 14 points. He grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked three shots and even picked up an assist and a steal before fouling out.
Here's what Matt Wurst had to say about Sene in the "Scouting the Showcase" blog on the D-League's Web site:
"One of the eight remaining NBA assignees, Sene is a second-year forward with the Sonics and one of the best raw athletes we have seen here in four days. He spent some time in the D-League last season, but has really improved since then. Very powerful around the rim, Sene also rebounds and blocks shots like an NBA player.
"After three quarters, he has 14 points and 13 rebounds and is a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor. I also think he just pulled a rebound off the top of the backboard. Not sure if he left change up there, though."
Thanks for the scouting report, Matt, though I think Todd Gallagher has some thoughts on making change off the backboard for you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Contact Kevin
Sonics Beat RSS