<font color="red">Rockets (0-0)</font> vs. <font color="purple">Kings (0-1)</font> Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005 Toyota Center, Houston, TX Game Schedule: 7:30 CT; FSNSW <div align="center">Probable Line-ups: <font color="red">Rockets <font color="red"><font size="1">PPG: 6.0 RPG: 3.9 APG: 4.3</div></font> <font color="red"><div align="right">http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/juwan_howard.jpg"> Howard <font color="red">PPG: 10.1 RPG: 6.0 BPG: 0.0 </font></font>[/b] <div align="center"><font color="purple">Kings - Peja Stojakovic, Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim </div></font> <div align="right"><font size="1">http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/shareef_abdur-rahim.jpg"></div> Abdur-Rahim <div align="right"><font color="purple">PPG: 14.0 RPG: 8.0 BPG: 1.0 </font></font></div> <font size="1">*All <font color="red">Rockets</font> statistics are those of preseason games.</font> Pre-Game Notes <ul>McGrady's knee - Tracy McGrady's knee has given most, if not all fans of the Rockets a bit of a scare. When he said himself it was bothering him, it was feared that he may not play the first game. Thankfully, his progress steadily improved and he has been cleared to play the game today. Van Gundy will probably be keeping a good eye on him throughout the game, and will try not to overplay him.[/list] <ul>Sacramento's Shooting - The Kings shot an awful, 31% from the field against the Hornets, a team that does not pride in defense. Against a Van Gundy ball club, that figure could drop well into the teens if they do not get their act together. Rick Adelman has surely reminded them of this, but it remains to be seen if the Kings respond.[/list] <ul>Rockets Player's Debuts - Rafer Alston, Stromile Swift, Derek Anderson, and Luther Head all will see their first Regular Season's worth of action. Tonight's game is Luther Head's first regular season game in the NBA. However, he might not have the same amount of time he had in the preseason. These new faces on the Rockets (two of them starting) will look to prove any doubters wrong and silence the critics. This going for Swift and Alston especially, who both have been lambasted as lazy, careless, and players who only play for themselves.[/list] <font size="1">Random Rockets Quote: "We realize ... we didn't play up to our potential. We didn't look like the Houston Rockets that you'd see before we put the team on the basketball court, just looking from the outside and seeing how good this team can be and how successful we can be. I didn't see that in the preseason." -Tracy McGrady</font> Prediction: The Rockets look good so far, the Kings haven't. Managing 67 points in their last contest, the Rockets should capitalize with an emphatic win. Rockets: 103 Kings: 84
Pretty nice and simple preview magno. Are those stats from the preseason games? Everyone has been hoping if TMac can play tomorrow. He's probably been well rested enough. Sacramento has a bad game tonight(against the rejuvenated Hornets) with awful shooting and poor team chemistry. I hope the Rockets will not start the season at that pace. It's time for them also to get serious and play with more fluidity in setting up offenses.
I hope we can come out at home and not play flat. Everyone is going to be hyped up and sometimes that doesn't translate so well. Also, the Kings are proabably pissed that they got owned by Oklahoma city last night - I wouldn't expect them to play as poorly tonight. I definitely think we will pick up the W though.
Sacremento had an embarassing loss yesterday to the Hornets. That could be dangerous for the Rockets if they're not focused. Nice job on the preview. I prefer this preview style to the PG vs PG, SG vs SG, etc. version. I think that limits the overview to one on one matchups, and there's more to the what decides a game than that. If you have time, I think it would be a good idea to include a bench section for backcourt and frontcourt of each team as well. One team might have worse starters but overall be better if their bench is deeper.
That was a pretty good read. Still, I wonder how the benches match up? Houston's most infamous bench player Stromile Swift will most definitely play, and we will expect maybe a few points, a dunk, a few blocks, and some power rebounding. Hopefully he can dominate Shareef Abdul-Jabbar or Kenny Thomas, whoever he's playing against. The Rockets will also throw in David Wesley, Jon Barry, Deke Mutumbo, and hopefully Luther head, as well. Too bad Bob Sura isn't here, he could have helped a lot as well.
I'm fortunate enough to be attending the game tonight. But the only thing is whenever I go see the Rocket games, they play terrible. Hope I don't jinx them
Nice preview magno, I prefer this format over the single-matchup one as well. As most of us probably know, the Kings just got blown out by the Hornets, and PJ Brown of all people had a 20/10 game in just 32 minutes. No one on the Kings shot well, and only two were in double figures. I'm pretty sure that the Kings will come out with a vengeance and look to take over the game from the start by running and jacking up quick shots, so the Rockets will have to make sure they don't try to match Sacramento's pace and take ill-advised shots. Brad Miller has a pretty good track record against Yao, and his range can draw Yao out to as far as the three-point line. Yao will need to work inside and draw fouls on Miller because the Kings do not have anyone else over 6-9 to body up on Yao. Stromile Swift will also likely have a big game off the bench, as Shareef Abdur-Rahim is a slower defender and Kenny Thomas at 6-7 is undersized. IMO, the Rockets should try out Head as Alston's backup so that his quickness can cause Mike Bibby some problems on both sides of the floor. Most rookies try their best in their debuts, and if Head puts in a good effort on the floor, it'll be very helpful. With the Rockets at home and eager to show the league that they are for real, it would be pretty hard to predict a loss. However, the Kings are also a top team in the West and will be trying at all costs to avoid starting out with a 0-2 record. I'm predicting a Rockets win by 5.
I hope the team can go out there and play as team, we have already the home court advantage, and the Rockets are better team then Sacramento "Mike Bibby" Kings, but the Kings just lose the game vs. Hornets by 20 and they really want to win the second game to prove something. I can see Stro on the court more then Juwan Howard, I like every dunker but this guy is just SCARY.
Hm. . I would like to say I did this in about 10 minutes. The edited one starts now.. Thanks for whoever PMed me with comments.
Nice preview....I have a paper to type tonight, but hopefully I can catch the 2nd half at my sister's crib (I really need to get direct t.v.)......my main concern is Tmac's health and the fact that the kings got blown out last night.....the Rockets need to get off to a quick start so they won't be playing from behind.
Ok, edited version is done. Hopefully I'll re-edit after the game and post the box scores and my post-game thoughts. Here's my biased view - - - The Rockets will win this game. Once this team gets clicking there's really no stopping them, as we've seen last season. We've only lost Mike James, and replaced him with a better fit in Rafer Alston. With Barry, Deke, Stro/Juwan, Wesley, Bowen, Sura, and possibly Head lining the bench in the coming months, we have one of the most solid benches in the league. Sacramento got blown out by a New Orleans squad who they could easily have beat, and coming into Texas, the outlook looks grim. Go. Rockets.
If we're playing the Sacramento team of last night, then we can win by about 30 points. However, you have to wonder if Sacramento just had a rare bad showing last night and will be out for blood tonight to amend for the loss to the Hornets. If anything, at least the Kings won't score 67 again, and Adelman has always been one of the best at offensive set ups, so we could easily see this game go into the high 90's and maybe 100's. magno, I think your prediction of 84 is a bit too optimistic. I'm not saying that the Rockets can't win this game; they can and they should, but it'll be close and a high scoring affair.
Nice preview, although I prefer the single-matchup previews over this one...just my two cents... I think the Rockets will come ahead on top, but it would indeed be foolish to think that the Kings will come forth tonight with the same effort as last season... Rockets 98 Kings 88
Just to say that it is nice to be here with you for another great season of the Houston Rockets and that FINALLY I can watch every Rockets game from Italy. LIVE! WOW!
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I can watch every Rockets game from Italy. LIVE! WOW!</div> Welcome back, but don't make me jealous. ...Oh and guess who's battling foul trouble with five minutes to go in the first quarter? I'll give you guys a hint, he's really tall.
^Haha. Same reason that jon barry could come out as the point leader for the rockets. The font size is hard to read, could you make it bigger? Win or loose, the rockets seem to still have a whole lot of work to do.
WOW...24 points for JB... Yao stepping up late...if he hadnt been in foul trouble, we might be talking about a 40-pt night... Rockets are gonna go 1-0 to start the season!...
