Official Game Thread: [Rockets @ Washington] - Jan. 3, 2006

<div align="center"><font color="red">Rockets (10-18)</font> at <font color="blue">Trailblazers (12-16)</font>
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006
MCI Center, Washington, DC
6:00 CT; FSNSW and NBATVHighDef


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<font size="3">Projected Starters</font>

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<font size="1">(G. Arenas, J. Jeffries, C. Butler, B. Haywood, A. Jamison)</font></font></div>

<font size="1">Leading Scorer: Gilbert Arenas - 29.2 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Antawn Jamison - 10.4 RPG
Assist Man: Gilbert Arenas - 6.2 APG
The 'X' Factor: Caron Butler (15.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG)</font>

<font size="3">Backcourt</font>

<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Arenas_Gilbert_PG.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Gilbert Arenas</font>
PPG: 29.2, RPG: 3.6, APG: 6.2
Arenas is playing the best basketball of his career. He doesn't get the respect like other players do, but this guy is an All-Star. Arenas is a big PG, and can easily win 1 on 1 matchups against smaller Guards. He also likes to attack the basket. He gets to the line 9 times a game. So if you want to beat him, you have to make him pass.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Jeffries_Jared_G.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Jared Jeffries</font>
PPG: 5.7, RPG: 4.8, APG: 2.0
Jared Jeffries only averages 5.1 Shots Per Game, and 5.7 Points Per Game. With Arenas and Jamison on his team you would expect that. But he can score if needed to. He may get more shots Today if the Rockets force Arenas to pass to him. So expect him to either score 10+ points, or less than 5.
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<font size="3">Frontcourt</font>

<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Butler_Caron_SF.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Caron Butler</font>
PPG: 15.8, RPG: 5.2, APG: 2.2
Caron Butler is the 3rd Scoring Option for this team, and you can't forget about him. With Arenas and Jamison getting all the attention, Caron can get alot of easy scoring opportunities. But Today he'll be matched up with Tracy McGrady. Butler may get tired having to chase McGrady around. So his numbers may be lower.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Haywood_Brendan_C.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Brendan Haywood</font>
PPG: 8.6, RPG: 5.9, BPG: 1.71
Haywood is a big guy, and Mutombo is really the only guy who can match up with him. With Yao Ming out the Rockets have to play some of their Power Forwards at Center. Guys like Swift, Baxter, and Howard. Haywood can really use his size to his advantage in this game.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Jamison_Antawn_F.jpg[/imgl]<font color="blue">Antawn Jamison</font>
PPG: 18.1, RPG: 10.4, BPG: 0.18
Antawn Jamison isn't a PF, but he really isn't a SF either. He's a great rebounder who uses his speed, and athleticism to get to the ball. He's also a great scorer. If it wasn't for Arenas, Jamison would easily average more than 20 points. So you can't let him take over a game, because if you give him the opportunity he will.
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<font size="3">Projected Starters</font>

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<font size="1">(D. Wesley, T. McGrady, R. Bowen, J. Howard, Y. Ming) </font></font></div>

<font size="1">Leading Scorer: Tracy McGrady - 24.3 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Yao Ming - 9.0 RPG
Assist Man: Tracy McGrady - 5.2 APG
The 'X' Factor: Stromile Swift (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, .75 BPG)</font>

<font size="3">Backcourt</font>

<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Alston_Rafer.jpg[/imgl]<font color="red">Rafer Alston</font>
PPG: 7.3, RPG: 3.9, APG: 3.9
This is only Rafer's 2nd game after returning from his injury. But it does give the Rockets a pure PG handling the ball, and that's good enough. Alston was 1-5 behind the 3 point line in the game vs the Warriors. If the Rockets plan on winning Today's game, Rafer will need to knock down the open shots.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Wesley_David.jpg[/imgl]<font color="red">David Wesley</font>
PPG: 9.1, RPG: 3.0, APG: 3.3
David Wesley has been consistant over that last couple of games, and that has become very helpful with Yao injured. With Rafer back, Wesley won't have to play PG anymore. So now all Wesley has to worry about is getting open, and hitting his shots. If Wesley can do that, it will force the Wizards to play defense on him.
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<font size="3">Frontcourt</font>

<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/McGrady_Tracy.jpg[/imgl]<font color="red">Tracy McGrady</font>
PPG: 24.3, RPG: 7.3, APG: 5.2
This one is obvious. Tracy McGrady needs to take over the game. Tracy needs to go back to being the selfish player he was in Orlando. If T-Mac can take over early it will make the rest of the game easier. Everyone on the Rockets will get easy shots. And if they can make them, the Rockets can come out with a W.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Mutombo_Dikembe.jpg[/imgl]<font color="red">Dikembe Mutombo</font> - PPG: 1.8, RPG: 3.8, BPG: 0.79
Not in the House of Mutombo! That pretty much says it all. Mutombo is such a feared defensive presence. Not only will he block your shot, but he'll wag that long finger in your face. Unfortunately, Mutombo isn't that great of a scorer, he's really really old. But he can still rebound, and those rebounds can turn into points.
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<font size="1">[imgl]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/Howard_Juwon.jpg[/imgl]<font color="red">Juwan Howard</font>
PPG: 8.9, RPG: 6.4, BPG: 0.11
Juwon has done a great job scoring in the absence of Yao. Juwon may not be as explosive as his younger days, but he still has the moves. Juwon will be matched up with Antwan, so he may have some trouble on defense. But as long as Juwon stays consistant throughout the game, the Rockets should be fine.
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<font size="3">Keys to the Game</font><ul>[*]<font color="red">T-Mac! T-Mac! T-Mac!</font> - Get T-Mac going early. The more attention T-Mac can draw to himself, the more open shots the rest of the Rockets can have.[*]<font color="red">Stromile Swift</font> - Swift has been playing great lately. The Rockets will need his points if they want to win tonights game.[*]<font color="red">Score More Than 90</font> - The Rockets are 4-23 when they score less than 90. Their defense is good, but they still need to score if they want to win.[*]<font color="blue">Stop T-Mac</font> - If the Wizards take T-Mac out of the game, they have a GREAT chance of Winning.[*]<font color="blue">Stop T-Mac</font> - The Wizards can't let McGrady take over the game.[*]<font color="blue">Stop T-Mac</font> - T-Mac is the only guy who can beat the Wizards.[/list]<font size="3">Other Notes</font><ul>[*]Tracy McGrady scored his Career High of 62 Points against the Wizards.[*]Juwan Howard averaged 18.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 464 games played for Washington from 1994-2001.[*]The Rockets are currently on a 5 Game Losing Streak.[/list]<font size="3">Prediction</font>

Tracy McGrady will takeover the game and score 30+ points. He won't do it alone though. Stromile Swift will score 15+ off the bench, and be the difference maker in this game.

Rockets: W, Grizzlies: L

 

Wow, this is one of the best pre-game threads i've seen.
Keep up the good work.


"Stop T-mac" - lol

 

This looks really good. Good work.

 

57-46 Rox at the half.

T-Mac & Arenas both have 23 pts - but T-Mac only played 15 minutes in the first half.

Rox shooting 58%.

Excellent pre-game thread as well.

 

Nice preview J.

The only thing you were wrong about so far is the stop T-Mac thing. Did you see the second quarter???

The rest of the team is playing like its for their lives.


EDIT: Wow Rafer has outscored the Wizards 12-2 after the 1st 4 min of the second half!

Rockets up by 19.

 

Have you noticed when stromile has a good game juwan always has a bad game and when juwan has a bad game stromile has a good game??? umm maybe we should distribute the ball so that both players get the ball evenly stromile only took 2 shots so far and juwan 10 shots and juwan played 25minutes 5rebound while swift12 minutes 6rebounds so he does deserve the shots stromile also has four assists.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting tinyballer:</div><div class="quote_post">Have you noticed when stromile has a good game juwan always has a bad game and when juwan has a bad game stromile has a good game??? </div>

rofl

But yeah, when Juwan plays well, Stro sucks it up, and when Juwan is off, Stro steps up.... Some of the time.

 

hyuu very excited!
we won by 11 great!

 

Never would have thought it was in us to score 123points but rafers 17pts and 10assists were important and we had 11 fastbreak points an improvement

 

Stromile had doubel digits in this game. Based on his performances in the beginning of the season, thats not bad. Whenever Stromile scores more than 10 points it is a huge plus. We brought this guy in to be our third scorer. 20 from tmac + 20 from yao + 10 from stromile a night is 50 pts from three players. That is amazing and we all know tmac isn't only gonna score 20 a night. If Stromile scores 10+ a night then more power to him because I see that as enough.

 

I saw excellent offense tonight. Our backcourt players were shining. Alston got double-double and Head is pretty steady. Of course T-MAC showed his excellence and led the team. Good job and keep it up.

 

Wow, this is about the highest the Rockets have scored since that double-overtime win against Atlanta a few seasons back. When Rafer Alston plays the best game of his Rockets career, David Wesley and Juwan Howard combine for 36 points off the bench on just 19 shots, and when your bench gives you very meaningful minutes, I guess you're just bound to win. And oh, TMac went for 38 as well.

I couldn't see the game, so could anyone tell me how Lucas looked? He had 12 minutes in this one.

 

Great game,Wiz got hot in the 4th,luckily we had a big lead before they made the run.I like JVG went small with Rafer,head ,lucas,Jho and Stro,that was FAST lineup,I think we build the 26 point lead with that lineup,and T-mac was like "wow" while sitting on the bench.lol.Lucas was very quick,kinda like T.Parker,just couldn't finsh like him,anyway a very good pick up by the Rox.

Good Game tonight.

 

Don't be impresed by the score just yet.
The Wiz are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. With all their offense that is what is keeping them down.

Swift's energy has not gone down yet. He has been very active 3 games in a row something I thought he couldn't do for a while.

It was good to see the Rockets run a little bit.
J.Lucas looks like he has taken Moochie's spot since he still nursing that leg.
I would love to see more of his drive and dish ability, along with SKIP again.

Definetly good to see TMac smiling at the end of the game again.

 

our team was also impressive defensively when we were able to hold them down such a low score earlier on

 

one win in 6 games horray..playoff contenders

 

Licas was a great factor in this game. We went on a huge run when Wesley got his 2nd foul in the 1st. Lucas WRECKED. He created all of our fast break opportunities. He has great floor vision, and can penetrate, but his finish may be affected if their is a big man down in the post.

I think Lucas was the X factor. Wow.

 

Just goes to show you...A great preview...a great win. We need more of both.

 

Just as you know,we are holding opponent's FG% under 50% for 56 consecutive games,that's the most by a team in 35 years since the Spurs.But we are just 30-26 in those games,we need our O more like 2night to take advantage of our solid D.

 

Well done on the W.

What's your take on Juwan Howard? He's one of those that is always condemned but he seems to be playing pretty solid, if unspectacular, ball right now.