Postgame: Grizzlies 97, Rockets 101

by Joshua Coleman

Due to some other things happening in my life over the last couple of weeks, I was unable to attend the other home preseason games, making this the first time that I had seen the home team live since the Open Practice. And what a sight it was!

Waiting outside prior to the Forum opening up, Chip and I chatted with some of the other fans. Then Chip turns and says, "Is that Artest?" Sure enough, there was Crazy Pills himself walking up to us, NY Mets hat atop his head and gametime sneakers in hand. After some small talk, he admitted that he just didn't feel like walking to the other side of the building where the players usually entered, so he decided to go through the main entrance. He was very polite and even a little shy.

We were selected to be MVP's for the night, which meant that we got some free t-shirts, watched warmups from the baseline and then stood in the line when starting lineups were announced, so we were able to slap hands and exchange fist bumps with the starters. (Relevant side note: Marc Gasol has ridiculously large hands.) Talk about a warm welcome to the season beginning. Prior to all of that, we got to watch shootaround, which was much more organized than we had previously realized. Antoine Walker was going through shooting drills with two assistant coaches until he was drenched in sweat. It was fairly impressive. On to the game!

The Good
Marc Gasol - The big Spaniard impressed me at Open Practice, has made believers out of his teammates through training camp and preseason, and did enough to raise quite a few eyebrows tonight. He was active and aggressive in his 19 minutes of play, including a sequence where he exchanged elbows with Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry on successive possessions, which failed to draw a whistle from the officials. The more I see him, the more comfortable I feel about him manning the pivot for this squad.

O.J. Mayo - The much-heralded rookie was the epitome of confidence. He never tried to do too much or force the issue, but had no problem whatsoever taking a few difficult shots with defenders in his face, including one fadeaway from the baseline that appeared to defy gravity as he hung in the air for what seemed like forever. On the occasions that he got the ball out front on the break, he either outran his opponents to the basket or found the open man for the easy bucket. He hasn't played like a rookie in the past two contests, which is very encouraging.

Darrell Arthur - I must admit that my expectations were fairly low for D.A., but he really had a quality performance tonight. He displayed a silky smooth touch on his jumper that just seemed too soft to belong to a PF. He also made several hustle plays, sticking his long arms into passing lanes and making deflections all night long. If he keeps this up, Hakim Warrick might be even more expendable than I had previously thought.

Darko Milicic - The Dark One played sparingly, registering just over 20 minutes, but was very effective while he was in the game. He was a solid defensive presence, but also showed some offensive abilities that hadn't been witnessed since early last season, registering 12 points on 4/5 shooting. He also had the game's highest +/- rating at +14.

The Bad
Kyle Lowry - I don't know if it was the teammates he had on the floor with him, since he played with the bench players most of his 20 minutes, but Lowry was unable to set up anyone for an easy shot all night. His offense was simply off, as his shot wouldn't fall, leading to a 1 for 8 effort from the floor. He just didn't look good at all tonight.

Hakim Warrick - Hak tallied 10 points tonight, but 8 of those came from the free throw line, mostly when he barreled into his defender and got the bailout call from the refs. He also allowed Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry to get easy offensive rebounds on multiple occasions by refusing to fight for position. It was a disappointing effort to witness.

Javaris Crittenton - After seeing Chip's post today, I was hoping that Critt would read it and become inspired. Ok, maybe not really, but I was hoping to see something noteworthy from the young guard tonight. Instead, he was largely invisible, other than one play where he juked two Rockets defenders with a ball fake before banking in the easy layup. That's not a good sign for a young player who needs playing time to improve upon his deficiencies.

The Ugly
Perimeter Defense - The Grizzlies allowed the Rockets to make 18 of their 29 three-point attempts tonight. That's 62.1%, which is simply inexcusable.

Whoever was supposed to be guarding Von Wafer - To piggyback onto the last point, the player responsible for allowing Wafer's 23 point explosion (8/13 FG, 7/9 3PT) needs to be put in Kevin O'Neill's secret dungeon beneath the Forum for the next week. As Chip said tonight, "I thought that Von Wafer was a type of cookie".

Brent Barry's facial hair - Seriously, that growth on his face needs to be surgically removed. It is just hideous.

Luis Scola/Ron Artest - They were pathetic tonight. Now that I survived meeting Artest, I can say that in print.

Overall Thoughts
I saw enough from the probable starters to be excited about what the future holds, although I still believe that they will be maddeningly inconsistent this year as they experience their share of growing pains. Conley and Mayo are both mature beyond their years, Rudy has enough swagger and confidence for two guys, and the Gasol/Milicic frontcourt pairing looks like it could work this season. I have lots of questions about the bench, but I'm not going to base everything on just one very entertaining preseason game.

From Behind Enemy Lines: Griz Let Preseason Debut Slip Away

By Zack

(Note - The ever expanding crew here at 3SoB are going the extra yard this year and have installed a road blogger. Ok, ok, so I actually moved to Houston, but for the Houston (and possibly San Antonio) road games, I will be providing a view From Behind Enemy Lines.)

For 3 quarters, the new look Grizzlies reminded me alot of the Grizzlies from last year. Helter skelter half court offense. Defensive breakdowns. Less fast break opportunities than promised. Below average free throw percentage. Poor decisions with the ball.

Then a series of highlight-reel dunks by Rudy and Hak behind a swarming defense energized the Griz and deflated the enthusiastic Houston crowd. The defense started creating and getting loose balls they weren't previously. The fast break opportunity flood gates finally opened up. And the game looked like it was going to be a satisfying Grizzly win.

This energizing sequence was punctuated not by one of Rudy's electrifying dunks and post-dunk shimmy's, but by the originator of the shimmy itself, Antonie Walker, when he dove to the floor for a loose ball and called a crucial timeout. That play, by the teams most experienced player, said alot about the mindset of the willey veteran. Walker, playing Power Forward and surprisingly Center for most of the game, looked focused and team oriented. He even took a charge at one point. I know it is only the first preseason game and the inevitable losses have yet to pile up, but Walker may turn out to be a valuable and versatile contributor off the bench this year. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Rudy Gay, the unquestioned team leader, was a barometer for the team energy level and apparent confidence. For 3 quarters Rudy Gay was in foul trouble, had trouble on offense, looked slow on defense, and all around had a bad game. But like leaders do, he didn't let that ruin his game. In the 4th quarter, it all came together, albeit without Artest in his grill, and Rudy lead the Griz in their most exciting offensive stretch of the game, one that needs to be shown to the team on the flight home tonight so they know what their identity should be. Here is the highlights of that impressive 4th quarter stretch.

--Tonie steals the ball, leading to a Kyle Lowry drive and shooting foul.
--Kyle Lowry steals the ball leading to a Rudy Gay and-1 dunk and shimmy.
--After a few more trips, Rudy aggressively forces the drive and gets a layup.
--Hak blocks a shot which leads to a spectacular Rudy alley-oop.
--Another Griz steal and long outlet pass leads to a clear path to the basket foul on a streaking Mayo.
--Rudy forces another aggressive drive to the basket, not letting himself settle for a jumpshot.
--Lowry goes backdoor on Brooks, getting him back for the previous backdoor cut by Brooks.
--OJ sinks a 3 pointer.
--Another steal and long outlet pass leads to a Hak dunk and another shimmy!
--Mayo steals the ball and on the ensuing trip down the court after a missed shot, Tonie dives on the floor for the loose ball and calls a timeout.
--Lowry follows that up with a hard drive and foul, sinking a free throw to put the Griz up 93-92.

I thought the Griz were going to win at this point. I should have known better. The momentum seemed to be in the Griz favor. They were causing timely turnovers on defense and turning them into fast break points on offense. Griz basketball as promised! But nothing really says Griz basketball at its finest than losing a close game on a last second shot. Unfortunately.

Following Lowry's game leading free throw, the Rockets called a timeout and dialed up the Griz kryptonite, aka the pick and roll. With Toine playing Center and Hak playing Power Forward, there was little help on the pick and Brooks made it past Lowry to the basket for a diving layup.

But the Griz can still score to win the game, right? Wrong. I'm not too excited about Iavaroni's play that he drew up with the game on the line. Lowry gets the inbound. Makes a difficult lateral pass to OJ Mayo who has to go 3 feet beyond the 3point line to get the ball. Mayo gets screened by Toine, who then rolls to the top of the key and gets the pass. He then turns around and hands the ball off to Rudy behind the 3 point line. Rudy launches a shot with the clock running down and misses.

That play makes me give Iavaroni an F for his game grade. Only a 1 point deficit and he dials up a play where the ball never goes below the 3 point line? What? A 1 point lead and nobody attacks the rim? No basket cut? No post up? No Lowry out of control drive? The ball doesn't get to Rudy until he has to jack up a 3? Seriously? A bunch of lateral, dangerous passes on the perimeter? That is what you do when you are running out the clock, not trying to score for the win. Iavaroni, you are not installing much confidence in this now Houston-based blogger. You might as well just told the guys to do whatever they wanted to do, it couldn't have been any worse than that junk.

But anways, here are some of my other impressions from the game:

More on Rudy

Watching warmups closely, Rudy has this sense about him. This is his team. He is the leader, the star player. Unlike before, where there was guys like Miller or Damon or Pau that played that role, Rudy is now the guy. Us Griz fans take that for granted I think. But just think back to him falling asleep on the bench during the NCAA tourney and it really is a remarkable transformation. Rudy is one of ~30 Franchise Players in the NBA. Even in warmups, he knows it and is embracing the role.

MIA Players

I haven't heard any word on Darko, but he wasn't at the game. JCritt was there, but didn't play. Is he hurt? Doghouse? I hope we find out something about that. Arthur didn't play either, but given his hurt hammy, that is not surprising. Arthur was the last guy off the court practicing prior to the last locker room chat before team warmups.

Buckner and Ross

The defensive duo got plenty of burn tonight, even playing next to each other. Talk about lack of offense. You can tell defense is a priority when minutes at the 2 and 3 that use to go to Miller and Navarro are now going to Buckner and Ross. Somewhere Frat is smiling. I'm not amused though, the duo stinks and makes our helter skelter offense even worse. At least they can play defense, which is something, I guess, but playing them together for extended minutes is a disaster.

Haddadi and Gasol

Walker played a lot of 2nd half minutes at Center. That should say a lot about our twin international center duo. Gasol looked decent. Slow, but got solid position rebounding and showed off a sweet 18 foot jumpshot. Haddadi on the other hand was bad. Not surprising though. Griz fans shouldn't expect much contribution from the Iranian rookie this year. Without Darko (maybe even with Darko), our front court was outmanned and overmatched, even against the Rockets 2nd string. Gasol will be our starting center at some point this year. Even if Darko is better, he will not be as steady as Gasol.

Conley

Conley looked solid. Quick. Got to the rim at will. Missed most of his layups and floaters though. Maybe dribbled a little too much. But overall, had a good game. Conley had a stretch in the 3rd when Rudy and OJ were on the bench in foul trouble where he was on fire. Impressive. But, just like last year, Kyle did enough in the 4th quarter to stay until the end during a close game. Will that be another trend this year or just a preseason quirk? My gut says the former, but most Griz fans are hoping for the latter.

Mayo

Looked mediocre. Wasn't involved in the offense much. Sweet stroke on his mid range jumper. Showed flashes, but Iavaroni and the Griz have to get the ball out of Conley and Lowry's hands and into Mayo's. Wasn't quite there on defense either and it got him into foul trouble.

Hak

Shot the freaking rock nearly every time he touched it. Jeez. I like the thought of Walker off the bench, so I'm looking at Hak improving his shot selection this year rather than being benched for it.

Defense, Blocked Shots, and Kick-out 3's

Yes, the Grizzlies showed some surprisingly stout shot blocking. Particularly Hak. Can that continue? I doubt it, but lets hope. As for the defense as a whole, I was disappointed. Our pick and roll defense was still bad. We didn't rotate that well and allowed the Rockets to penetrate and kick out for numerous 3's that kept them in the game. I guess that is better than layups, but open 3 pointers can be as easy for NBA players as layups, so I'd still prefer contested outside shots rather than wide open ones.

About the Rockets Fans

I was impressed with their enthusiastic fans. Their red rowdy section was cool. Even the small preseason crowd made tons of noise. Everyone wore red. For opening night they are trying to set the record for most painted (red) faces in one place. I'm attending that game and I'll be wearing blue....hahahaha

Oh wait, I can't forget to mention Dorsey's boneheaded technical. It was awesome. He was mad at Gasol (who by the way, has all the same mannerisms of his older brother) and aggressively slapped Gasol's hands away before an inbound. Idiot. I couldn't tell if the crowd was booing Dorsey or the Refs. Bad first impression on the coaches, I'm guessing. He didn't play in the 2nd half.

My guess for the season opener...we are going to get steam rolled by the Rockets when they play Yao more and decide to force feed him the ball in the post. He could have scored 50 tonight if he wanted to. We are too weak on the inside.

UPDATE: For a different view of the game read Ron Tillery's recap from the Commercial Appeal.

Grizzlies at Houston - 10/8/08

Since this is the 1st pre-season game all assumptions on starting lineups are totally subjective.

Memphis enters their first pre-season game with more questions than answers with their lineup. The only completely solid starter appears to be Rudy Gay at Small Forward. Mike Conley, O J Mayo appear to have the inside position to man the other perimeter positions but both are being pushed by their backups. The PF position is a complete mess with returning starter Hakim Warrick appearing to be the winner simply because he fits the youth movement better than Antoine Walker. Center is a battle royal between two 7 foot big men in Darko Milicic and Marc Gasol. There aren't going to be a lot of questions answered in this game either.

Houston has questions as well but not on the level of the Grizzlies. Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and Yao Ming should all start and likely Luis Scola and Rafer Alston but their positions are still in play. Shane Battier is best as a solid SF but has shown the ability to play PF and SG when needed. That versatility and professional attitude seems to make him an ideal 6th man. The rest of the lineup gets fuzzy for the Rockets. New Rockets Brent Barry, D J Strawberry and Joey Dorsey should find a way to get into the regular rotation along with Aaron Brooks, Mike James and the incredible Dikembe Mutambo.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Rafer Alston
Speed. That is the one common denominator in this matchup. Alston has been considered a fast point guard since his days on the playgrounds of NYC. Conley has the capacity to make Alston look slow however with his incredible burst of speed. The problem is that Alston seems to have a clue how to use his speed. Conley is still learning how to use his most effectively in the NBA. If he has learned that important lesson then his control with the ball could prove to be the difference. Alston has never really adjusted to leaving the playground and playing with any restraint at the point in he NBA despite 9 years of NBA experience. Mike just hasn't shown that he has learned how to use his jets yet.
Advantage: Houston

Shooting Guard: O J Mayo vs Tracy McGrady
Welcome to the NBA Mayo. You may have been on people's radar since 7th grade but nothing you have seen yet can prepare you for T-Mac. McGrady can score at will, is an excellent passer and at 6-8 can easily do either over the diminutive Mayo. T-Mac has the type of game Mayo wants but without the experience or the size it will be a learning experience for O J. Mayo's most reliable talent, defensive intensity, will be pushed to the limit but he should be able to get his shot off against the lackadaisical effort from T-Mac.
Advantage: Houston

Small Forward: Rudy Gay vs Ron Artest
Two of the most important players on thier respective teams. Rudy Gay must remain healthy and produce at even a higher level than his sophomore season to prevent the Grizzlies from being a joke in the NBA. He is that important right now. If there is one player who could destroy the Rockets dream of a playoff series win then this is the man. Sure T-Mac and Yao are vital but Artest has the mentality to make an entire team basket cases especially coaches. Artest used to be among the best defensive SF's in the league but his athleticism is on the decline now.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Luis Scola
Hakim Warrick inherited the starting role after the Pau Gasol trade and was nearly as effective on offense as Pau was. He averaged 16.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg as a starter but amazingly he was worse than Pau on defense! That won't sit well with new Assistant Coach Kevin O'Neill and showing up to camp looking even lighter than last season won't help Hak improve on his interior game either. Scola was a big surprise among the rookie class last year and should be more comfortable this season. At 28 Scola is entering his prime and benefited a lot from Yao's injury last year. Scola does the dirty work on this team and excels in that role.
Advantage: Houston

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Yao Ming
Yao Ming was the Rockets last season before another season ending injury pushed him to the bench. When healthy there isn't a more complete center in the league. Yao averaged 22 ppg, nearly 11 boards and hit over 82% of his FT attempts last year. Throw in a couple of blocks a night as well as two assists and you can understand why people called Yao the best. Darko however matched up well against Yao when they played. Darko fought injuries all season last year but when healthy early was capable of keeping anyone in check. The problem was that Darko wasn't healthy very much.
Advantage: Houston

Benches: Memphis vs Houston
Memphis has a lot of talent off the bench. Antoine Walker has looked good in camp so far. Marco Jaric is capable of starting in this league and his size makes him capable of playing 3 different positions. Kyle Lowry was arguably the best PG on the team last season. The biggest question mark however is Marc Gasol. Pau's younger brother has been the biggest surprise of the camp so far and he has the type of size that could give people fits this year. Houston's bench is as scrambled as Memphis' but with a lot more experience. Shane Battier should become an immediate player in the league's Sixth Man of the Year contest but everyone else is a question mark. Carl LAndy had a tumultous summer dealing with a new contract. Dikembe Mutambo is probably closer to 50 than 30 although no one knows for sure. Aaron Brooks is a dimunitive PG who packs a big game. Throw in Brent Barry, Chucky Hayes, Mike James, Steve Francis and others and Houston has a lot of weapons.
Advantage: Houston

Memphis at Houston - 2.29.08

Memphis 'leaps' back into action after their encouraging performance against Phoenix on Tuesday night. For only the 2nd game since the Gasol trade Memphis looked competitive with Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and Juan Carlos Navarro leading the way against the revamped Phoenix Suns. Memphis will attempt to not lose all but one game in February by giving Houston their only loss of the month. Memphis seems to be gaining some confidence after losing their face of the franchise as Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay bring athleticism and excitement to the court. Memphis is hoping to get Mike Miller back for this game but it is doubtful. Kwame Brown failed to get into the game against Phoenix due to some minor injuries including a sore shoulder according to Coach Mark Iavaroni.

Houston took advantage of a friendly schedule in February to win 13 consecutive games but that doesn't mean every thing is going great in Texas. The Rockets are playing their 2nd game without Yao Ming who is lost for the season with a stress fracture in his foot. There didn't seem to be much of an effect against Washington in their first game as Houston won 94-69 against Washington. That puts Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo aka Dikimbe Mutombo into the starting center role. No one is really sure how old Mutombo is but his profile says he is 41. He could actually be older! Houston is led now by Tracy McGrady but gets important minutes from Shane Battier and Shane Battier. Houston surprised many people with two late trades despite their winning ways. Houston acquired former Grizz Bobby Jackson and former slam dunk champion Gerald Green at the last second before the deadline.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston is being asked to pick up a large amount of the scoring lost by Yao Ming which is fine with Rafer but the Rockets aren't so sure. Alston's reputation is being a selfish point guard who thinks 'me' first. Despite his poor shooting percentages this season Alston has been better at playing within the team concept. Mike Conley is all about the team concept. The 20 yr old PG is averaging 5.2 apg as a starter while shooting 44.5% from the field. The main area Conley needs to develop is his long range shooting is terrible (27.5% from behind the arc).
Advantage: Houston

Shooting Guards: Juan Carlos Navarro vs Tracy McGrady
This is probably the worst match up Memphis will face all season. Tracy McGrady is 6-8, scores at will and has an all around game people dream about. Juan Carlos is 6-3, a weak defender and has only recently climbed over the rookie wall to start producing again. The main deficiancy in Navarro's game has been on the defensive end which doesn't bode well when playing T-Mac who seems to take personal joy in lighting up the Grizzlies especially in crunch time. T-Mac's averaging 29 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists against the Grizzlies this season.
Advantage: Houston

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Shane Battier
It seems strange today to believe that Rudy and Shane were once traded for each other. Rudy Gay is starting to prove he can score on anyone in the NBA. Shane Battier is one of those players who lives to shut down people who think that way. Usually Shane is giving Mike Miller fits but with Miller laid up Battier will turn his focus to Rudy. That isn't good for Memphis. Battier is a 'glue guy' that does everything well. Shane's benefited against the Grizzlies in the past with insider knowledge of our players favorite moves. That isn't the case now so it will be interesting to see how things develop.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Luis Scola
In the last 5 games Warrick is averaging 18.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg. while shooting 52% from the field. That is pretty good production for the Grizzlies who were supposed to be weak at the PF position after trading Pau Gasol. However everything isn't simply by the numbers. Warrick doesn't command the double teams that Gasol did which makes it difficult for their other players to get easy shots and his passing is close to terrible compared to Gasol. Luis Scola, the rookie from Argentina, has averaged 13 points and 6.6 rebounds over that same time frame but is bring muscle and effort to a position Houston has been extremely weak at historically. Scola struggled on the boards with Yao out against Washington getting only 2 rebounds. How well Scola handles the increased pressure with Yao out will determine if Houston can continue to climb in the Western Conference standings. Scola will need to use his bulk against Warrick's speed and range.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Dikembe Mutombo
If there is a more important match up in this game than T-Mac against Navarro is has to be Mutombo against Milicic. In the first game without Yao Houston got 4 blocked shots from Dikembe but the Rockets lost Yao's ability to score and rebound getting only 4 pts and 6 rebounds from the elder Mutombo. Darko Milicic was limited to 12 minutes against Cleveland but returned against Phoenix and Shaq to score 15 pts and grab 7 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Darko is the future in the middle for Memphis but needs to start showing more consistency and a better touch around the basket to make fans agree with the decision to sign him. Milicic has performed well against slow big men and Mutombo is that in a nutshell plus he offers almost no offensive threat.
Advantage: Memphis

Benches: Memphis vs Houston
If Memphis appears to have an advantage among the starters that won't be enough to overcome Houston's dominating bench. Former Grizzlies swing guard Bobby Jackson brings toughness to the backcourt and mixes well with Luther Head for a powerful scoring dou off the bench. Rookie Carl Landry is starting to make a name for himself at the forward position as well. In the last 5 games Landry has averaged 10.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Houston will have to go small a lot with Yao out but Chuck Hayes has proven himself to be more than capable rebounding despite his size. Memphis' bench is led by Kyle Lowry but falls off quickly after that. Javaris Crittenton has yet to find his groove in Memphis since the trade. Kwame Brown has struggled with minor injuries and isn't expected to play in this game leaving Jason Collins as the only big off the bench. Brian Cardinal has been getting minutes and still exhibits that go for broke style and outside touch that enamored former GM Jerry West to bring him to town.
Advantage: Houston

Memphis vs Houston - 12.28.07

GOOD BYE TO ANDY DOLICH NIGHT
Come give one of the men responsible for the Grizzlies being in Memphis a rousing farewell as he leaves to pursue opportunities in another city. Tonights game is the last home game before Andy's retirement so come out and give him a great send off!!!

We will miss you Andy and wish you continued success back in San Francisco. Don't forget us when we call you for Super Bowl tickets in a few years!!!

Memphis is trying to finish the season with a few bright spots to jump start the 2nd half of the year. One of the early bright spots was a victory over a healthy Houston Rockets team at FedEx Forum. The last game the Grizzlies played the fans were less than hospitable at the effort. Hopefully the Grizz will shake off their post-Xmas blahs (no turkey leftovers before the game please) and come out running and playing aggressively like people know they can do. Memphis can triple their division wins from a season ago with a win tonight against the short-handed Rockets.

Houston is attempting to correct their path before their season crashes as well. The preseason pick of having the best chance to unseat the Dallas-San Antonio stranglehold on the division has been struggling to find consistency with a new coach, several new players and two superstars who seem unable to get their health together to start any kind of run. The Rockets haven't played since losing in Detroit on Sunday in a game where both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady left with injuries. At 13-15 and with two games remaining in 2007 the Rockets need to win both games to finish the 2007 year at .500 and within shouting distance of division leaders San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans.

Zack's Corner

Sorry for coming in late with my thoughts on the Houston game. Despite sitting courtside for the Hornet game, I am just not feeling all that good about the team right now. That causes me to refrain from saying too much in the pre-game posts because an enjoyable and informative pre-game post should not be done when you are too down on the team (see last year's game threads). But here it goes. You can call these keys to the game, or rather they are simply some aspects of the game I am interested in tonight against the divisional rival Rockets:

-- Help defense on defensive mismatches. In the last meeting, the Rockets went to Bonzi in the post something like 7 straight times with Lowry on him (because JC guarded Alston to decrease the SG mismatch). What followed was embarassing and I am still at a loss for why Iavaroni didn't try to counter the Bonzi-iso somehow. If the gameplan is again to not double (or something) against defensive mismatches like the one Bonzi creates against Kyle or JC, we are in trouble.
-- Transition 3-pointers. It has been said that the Grizzlies need to be hot from outside to be at their best. I will modify that some for tonight. I think it is the ability to hit 3-pointers in transition that will make the most difference. Navarro and Miller both seem to have an easier time making 3's on the break than in the half court because it minimizes the ability of the other team to focus on the 3. The Rockets are good with transition defense though. Watch out tonight when we are on the break for how much success Miller and Navarro have.
-- RU-DEE. He's a stud and I think he's to the point now that he could go off for 30+ points on any given night and be almost unstoppable on offense. I want him to shoot the most shots tonight. I want him to be our 1st option on offense. With McGrady out, he should have an easier time.
-- Darko's interior defense. In my opinion, Darko's best 2 games of the year were against the Spurs, where it seemed he really wanted to show Duncan he is a good post defender. And it all started with Darko fighting HARD for position on the block (something I never see Pau do, Pau would rather take his chance after the post guy gets the ball, Darko on the other hand has shown he can do damage by fighting hard to not allow the post player the position or the ball). If Darko can go out there tonight and give the same kind of effort against Yao, we will be in good shape.
-- Foul trouble. We need Yao to get 2 quick fouls and for Rudy to stay out of foul trouble.

Matchups by Chip

Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston was never viewed as a pure point guard under Jeff Van Gundy but that reputation seems to be changing with Rick Adelman. Alston has been the point guard on the floor when Houston's offense has executed at its best while the team has struggled to score when the reserves, Steve Francis and Mike James, have been on the court. Damon Stoudamire was supposed to be packing his bags by now for some new locale while Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley were preparing to play the point. Someone forgot to tell the plan to Coach Iavaroni as Damon is not only still starting but actually increasing his minutes played in each game and has re-taken the closer's role.
Advantage: Houston

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Tracy McGrady
T-mac has struggled with a mysterious knee injury that has not shown up in scans or even an MRI but McGrady has said he can't play with the pain. It is not sure if he will play in this game or not but resting it for 6 days should ease the pain somewhat. Miller has been playing well until he hits the 35 minute mark when his legs appear to give out and his game goes downhill. Unfortunately Miller is being asked to play over 40 minutes a game and the drop off in crunch time has been easy to notice. Miller is having a great season other than late in games as he is scoring at the 3rd best clip of his career, is having his best rebounding season, second best assists and is shooting over 50% from the floor and over 43% from the arc. The trouble is if this game goes down to the wire, T-Mac can take over and Miller can't.
Advantage: Houston

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Shane Battier
A match up of the past and future kings of Memphis. Shane Battier was the most beloved player ever to play in Memphis. Loved by nearly the entire city, his trade two summers fits rather conveniently with the drop off in attendance at games. The funny thing is that Battier's play has dropped off in Houston while Rudy Gay has become the new star of the team and a potential all-star that Shane could never be. Rudy is leading the team in scoring, has hit a game winning 3 pt shot (over Tim Duncan no less) and routinely is seen on ESPN with his highlight reel moves. Battier isn't the bright light but the glue and he makes his opponent work to look good. You will rarely notice Shane on the court much less see him on ESPN but he does his job. Rudy is just doing it better right now.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Chuck Hayes
The biggest mismatch on the court, literally. Gasol at 7-1 towers over Hayes at a generous 6-6. If there is a weakness that shouts out on the Houston team its Chuck Hayes. Adelman prefers his forwards to be passers from the high post as well as bangers underneath. Hayes can't shoot, isn't a great passer and is routinely over-matched underneath. He does try hard however. Gasol went into Christmas vacation with the best game of the season and one of his most clutch ever. Down the stretch Gasol continued to score as pull the Grizzlies close eventually tying the score. It didn't produce a win but it was good to see.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Stromile Swift vs Yao Ming
Most of Stromile's highlights in Memphis have come against Houston and Yao Ming. Including a few poster dunks over the big man from China. Unfortunately Stro only plays Houston four times a season. Yao is having another big season averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds a game but struggles against the quicker Swift. Since Houston has little support behind Yao getting the big man in foul trouble early is a big advantage for the Grizzlies. Failure to get him in foul trouble spells trouble as the last game in Houston showed. History says bet on the Grizzlies tandem but common sense tells you Yao should be too big for the Grizzlies post players.
Advantage: Houston

Benches: Memphis vs Houston
Bonzi Wells is notorious for playing big against former teams he feels disrespected by. I wonder if he feels that way about Memphis? Other than Bonzi the only real contributor off the bench for Houston has been rookie Luis Scola who has been erratic. Mike James and Steve Francis have struggled in the back up point guard role and Luther Head seems to be better suited as a small SG than a PG. Kyle Lowry has struggled lately as teams have become accustomed to his bulldog approach at the point. Teams are just daring Kyle to shoot from outside while preventing him from getting into the lane. Kyle's forcing the issue has created turnovers at inopportune times. Navarro is having a tough time in the NBA when his shot isn't falling but he is still averaging over 10 points and makes it difficult for teams to double in the post when he is in the game.

UPDATE: Tracy McGrady said he expects to miss a week with his non-injured knee. Despite an MRI showing no damage Tracy McGrady expects to miss at least another week resting his sore knee. Maybe he is waiting to get his lift back. Great news for the Grizzlies in this game if T-Mac doesn't play. Of course the bad news is more Bonzi Wells who has a history or torching his former teams.

Outside Commentary:
Wages of Wins: Houston Still Has a Problem

Grizzlies at Houston - 12.5.07

No local coverage of tonights game. NBA League Pass will be covering it however.

Memphis faces the hardest part of their schedule down the 'Dark One' and their future point guard, having a pathetic 0-5 record in games decided by 3 points or less and with rumors swirling of discontent between Pau Gasol and Marc Iavaroni. All this after losing to a Portland team that the Grizzlies had down 7 points with 10 minutes to play and who had played the night before in San Antonio. Rudy Gay and Mike Miller played hard with a combined 60 pts and 15 rebounds between them. The injury to Darko meant Gasol (14 pts and 15 rebounds), Miller and Gay each played over 40 minutes in the game. Kyle Lowry seems to be struggling as you would expect a young PG in the league to do on some nights. A return to his early season excellence would be appreciated.

Houston hasn't had to play a game since Sacramento on Saturday night but that game ended a disappointing road trip where Houston dropped their last two games to head home 9-9 on the season. Not exactly the record most Houston people expected from this big name loaded roster. With no less than 7 players who have been stars on this or other teams, Houston is not happy to be a .500 ball club right now. With a three game east coast road trip followed by home games against Dallas, Orlando and Detroit looming after this Houston needs a win in this game.

Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Rafer Alston
If Damon continues to play in December the way he finished the month of November then the Grizzlies may not be looking to trade him after all. In his last 10 games Damon is averaging 7.9 ppg, 4.8 apg and hitting over 40% of his three point attempts. Not bad production for someone averaging only 20.3 mpg. Compare that to Alston who averages 8.2 ppg, 4.8 apg and only hits 26.9% of his three point attempts despite playing 29.4 mpg. Neither player is rock solid as a starter but Damon's play has been superior of late.
Advantage: Memphis

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Tracy McGrady
If there is a bigger mismatch on paper in this game I don't know what it is. Tracy McGrady is a scoring machine who scored 41 points on 16-28 shooting against the Grizzlies in their first game. He basically did what he wanted the entire game. Memphis simply doesn't have an answer for a motivated McGrady. Miller is a good player. He shoots well from everywhere on the court, he rebounds better than any guard not named Jason Kidd and he can pass well for a 6-8 guard. However, when crunch time rolls around you know in your heart that Tracy will own Mike.
Advantage: Houston

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Shane Battier
I don't believe this is Shane Battier Poster night in Houston but it would sure be nice to see Rudy put a poster highlight dunk down in this game. Shane Battier has the size and strength to contain Rudy and that isn't good for Memphis. The Grizzlies need Rudy's all-court offensive game especially on the road where Rudy's production doesn't usually drop. Rudy has scored exactly the same amount of points on the road as he has at home through 16 games and that is including the disappointing East Coast trip where Rudy struggled so bad. Shane isn't a slasher and Darko is back. Both of these factors seem to favor Rudy who struggles against slashing offensive players and in games Darko doesn't play. Shane was able to contain Rudy in Memphis however and is playing in front of his real home crowd.
Advantage: Houston

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Chucky Hayes
Sam Smith says the story on the streets is that Pau Gasol is available. Nothing new there since Sam Smith has wanted Gasol in Chicago for the last two years. So far nothing has been done and I don't expect anything will be done any time soon. Gasol is playing the way the coaches want him to play, he has his best friend on the team and the Grizzlies are starting to win. Not a great recipe for a trade in my opinion. Chucky Hayes is severely outmatched in this battle. He doesn't have the height nor the physicality to deter Gasol from doing pretty much as he pleases. Gasol scored 26 pts in the first game and a similiar result should be expected in this one.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Yao Ming
This titanic battle dictated the final result in the first meeting between these teams. The Dark One went toe-to-toe with the Great Wall of China and in the end the result was a draw, which was a big win for the Grizzlies. Yao did have some damage scoring 22 pts but only grabbed 7 boards while Darko went for 20 pts and 6 boards. Get a similiar result in the rematch and consider the Grizzlies lucky. Darko has shown the ability to defend just about any big in the game right now and at least be respectable. Ask Al Jefferson and Tim Duncan if Yao didn't convince you. The problem is with his left thumb. It didn't look fully healed against Minnesota and this could allow Yao to cheat off of him to assist on Gasol. Darko needs to be aggressive to the basket to neutralize the big man. Right now Darko may not be healthy enough to do that.
Advantage: Houston

Benches: Memphis vs Houston
With the 8 man rotation in Memphis there are some players who aren't going to get the playing time they expected in most games. So far that hasn't resulted in any hard feelings but you one has to wonder how long that will continue. Houston doesn't have to wonder. Steve Francis has already gone public with his displeasure over playing time saying that if he realized he would be playing so little he would have signed with the Clippers instead. Nothing wrong with a little competition but doesn't it make more sense to earn playing time than crying about the lack of it? Houston's bench also has Mike James, Bonzi Wells, Luther Head, Dikembe Mutambo and Luis Scola who all have contributed in sporadic amounts. It is tough to keep 10 men happy on a basketball team after all. With Houston wanting more hustle and less star power from their bench these egos are having a tough time dealing with things.
Advantage: Houston

Update I (from Zack): With Darko again hurt (ankle sprain), you can probably assume that Navarro will be back in the starting lineup and Rudy will be moved down to the 4. However, in the Commercial Appeal today, Darko talks like he is going to play. It will be an interesting situation to monitor before game time. My gut says he won't play, but we clearly need him to guard Yao. Here is what Darko said:

"That's how some ankles work," Milicic said. "It's really not that bad. I'll try it (today) in shootaround. But I'm sure I'll play."

Looks like he will be suiting up. And it was just said on the radio by Rudy Gay that it looks like Darko is going to play. Wow. That injury looked severe on Monday night. If Darko plays, he's got some big stones.

Update II: Today's Houston Chronicle has an article about Shane Battier and his shooting woes

Update III (from Zack): I didn't have time for my usual pregame contribution. So, I'll leave you with this. We aren't going to win this game playing the way the Rockets want to play. They have always had great transition defense and if we let them take away our fast break opportunities, we will be falling into their hands. We need to push the tempo and look to get the ball to JC and MM for those sweet transition 3-pointers. This is also Houston's only home game in an 8 game stretch that spans about 2 weeks. In the Rocket's mind, this is a must win. Go Griz!

Other Game Previews:
Houston Rockets.com
Grizzlies.com

Got a prediction? Leave it in the comments.

Pregame: Grizzlies vs Houston - 11.12.07

ChipC3 and Zack bring you pregame commentary for the 11.10.07 Memphis vs Houston game. Leave your predictions for the final score in the comments.

Memphis had a chance to really put a bright start on the season this weekend but lost a double digit lead at Portland and then slept walked through the game in Salt Lake City. Now the team is back home against division leader Houston and no one is very excited about things. Memphis' bright spots have been Rudy Gay and Darko Milicic. Gasol may have a bad back, which is better than a broken foot, but disturbing just the same. Mike Miller's lack of offensive production is surprising but he has been extremely efficient being among the team leaders in rebounds and assists as well as shooting well from behind the arc. The Grizzlies need to perform well in Memphis to rebuild the fan support and this would be a nice time to start doing that.

Houston may have trouble focusing on the Grizzlies with games coming up against the Lakers, Spurs and Suns on the immediate horizon. Of course they may view this as a must win game with those teams on the horizon. Yao Ming continues to show that he is the best big man in the game today averaging monster number befitting his size. Tracy McGrady still has an impressive array of offensive skills but one has to wonder how long before his troublesome back acts up again. Houston is nearly unbeatable with Yao and TMac in the lineup but quite human without one and very beatable when both are out. Bonzi Wells should be returning for his first regular season appearance since Mike Fratello banned him from FedEx Forum. That isn't a good thing for Grizzlies fans since Bonzi loves to punish teams that gave up on him.

Trends

--Sweeps. Last year the Rockets swept the Grizzlies in the four meetings between the teams. The year before the Grizzlies swept the Rockets. The Grizzlies squeaked out two wins against the Rockets in the preseason this year (after losing to the Pacers twice in the preseason and losing again to them in the regular season, maybe the same trend can hold here, but don't bet any hard earned money on it). The Grizzlies are also winless in their two regular season home games this year.
--Sneak peak into the future, part 1. Rudy Gay has led the Griz in scoring the last 3 games.
--Sneak peak into the future, part 2. Micheal Conley has seen his minutes increase from 8 to 17 to 23 during the first 3 NBA games of his career.

Storylines

--Free Battier posters for the first 15,000 in attendance. Ok, so the Grizzlies aren't giving out free posters of Shane Battier at the door (but rumor has it the "Impeach Willie" organization is looking to catch up with Shane about running against King Willie in 4 years). Along with Shane, who you might have heard was traded for our future savior Rudy Gay, another ex-player, Bonzi Wells, will try for the 2nd time to sneak past FedEx Forum security to suit up for the visiting Rockets. Bonzi was lucky that the first time was in the preseaon where the security forces were less than at full strength. All entrances, per command of General Fratello, are heavily guarded this time around.
--Spain versus China. In international circles, this game is sure to garner interest. China and Yao want nothing more than to be successful next summer playing on their home turf in the Olympics, while Spain and Pau are looking to defend their 2006 World Gold.
--The Grizzlies suck. Go read the messageboard for a general feeling buzzing around the team right now. It ain't pretty. Certainly the doom and gloom is being over-hyped, although for those of us acting as Grizzlies apologists, we can't deny the fact that the Grizzlies are playing bad.

Keys

--Can I just say every aspect of basketball? At this point I feel foolish for pointing out any one area that the Grizzlies need to focus on. Not only are the Grizzlies struggling right now in a multitude of areas, the Rockets are better than the Grizzlies at almost everything. Maybe it would be most appropriate to just say the Grizzlies need to focus on themselves more than on the Rockets. The Grizzlies biggest challenges right now is playing consistently hard, playing as a team on both ends of the court (regardless of the opponent), and learning to play within Iavaroni's system.

Matchups

Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Rafer Alston
You have to wonder how long both players will remain in the game. Both are being pressed for playing time by their backups Kyle Lowry and Mike James. Rafer is playing about half the game and is second on the team in assists at 4 a game while shooting over 50% from the field. Damon was hot early in the season but cooled off on the road trip and lost his secondary substitution slot to Michael Conley. It is fair to start asking how much longer Damon will be in his current role not just starting but on the team. The real match up will be James vs Lowry. The secondary issue is how long Conley will play. That can't give Damon a big boost of enthusiasm.
Advantage: Houston

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Tracy McGrady
How many teams in the NBA can say their shooting guard leads the team in rebounds? Mike Miller leads the Grizzlies which says a lot about Mike's all-around game and how poorly out interior players are at grabbing boards. Mike is actually shooting better from behind the arc than inside it right now. That isn't good. T-Mac is hitting shots from everywhere and as long as his back holds out should have little trouble in this match up. The only good news for Grizzlies fans is that Shane probably won't be defending Mike so he might get a few extra shots off in this game.
Advantage: Houston

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Shane Battier
Rudy has had a nice run of offensive production. Shane loves to stop guys having a nice run. Miller can testify to that. This match up of players traded for each other two years ago is still in Battier's favor but not by much and the gap is shrinking. Rudy needs to work harder on rebounding and assists but he is definitely getting the scoring down. Defensively Rudy is our best perimeter defender and has the ability to guard just about anyone (ask Durant) if he stays out of foul trouble. Battier is still Battier. He is a tough, in your face defender who can hit the clutch shot, tip the big rebound to someone his team and basically do everything coaches love but fans don't catch.
Advantage: Houston

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Chucky Hayes
If Gasol isn't hurt this is a match up he absolutely has to exploit for the Grizzlies to have any chance. Darko has been brought here to handle the big guys so Gasol can use his length and talent to overwhelm players like Chucky. Hayes is an undersized PF who exists in this league by outworking his opponents to the rebound, losse ball or prefered spot on the court. He survives by doing what other PF's in the league don't want to do. That makes this matchup interesting. Gasol's reputation is that he doesn't do enough of what people expect of him. If Hayes isn't abused early and often then the game won't be close. If Gasol handles Hayes early then the Rockets will be forced to play Scola and the rookie hasn't shown much yet.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Yao Ming vs Darko Milicic
There was a time when Yao could be pushed around. There was a time when Yao could be intimidated. There was a time when Yao could be posterized. Those days are gone. Right now there isn't a better big man in the game. Yao averages 24 ppg, 10.4 ropg, 3.1 apg and 2.71 bpg while shooting 55.3% from the field and 89.4% from the line. Other than that he really isn't playing that well. Darko has been playing well above his cynics expectations, about where his supporters thought he might and is now being mentioned as the best center to ever play in Memphis for the Grizzlies. Unfortunately that isn't enough. If nothing else it will be fun to hear the announcers proclaim "It the Great Wall of China against the Ivory Towers of Memphis!"
Advantage: Houston

Benches: Houston's bench sounds like a who's who of the NBA from 5 years ago. Everyone remembers Bonzi Wells but they also have Mike James, Steve Francis and Dikembe Mutambo. For youth they have Aaron "summer Camp hero" Brooks, Steve Novak and Carl Landry. However the big names doesn't mean there aren't chinks in the armor. Houston is weak in the interior if Yao is out. Scola has not been the immediate impact player at PF Houston expected, Mutambo is as old as me (and that is OLD) and can't log big minutes. Yao and T-Mac are both averaging 38 mpg right now and their bodies haven't been able to handle logging those minutes in the past. Houston has only played 10 players all season. Memphis played 11 in the first quarter of the first game to put this in perspective. Memphis' bench has been a lot thinner than expected heading into the season with only Lowry consistently producing good numbers. Casey Jacobsen and Juan Carlos Navarro have not contributed the long range shooting expected and Stromile Swift has lived up to his reputation of not living up to expectations. The real surprise has to be the disappearance of Hakim Warrick. Michael Conley is starting to make a dent in the lineup and Tarence Kinsey has only played two minutes all season.
Advantage: Houston

UPDATE: Steve Francis is expected back for the game on Tuesday night. He hasn't played all season so there is no reason to expect Tuesday to be any different.

Coaches: Marc Iavaroni vs Rick Adelman
Rick Adelman has been successful everywhere he has coached. Known around the league as a basketball teacher with an ability to mold a team’s style of play around the strengths of his players, Adelman’s coaching highlights include a pair of NBA Finals appearances (1990 and 1992 with Portland), four trips to the Western Conference Finals (1990-92 with Portland and 2002 with Sacramento) and four division titles (1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland; 2001-02 and 2002-03 with Sacramento). Adelman has been runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year honors three times (1990-91 with Portland; 2000-01 and 2001-02 with Sacramento). Iavaroni's pedigree comes from who he has assisted not as a head coach. While distinguished enough to be considered the top coaching prospect last summer who hadn't already been a head coach, Iavaroni is finding the limelight a bit more difficult after his team blew a big lead at Portland. Still it is far too early to criticize his style since he is experimenting with lineups while teaching his system. It is also too early to give him an advantage over the coach with the 6th most victories among active coaches.
Advantage: Houston

UPDATE II: We were unable to find a blogger to write a pre-game commentary for the Rockets game but if anyone knows a good blogger please leave a link to their site in the comments and we will make sure to include them in the next Rockets game thread. Thanks.