Rockets vs. Wizards preview: Get to know Houston again

After a much-needed win against Denver last night, the Washington Wizards play their second night of a back to back against Houston Rockets that just knocked off two wins in a row. Let's meet this team again, shall we?

Are they good in general?: They're good, but not great. They're currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference, which means they're better than nine teams in the East and seven teams in the West. They can beat some teams handily, but they also went through a seven-game losing streak last month that included losses to some not-so-good teams.

Are they good against the Wizards? They beat the Wizards in a Steez-heavy game earlier this season, BJW (Before John Wall). So does it count? I mean, we all know this has basically been a totally different season since Wall's return. So let's chalk it up to a "maybe."

Are they fast or slow? Well, they've got the fastest pace in the league... so let's say "yes." The Wizards don't play as fast as they do, but they've obviously improved their transition offense since Wall's return. If the Wiz were playing Houston in the first week after Wall came back, I'd be more worried about the Rockets running them out of the gym. But it's now been a few weeks, and Wall's got his legs and lungs mostly back. If this game turns into a track meet, I can't say I'd complain.

Are they especially good at anything? Scoring. They're 4th in the league in offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) and 2nd in the league at points scored per game. Good thing the Wizards are good at defending! Not to mention, they put up 119 points against the Nuggets last night.

Are they especially bad at anything? They're not great at defense, so this might help the Wiz out tonight. They're 29th in the league in points allowed per game (21st in points allowed per 100 possessions). They're also not spectacular at figuring out how to have Lin and Harden play side-by-side, but the fit has improved as the season has progressed. Their big-man rotation might be bad tonight, too, since they shipped out Patrick Patterson for Thomas Robinson (Carlos Delfino played most of the minutes at PF last night, for what it's worth.)

Are there any people involved with the organization that Amin really likes? James Harden, because he is awesome. And Jeremy Lin, because I like how he dribbles. And Omer Asik, because he's a really good big man. And Thomas Robinson, because he seems like a good guy.

Are there any people involved with the organization that Amin really doesn't like? Not really. Although, I'm still a little salty that the Wizards were rumored to have been offered Harden and he is not a Wizard. BUT I'M ONLY LOOKING FORWARD NOW.

Are there any players poised for a breakout? Well, Harden just smoked his old team for 46 points two games ago. So, look for him to score a lot because he can do that.

Are there any players the Wizards especially need to worry about? Remember all those players I mentioned that I liked? They need to worry about them. Especially Harden and his ability to get to the line, since no one on the Wizards can counter that.

Where can we learn more about the Rockets? Well, I thought you'd never ask! Check out The Dream Shake for all your Rockets needs.