Bullets Forever - Rockets vs. Wizards: Wizards win in thrilling fashion"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2013-02-24T13:26:26-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/37865292013-02-24T13:26:26-05:002013-02-24T13:26:26-05:00No need for hero ball
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<p>With the game tied at 103, the Wizards ran an actual play instead of just clearing it out for one of their best perimeter players. Why don't more teams do that?</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- <span>John Wall</span> dribbles at the top of the key with under 20 seconds left and the game between the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> and <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> tied at 103. Everyone in the building knows what was coming, because everyone in the league does the same thing in these situations. Wall is going to dribble it down to five seconds to prevent the Rockets from getting a chance to win in regulation, make one move and launch a wild shot that probably would miss, giving us overtime.</p>
<p>Fifteen seconds. Fourteen seconds. Thirteen seconds. Wall's still dribbling. And then, at 12 seconds, Wall does something funny. He passes it to <span>Bradley Beal</span> on the wing and runs to the weakside to clear out.</p>
<p>Beal's time to shine? Nope. Instead, Beal dumps the ball to <span>Emeka Okafor</span> in the post, guarded by the much smaller <span>Carlos Delfino</span>. As the Wizards' guards clear out, Okafor makes a strong move to the middle before the Rockets can double team and draws the foul.</p>
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<p>Suddenly, it dawned on me. The Wizards, in a league where everyone clears out and lets their superstar do whatever he wants at the end of tie games, ran an actual play. Not a complicated play, of course, but it was a still a play. Blasphemy!</p>
<p>"They did it all game long, and I thought they'd stay small. So I said, 'Screw it, let's go big,'" <span>Randy Wittman</span> says after.</p>
<p>This is what the NBA has come to in 2013. A head coach, ostensibly one of the 30 best basketball minds in the world, needed to say "screw it" to himself to actually take control of a late-game situation. His players, several of whom hold beliefs that they are among the best of their crafts, went along with this strategy of getting the ball to the one guy nobody expected.</p>
<p>After it worked, I pose one question to players and coach: why doesn't everyone else do that?</p>
<p>Nobody has a really good answer.</p>
<p>"I'm a firm believer of going at mismatches. I'm a firm believer of the feel of the game, how a guy is going," Wittman says.</p>
<p>"We know we're not a team that's got guys that can close games out as good as the other stars," Wall says.</p>
<p>"The way we play and the way our team is designed, we don't do that," Beal adds.</p>
<p>"This team's pretty unique where we legitimately have guys at every position that can put the ball in the bucket," Okafor reiterates.</p>
<p>Sure, maybe the Wizards don't have <span>LeBron James</span> or <span>Kevin Durant</span>, but that hasn't stopped coaches before. Hell, it hasn't stopped this <i>team</i> before, at least earlier in the season. But all those failures may have taught these Wizards that the solo approach isn't always the way to go.</p>
<p>"I know that if I get the ball, they're all going to sink in like they kind of do every time I'm on the court. I'm basically the only one that really would penetrate, so if we get them moving around a little bit and they double the post, we swing it out and find easier shots," Wall says. "I think we catch them off guard because they usually think that I'm getting the ball or Brad's getting the ball. We can go to the low post and those guys can finish or make free throws."</p>
<p>Or, as Beal says more simply: "it's easy to guard a guy one-on-one. There's help everywhere. If we run a play, it creates more controversy for the other team."</p>
<p>It all makes sense, but this league can be slow to adjust. One former coach told me three years ago that the reason you don't see coaches run actual plays more often late is because there's more for a player to screw up. Also, it's worth noting that the Rockets tied the game on the previous possession by ... giving the ball to <span>James Harden</span> and getting out of his way.</p>
<p>The hope here, though, is that the Wizards continue to try to beat teams by executing actual plays. At the very least, it helps make up the talent gap.</p>
<p>At the very most ... maybe they can succeed enough to convince other teams to change their ways.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/24/4024520/rockets-vs-wizards-recap-nba-2013Mike Prada2013-02-24T08:34:31-05:002013-02-24T08:34:31-05:00Recap roundup: Best win of the season?
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<p>In today's recap roundup, Bradley Beal puts the finishing touch on Washington's best win of the season.</p> <p>Wait, did that headline have a '?' at the end? Because it shouldn't. No, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> didn't play their best <i>game</i> of the season last night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a>, but for my money it was their best victory. When else this year have the Wiz battled back to win against a good team after looking so thoroughly defeated halfway through the game? Washington's wins this season have pretty much been of the "build a big lead and hold on for dear life" variety or your more-standard back-and-forth, win-at-the-end affair.</p>
<p>Anyway, enough of my jibber jabber, let's get on to today's roundup. Be sure to also check out <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/23/4022488/rockets-vs-wizards-game-time-james-harden" target="_blank">our game StoryStream</a> as well as postgame interviews with <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/randy-wittman-postgame-2-23-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">Randy Wittman</a>, <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/bradley-beal-postgame-2-23-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">Bradley Beal</a>, <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/john-wall-postgame-2-23-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">John Wall</a>, <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/emeka-okafor-postgame-2-23-13/index.jsp" target="_blank">Emeka Okafor</a> and <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/trevor-ariza-postgame-2-2213/index.jsp" target="_blank">Trevor Ariza</a> over at Monumental Network.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards-vs-rockets-washington-rallies-from-17-down-to-knock-off-houston-105-103/2013/02/23/c76368b0-7e27-11e2-a044-676856536b40_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post (gamer)</a></p>
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<p>Tongue wagging, smile creeping upon his face, <span>Bradley Beal</span> dribbled away from Houston Rockets defenders, trying to melt away the clock before eventually drawing a foul. Beal has already made a game-winning jumper at Verizon Center this season, but on Saturday against the Rockets, the 19-year-old rookie got to experience the joy of a game-winning rebound.</p>
<p>Nabbing a carom after <span>Emeka Okafor</span> missed a free throw, Beal later hit a free throw and secured a 105-103 victory for the Washington Wizards that may have been the gutsiest of the season. Beal scored 21 points as the Wizards won their second game in a row and improved to 11-4 against teams with winning records since Jan. 7 - when Beal got the positive vibes going when he hit a jumper to defeat defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City.</p>
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<p><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/going-big-pushes-wizards-past-rockets/article/2522403" target="_blank">Washington Examiner (gamer</a>)</p>
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<p>After enduring a relentless stream of 3-pointers that forced them to abandon playing two big men at the same time early and often in the second half, Wizards coach <span>Randy Wittman</span> used both Emeka Okafor and Nene to unbalance the Rockets and got what is becoming an all too familiar clutch play from Bradley Beal to eke out a 105-103 triumph before a sold-out Verizon Center.</p>
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<p><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/wizards-fend-off-rockets-3s-025646674--nba.html" target="_blank">Associated Press</a></p>
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<p>The Rockets dominated early with an impressive 3-point shooting display and finished with more attempts than any NBA team this season. The Wizards countered by going big and going inside and it paid off when the former league laughingstock took down another winning team.</p>
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<p><a href="http://districtsportspage.com/washington-wizards-game-54-wrap-win-over-rockets-shows-glimpse-of-future/15282" target="_blank">District Sports Page</a></p>
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<p>Even though Wall's return has been the focal point for much of the season, Bradley Beal might be the brightest star on the team right now. Saturday night he showed why too with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Even though he is just a rookie, Beal is showing a high-rate of improvement this year with his best games coming when Wall gives him the ball</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.wizardsextreme.com/2013-articles/we-game-recap-wizards-vs-rockets.html" target="_blank">Wizards Extreme</a></p>
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<p>As I tweeted during the game, Bradley is quickly becoming THAT DUDE. At the beginning of the season, he struggled with his shot. His game looked forced. These days it's smooth, like Gary Coleman. Not only was his stat line filled with 21 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, it was done so efficiently and in the flow of the game. His 21 points came on 7-15 shooting. He is becoming the anti-Steez -- a high volume scorer rather than a high volume shooter. Speaking of high volume scorers...</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/wizards-fend-houstons-offensive-barrage" target="_blank">CSN Washington</a></p>
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<p>"I went big with 21 seconds at the end of the game, and I said whoever has the smallest defender on them that's who I want the ball to go to, said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. "I'm a firm believer in going at mismatches, and the flow of the game. I felt Emeka Okafor played outstanding, and he was doing a great job when he got the ball down there. I coach by feel; I don't have a set play we will go to every time. Houston stayed small all game long and I just decided to go big and it worked out well."</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2013/02/24/wizards-aiming-to-be-clutch-by-committee/" target="_blank">Washington Post (sidebar)</a></p>
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<p>"We're versatile. The five of us on the court, everybody can score, from every single position and we all have confidence in each other and know when we can exploit matchups. That just shows confidence," Okafor said. "This team is pretty unique where you legitimately have guys at every position who can put the ball in the bucket. So at the end of the game Coach drew up a play and said hey, ‘Whoever the mismatch is on is who we're going to.' It wasn't for me or Nene, it's whoever Delfino was guarding."</p>
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<p><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/wizards-105-rockets-103-three-observations/article/2522404" target="_blank">Washington Examiner (sidebar)</a></p>
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<p>Yes, I admit to looking at the standings and noticing immediately that there are now nine games between the Wizards and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a>, who also lost tonight. There are 28 games remaining. Let's not get crazy, but then, why do I keep looking at the standings? It can't be any crazier than going 11-4 against teams with winning records and 2-5 against losing squads.</p>
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<p><a href="http://wizofawes.com/2013/02/24/washington-wizards-survive-rain-of-threes-beat-houston-rockets-105-103/" target="_blank">Wiz of Awes</a></p>
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<p>What a game. The Washington Wizards beat their second playoff team on a back to back, this time beating the Houston Rockets 105 to 103. After the first half, the Wizards looked out of sorts, and at least some people thought that the game was going to get out of hand fast. But the Wizards turned it around big time, outscoring the Rockets by 5 in the third quarter and by 8 in the fourth. And Bradley Beal had the DAGGER rebound off an Okafor missed free throw to seal the game.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/game-recap-wizards-105-rockets-103" target="_blank">WashingtonWizards.com</a></p>
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<p>The Wizards shot 51.3% from the field, marking the sixth time the Wizards have shot 50% or better and they are undefeated in such games. The Wizards also had 31 assists, one off of their season high. Bradley Beal led five Wizards in double figures with 21 points on 7/15 shooting. Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the year and Wall also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. Ariza had 18 points and Webster had 12 as the other Wizards in double figures.</p>
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<p><a href="http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/02/rockets-cant-hold-off-wizards-in-d-c/" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a></p>
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<p>The Rockets were taking all those 3s - and making more than their share - because they were not getting much of anything else going. They did circle the 3-point arc as usual, and they did move the ball to open shots. But as they started heading toward the record again, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said, the Rockets got "3-happy.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.red94.net/washington-wizards-105-houston-rockets-103-big-men/11701/" target="_blank">Red94</a></p>
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<p>"It's one thing to lose to the Washington Wizards. They are a team who have been extremely well since the return of <span>John Wall</span> well since the return of John Wall, having defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a>, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Nuggets</a> recently before tonight's game. The Rockets were on the second part of a back-to-back, were still shorthanded thanks to the fact that the Robinson trade still isn't officially completed as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Kings</a> delay with the physicals of Patterson and company for whatever reason, and lost <span>Greg Smith</span> for the fourth quarter with a knee injury that appeared quite serious when it happened as he had to be helped off the court (though according to Jonathon Feign, it appears to be fine and Smith will not miss any games).</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 16px;">It's another thing to lose to <span>Trevor Ariza</span>.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2013/2/23/4023102/wizards-wriggle-past-rockets-105-103" target="_blank">The Dream Shake</a></p>
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<p>Trevor Ariza played his one good offensive game of the year. Apparently covering and driving on an exhausted-looking <span>James Harden</span> is well within Ariza's capabilities. His defense often bothered Harden, and Ariza (one of the least offensively savvy players I've ever seen) shot 8-12. Let me make a small internet wager for pride with anyone interested. Ariza will not shoot 75% with 10+ shots again this season. In fact, I'm willing to extend that bet to the remainder of his career.</p>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/24/4023882/wizards-vs-rockets-recap-roundup-washington-scores-its-best-win-ofJeff Newman2013-02-23T21:32:36-05:002013-02-23T21:32:36-05:00Wizards come away with tough 105-103 win
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<p>The Wizards absorbed the Rockets' best shot and came away with a 105-103 victory in one of the best wins of the season. A Bradley Beal rebound off a missed Emeka Okafor free throw sealed it for good.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- This team never ceases to surprise me.</p>
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<p>After a first half where the Wizards looked completely powerless to stop the high-powered Houston Rockets offense, Washington dug in and rallied. When the Rockets pulled back ahead early in the fourth quarter, things looked bad.</p>
<p>But as they have so often recently, the Wizards dug in and somehow pulled it out. Washington's defense held a clinic on how to slow the spread pick and roll, and their offense scratched out enough good plays to come away with a 105-103 win. The Rockets are playing about as well as any team in the league right now. This is a hell of a win.</p>
<p>The game ultimately was decided in the final two and a half minutes after <span>James Harden</span> tied the score at 99 with the Rockets' 19th three-pointer of the game. After two Nene free throws, the Wizards shut down the Rockets' attempt to run pick and roll with Harden and Lin, leading to a missed shot. But Trevor Ariza traveled on the next play, and <span>Chandler Parsons</span> found Omer Asik wide open for a dunk on the next possession. No charge was called even though Parsons ran over Nene because Parsons had gotten rid of the ball.</p>
<p>Two Wall free throws gave the Wizards the lead, but they had to hold off one more Rockets possession. Wall threw up a wild shot in an isolation situation after a pick and roll with Nene broke down, giving the Rockets the ball with a chance to tie with 33.5 seconds left. Houston, predictably, gave the ball to Harden one-on-one against Ariza, and Trevor opened up Harden to go right to the rim with his strong hand to tie the score at 103 with 21.4 seconds left. Awful defense all around.</p>
<p>Everyone in the gym expected an isolation for Wall. Instead, Wittman had Wall run the clock down to 10 seconds, swing the ball to Beal on the wing and screen for Okafor to go in the post against the smaller Delfino. The play was beautifully executed and Okafor ended up drawing a foul on Asik. He hit the first and missed the second ... and BRADLEY BEAL CAME OUT OF NOWHERE TO GRAB THE OFFENSIVE REBOUND. He hit just one of two free throws, but the Rockets couldn't take it the length of the floor in 1.9 seconds and the Wizards won.</p>
<p>What a win.</p>
<p>It was especially great because the first half was pretty ugly. The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> got clubbed over the head by the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a>' spread pick and roll all half. Houston took a whopping 28 threes in the first half, making 13. All those looks were appropriate because the Rockets kept catching the Wizards' weakside defenders too close to the basket. Against many teams, that's a good strategy. Against the Rockets, it kills you. Houston kept swinging the ball to the weakside and reaping the benefits of wide-open looks.</p>
<p>On the other end, the Wizards' offense was sporadic. They had some success when pushing the ball, but never really established their inside dominance. Both guards struggles -- <span>Bradley Beal</span> was 3-9 and got few good looks at the rim, while<span>John Wall</span> was 2-6 with a couple poor possessions late that allowed Houston to extend to an 11-point halftime lead.</p>
<p>Tired of all the threes, Wittman decided to start <span>Chris Singleton</span> instead of <span>Emeka Okafor</span> in the second half. Things improved for a spell in the third, as the Wizards now had the kind of team speed needed to close out quicker on some Rockets shooters. The Wizards occasionally switched as well, further confusing the Rockets and forcing them to take more mid-range jumpers. A <span>Trevor Ariza</span> three with six and a half minutes left cut the Rockets' lead all the way down to five.</p>
<p>The Wizards kept coming thanks to some clever lineup deployment. Wittman rotated Nene and Okafor in there separately, then switched to have them in there together when the Rockets put in <span>Donatas Motiejunas</span> with <span>Omer Asik</span>. Wall hit a jumper to cut the lead to four, then Ariza stole a lazy Asik inbounds pass and scored on a tough finish to cut things down to two points with 4:01 remaining. Okafor hit a jump hook in the lane to tie the score with 3:40 remaining, and the two teams traded the lead from there.</p>
<p>The biggest change? The Rockets' shot distribution. After taking 14 threes in each of the first two quarters, the Rockets only attempted eight threes in the third. Whatever the Wizards did to force that shot distribution to change helped get the back in the game.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the close of the third quarter did not go well. Houston scored the last seven points, including a three by Motiejunas and a buzzer-beater floater by Parsons after the Wizards turned it over. Still, the game was within reach heading into the fourth.</p>
<p>Houston kept it up early in the quarter, but the Wizards rallied with their big lineup. A difficult reverse layup from Ariza tied the score at 88 with just over seven minutes remaining. But just as quickly as the Wizards tied it, the Rockets surged ahead. <span>Carlos Delfino</span> answered Ariza's layup with an above-the-break three, and Motiejunas stroked a trey from the right corner to put Houston up six with 6:35 left.</p>
<p>That convinced Wittman to come back with Beal and Wall, and they paid dividends immediately. The Wizards went on a 7-0 run to take a one-point lead. During that stretch, the Wizards ran some sets that I hadn't seen them run all year. They ran HORNS, a set that puts two players at the elbow and two in the corners, but they put Beal on one elbow and had him run pick and roll inside the three-point line. It resulted in layups for both Okafor and Nene, and Beal slipped away after giving the ball up to get an open three on a third possession. Houston stopped the run with a Harden layup, but the game was on.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/23/4023050/rockets-vs-wizards-score-final-2013Mike Prada2013-02-23T18:56:38-05:002013-02-23T18:56:38-05:00Wizards-Rockets game thread
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<p>Discuss tonight's game here.</p> <table cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://sanmarinotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/houston-rockets-logo.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/wizards_alt_logo_hand.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>February 22, 2013</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Verizon Center</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7 p.m.</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>CSN, 106.7 The Fan</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Projected Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Jeremy Lin</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>John Wall</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>James Harden</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Bradley Beal</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Carlos Delfino</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Martell Webster</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/6/3959250/trevor-ariza-one-of-six-starters-for-the-washington-wizards" style="background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration: underline; text-align: start;">Trevor Ariza</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Chandler Parsons</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Nene</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Omer Asik</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span>Emeka Okafor</span></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>2012/13 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">96.3 (1st)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">92.2 (12th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">109.9 (4th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">98.2 (30th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">106.8 (21st)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">102.3 (5th)</td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Also see: <a href="http://www.denverstiffs.com">The Dream Shake</a><a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com"> </a>| <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/23/4022488/rockets-vs-wizards-game-time-james-harden">StoryStream</a> | <a href="http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos/wizards-fast-break-2-23-13/index.jsp">Fast Break</a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
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<p>A couple of quick notes for tonight's game:</p>
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<ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Jason Collins is in the house! But he's inactive. Though he did have this awesome quote to share: when asked how he has been able to stay in the league, he responded "Twelve years of being able to foul people." That got a good chuckle out of the press crowd.</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Kevin McHale praised the Wizards on their ball movement. Later, when asked about the impact of the Jordan Crawford trade, he said "That's probably why the ball is moving more."</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">McHale also said his team doesn't run enough. Considering they score the most points per game in the NBA, have the fastest pace in the league, and they have the 4th highest points scored per 100 possessions, we can probably expect the Rockets to run a lot tonight.</span></li> </ul>
<p>GO WIZARDS!</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/23/4022610/rockets-vs-wizards-game-time-tv-schedule-and-open-threadAmin Vafa2013-02-23T13:15:31-05:002013-02-23T13:15:31-05:00Meet the new-new-look Rockets!
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<p>Meet the Western Conference team whose yearly roster overhauls rival only the Wizards in frequency.</p> <p>After a much-needed win against Denver last night, the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Wizards</a> play their second night of a back to back against <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> that just knocked off two wins in a row. Let's meet this team again, shall we?</p>
<p><b>Are they good in general?: </b>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.</p>
<p><b>Are they good against the Wizards?</b> They beat the Wizards in a Steez-heavy game earlier this season, BJW (Before <span>John Wall</span>). 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."</p>
<p><b>Are they fast or slow? </b>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.</p>
<p><b>Are they especially good at anything? </b>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 <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nuggets</a> last night.</p>
<p><b>Are they especially bad at anything? </b>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 <span>Patrick Patterson</span> for <span>Thomas Robinson</span> (<span>Carlos Delfino</span> played most of the minutes at PF last night, for what it's worth.)</p>
<p><b>Are there any people involved with the organization that Amin really likes? </b><span>James Harden</span>, because he is awesome. And <span>Jeremy Lin</span>, because I like how he dribbles. And <span>Omer Asik</span>, because he's a really good big man. And Thomas Robinson, because he seems like a good guy.</p>
<p><b>Are there any people involved with the organization that Amin really doesn't like? </b>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.</p>
<p><b>Are there any players poised for a breakout? </b>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.</p>
<p><b>Are there any players the Wizards especially need to worry about? </b>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.</p>
<p><b>Where can we learn more about the Rockets?</b> Well, I thought you'd never ask! Check out <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/">The Dream Shake</a> for all your Rockets needs.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/2/23/4021316/rockets-vs-wizards-preview-get-to-know-houston-againAmin Vafa