Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Noc ( B- ) -- started off this game curiously passive. Repeatedly passed up threes and actually did not look like he terribly wanted to mix it up with Battier (for the most part). And maybe he knew somethng we did not, because when he did shoot in the early going it was ugly. Airballed his first shot, and I think was 1-6 before he started to wake up. Notably it wasn't against Battier or Ariza, but rather Chase Budinger -- when the kid entered the game Nocioni's eyes lit up and all of a sudden he was agressively attacking inside again, working the post and using his strength advantage. Began to get out on the break in the mid third and came on in the early 4th with some strong takes and then a big flop on defense. But didn't have any better luck than anybody else trying to contain Landry in the post late int eh game.
Thompson ( C ) -- tough to win this one without Reke or much of a game from JT. Was being checked by Hayes early, and pretty much completely neutralized. And on the other end Scola overpowered him on defense. Went to the bench after a completely ineffective first quarter. When he returned looked better, immediately took it at Scola and scored underneath the hoop, then got a tip, and worked his way up to a respectabel 10pt first half. Made a mistake at the very end of the half, going for the last shot too early, thus leaving the Rockets time for a counter, and then compounding it by picking up an offensive foul. Did not build on the late 2nd quarter momentum after half. Was quiet early in the third, largely checked off the glass, which is always a big key for his game, and then got in foul trouble limiting his minutes and effectiveness down the stretch. Had a nifty spin move over Scola at the 4 minute mark, but beat by the much smaller Landry on the block down the stretch.
Hawes ( A- ) -- what started off looking like an oh no perforamnce, eventually morphed into the best performance of the season for Spencer. The oh no of course came when Spencer came out in the first quarter against perhaps the smallest starting frontline in the NBA and decided that the way to attack it was to start chucking threes. And if they were not by design then at the very least Beno knew exactly where to find him when he spotted up. This time he finally hit his first two, but that was hardly the point. However what started off with me shaking my head quickly morphed into something unexpected -- Spencer grew a set. Of course its easier to be brave when you are 3 inches taller than anybody you have to face, but damn if there did not appear to be a method to the madness this time out. The three point shots all came in a quick burst at the start of the game, but interspersed was a dunk over Scola, and then an eye opening back down and hook over him -- which is of course what Spencer should be doing all the time. And then Specner began to attack the middle consistently, and interestingly when he did spot way outside was using upfakes of the long jumper to start dirves back down inside again. Now maybe Westphal said something to him over on the sideline -- likely involving multiple uses of the word "weenie" -- and that was why the threes came and then abruptly stopped. But maybe just maybe there was a plan there, whetehr it be Spencer's or Westphal's, to try to establish that shot and then use fear of it to help on the drive. In any case, after a burst of early wuss, Spencer spent the rest of the game down inside where he belongs, and gave us a solid if not spectacular post presence for most of the night. Defensively...eh, that did not come along so dramatically. Scola poured in points the other way in the early going, Spencer once again suffered the indignity of having Chuck Hayes back him down and hook over him, and while Spencer picked up a couple of blocks it seems that the rockets were getting to every lose balland cleaning up inside again and again. On offense Specner's efficicey began to dip, but the inside focus of his game surprisingly did not waver. Got off to a mixed start to the thid, but upon returning when JT picked up his 4th, had an immediate impact. Got a tip in, a blocked shot. Beat up Scola in the post in the 4th -- just posted him and went right at him and over him. For the most part the inside moves were farly simplistic, Spencer rarely broke out the good stuff for this one. But using his size advantage he played the meat and potatoes game of a post player. Back a guy down, hook over, turn aorund off the glass, push the guy in closer and get the tip in etc. Another teaser effort before putting the ballet slippers back on when he faces a full sized opponent? Or an important turning point game where Spencer remembers he is 7 feet tall? Only the shadow knows.
Greene ( C+ ) -- got the out of position start in place of Reke (although not as out of position as it might normally have been given that the Rockets start Trevor Ariza at SG, who is more of a SF himself) and had a shrug game with it. Ariza got by him far too easily in the early going, and while he chipped in a couple of hoops the other way, there was not much impact. Came out on fire in the third pouring in 5 quick points, but then got a little wild and turned it over three straight times, twice on the drive, and once on a clean pick by Ariza, before hitting another three to close his scoring. Lost a lot of late minutes with Casspi playing so well. Not an awful performance by Donte, by somewhat of a step back performance. Hit all his shots -- 5-5, that was the good. But also turned it over 4 times and did not provide help on the glass or passing game (1reb no assists).
Udrih ( B+ ) -- got a couple of hoops early, but in the early going it looked like Brooks' quickness was going to be a major issue back the other way. But actually started to dial in defensively before he did offensively, and really after the opening minutes did a good job of staying in front of Brooks, and a decent one on Lowry. Finally began to click into offensive gear in the 3rd in familiar ways - psotting up fro three, driving into the lane for those little pullups. Racked up 8 assists as well, which is about double his average last season. Not able to direct us wiht any efficiency in our 4th quarter collapse however. Came out of the timeout at the 1:15 mark and worked the pick and roll before draining a clutch three, but it was too little too late.
Thompson ( C ) -- tough to win this one without Reke or much of a game from JT. Was being checked by Hayes early, and pretty much completely neutralized. And on the other end Scola overpowered him on defense. Went to the bench after a completely ineffective first quarter. When he returned looked better, immediately took it at Scola and scored underneath the hoop, then got a tip, and worked his way up to a respectabel 10pt first half. Made a mistake at the very end of the half, going for the last shot too early, thus leaving the Rockets time for a counter, and then compounding it by picking up an offensive foul. Did not build on the late 2nd quarter momentum after half. Was quiet early in the third, largely checked off the glass, which is always a big key for his game, and then got in foul trouble limiting his minutes and effectiveness down the stretch. Had a nifty spin move over Scola at the 4 minute mark, but beat by the much smaller Landry on the block down the stretch.
Hawes ( A- ) -- what started off looking like an oh no perforamnce, eventually morphed into the best performance of the season for Spencer. The oh no of course came when Spencer came out in the first quarter against perhaps the smallest starting frontline in the NBA and decided that the way to attack it was to start chucking threes. And if they were not by design then at the very least Beno knew exactly where to find him when he spotted up. This time he finally hit his first two, but that was hardly the point. However what started off with me shaking my head quickly morphed into something unexpected -- Spencer grew a set. Of course its easier to be brave when you are 3 inches taller than anybody you have to face, but damn if there did not appear to be a method to the madness this time out. The three point shots all came in a quick burst at the start of the game, but interspersed was a dunk over Scola, and then an eye opening back down and hook over him -- which is of course what Spencer should be doing all the time. And then Specner began to attack the middle consistently, and interestingly when he did spot way outside was using upfakes of the long jumper to start dirves back down inside again. Now maybe Westphal said something to him over on the sideline -- likely involving multiple uses of the word "weenie" -- and that was why the threes came and then abruptly stopped. But maybe just maybe there was a plan there, whetehr it be Spencer's or Westphal's, to try to establish that shot and then use fear of it to help on the drive. In any case, after a burst of early wuss, Spencer spent the rest of the game down inside where he belongs, and gave us a solid if not spectacular post presence for most of the night. Defensively...eh, that did not come along so dramatically. Scola poured in points the other way in the early going, Spencer once again suffered the indignity of having Chuck Hayes back him down and hook over him, and while Spencer picked up a couple of blocks it seems that the rockets were getting to every lose balland cleaning up inside again and again. On offense Specner's efficicey began to dip, but the inside focus of his game surprisingly did not waver. Got off to a mixed start to the thid, but upon returning when JT picked up his 4th, had an immediate impact. Got a tip in, a blocked shot. Beat up Scola in the post in the 4th -- just posted him and went right at him and over him. For the most part the inside moves were farly simplistic, Spencer rarely broke out the good stuff for this one. But using his size advantage he played the meat and potatoes game of a post player. Back a guy down, hook over, turn aorund off the glass, push the guy in closer and get the tip in etc. Another teaser effort before putting the ballet slippers back on when he faces a full sized opponent? Or an important turning point game where Spencer remembers he is 7 feet tall? Only the shadow knows.
Greene ( C+ ) -- got the out of position start in place of Reke (although not as out of position as it might normally have been given that the Rockets start Trevor Ariza at SG, who is more of a SF himself) and had a shrug game with it. Ariza got by him far too easily in the early going, and while he chipped in a couple of hoops the other way, there was not much impact. Came out on fire in the third pouring in 5 quick points, but then got a little wild and turned it over three straight times, twice on the drive, and once on a clean pick by Ariza, before hitting another three to close his scoring. Lost a lot of late minutes with Casspi playing so well. Not an awful performance by Donte, by somewhat of a step back performance. Hit all his shots -- 5-5, that was the good. But also turned it over 4 times and did not provide help on the glass or passing game (1reb no assists).
Udrih ( B+ ) -- got a couple of hoops early, but in the early going it looked like Brooks' quickness was going to be a major issue back the other way. But actually started to dial in defensively before he did offensively, and really after the opening minutes did a good job of staying in front of Brooks, and a decent one on Lowry. Finally began to click into offensive gear in the 3rd in familiar ways - psotting up fro three, driving into the lane for those little pullups. Racked up 8 assists as well, which is about double his average last season. Not able to direct us wiht any efficiency in our 4th quarter collapse however. Came out of the timeout at the 1:15 mark and worked the pick and roll before draining a clutch three, but it was too little too late.
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