Tim's Game Preview: Game 31, Houston Rockets
by TimAllen on Feb 17, 2012 4:33 PM CST
in Tim's Previews
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Do we have to play the Houston Rockets again?
Minnesota Timberwolves (14-16) vs. Houston Rockets (17-13) at Toyota Center
Luis Scola foot stomp.
Kevin McHale.
Kevin Martin kills the Wolves. Maybe they'll trade him to us instead?
Hasheem Thabeet...what's up with that guy?
There. Those are the most exciting storylines for tonight's game. I'm tired of writing about the Houston Rockets. This is the fourth game between the two teams in the last 25 days. At least the Wolves have won the last two...
I typed "Kevin McHale" into Google Image Search and this is the first result that popped up. Deal with it.
Projected Starting Lineups
C: Nikola Pekovic vs. Samuel Dalembert
PF: Kevin Love vs. Luis Scola
SF: Wesley Johnson vs. Chandler Parsons
SG: Luke Ridnour vs. Kevin Martin
PG: Ricky Rubio vs. Kyle Lowry
I typed "Kevin Martin" into Bing's Image Search and this was the 10th result that popped up. Whatever. Sue me.
Last 5 Games
Houston Rockets: (3rd in Southwest, 4 gms behind SAS; 6th in West)
Wed, Feb 8: Win @ Portland 103-96
Thur, Feb 9: Win @ Phoenix 96-89
Sun, Feb 12: Loss @ Golden State 97-106
Tue, Feb 14: Loss @ Memphis 83-93
Wed, Feb 15: Win vs. Oklahoma City 96-95
Minnesota Timberwolves: (5th in Northwest, 8 1/2 gms behind OKC; 11th in West, 2 gms behind 8th seed)
Wed, Feb 8: Loss @ Memphis 80-85
Fri, Feb 10: Loss vs. Dallas 97-104
Sat, Feb 11: Loss vs. New York 98-100
Mon, Feb 13: Loss @ Orlando 89-102
Wed, Feb 15: Win vs. Charlotte 102-90
I typed Michael Beasley into Yahoo Image Search and this was the 34th photo that popped up. It's close enough.
Injuries
Houston Rockets
No notable injuries
Minnesota Timberwolves
No notable injuries
Noteworthy Stats
- Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the highest pace (96.5) and gave up the most points per game (107.7) in the NBA. This season, they have the 2nd highest Pace (94.0) and are 17th in Opp PTS/G (95.4).
- In the last minute of the 4th quarter, and a margin within 5 points, here are the Wolves' FG%s:
- Derrick Williams 100% (2-of-2)
- Ricky Rubio 57% (4-of-7)
- Kevin Love 38% (3-of-8)
- Michael Beasley 25% (2-of-8)
- Wayne Ellington 0% (0-of-2)
- Martell Webster 0% (0-of-2)
- Luke Ridnour 0% (0-of-2)
Last season, those FG%s were:
- Ellington 75% (3-of-4)
- Beasley 50% (11-of-22)
- Anthony Tolliver 50% (2-of-4)
- Corey Brewer 50% (1-of-2)
- Darko Milicic 50% (1-of-2)
- Martell Webster 40% (2-of-5)
- Wesley Johnson 17% (1-of-6)
- Luke Ridnour 13% (2-of-15)
- Kevin Love 0% (0-of-9)
- Sebastian Telfair 0% (0-of-1) - Kevin Love is currently 8th in the NBA in field goal attempts per game at 18.0. The next closest Timberwolf is Michael Beasley at 12.4 FGA per game. Houston's FGA/gm leader is Kevin Martin at 14.4, followed by Luis Scola at 13.6 and Kyle Lowry at 11.9.
- Chase Budinger is 6-of-6 on dunk attempts so far this season. Derrick Williams is 18-of-20. Iman Shumpert is 10-of-15. Paul George is 20-of-23. Those four will compete in this year's slam dunk contest
- James Jones is currently shooting 19-of-47 (.404). Joe Johnson is 54-of-154 (.351) . Kevin Love is 46-of-127 (.362). Anthony Morrow is 65-of-156 (.417). Ryan Anderson is 87-200 (.435). Mario Chalmers is 57-of-123 (.463). Those six will compete in this year's three point contest. Chalmers is the only one in the top-10 of 3-Pt% with none of the top 4 - Brandon Rush, Mike Miller, Ray Allen or Klay Thompson - participating in the event.
I typed "Jonny Flynn" into Photobucket and this was the 6th result that popped up. Sounds about right.
62 comments
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Comments
After watching the previous Hou/MN games, I would like to see Beasley start this one.
Pek
Love
Beasley
Johnson
Rubio
Wes seemed to “D” up Martin pretty well last game. Beasley made Parsons look like he would be a good starter, for a High School Varsity team. We know how to match up with Houston now, we might as well take advantage of it.
but why bother keeping Johnson in there?
I think he’s clearly the least productive member of the team. Not a real original thought on my part, especially on these boards. I’m just curious to know.
I know Kevin Martin is a hot commodity on CH
But I’m starting to think Chase Budinger is the wing we should be targeting from Hou. We could probably get him for Luke Ridnour or less even
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
Based on what?
Houston’s lack of need for a point guard or desire to get rid of productive players playing on league minimum contracts?
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
I agree he'd be a nice potential target, but not that Houston wouldn't want anything for him.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
ha
I keep forgetting about Dragic so Ridnour is probably not part of the game plan
However considering Budinger isn’t starting I’d assume he’s gettable on some level with what we can offer
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
I quite like
Mark Zuckerberg Goran Dragic. Nice player.
"If you’ve got some balls, you can do some stuff"
I'll take Kevin Fartin or Courney Pee too.
"Wes Johnson is quite possibly the worst player in the NBA" - Everyone
by AndrePatterson on Feb 17, 2012 6:30 PM CST up reply actions
Courtney*
"Wes Johnson is quite possibly the worst player in the NBA" - Everyone
by AndrePatterson on Feb 17, 2012 6:30 PM CST up reply actions
One more storyline...
will Jonny Flynn be eating popcorn on the bench again? Love the movie poster. Will Jonny Flynn’s next role go better for him than his portrayal of an NBA point guard?
by Imyourhuckleberry on Feb 17, 2012 4:46 PM CST reply actions
That's...
An early prototype of a Double Double Machine.
by ElliotMRCS on Feb 17, 2012 5:03 PM CST up reply actions 7 recs
and the latest evolution of the machine
has retained the strong, simple, sturdy, bulky body while adding some fearsome tattoos and some former opposing centers still dragging behind stuck in the undercarriage.
first-worst-first?
by holymackerel on Feb 17, 2012 6:16 PM CST up reply actions
Last time against Houston they used Johnson on Martin and Ridnour on Parsons at the start
and it worked. Martin had a poor game (whether due to Johnson’s defense or not is your call), and they tried to exploit the Parsons-Ridnour mismatch. He got a couple early, but it threw the Rockets off their usual game plan, and ultimately didn’t work for them.
I expect Adelman to try the same thing tonight.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 17, 2012 4:48 PM CST reply actions
I have no clue if it was Johnson's defense or not
but I do think it’s funny how hesitant you are to give him any credit whatsoever.
Which is probably fair. It’s still funny :)
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
I just don't remember
I remember them going away from their game and trying to get Parsons off against Ridnour early, and it really didn’t work.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 17, 2012 6:22 PM CST up reply actions
I agree that it worked
but it worked a lot better in the second half. I am feeling like our 2 point guard starting lineup is like rolling dice. Sometimes it works out okay, and other times it does not. I would like to see a little bit more balance. We know that we sometimes win the Ridnour vs. Parsons matchup. We know that we win the Beasley vs. Parsons/Budinger matchup every time. Exploit it. I am not anti-Luke, I think he would be better, and balance the team better coming off of the bench.
Well, I don't entirely disagree
Ridnour at the 2 is not ideal. No question. On the other hand, I’m not convinced that the Wolves win the Beasley vs. Parsons/Budinger matchup on the regular. Beasley has been pretty bad. Certainly Ridnour has been a better player this year.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 17, 2012 4:59 PM CST up reply actions
Rid has been a better player this year? I haven't seen the stats, but he looks lost this year, and his shots aren't dead-on anymore.
He looked like an eagle-eye last year, compared to this. In several areas, though they are winning more, the Wolves have seemed to regress in my eyes. They have 3 dudes. Love, Pekovic, and the offensively-challenged Rubio. Everyone else looks like trade/waive fodder.
It’s getting hard to watch these games. I know what Love can do, so I tune in for Pekman.
Rubio has lost a bit of his lustre, too. Lots of turnovers. I’m not too worried about that, though. I think Rubio will iron it out.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
Not nearly as lost as Beasley, with whom I have been comparing him.
In truth, Ridnour has been fairly good. His shooting is off somewhat, but his defense has been better. He isn’t a great player, but he’s been well on the right side of serviceable.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 17, 2012 5:17 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with this. I think he's been forced into a role that does not fit him.
He’s being misused because of our lack of a SG. I’d rather see Wayne getting those minutes and letting Rid back up Ricky.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
i think Adelman has made up his mind on Wayne
barring injury, I don’t see him getting more than 10-12 min a game
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 17, 2012 5:26 PM CST up reply actions
I think he's a better defender than Luke, he's taller, and every time he's in,he's shot pretty well.
He’s an SG. Luke isn’t. But yeah, looks like your right.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
i think we're stuck with Rid until there a major changes in the roster
- Rid is the only top tier shooter on the team. plus, he has decent handles & makes decent decisions.
btw, I don’t think Love is a top tier shooter. i think he’s good shooter that gets more open looks bc of his position (slow PF defenders would rather sag on D).
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 17, 2012 5:37 PM CST up reply actions
I'm not bashing Luke. He just doesn't fit the way he's being played.
We need real SGs and real Wings.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
In fact, I'd rather have Luke backing Ricky than
Jonny-Flynn-lite Barea.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
Here's something to ponder -
How many guys on this team are playing out-of-position? Just about everyone except Rubio and Pekovic. Where we don’t have guys playing o-o-p, we have tweeners. It’s like some Frankenstein’s monster someone has created.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
- Rid’s transition to the 2 slot has been rough. it looks even worse when he’s not hitting shots. otherwise, he looks slow when he gets burnt & looks small next to other 2 guards.
- Ricky’s just tired. he’ll look better after the All Star break. plus, now that there’s game film on him, they’re playing him better. but he’ll adapt later as well.
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 17, 2012 5:21 PM CST up reply actions
We could probably buy a Euro contract better than anything we have at SG.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
lessons learned from 92-107 loss & 120-108 win & 100-91 win?
anything else?
- a gonad shot is more acceptable than stepping on someone face.
- having a full healthy squad is better than having limited options.
- play Pek.
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
Make sure to check out
Kevin Love’s planned signature shoe release. It will come complete with an imprint of Luis Scola’s face on the bottom.
Where there is a D-Williams, there is a way
by Flagrant on Feb 17, 2012 5:14 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I'm pretty sure the "rec" button
performs this type of function
by Dr_Defecate on Feb 17, 2012 5:17 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
No shit?
No, really. There’s no feces in your comment.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 17, 2012 5:18 PM CST up reply actions
hey uhh...
what IS that rec function for? or mean?
Black Knight vs. Jonny Flynn's career
What’s the greater-than/less-than on that? lol
Fun Fact:
I somehow had this movie on dvd. Terrible.
"Wes Johnson is quite possibly the worst player in the NBA" - Everyone
by AndrePatterson on Feb 17, 2012 5:32 PM CST up reply actions
Jonny Flynn was as miscast as John Wayne in Geghis Kahhhhhn.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
I think I enjoyed it
I rented it when I was like 12 though.. so.. that explains that.
I always thought Pam was super cute
I stand by the idea of a buddy cop movie starring Michael Beasley and Jenna Fischer. It could be a bit like Bones except Michael is the socially weird anthropologist and Fischer is the super tough FBI agent.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
by Malastare on Feb 17, 2012 5:49 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I'm tired of the Rockets, though, for real
How many points will Goran Dragic dump all over our second string tonight.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
At least we're done with them...
At least we got them all out of the way fairly early.. no more Houston ’til the.. cough.. playoffs.
I’ve been worried about Dragic as well. He was fun to watch w/ Phoenix and am suprised he hasn’t lit us up from the 3 in one of these games.. hopefully he won’t again.
Huge game for the wolves
Glad to see Wes and Williams are slowly improving. Early in the year, Wes was not doing anything right. At least half of his plays are decent these days.
Show off the best front court in the NBA Adelman!
I was in two minds about whether to watch tonight.
Then I realised it was everyone’s favourite team the Houston Rockets, cause I’m not really bored of them already.
Ok I am bored of them. But I’m still watching.
"If you’ve got some balls, you can do some stuff"
Canis Hoopus, fueling my lack of sleep since 2010.
"If you’ve got some balls, you can do some stuff"
And not get a foul
The refs seem to take a blind eye to scola.
So do the ladies
So it’s mostly fair
by SSOL (thats what she said) on Feb 17, 2012 6:27 PM CST up reply actions
Oh and I'd like to see a switched up line up.
Rubio
Webster
Beas
Love
Pek
"If you’ve got some balls, you can do some stuff"
As long as ...
The love-Rubio- peck combo is in I’m up for change
Good luck gentlemen! Hope this will be a fun game.
"Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated THEN!" Bill Watterson~Calvin and Hobbes
by The Chuckwagon has rolled on on Feb 17, 2012 6:25 PM CST reply actions
Back at you!
I sure hope the broadcast teams can keep the stomping references to a minimum. The matchups in this game are compelling enough without that stuff.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 17, 2012 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
guys.. just checking in..
I will say, having just received my Amazon Kindle Fire in the mail, that it is an excellent product for all that are considering purchasing one.. And no.. I don’t work for Amazon.
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