# Training Camp (news, articles, etc.)



## Cornholio

> *Adelman still the man for the job*
> 
> After sitting out the 2006-07 season, Rick Adelman might not have been overconfident, but he must have had a feeling an opportunity would present itself.
> 
> A veteran coach with a strong résumé, Adelman wouldn't take just any position.
> 
> Enter the Rockets, a 52-win team with an intriguing roster including two perennial All-Stars — one of the NBA's best big men in Yao Ming and one of the top perimeter players in Tracy McGrady. Adelman was thinking championship.
> 
> Two years later, Adelman sat at Toyota Center on Monday having added to his résumé the best winning percentage of any coach in Rockets history, with his latest squad delivering the franchise's first playoff series victory in a dozen years. That, despite playing significant time without one or both of those stars.
> 
> The Rockets begin training camp today, and Adelman will roll the ball out to start this season without either star — Yao is out for the year with a broken foot; McGrady is coming off microfracture knee surgery — or any realistic championship dreams.
> 
> Adelman's best players might be third-year point guard Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola, a third-year player who began his pro career in Europe.
> 
> “What I'd like to see us do is reach our potential. If we can do that, then we can be successful,” Adelman said. “This is a unique group; they will bust their tails. We have some really good people in the locker room. They're going to give it every opportunity.”
> 
> That's coachspeak. But one thing about the best coaches: Their coachspeak sounds like gospel. And Adelman is one of the better coaches the NBA has seen.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/solomon/6642156.html



> *McGrady hasn't lost carefree demeanor*
> 
> Rockets training camp begins today, and Tracy McGrady was asked Monday how and where he plans to spend the next few weeks after general manager Daryl Morey announced the star guard would be held out of action while continuing rehabilitation until late November.
> 
> “I'll stay at home since they won't let me practice, sit on my couch and watch TV,” he said with a straight face before grinning. “Nah, I'll be here working. I'm back.”
> 
> McGrady said he feels better, seven months removed from microfracture surgery on his left knee, than he did at any point during the 2008-09 season, when he was limited to 35 games and averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and five assists.
> 
> “It's like night and day,” McGrady, 30, said. “Jumping, running, cutting, better mentally.”
> 
> Still, caution is emphasized, which explains why Morey said an MRI will be administered and examined before McGrady can return Nov. 23, a timeline that apparently hadn't been relayed to him.
> 
> Asked the significance of the date, McGrady said: “It's the day before my wife's birthday.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6642119.html



> McGrady said it was odd seeing someone else in that jersey, but he had an interesting perspective.
> 
> “I told him he has to represent it well,” McGrady said. “I'm sure he'll be a lot healthier in it.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6642159.html


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## Cornholio

> That didn't take long. After the first practice, Rick Adelman said he needs more healthy bodies for training camp, especially at the 2/3.


http://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/4476031500


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## Spaceman Spiff

I don't see the bench being downgraded. Taylor/Budinger in place of Wafer/Barry is a wash at least. If anything it's an upgrade. The front court is the issue once again. I know nothing of David Anderson, and his numbers before wasn't anything to get an orgasm over.


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## mtlk

> He had been given an invitation to join the team and try to earn a spot on the roster during training camp. McCants, however, *is not healthy enough to take part in the workouts*, so he is no longer with the team.


So NO Rashad McCants for Rockets.:funny:

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/nba/090929_houston_rockets_rashad_mccants


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## mtlk

> NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Tuesday the Houston Rockets will add guard/forward Romel Beck to the roster Wednesday if he passes his physical.
> 
> Beck, who is 6'8, 195 pounds, was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team in 2008 where he averaged 10.4 points in five games while playing just under 21 minutes a game.


Is he good or just another body? :whiteflag:


http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/nba/090929_romel_beck_rockets


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## Cornholio

> Though the Rockets are counting heavily on Aaron Brooks to take on a larger role in the offense, Kyle Lowry is not conceding the starting point guard position.
> 
> “Everybody should think that,” Lowry said. “I know me and Aaron are going to go out there, we're going to battle, and Coach is going to make the decision on who is best to be the starter. I think we both want that job. Whatever happens happens. We both have to go out there and play and help the team win.”





> Guard Brent Barry has not reported. The Rockets do not expect any announcement until the end of the preseason, giving them more time to seek a trade or complete a buyout on the second year of his contract.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6644000.html


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## Cornholio

> *Who'll do the scoring?*
> 
> Soon, the absences might not be quite so conspicuous. The players who are sidelined will not command more consideration than those who are playing. The Rockets will be about players other than Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
> 
> Then the challenges will be inescapable again.
> 
> The Rockets will not have Yao drawing double-teams and forcing defenders to leave his teammates open. They will not have McGrady, at least for a couple months, to trigger their offense.
> 
> They will have to find ways to score with a roster of players who have never been asked to carry an NBA offense. And for all the talk of needing different players “to step up,” the Rockets began workouts Tuesday knowing it will be more complicated than that.
> 
> “So much has changed,” coach Rick Adelman said. “The people we're missing are huge pieces. Guys are going to have to respond. We're going to have to see what people can do.
> 
> “It's one thing to have Yao on the floor or Tracy and you have a role that you do. Now we're going to have to … see who is going to make a leap. It's going to be interesting to watch the team progress.”


Link


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## Cornholio

mtlk said:


> Is he good or just another body? :whiteflag:
> 
> 
> http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/nba/090929_romel_beck_rockets


Just another body.



> Rockets coach Rick Adelman had already said he needed another shooting guard/small forward for some of the scrimmaging he planned in training camp.
> 
> "My biggest concern ... is we need to get more bodies in here," Adelman said. "We only have 15. We just have no depth at our two and three spots at all. We have to address that if we can, especially if you’re going to try to do more scrimmaging. You got to have some people to substitute in."


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## Cornholio

> Much to the Rockets' chagrin, the big news coming out of the first day of training camp was the injury sustained by Shane Battier. The Duke-product tweaked his hamstring during the day's evening session, limiting him to spectator status for day two.
> 
> The injury is not considered serious and, let's face it, better that it happen now rather than during the regular season, but that realization didn't prevent Battier from being bummed at having to put on the brakes just as camp was getting underway.





> "Everybody’s in the mix as the starting five," said Adelman, only half-jokingly. "We just don’t know. I think we could change from game to game. I think we’re going to play a lot of different combinations in (the preseason) and we’ll decide what we’re going to do from there. Some teams we can get away with playing two fours together, but some of the teams we start (the regular season) with, it’s going to be hard to do.
> 
> "We really don’t know how it’s going to work out. David (Andersen) is not a true center; he’s a very good offensive player and very skilled but he’s got to learn how to play in our league and how he’s going to defend people inside. So it’s just a question I don’t have an answer for right now. We’re just going to have to play it out as we go."





> On the offensive side of the ball, rookie Chase Budinger continues to build off the solid foundation he began building during summer league play in Las Vegas. His sweet-shooting and sound decision-making have not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff.
> 
> "He’s played very well," Adelman said. " We like him a lot. Chase is a guy who would have been perfect playing with Yao. He runs the floor, shoots it well and really knows how to play the game – that’s the one big thing. We’re very high on him and obviously he’ll get a lot of opportunities with Shane out right now."


Training Camp News and Notes - Day 2


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## Cornholio

> Early TC leaders:Joey in rebs.Chase in efficiency.Conroy in asts.Pace has generated easy baskets but also many TOs as expected.Will clean up


http://twitter.com/dmorey/status/4515244733


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## TxBallLova

I'm not hype about this season without Yao


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## Spaceman Spiff

> Though the Rockets are counting heavily on Aaron Brooks to take on a larger role in the offense, Kyle Lowry is not conceding the starting point guard position.


So they plan on starting both!? We might have the only roster in the league history where the SF is the tallest guy on the court for the team.

Sick of this midget ****. 6'6" Chuck Hayes, 6'7" Dorsey, only Scola is legit height. WTF!!!??


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## Cornholio

Spaceman Spiff said:


> So they plan on starting both!? We might have the only roster in the league history where the SF is the tallest guy on the court for the team.
> 
> Sick of this midget ****. 6'6" Chuck Hayes, 6'7" Dorsey, only Scola is legit height. WTF!!!??


I don't know how you got that. It just says that Lowry won't accept being the backup just like that.


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## Cornholio

> *Lack of size to require center by committee*
> 
> For a few minutes, Rockets coach Rick Adelman let the concern show.
> 
> He had talked about the challenge of replacing Yao Ming at center, about relying on a group of forwards, none with particularly good size, and a slender Australian center in his first season in the NBA.
> 
> He spoke of the ways the Rockets will have to defend, about the advantages they will try to create on the offensive end, the mismatches he and opposing coaches will try to exploit.
> 
> As he spoke, however, it was clear that others have done this before, with Don Nelson choosing the style forced on the Rockets as far back as when Rockets assistant coach Jack Sikma was a slick jump shooter with the Bucks in the 1980s.
> 
> With that, Adelman struck upon inspiration.
> 
> “We're trying to get Jack in better shape,” he said.
> 
> Adelman was probably joking, but everyone else on Sikma's end of the court at the Rockets practice Wednesday is a possibility.
> 
> “Everybody's in the mix as the starting five,” Adelman said. “We just don't know. We think Luis (Scola), we're very comfortable with him starting. But I don't know who we're going to start at that five spot. We could change from game to game. Some teams we can get away with playing two fours together, but some of the teams we start (the regular season) with, it's going to be hard to do.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6646206.html


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## Cornholio

> *The Ariza Experiment*
> 
> Trevor Ariza has heard all the critics. He knows the limitations the naysayers have placed on his game: the pointed words which label him as little more than a spot-up shooter who must piggyback superstar players for his points. He hears their cries, accepts their opinions and then proceeds to carry on with the business of proving every single one of them wrong.
> 
> Pro sports are filled with hundreds of similar stories. Athletes and teams are constantly searching for sources of new motivation and Ariza is certainly not alone in using perceived slights and negativity as fuel for the fire which burns within. But when all is said and done, the only thing that truly matters is the end result – not the motivational source. And, ultimately, that end is achieved through nothing more than hard work, dedication and the execution of a finely-crafted plan. Those are the things which matter most. And that’s precisely what Ariza and the Rockets have been working on from the moment he signed on the dotted line to make Houston home.
> 
> This being the opening week of training camp, the Ariza experiment remains a work in progress. Head coach Rick Adelman and his staff are still trying to figure out the best way to utilize Ariza’s skill set. But know this: the coaches absolutely believe Ariza is capable of carrying more of the offensive load than he’s ever before been asked at the NBA level, and that fact has already manifested itself during the squad’s scrimmages which have witnessed the UCLA-product regularly coming off screens for midrange jumpers and slashing to the basket with ill intent.


http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/the_ariza_experiment_rockets__2009_10_01.html


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## Cornholio

> For the second afternoon in a row, the media was allowed to watch the session's final fifteen minutes as the Rockets scrimmaged 5-on-5. Noteworthy for their play were Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry who made good things happen seemingly every time they had the ball in their hands (which was often). Both players attacked the basket relentlessly and, when they were paired together, proved to be nearly unstoppable. *That's a combo which clearly can't be played all the time and requires the benefit of favorable match-ups*, but there's no question coach Rick Adelman likes what he's seen of that tandem so far.
> 
> "Right now you’re probably going to see Kyle and Aaron play a lot together," he said, "just because we used that a lot last year in the playoffs and they’re a tough cover for the other team.
> 
> "(Aaron is) going to score and do things, but he’s got to continue to get into the paint and find other people, and make everybody’s job a little easier. I think him and Kyle – and I think Trevor can do that, too, once he gets used to handling the ball – not only can those guys score for us, but they can also get easier shots for the other guys."
> 
> Highlight of the day: Well that would unquestionably be watching rookie Jermaine Taylor at the top of the circle, going one-on-one against Trevor Ariza, only to have Ariza pick his pocket clean and glide down the court to finish with a reverse dunk. Chalk one up to veteran experience there, even though there's only an 18 month difference between the two.





> For the second day in a row Chase Budinger elicited praise from Adelman for his heady play on the court. I keep trying to temper expectations for Chase since he still has much to learn and work on but there's no denying the fact he continues to make the most of his opportunities.
> 
> "I’ve been really pleased with Chase," said Adelman." I think he really knows how to play the game and his whole success will be based on how he learns how to defend on the court. He’s got to learn how to keep guys in front of him. But he’s smart and it’s a shame that Shane’s not playing because I told him to watch Shane and the way he defends because Shane’s not the quickest guy but he’s smart and knows how to play people and he plays hard all the time.





> Finally, it's also worth noting that a noticeably slimmed down Brian Cook has been a much better player for Houston so far in camp than he was at any point with the team a season ago. Could he end up being a factor in the Rockets' big man rotation? Adelman says right now anything is possible.


http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700042995


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## Cornholio




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## Cornholio

More pics


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## Cornholio

> Joey Dorsey's forgettable rookie season is behind him, but he has not put two of the things he liked least — his rookie hazing and his trouble with plantar fasciitis — out of his mind. From the start of his rookie season, Dorsey balked at the extra duties that fall to rookies. That would seem over, but the Rockets traditionally consider second-year players to be rookies until the first regular-season game of their second season. With Dorsey, the wait could be longer.
> 
> “They said since I didn't play any games last year, I got to play 10 games to not be a rookie,” Dorsey said. “I told them they're crazy if they think that's going to go down.”
> 
> Of greater concern than Dorsey's willingness to fetch basketballs or deliver practice gear to hotel rooms is his ability to overcome the nagging foot condition that gave him so much trouble last season. He was pain-free this summer and was a regular at the Toyota Center workouts. He said he has been sore through the first days of camp.
> 
> “My foot is still bothering me a little bit, but it's OK,” Dorsey said. “That's the only thing that is bothering me. My foot tends to not bother me and then it comes back. If I can stay healthy, I can be a big contributor to this team.





> Well into their usual late-afternoon scrimmage sessions, the Rockets repeatedly had to stop the clock and go to class. Dissatisfied with the defense, coach Rick Adelman repeatedly returned the team to the drills he would rather not need as often to make sure the emphasis on defense does not decrease with the increased pace of the offense.
> 
> “We did a lot of drill work,” Adelman said. “Sometimes you lose your concentration doing that. We had to cover a lot of things defensively. We've been kind of letting them run up and down. You get a lot of attrition going defensively. Today, we kind of backed off to cover things we need to do and try to maintain our integrity on the defensive end.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6648195.html


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## Cornholio

> *Scouting the New Guys*
> 
> There’s no denying the fact that the Rockets are a team in transition. New names and faces abound at the start of training camp and it’s extremely likely that the club will feature five players on its opening night roster who were not with the team when the Rockets’ season ended last May.
> 
> So to help get you up to speed, Rockets.com sat down with Assistant Coach/Advance Scout Pat Zipfel so that he could share his unique insight on most of the newcomers currently populating the Rockets’ roster. Zipfel has spent the opening week of camp with the team before he hits the road to scout the Rockets’ opposition, so he’s been able to acquire an up close and personal feel for the players’ strengths, weaknesses and how they interact with their teammates.
> 
> JCF: Alright, let’s start with the club’s big offseason acquisition Trevor Ariza. Obviously you’re already familiar with his game since you’ve scouted him plenty of times during his previous stints with the Lakers, Magic and Knicks.
> 
> PZ: He’s got great length. Really plays the passing lanes well. Obviously steals the ball a lot. He can get to the rim and runs great in transition which is going to be key for us this year. Trevor is a really likeable guy, who gets along well with everybody. He’s funny and I like him a lot. I don’t think it’s any surprise that he’s a very good player. Management did a great thing bringing him here.
> 
> It will also help him that we’re playing a little faster because that’s the type of player he is. He can defend and he’s got a lot of skills which will help this team. With Yao gone, we don’t have a true back to the basket player who’s going to give you 20 and 10, so that opening up of the court allows Trevor a lot more freedom.
> 
> JCF: What do you expect from him offensively?
> 
> PZ:Well, he averaged nine or so per game during the regular season last year and then went up to around 11 during the playoffs. I think his free throw shooting percentage went down during the playoffs (it did drop from 71% to 56.3%). Now getting to the free throw line will be a strength of his so converting free throws will go a long way in deciding whether he averages around 12 points per game or 15. I think those two things go hand in hand, so his free throw percentage needs to go up. I don’t think he’s at a point where he’s ready to take us all on his back and carry the load offensively, but is he an improved player? Yes. Will the fans like him? Yes, because he plays hard and is exciting to watch with the ball and also defensively off the ball.


http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/scouting_the_rockets_rookies__2009_10_02.html


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## Cornholio

> What I can tell you is that Trevor Ariza was on fire from the outside during the media's brief viewing party and that Aaron Brooks seems to be growing in confidence by the hour. Really can't wait to see how that translates to his game this season (For what it's worth, GM Daryl Morey believes Brooks is likely to be the team's leading scorer this campaign).





> Adelman also mixed up the lineups a bit today, most notably pitting Lowry and Aaron Brooks against each other to see how they'd respond.
> 
> "A lot of the guys are new and we’re just trying to get a feel," Adelman said. "The biggest thing I’ve been trying to do is play different people together. I’ve kept Aaron, Trevor and Luis together for the most part. We put Kyle on the other team (today), since Kyle’s been playing with them, too. I’ve just been trying to mix up our lineup to see how different people play together.
> 
> "I think it’s really helpful for (Brooks and Lowry to play against each other). Kyle was playing with Aaron a lot the first three days, so he wasn’t initiating the offense. So we put him on the other team today so he would get a chance to do that. I think it’s great when they go against each other because, one thing about those two guys, they really compete. They don’t back off each other – they go after each other."


Training Camp News and Notes - Day 4


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## mtlk

> “I can't dance,” Andersen, 6-11, said. “I'm Australian, man. We don't dance. We sit back, relax and talk.”
> 
> In his case, that might be unnecessary. His real rookie hazing comes next. The Rockets' preseason schedule offers a chance to match up against Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard in the span of four days next week.





> “It's like throwing yourself in the deep end to see if you can swim,” Andersen said. “You come out and you know you're going against the best. When you're going against the best, you have to raise your level to their level. We'll see what happens. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be tough.”





> “Through four days of practices, Andersen seems to fit in offensively, often working at the high post and bringing a solid outside shot. He has made 50.6 percent of his shots in his professional career, 45 percent of his 3s, averaging 10.5 points per game.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6650019.html


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## mtlk

> Coach Rick Adelman has been changing lineups but has usually kept Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola and Trevor Ariza together.





> Carl Landry has not begun his third season and has played in just 111 career games. That is enough for him to feel like one of the veterans on the roster.
> “It’s my third year,” Landry, 26, said. “Sometimes I look up and look around, and everybody’s younger than me. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I feel old. I feel like a vet.’”





> Forward Shane Battier, out since the first day of camp with a pulled hamstring, traveled with the team to McAllen but was not sure if he would be cleared to practice Thursday in McAllen or play Friday in Orlando... The highlights of the “open practice” were a Pops Mensah-Bonsu windmill dunk and a Kyle Lowry pass to himself off the backboard for a slam. … Guard Garrett Temple won the annual rookie dance competition, beating center David Andersen, who advanced to the finals largely so fans could see him try to dance a second time.





> The Rockets’ heaviest player is 6-8 Joey Dorsey at 279 pounds.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6651337.html


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## Cornholio

> Perhaps the setting was fitting, a reminder of how far Tracy McGrady must go. But for the first time since microfracture surgery last spring, McGrady, 30, practiced with the Rockets on Sunday. He went through a few stints of the scrimmage, moving well and without pain in a small, but significant step in his comeback.
> 
> His first participation in training camp did not alter his schedule. General manager Daryl Morey said it was “part of the process.” The Rockets expect McGrady to be out at least until an MRI scheduled for Nov. 23. Still, he played and all reports were that he played well.
> 
> “He looked good, real good,” forward Trevor Ariza said. “He was real poised, real confident. He may be a ways away, but I think he looked good.”





> After last season, when McGrady often made sporadic progress, with his condition and play improving and then deteriorating, the goal has become to avoid backsliding.
> 
> To accomplish that, coach Rick Adelman said McGrady will have to overcome the rough spots as he could not last season.
> 
> “I told him, ‘We have to see you push through things, not like last year,’  ” Adelman said. “He has no pain. He has to push through. He certainly makes a huge difference on the court. Then you have two guys with him and Trevor with good size. They both make plays. We’ll just have to wait and see.
> 
> “When he practices, he’s got to go out and push himself and try to do more physically than maybe in his mind he thinks he can do. Then it’s a matter of the consistency, day in, day out. It can’t be one day here. I don’t want one day (playing), two days off. When he goes out on the floor, we have to be pretty sure he’s going to go. We can’t do it the other way. We need consistency on this team.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6652263.html



> With the Rockets heading into a stretch of three games in four days, coach Rick Adelman on Sunday pushed the practice to an even greater emphasis on scrimmaging to see how ready the team is for games.
> 
> “We did a lot of scrimmaging,” Adelman said. “I just wanted to get ready for the games, more like game conditions. Early, it was pretty good. As we went on, they got tired.”
> 
> Though Adelman prefers scrimmages to drills, forward Chuck Hayes, left, said more time has been spent competing five-on-five than in either of Adelman’s previous Rockets camps.
> 
> “We did a lot of scrimmaging,” Hayes said. “We’re doing a lot more scrimmaging than we ever have. We’re still trying to feel each other out, but it’s coming along.”
> 
> _[...]_
> 
> Before the Rockets headed to McAllen, Chuck Hayes left Toyota Center with one eye-catching dunk. He finished a powerful reverse, and in a veteran move, quickly left the court during the team’s “open practice.”
> 
> “I told Shane (Battier, the coach for the public event), ‘I’m going to get a dunk and then after I dunk, get me out of there,’ ” Hayes said. “I just wanted to get the one dunk to show them I can. There’s a splash of athleticism in these bones somewhere. It’s not like Joey (Dorsey) or Chase (Budinger). But there’s a sprinkle.”
> 
> Heading for ice packs early was not the only example of Hayes’ growth into a veteran. In his fifth season, he has been with the Rockets longer than any player in camp.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6652385.html


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## Cornholio

> Stuck in transition, the Rockets have heaped their roster with young athletes, and are sorting through the pieces. They have 15 guaranteed contracts already, yet they've brought in 4 players (*Pops Mensah-Bonsu*, *Romel Beck*, *Will Conroy* and *Garrett Temple*) to fight for a spot anyway. This is because even though they have 15 guaranteed contracts, the Rockets don't have 15 players. Brent Barry won't be with the team next year (either salary dumped somewhere or just simply waived), Yao Ming is out for the year, and Tracy McGrady is not healthy enough yet to start a comeback that will only lead to another breakdown anyway. Brian Cook is also only on the roster because he was the collateral damage for obtaining Kyle Lowry, and since his contract is now expiring, it wouldn't be too painful to eat it. (Of course, word out of Houston is that Cook has revitalised himself, stopped hawking up threes and dedicated himself to an all-around game. The fluff piece/contract year combo is a beautiful thing.)
> 
> Regardless of how biased I may be about it all, Pops Mensah-Bonsu can play. He makes things happen, in good ways and bad. He'll run the floor, finish powerfully, go after rebounds and get them; he'll also put way too much trust in a jumpshot that he doesn't have, plough over people that got there three weeks before him, and isolate way too much for a man with no dribble. If he knew his role, he'd be awesome; as it is, he's pretty decent. In a league where bigs such as Jake Voskuhl are being signed in spite of their complete lack of production, just because they're big, the virtues of a player who at least makes things happen shouldn't be underestimated. Although why Pops couldn't get any more money than this (fully unguaranteed minimum salary, became $50,000 guaranteed last week, becomes fully guaranteed on December 22nd) is beyond me.
> 
> If Shane Battier was smaller, a lesser defender, and a far less efficient scorer, he'd be a bit like Garret Temple. Temple was a terribly inefficient scorer in college, doing so while taking few shots, and that can't ever be good. He's a good "little things" player, and is a solid defender on the wing, but his shortcomings are very short. Daryl Morey loves him. so maybe advanced statistics are way more flattering towards Temple than the basic ones, but our eyes can tell us this; Temple does not have much offensive skill. At all.
> 
> Conroy put up bigger numbers than in a toddler's imagine last year; 26.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 48% from the field, and scoring 1,300 points on 915 shots for a peachy .582 true shooting percentage. Of course, playing 45 minutes a game helped with that, and those numbers did come alongside 4.2 turnovers a contest. But, still. You can't really argue with numbers that big from the D-League. If it was that easy, then everyone would be doing it. Conroy's jumpshot has improved a bit over the years, and although it's still not great, it's sufficiently complimentary to his fast paced transition game. He still turns it over too much and isn't a half court guard, but if he was flawless he wouldn't be on this list.
> 
> Beck is one of the most selfish players you'd ever see. It can be an advantage to have a scorer's mindset at times, but it can also make people hate you, and Beck was recently kicked off of the Mexico team for being too selfish, even though he was leading them in scoring at the time. Beck is at least a talented scorer, with a good jumpshot, ability to get to the rim, great height for a shooting guard (6'8) and athleticism, but the selfishness is a killer. He also doesn't do a lot outside of scoring, playing mediocre defense and not rebounding. But if you want a thin 6'8 scoring guard, if only for novelty's sake, then he's your man.
> 
> *Prediction:* Barry waived, Pops makes the team. The obvious flaw is that it leaves the Rockets with only two point guards, and it would make more sense to waive Cook as well and keep Conroy. They should probably do that. But for some reason, I don't think they will. Not sure why.


http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/2009/10/as-you-all-know-first-prize-is-cadillac.jsp


----------



## Cornholio

> I have heard plenty about how good Chase Budinger continues to look. Asked about the rookies the other day, Rick said, "They're learning. We'll find out more when we get against some other teams." For Budinger, that could mean a few minutes against Manu Ginobili, Paul Pierce and Vince Carter.
> 
> Trevor Ariza has been shooting well, too. The Rockets have been running him around screens and he has looked very comfortable as a catch-and-shoot option. The plan, however, is to see how well he can create off the dribble. Little would encourage the Rockets more than if he can do that against the Spurs and Celtics.
> 
> Most of all, Aaron Brooks seems at ease with his role and the demands on him. He is still his best when scoring, and the Rockets need that from him. But he has shown ability to create as well, especially on the break.


http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2009/10/meaningful_preseason_games_no.html


----------



## mtlk

> Aaron Brooks took off toward the rim on one of his improbable alley-oop leaps, an “open practice” version of the Game 4 basket against the Lakers when all sorts of things seemed possible for him and the Rockets.





> As an NBA rookie in 2007, Brooks was one of five point guards in Rockets training camp, and he was sent to the NBA Development League team so he could find playing time somewhere.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6654001.html


----------



## Cornholio

> With the Rockets playing their first three preseason games in the next four days, they will experiment not only with rotations and combinations but also with strategies.
> 
> Coach Rick Adelman said he could use players for extended minutes in one game, replacing them with other players in the next game. He sounded more interested to see how different schemes would work. Against the Spurs tonight, he could try double teams and defensive rotations he did not use with Yao Ming last season. Against the Celtics, he might look at ways to send help defense.
> 
> “We're going to do that for sure,” Adelman said. “We're going to pick games, who we're playing (against) and what they like to do.”





> Tracy McGrady had no problems Monday, the day after his first scrimmage with the Rockets in training camp. As planned, the Rockets stepped up a portion of his off-court workouts, though he did not scrimmage.
> 
> Shane Battier added shooting drills to his rehabilitation from a pulled hamstring. He is not likely to return to practices until the Rockets return from their road trip Saturday.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6653952.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *The Thrill of The Chase*
> 
> The subtle velvet notes from the saxophone hang in the air, defying gravity and mesmerizing audiences just like Mike. A quick chord change here, a snappy new rhythm there, and the band members never even miss a beat, falling right in line while displaying the same sort of telepathic connection that made Stockton-to-Malone a permanent part of the NBA lexicon.
> 
> The link between jazz and basketball is nothing new; in fact it’s only natural given their shared similarities of improvisation, rhythm and tempo. Both require uncanny timing and teamwork. Both demand feel, passion and soul. And at their ethereal best, both are a sight and sound to behold.
> 
> Know then, that when Rockets’ Assistant Coach and Advance Scout Pat Zipfel calls rookie Chase Budinger, *"Smooth Jazz”* he is paying him the ultimate compliment. First year players aren’t supposed to possess the poise and instincts which Budinger has displayed since joining the club; especially first year players who slip all the way into the second round (Chase was chosen No. 44 overall) of the NBA draft.
> 
> “Chase obviously got really good coaching growing up,” says Rockets’ Assistant Coach R.J. Adelman, “so I think the transition has been easier for him because his game is so well-rounded. Often when a rookie comes into the NBA and there’s something that he’s weak at, (opponents) are going to find it and expose it, whereas in college a lot of times you can hide those weaknesses."


Budinger opening eyes at training camp


----------



## Cornholio

> *The Education of Jermaine Taylor*
> 
> Jermaine Taylor is learning.
> 
> Every minute of every practice. Every second of every scrimmage. And every moment of every game. Each presents an opportunity for him to absorb and digest new lessons and right now Taylor is taking it all in with the gusto of a starving man whose appetite simply cannot be sated. Sure, he’s been playing basketball all his life but, in a way, he now finds himself playing a brand new game.
> 
> You see, for as far back as he can remember, Taylor has been asked to put his teammates on his sculpted shoulders and carry the load offensively and, more often that not, he has risen to meet that challenge. During his senior year at the University of Central Florida, Taylor ranked third in the nation in scoring while averaging 26.2 points per game; all while facing the full force of each opponent’s singular focus toward shutting him down. He left UCF as the school’s career scoring leader at the Division I level and Conference USA’s Player of the Year.
> 
> Yet neither of those tremendous achievements will have any bearing on whether he succeeds in Houston. The rules and responsibilities are different now. So, too, is the challenge which awaits him. No longer is he being asked to carry the load. There’s a new role to learn and a new style to embrace. And while some might find such a stark departure from their comfort zone off-putting, Taylor welcomes this new opportunity with open arms.


Rockets' rookie learning on the go


----------



## Cornholio

> *Rockets' Hayes faces tall responsibility*
> 
> Chuck Hayes gets it.
> 
> The idea that he is — at a stocky 6-6 with few offensive skills — a starting center in the NBA, inspires the same reaction from him that he imagines others have at the sight of him in such an exalted position.
> 
> “I laugh,” he said. “It's funny. We have the shortest point guard (Aaron Brooks) and the shortest center. But we find ways to make it happen.”
> 
> The Rockets used to have the tallest center, adding to the sight gag. With Yao Ming out, they have gone from a 7-6 wealth of offensive skills and celebrity, a former first pick of the draft and seven-time All-Star, to Hayes, a relative unknown who is a foot shorter, was undrafted and worked his way back to the Rockets through the D-League.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6659394.html


----------



## OneBadLT123

This is like the best update thread ever. I owe you a beer Cornholio...


----------



## gi0rdun

Yea it's weird that the back up to the tallest Center in the NBA is the shortest Center.


----------



## Cornholio

OneBadLT123 said:


> This is like the best update thread ever. I owe you a beer Cornholio...


No prob, man. :greatjob:

I'll probably have some trouble keeping up this week.


----------



## Cornholio

> Shane Battier thought he would have long since retired the red blazer.
> 
> He had worked his way through the offseason as he could not before last season. The blazer he wore, with the Rockets logo that he stitched on one afternoon in a hotel room, had been retired, replaced by good health.
> 
> Then Battier, 31, pulled a hamstring on the first day of training camp, and the blazer was back, part of his determination to beat the joke to death, or to keep him from wallowing in the frustration of another injury.
> 
> He even got friend and former Duke teammate Mike Dunleavy to follow his lead, wearing a horrible yellow jacket with the Pacers logo Battier had sent him.
> 
> Finally on Saturday, he could lead in ways more significant than fashion. He returned to practice without limitations and with plans to practice again today and play Monday against the Bucks. With that, the Rockets had their offensive glue, defensive leader and rookie mentor. Battier had a second start.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6662346.html


----------



## Cornholio

> “For him, he's coming off a championship season,” said Tracy McGrady, who went through a similar process when he went from Toronto to Orlando. “He played with the greatest player in our league (Kobe Bryant). He played with an All-Star team, Kobe, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom. A lot of pressure was off him. He had to really just come in and do his part, didn't really have to do that much.
> 
> “Going from that team to a team that is really relying on you, because you are replacing a guy that did a lot for our team last year, Ron Artest, a lot is going to be asked of him. Now that Yao (Ming) is out and I'm not 100 percent, a lot more pressure is going to be on him.
> 
> “It's a situation where you have to embrace it. He's up for the challenge. Just have fun with it.”
> 
> McGrady had averaged 15.8 points per game when he made his move to a greater role, and that change did not come with the same expectations because it was forced on him by Grant Hill's injury.
> 
> Rockets injuries could bring similar scoring opportunities for Ariza. Though the Rockets do not expect the same sort of scoring jump McGrady had in Orlando, Ariza has seen scoring chances he had not had, and has been experimenting with offensive options he has not had, especially off the dribble.
> 
> “I'm not going to use that as an excuse,” he said. “It's not an excuse. It's just something that I have to do. They brought me here because they believe I can do something and I got to do it. I believe I can do it. It's just a little tough getting used to it.
> 
> “I'm just trying to find places I'm comfortable. I'm rushing a little bit, trying to do too much. Couple more games and practices and I'll be all right.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6663212.html



> “We need to get him (Battier) out there and watch his conditioning, but I think I want to see the guys that are going to play together be on the court more,” Adelman said. “I'll try to play nine or 10 guys in the home game (tonight). I'm not sure about the two road games.”
> 
> The Rockets play a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday, with Adelman playing a shorter rotation in one, and experimenting more in the other.
> 
> “It's important,” Battier said of getting time with new rotation players. “I don't know Trevor (Ariza's) game. I don't know Dave Andersen's game. I can watch tape and I know their game from watching them, but I don't know it on the court personally. I don't know how I can make them better and they can make me better. The more minutes I can get with those guys, the more it will help us.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6663237.html


----------



## answerwu2008

TxBallLova said:


> I'm not hype about this season without Yao


without yao, it could be a tough season, T-mac is getting better, it anyhow, just hearsay. who knows


----------



## Cornholio

> Luis Scola left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle, but said he was not concerned he would have to miss any time.
> 
> “I just twisted it a bit, but it will be OK,” said Scola, who had eight points and 11 rebounds in 13 minutes. “I was ready to come back in, but there was no reason for it. The first five minutes I was a little bit concerned, but I put some ice on it and it wasn't worse and it wasn't swelling, so it was no big deal.”





> The Rockets intended to keep their full training camp roster for at least another week, maybe longer, citing the solid play of many of their players with non-guaranteed contracts in practice and the need for a full complement of players.
> 
> “I think we need the bodies for practice,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “We're trying to get up and down the court. When you do that, the more bodies you have, the better it is.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6664580.html


----------



## Cornholio

> Luis Scola (sprained right ankle) and Trevor Ariza (sore back) sat out Tuesday's practice, but both could practice today and play either Thursday in Toronto or Friday in Indianapolis.
> 
> Ariza took a hard fall in the third quarter Monday when Luke Ridnour blocked a shot. Ariza stayed in the game for several minutes, but said he left the court because the fall knocked the wind out of him and he could not catch his breath, rather than because of an injury. He returned later in the quarter.
> 
> Scola said he could have returned to Monday's game, a 96-92 loss to the Bucks.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6666375.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *Post-Yao offense contiues to be a work in progress*
> 
> For years, the Rockets' offense was, when at its best, uncomplicated.
> 
> There were elements that were more involved, but whenever necessary, the Rockets could reduce their offense to letting Yao Ming draw double teams and finding the open shooter. Even when teams sent swarms of defenders to take or keep the ball from Yao, the Rockets at least knew what they wanted to do about it.
> 
> As much as the Rockets might miss Yao's production, the more immediate challenge might be replacing the open shots that were reliably found in his orbit, a frequent issue through the first half of the preseason and especially in Monday's 96-92 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
> 
> “Execution is such a big part of our offense now,” Rockets center Chuck Hayes said. “We kind of always used Yao as a crutch. When in doubt, throw it in to Yao, or use Yao to bait other players to get spacing. Now, the execution has to be on point. If we don't do that, we don't get the quality shots we need.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6666478.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *The Defense Never Rests*
> 
> For the past several years, defense was the foundation upon which the Rockets’ franchise had been built. It was their calling card. Their rock. Their constant.
> 
> When the club hit a scoring slump, Houston could still survive (and at times even thrive) due to the suffocating nature of its lockdown ‘D.’ The Rockets weren’t merely good at shutting opponents down, they were elite. And though not every Houston player was a lights-out, on the ball defender, collectively the five men on the floor could often combine to forge a nearly impenetrable wall, which is why few teams in the NBA could compete with the Rockets when it came to the proficiency they displayed at keeping the ball out of their own basket.
> 
> The goal is no different this year. But the challenge is greater. Without the injured Yao Ming patrolling the paint and with a host of new faces, the Rockets now have to find a way to make up for the loss of one of the league’s best rim defenders while simultaneously integrating all the newcomers into their system. So while most fans may be fretting about how the team plans to compensate for Yao’s contribution on the offensive end, the Rockets know it’s just as imperative that they make the necessary adjustments in order to fill the void left behind on the opposite end of the court.


Rockets working hard to shore up team defense


----------



## Cornholio

Mix by *ClutchCityReturns*, from Clutchfans.


----------



## Cornholio

> *Mensah-Bonsu provides spark, rebounds, blocks*
> 
> Teammates laughed on the other side of the room, freshly armed with new ammunition for a verbal locker room assault.
> 
> Pops Mensah-Bonsu was explaining how he became a Toronto legend — or at least, as Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said, “very much a fan favorite” — in such a short time. That was all his teammates needed.
> 
> Mensah-Bonsu was describing his style when Chuck Hayes belted out, “Who are you talking about, Luis (Scola)?”
> 
> “Why did we have to do the interview in the locker room?” Mensah-Bonsu said, in mock agony.
> 
> But an hour later, he had his retort. He entered the game to a strong ovation, which might not have matched Hakeem Olajuwon’s return to Houston with the Raptors on many levels, but could not be missed, either.
> 
> Neither could Mensah-Bonsu’s play. He had 17 points in 23 minutes, and Shane Battier went 8-of-9 from beyond the arc to score 26 points to lead the Rockets to a 124-112 win Thursday night at Air Canada Centre.
> 
> Mensah-Bonsu had more points than in the Rockets’ first four games combined, adding seven rebounds and five blocked shots, including two on Chris Bosh on consecutive shots, and one on Jarrett Jack he sent into the crowd.
> 
> “Fans appreciate hard work,” he said, “and I just played hard.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6670095.html



> Rockets forward Trevor Ariza returned to practice Wednesday after missing a day with a sore lower back. He is expected to play tonight in Toronto.
> 
> Forward Luis Scola did not practice for a second consecutive day because of a sprained right ankle, but he could play either tonight or Friday in Indianapolis.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6668295.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *Court time still fleeting for Dorsey*
> 
> He does not seem to be competing for a roster spot. Dorsey's contract is guaranteed this season, with the team holding options for each of the next two. If the Rockets were faced with a difficult roster decision, the relatively small contract (worth about $814,000 this season), would likely not keep Dorsey on the roster, but his rebounding and size behind Chuck Hayes still make him potentially valuable.
> 
> Still, even with Yao Ming out, Dorsey does not seem any closer to a spot in the rotation.
> 
> His job description, however, is not complicated.
> 
> “Rebound. Defend,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said.
> 
> So far, however, Dorsey has been able to add a check to only one line of his to-do list.
> 
> “He's rebounded all right, but he still has to find a way to be more consistent defending,” Adelman said. “It's consistent effort throughout the game. He has a tendency to relax and let guys get where they want to get. You can't do that in this league around the basket. He's always been a good rebounder, but he's got to be more of a factor inside.
> 
> “I don't think the concentration is there all the time.”
> 
> Dorsey does seem to recognize the need to improve. He said he has been watching Hayes in practice and on tape to get a better idea how to defend in the paint.
> 
> “I've been watching a lot of tape of a great one-on-one defender, how he doesn't let his man get inside the paint,” Dorsey said. “He makes contact with his man before he gets on the post, makes them go one way, not spin back.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6668330.html


----------



## c_dog

i would love for pops to return to the raptors. if this were the 90's the coaches would love him and he would get a starting job much like bo outlaw. gone are those days that coaches give the starting spot to players who play with the most energy and fire. chuck hayes is an adequate big man for the rockets but he's not the same player as pops. and really, chuck hayes is not the center of this team, scola is. he's a good enough defender to guard some centers for spot minutes but that's it. he's no starting center in the nba.


----------



## Cornholio

c_dog said:


> i would love for pops to return to the raptors. if this were the 90's the coaches would love him and he would get a starting job much like bo outlaw. gone are those days that coaches give the starting spot to players who play with the most energy and fire. chuck hayes is an adequate big man for the rockets but he's not the same player as pops. and really, chuck hayes is not the center of this team, scola is. he's a good enough defender to guard some centers for spot minutes but that's it. he's no starting center in the nba.


Are you saying that Pops is better than Hayes?


----------



## Cornholio

> *Rockets must pick what works*
> 
> The Rockets' difficulties defensively have been in part caused by using different combinations in the frontcourt, leading to a lack of cohesion and communication not uncommon in the preseason. But they also have been held back offensively, with players bringing different styles and strengths, from Pops Mensah-Bonsu's ability to play above the rim to Brian Cook's ability to shoot 24 feet away from it.
> 
> “It's about finding the strengths of different people and then trying to incorporate those strengths in the game,” Adelman said. “I wasn't sure what was going to be best for us.
> 
> “I think we have a pretty good idea about individual people, what they are going to do. I think we still are going to try to run. We felt that from the start. I think it's even more apparent that if we get up the court quicker and get into our stuff quicker, we have even more of a chance to attack the other team.”
> 
> The Rockets have found that if the motion-based half-court offense does not spring someone open quickly, they are better suited to moving to more traditional pick-and-rolls, the key to their success in the postseason wins against the Lakers after Yao Ming's injury.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6674047.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *Rockets have tough decisions to make*
> 
> “Coach is pretty high on all of them or he would have had us get rid of them by now,” Morey said. “The other two years (with Adelman) we've cut guys early. Because they are all doing well, he's wanted to keep them around. I think that's indicative of how hard the choice will be and how well they're doing.”
> 
> _[...]_
> 
> Last season, the Rockets pushed the final cut to the deadline, then chose Von Wafer over D.J. Strawberry. Taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity, Wafer had a stunning breakthrough season.
> 
> This time, the choices are among very different players at different positions. Mensah-Bonsu is an athletic 6-9 power forward/center. Temple, a strong defensive player, and Beck, a skilled scorer, work as small forwards or shooting guards. Conroy plays the point.
> 
> “It (the choice) might end up being a little more position than player,” Morey said. “That might feel unfair to some of the players, but it may come down to what position coach feels like we need to have the most depth.”
> 
> That does not necessarily make the choice easy.
> 
> The Rockets have more certainty at point guard — with Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry entrenched rotation players able to handle all the playing time — than in the frontcourt. Coaches, however, typically like to have three point guards available, making Conroy potentially a good fit.
> 
> The frontcourt positions have far more players certain to be on the roster. But with Yao Ming out and Joey Dorsey struggling to develop defensively, there is more uncertainty among the center and power players (including Yao) than with the two point guards. It could offer an opening for Mensah-Bonsu.


























Cuts inevitable with 4 players vying for 1 spot


----------



## Cornholio

> After coming back Friday from last week's sprained ankle, forward Luis Scola did not practice Sunday and will be held out of tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center.
> 
> “He's just day-to-day,” athletic trainer Keith Jones said. “It's a very mild high ankle sprain, not bad at all. We said he'd rest a couple days and see how he felt in the middle of the week. After the half (on Friday), he was a little stiff. We took him out because he was limping. We said, ‘These games don't count.' We'll let it settle down and see how it feels.”





> Tracy McGrady on Sunday continued to substitute in during portions of practice.
> 
> McGrady is not playing longer stretches of the scrimmage portions of practices, but is more regularly participating in workouts while working his way back from microfracture surgery on his knee.
> 
> The timetable for his full return to practices has not changed.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6674048.html


----------



## mtlk

Yao Ming has been a regular at Toyota Center over the last two months while he rehabs and recovers from the surgery he had this summer on his injured left foot. Last Friday, Rockets.com had a chance to watch Yao workout with his personal trainer Anthony Falsone and after they wrapped up, both men sat down for exclusive interviews which you can now watch the videos. 





> We’ve heard some good news from doctors: the bone is healing well and we add something new every couple weeks so we can improve things. Basically, so far, so good.
> 
> I always just keep telling myself to have the right attitude to face it because I think a good attitude will help me. Obviously, I have a lot of time right now to do something besides basketball – it’s too much time and makes me feel boring (laughs).






> It’s a good time to study some. I’m reading some books about everything and also things I’m interested about. Back to school days, history is my favorite class, so I have times to read those books now. History books that tell you what’s happened in the last 100 years – the revolutions, the war, the economy – some things I relate to.



http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/yao_ming_on_the_road_recovery_2009_10_20.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *Frontcourt aims for speed in absence of size advantage*
> 
> Shane Battier sprinted up the floor, beating the Toronto Raptors to his favorite spot in the corner, a step beyond the 3-point line.
> 
> Aaron Brooks raced the ball up the center of the floor, veered to his left and delivered a sharp pass to Battier, who quickly swished his 3.
> 
> Brooks knew just what to say:
> 
> “Good job, Chuck.”
> 
> Chuck Hayes never touched the ball. He didn't get the rebound or send an outlet pass to Brooks. He certainly did not lead the break or hit the 3.
> 
> “Normally, when I pass the ball to Shane and he hits a 3, I'll say, ‘Good job, Chuck,' ” Brooks said. “It all starts with our big guys.
> 
> “That's the most important thing, because when the bigs beat them down (the court), it draws the defense in, which gives our wings open 3s and open shots. We're not that tall; we're athletic. Chuck and Joey (Dorsey), Pops (Mensah-Bonsu) and Luis (Scola) do a great job of getting down there first to open our wings. That's how Shane gets all his shots, from being in the corner and the bigs running. They don't get rewarded, as far as a point, but they are the key to the break.”
> 
> The Rockets went into the preseason determined to be more up-tempo. They have discovered that the break works best when their small but relatively swift big men lead the charge. In Toronto, the Rockets got 51 points in transition (in 10 or fewer seconds), scored 124 points with 30 assists. In Monday's 20-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets had 53 transition points, scoring 105 points, with 29 assists.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6677690.html



> Adelman said he would meet with general manager Daryl Morey on Tuesday to begin considering roster decisions. Not including Brent Barry, who will be dealt or released, the Rockets must trim three players from the roster.
> 
> “He's done what we hoped he will do,” Adelman said of Mensah-Bonsu. “He's strong around the basket. He's been aggressive. He's got to be consistent in the way he plays. His strengths are around the basket, so in our stuff, he has to roll hard, he has to establish himself inside, he has to use his quickness and his athleticism to get shots.
> 
> “And he's got to run the floor. That's one thing he can do, run the floor and get easy opportunities on the run.”


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6677688.html


----------



## Cornholio

> *The Power of Three*
> 
> One after another, the shots keep falling from beyond the arc, acquiescing to their masters’ flick of the wrist and accepting the fate which awaits them at the bottom of the net.
> 
> They make it look so easy. Elevate. Release. Splash. Repeat.
> 
> The reality, of course, is that there’s nothing at all simple about the three-point shot. It’s just that, for the time being at least, Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza and Aaron Brooks are making it look as easy as, well… one, two three.
> 
> Combined, the sharp-shooting trio is shooting a ridiculous 30-60 (.500) from downtown during the preseason; a number which is certainly bolstered by Battier’s borderline absurd 12-19 (.632) mark. Still, Ariza and Brooks are doing more than enough to hold up their end of the bargain, connecting at clips of .474 and .409 respectively. And while no one expects that threesome to continue their torrid pace throughout all 82 games of the regular season, there’s no question the Rockets would benefit mightily from seeing them keep their three-point average at or above the 40 percent mark; especially since Houston will have to do without the points its accustomed to receiving on a nightly basis from Yao Ming.


Rockets relying on steady shooting touch from beyond the arc


----------



## Cornholio

> *12. Daryl Morey*
> On paper, the Rockets look like a lottery team. Their best player (Yao) is gone for the year. Their second-best player is probably never going to be the same. Everyone else is a role player or an overachiever. But they do certain things really well: shoot threes, defend the hell out of perimeter guys, play unselfishly, pound the glass, stuff like that. It's one of those "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" teams. I am picking them to win 44 games and make the playoffs. Which brings me to my point: the '09 Rockets took the Lakers to a seventh game operating with half a salary cap (because Yao and T-Mac were out). The '10 Rockets start out with 80 percent of a cap because Yao is gone; that number might shrink if T-Mac can't successfully come back. And yet, I am still picking a hodgepodge group of non-All-Stars to win 44.
> 
> Why? Because of Morey (or as he's more affectionately known, Dork Elvis). He's been like a hot guy at a craps table for two solid years. Nobody else is nailing 85-90 percent of their moves big and small. Nobody. Since he's my friend, he's doing so well that I am starting to worry about a Bud Fox-like meltdown; right now he's at the point in "Wall Street" when the Talking Heads song is playing, his stock picks are hitting and he's decorating the fancy New York apartment with Daryl Hannah. We haven't gotten to the part when his ego swelled and he took on Gordon Gekko yet. And maybe that won't happen.
> 
> I just know this: He texted me last month that Chase Budinger was for real; two years ago, I would have mocked him. This year? I nodded. _Absolutely. Chase Budinger. Why not?_ I have learned not to bet against Dork Elvis.


[ESPN: Welcome to the NBA preview, Part 2] Simmons on Morey


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## Cornholio

> _*On the adjustments they have to make without Yao*_
> 
> “We’ve got to use our quickness to our advantage. We’ve got to use our ability to switch screens; we’ve got to use our ability to keep things on the perimeter relative to Yao. ‘Cause Yao was actually a very good defensive player. That’s why we’re a little more worried about the defense. Yao gave us that presence behind, which people talk about and I agree with. But in the past when Yao went out we had guys like Chuck Hayes coming in. Now we have Chuck Hayes in and when he goes out now we’re obviously not as strong. I think that’s really our worry. In the past, we had this luxury of having an underrated, very good player in Chuck and now he’s thrust into a very prominent role and now who will step up behind him to help us out?”


http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2009/10/26/daryl-morey-%E2%80%9Cwe%E2%80%99re-going-to-work-hard-to-prove-everybody-wrong-but-it-sure-looks-stacked-against-us%E2%80%9D/


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