It's called the "preseason" for a reason!!!

The Rockets lost to the Durants last night. Yeah, yeah I know - the Durants suck. A lot. But then again, it did not count for anything!! That's the beauty of the preseason: it is the one time in basketball where the final score does not matter. At all.

And yet....

the Chronicle has a headline talking about the Rockets being "unwatchable" in the preseason. Yes, really. I have no idea why. If the goal was to win, I can guarantee that Joey Dorsey wouldn't get much playing time. Certainly not 24 minutes worth.

I mean, seriously, Von Wafer was in the starting lineup. Von Wafer!!! That right there should be a signal that the Rockets care not about your entertainment value in a preseason game. And they should not care about us (yet). Now is the time to see who can make the *final* roster spot - not who is worthy of a starting spot. That is how you lose to the Durants by 6. That's about the only way the Rockets could lose to them.

Now, Mr. Feigen, I typically like what you write - but this was unnecessary. If there is ever reason to worry about the Houston Rockets, it won't happen until after October 29th. Unless Yao Ming gets injured... or Rafer gets cloned. Or something like that.

For what it's worth though - Yao had 16 rebounds in 24 minutes. Yeah, he's a badass!

Quandary of the day: Do I root for China?

I like Yao Ming.
I want Yao to do well.

Even at the Olympics.
Especially when the Olympics are being held in his hometown. I mean, Yao is one of the top 2-3 athletes in all of China. That's a billion-plus built-in fans. Not bad!

My question for today, however, is whether I should cheer for Yao and his fellow Chinese basketball players. Yao's already made the game of basketball hugely popular in the Far Eastern Hemisphere... but what about those of us with vested interests in the Western Hemisphere?

I've already made my opinion clear that I am not convinced the U.S. Men's basketball team will runaway and win the gold easily. That said, I'm not exactly concerned about China being the team to stop them. Which means I don't really consider China to be "the competition" right now - which allows me to support Yao's team without any feelings of guilt. I mean, I like Yao a lot, but I'm American, dammit - and I have no problems chanting "U.S.A., U.S.A.!" when it matters.

Enough dawdling... the point I am trying to make today is this:

China plays a quarterfinal game tomorrow. China finished pool play 2-3 but now can compete for a bronze or silver medal. Yao has been playing a lot more than expected this summer (and let's not forget he's not exactly healthy). I love that Yao has been angry in defeat. Love it. But I also want Yao to be able to be angry when the Rockets lose (on those rare occasions).

So the question is:

(a) Do I root for Yao/China and hope the Chinese go as far as they can?

or

(b) Do I root for Yao/China to lose a close game tomorrow and immediately get Yao shipped back to Houston to prepare for the 2008/09 season?

Yao and China - More people who just don't get it

Things Adrian Wojnarowski is right about:

1. Yao has delivered (he always does)
2. China and the NBA owe Yao a huge debt of gratitude
3. No player has ever entered the NBA with more pressure

beyond that... Mr. Wojnarowski is wrong in just about every conclusion in his article yesterday. His article just reinforces all the improper assumptions people have made about Yao, the Chinese basketball team, and Yao's commitment to playing International basketball.

First and foremost: Yao loves the game of basketball. From every interview, story, rumor, gossip, newspiece - there is no evidence to suggest that Yao feels like he is trapped into doing something he does not want to do. The dude loves playing basketball. Pure and simple.

Second, Yao is not like the American players we are all too familiar with. The Shaquille O'Neals, Tim Duncans and Kevin Garnetts of the NBA may believe they are "above" playing in the Olympics and representing their country. They may believe, rightly or wrongly, that they do not owe their country an obligation to play for the national basketball team. So be it. The difference is that - from all accounts - Yao has an overwhelming sense of national pride in representing China. Especially this year. While I am sure the Chinese would pressure him to play if he felt otherwise, I truly believe that it was Yao's personal decision to speed up the rehab so that he could participate in the 2008 Olympics in his home country. Why should we encourage Yao to set aside his interests in playing for China?

Just because the NBA (and we as fans) might get to see more of Yao Ming in a Houston Rockets jersey if he told the Chinese government to stick it -- that doesn't necessarily mean it's what Yao should or must do.

Yes, I do realize that there is a large chance that the more Yao plays in the "offseason" that it might directly affect his ability to stay healthy during the NBA season. It may altogether shorten his career. That alone, however, is not a reason to tell a man to turn his back on his country. Yeah, the United States might have issues with China's communist stance, its attitude towards human rights and the totalitarian government that supresses many of the rights of its citizens. But Yao is not American. He is not a United States citizen (nor is it likely he ever will attempt to gain citizenship here). We cannot judge him based on our previous notions of foreign basketball players. Yao is Chinese. And a proud representative of his country.

Let Yao Ming make his own decisions.

The tribunal of the badasses

So apparently Yao and Luis Scola are text messaging buddies. Which has to be interesting considering that neither of their native languages is English. Then again, both men are complete and total badasses... so it would only seem natural that they would seek each other's counsel and opinion following monumental moments like the Artest trade.

Yao: "For some reason, I like (Artest) ... Because in the games we play against him, I hate him."

"When I text messaged with Luis, we talked about team chemistry. That's only what worries us."

"We worry about the new attitude to the team. We are adding talent to the team and we need that, but building team chemistry is important. This is not bad. I don't mean he is not welcome to Houston. But a new player always needs some time."

"Also, he was the biggest part of a team in Sacramento. He was a star player. We need more chemistry and more communication."

---

Translation? Hey, Crazy Pills, you're cool... but you better help us win and not f--k up a good thing we have here. And you better pass me the freakin' ball when I am open.

Also interesting to note -- I guess T-Mac isn't worthy of being involved in the Yao/Scola conversation. He's still a "star" player of sorts, but apparently he lacks the requisite badass characteristic to be part of this particular tribunal.

50% of Yao ... still better than everyone else

I have returned!

The Great Wall has returned, too. Sort of.


Yao Ming scored 21 points in a warm-up game yesterday. And he did it in only 28 minutes. And he also did it on only 10 shots (are you taking notes, Mr. Donte Greene? You don't have to take 30 shots to get 20 points!!). And he made his free throws (are you taking notes, Mr. Joey Dorsey? No? Well, at least get the stripper to take notes *for you*!).

It's good to have the big fella back. Yes, from everything I have read, he looked rusty and slow and not anywhere near good game shape. And the game was against Angola, who once again did not bring spears with them. Yeah, yeah, that was a terrible joke - and only Charles Barkley can get away with it. I still thought it was funny. Even 12 years later.

Anyway, within that first link, you'll also see that the other resident Rocket badass, Luis Scola, had 23 points to lead Argentina past Iran.

Wait, what? Iran has a basketball team?? Uhhh, okay.

Back to the point though...

Yao is back. And somewhat healthy. At least healthy enough to walk around and make 80% of his shots. I'll take that.

Meanwhile, T-Mac is moping around town talking about "winning" to Stephen A. Smith. Why would you direct complaints to SAS? All he's going to do is twist your words around and yell about it on ESPN or whatever journalistic medium was most recently dumb enough to give him a forum. Furthermore, if you want to win so bad - why would you be so eager to get traded to the freakin' Detroit Pistons? 2004 was a long time ago, dude. That team is old and slow now. And they just signed 2001 Draft Bust Kwame Brown (that's his full name now, by the way). Not to mention they have a rookie coach trying to keep Rasheed in check. Good luck with that.

Teams that are not winning next year include Detroit... apologies to my Pistons fan friends. But not too much of an apology - you guys did distract Shaq enough to win four years ago.

I do think it's funny to see that things have not changed much in the last year. To recap:


1. Yao Ming is a badass.
2. Luis Scola is a badass, too.
3. Tracy McGrady remains the Cowardly Lion.

Oh, and Stephen A. Smith?? FOAD.

Yao Ming is quite the multi-tasker (raffle info)

I just received this from a rep of Yao Ming.
(The hidden good news is that Yao must be healthy enough to play some basketball already and we'll get to see him face off against the United States in just a few weeks!)

... enough stalling, here's the info:

______

Yao is going to be having a raffle to help provide relief for the earthquake victims in China. The grand prize is for the winner and a guest to be Yao ’s special guest at the 2008 Olympic Games and get VIP treatment. In total, the winner will receive:

Winner and Guest will receive 6 nights 7 day hotel accommodations in Beijing China (Single Room, Double Occupancy, From August 7, 2008 to August 13, 2008)
Winner and Guest will receive roundtrip airfare from any international airport worldwide to Beijing
Winner will receive a $1,500 cash stipend for meals and expenses
Winner and Guest will enjoy a Team China vs. Team USA Olympic Basketball Game
Winner and Guest will each receive an autographed Official Yao Ming NBA Jersey
Winner and Guest will enjoy a meet and greet with Yao Ming in the United States after attending a Houston Rockets NBA game (at a mutually agreed upon time)
Winner and Guest will enjoy a Guided Tour of the Great Wall of China

*** Winner will also receive a cash prize in the amount of $3,995.00 to mitigate the Winner's tax liability that results from winning the raffle. This prize is withheld and paid, on behalf of the Winner, directly to the IRS ($3,300.00) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ($695.00)

The auction ends July 21st.

The Website is: https://www.celebritiesfor charity.org/raffles/raffle _yao.cfm

The Houston Rockets - revisiting bad habits

The Houston Rockets' 2007/2008 season really is divided as such.

The 2007 (October through December 31st) Rockets were a team unsure of themselves, prone to turnovers, sloppy defense and a healthy tendency to stand around and wait for Tracy McGrady to do something. With Tracy mirroring that effort and refusing to keep the ball moving. (We did have Yao, and he's a badass, but Tracy was a black-hole for most of December. And don't get me started on the '07 version of Rafer.)

The 2008 Rockets, i.e., the post-January 2nd Rockets, were a completely different animal. And yes, stick with me - I used the term "were" intentionally for the moment. T-Mac got hurt, Yao was getting angry and the proverbial light bulb came on. The Rockets started winning. By the end of January, the Rockets had their shit figured out. 22 times in a row as evidence of that. Tracy had returned to being T-Mac. Rafer sucked slightly less than was expected of him. We found a way to jettison Bonzi and Mike James. Carl Landry was allowed to come out of the locker room and actually play. Scola forced his way into the lineup. It was a beautiful thing.

And why?

Because -- on both ends of the floor -- the Rockets were hustling, moving the ball and making the other team work for everything. We were getting good shots and preventing the bad guys from taking good shots. That's usually the formula for success, and we owned a strangehold on it for over two months.

Now? Now I'm not so sure.

Losses in the past few weeks to Utah, Denver, Sacramento, San Antonio, and Phoenix (the 3/22 game)... not good. As Marv Albert would say, "the Rockets are showing some signs..." -- just not the good kind of signs. No. T-Mac turned back into Tracy, which is to say the unnecessarily contested three-pointer in transition became a staple of our offense again. The ball movement slowed, or wholly disappeared. The defense was there, but we all of a sudden stopped getting all of the loose balls. Dikembe's finger wag only appeared once or twice a week, instead of once or twice a quarter.

I wrote it off as post-Streak blues. It was to be expected, right?

Today? Well, now that the Rockets blew a chance to be the #1 seed, and now can't get any higher than the 5th seed, is definite cause for concern.

I watched about half of last night's game (hey, I have a trial this week - I'm busy!!). But aside from the constant effort put forth by Scola and Battier, the Rockets look burned out. The NBA has a scouting report on Carl Landry now. That and he doesn't seem 100% healthy. McGrady's bad body language is back. He scowls at everything now and has become stand-offish. Not good!! Rafer is sucking again. Luther Head is shooting better, but still can't make a post-entry pass.

(Of course, our rookies are still kicking ass. Rookie wall my ass!)

The problem is that we now face a very strong likelihood of seeing San Antonio or Utah in the 1st round. The same two teams that have destroyed this incarnation of the Rockets recently. And we won't have the homecourt advantage. Utah is only 37-4 at home after last night. San Antonio isn't much worse - at 33-7. The Rockets will probably have to win at least 2 road playoff games to have a chance. Yikes. Two weeks ago, I'd have said "no problem." Today... color me concerned.

I know the Rockets can do it, but they are feeding off Tracy's negative energy right now. Kinda like Ghostbusters II.
So, who ya gonna call? Well, uh, we can't exactly call Yao Ming. Or Hakeem.

We have less than one week to figure this out. Let's get it together, guys!

Get Well Big Fella

Yao underwent surgery today and it was successful according to Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton and his co-doctor (is that a term?) Bill McGarvey. I trusted that it would go successfully; Houston is the greatest medical society in the world, things are done here with fantastic results that aren't even tried in other places.

Here are Yao's thoughts after the surgery was complete, and I assume after he was awake from the go down medicine:

"I am very relieved that everything went well with my surgery today,'' Yao said. ``I am looking forward to getting better and starting my physical rehab as soon as the doctors say I can. I would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes during this time and I look forward to the day that I can rejoin my Rockets teammates on the bench."

Get well big guy, make it back for the Olympics and represent your country well.

I feel I have to say something

There have been a plethora of articles, blog posts and internet rumblings written about Yao in the last day and a half. It's a shame that this doesn't happen for one of 5 guys in the NBA averaging 20 and 10 without it having to be about an injury. It's even more of a shame that these articles mostly seem to focus on calling China out and insinuating that they are behind him sitting out the rest of the season. And most of the ones that aren't putting blame on China are actually coming from China in forms such as Titan Sports saying the Rockets playing Yao so much is why he is injured. Titan actually tried to say that the Rockets lack of a substitute for Yao is why he is injured. I don't throw the term idiots out very often, but there are a lot of those writing in the last day and a half, a lot.


Here's what really happened: Yao is 7'6 and 300+ pounds. He runs hard, he cuts hard and he jumps high, he puts that weight on a size 18 foot. You know what happens when you do that? You quite probably get a stress fracture. You know who is to blame for this? No one. Not the Rockets for playing him the normal, or in some cases lower than normal, minutes expected of a superstar. Not the Rockets training staff for not finding it sooner. They found it in a few weeks,, players have had stress fractures not found for many months. Not China for making him play for the National team, because that is extremely overrated. Basketball players do not really rest in the off-season, at least not the driven ones like Yao. They play in summer leagues and in the Olympics most days of the off-season. Neither the Rockets nor China are to blame, period, end of story.

You know who else isn't at fault? Yao. He wants what is best for everyone even at the jeopardy of himself, I 100% guarantee you that if the Rockets told him that he could play and it wouldn't get worse and that he could also play in the Olympics he would do it. Asking him to play on this injury is selfish and idiotic, it would effectively end his career. Do we really want him to end up like Bill Walton? On the plus side Yao isn't smoking up to forget his troubles and ruining his career by playing on this anyway. He is wisely shutting it down, not because he doesn't love the Rockets or doesn't want to honor his contract, but because he does not want his career to end this way.

Here is the big picture: The Olympics to me are more important, plain and simple. Your country should come shortly after God and family in my book, and for Yao, as the face of Chinese sports, that is doubly true. Yao is too good of a person and to loyal of a teammate to allow that to cloud his judgement, he is out because he has to be. And even if 51% of him does want to play in the Olympics first and foremost, who is to blame him? I know in this day and age when NBA players repeatedly puss out of representing our country it's easy to overlook how big of an honor the Olympics are. At one point in time these guys took it as an honor and a privilege to play in the summer games, now some would besmirch Yao for doing what is right for him and in the short run his country. I for one will not do that.


Good luck to you Yao, get healed up, come back pissed off and destroy these guys. While I won't be cheering for your team in the Olympics, I will be cheering for you to be there, representing your country with your honor and pride. Here at The Dream Shake, we salute you sir.

Who's the MVP?

Dave and I were asked for a second time to join in on the Bloggers MVP/ROY Rankings. This is the 7th edition and we were honored to participate.

The host of this edition is Celtics Blog and the results can be seen here.

Our ballot was as follows:
1. Chris Paul
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming...Yao Ming, Yao Ming
4. LeBron
5. KG
6. Nash
7. Dwight Howard
8. Deron Williams
9. Mitch Kupchak - For starting the best trading deadline in NBA history
10. Dirktastic

Just for fun!

And they better show that block highlight on ESPN

Yao > LeBron. There's your math lesson for the day.

Rockets v. the LeBrons tonight. Also known as "one of four nights each year when T-Mac actually tries to play defense!" T-Mac really only makes a concerted effort to play D when he's facing Kobe or LeBron. Factoring in his yearly, um, "vacations" and that's about 3-4 times each year T-Mac faces those guys.

Of note: the game is on TNT - which means there should be some good halftime commentary by Charles Barkley about Yao, T-Mac and LeBron. Remember when Chuck said Yao wouldn't score 20 in one game? I love Chuck, but...... it's funny how one man (Yao) has proved us all so very, very wrong. And will continue to do so. Yao is a badass. And he's almost made me forget about that Horry/Cassell for Barkley trade. Almost.

Speaking of which, after scanning last night's box scores, it looks like Mr. Horry is getting ready for his annual playoff run... that's bad news for the rest of the league. As usual.

Uhhhh, back to the Rockets. Game is in Houston, so I expect a good showing by T-Mac and Yao. LeBron is really good, but he's only one man. T-Mac can at least stay with him and negate his influence on the game. And since I do not expect Larry Hughes or Damon Jones to win a game by themselves, I say the final is Rockets 97, Cavaliers 88.

Go Rockets!

edit: For those inevitable comments about LeBron being the MVP so far (and thus somehow better than Yao), check this out: the LeBrons are 27-20. The Rockets are 28-20. Problem is, the LeBrons play in the Eastern Conference. And are somehow only 13-12 in their own weak conference. The Rockets are 16-13 in the West - a much, much stronger conference with much, much better teams. And with T-Mac out for significant time, the Rockets just kept winning. Imagine Yao and T-Mac in the East. It wouldn't even be fair.

Finally! Other people get it!

I was perusing Truehoop and catching up on my NBA outside of the Rockets. Of course I still view the Rockets stuff a little closer and I saw this:

Yao is badass from the Howeva Files

It's about time people start seeing it. We even have a tag for it here.

Congrats to Yao

And how on earth did Dave and I miss this? Yao and Lebron were named the NBA players of the month for January. Seriously, do they just not announce this or something? I didn't see anything about it anywhere until I heard something before the game tonight. Congrats Yao, now let's put the two February games behind you and kick some Minnesota ass.

Even with two poor by Yao standards games, he has 7 double doubles in a row.

NBA.com Link

Ha ha! Suck it, Fat Ass!

Shaquille O'Neal. Not an All Star. Haha!!

The streak is over, bitch! It is no longer 1993.

Yao is King. Shaq is merely a pawn in Yao's world now.
Suck it, Fat Ass!

(When you properly thank Kobe, Horry and the 2006 NBA referees for your rings, then maybe I'll stop laughing at you)

A day of praise for those not quite good enough

The NBA All-Star starters were announced over the weekend. Yao and 9 other dudes made the lineup for the East and the West. Meanwhile, T-Mac can make different weekend vacation plans this year.

Sometime today, the rest of the All Star rosters will be announced. No, I do not expect T-Mac to be named as a reserve either. T-Mac even said he doesn't want to be on the team. Because I have to wait another day for the Rockets to play, and the Pacer/Rocket preview will be posted tomorrow when I find the time... today I present who *I* think should be named to the All Star team (and let's just say it's decidedly different than Marc Stein's opinion).

Western Conference

starters: C- Yao, PF - Duncan, SF - Carmelo (??), SG - Kobe, other G - Iverson (he sure as hell isn't a point guard).

This leaves seven more positions to fill, 2 guards, 2 forwards, a center and two "miscellaneous" types to reward those for good behavior who weren't quite good enough to be obvious picks.

Guards

Chris Paul
Steve Nash

Anyone who suggests anyone else to be a guard on the Western team is off smoking crack with the aforementioned Mr. Stein. CP3 is having the best statistical season for a PG since Kevin Johnson was rountinely tossing out 20 points and 10 assists a game for Phoenix. And the Hornets would be the #1 seed if the playoffs started. Paul is in. Nash is Nash... even though I don't trust him with his beady eyes and flapping head, he's a two-time MVP who is actually playng better this year than in the MVP seasons. Besides, if I didn't pick Nash, he'd probably charge at me with his hockey stick or whatever weapon he might be carrying.

Forwards

Dirk Nowitzki
Carlos Boozer

Dirk is obvious. Reigning MVP for a tough Dallas team who is once again one of the best players in the NBA. Easy decision. Boozer is not so easy. I hate rewarding disloyal guys who stab blind men in the front for more money. Plus he went to Duke. Fuck him. And yet... Boozer is playing out of his freakin' mind this year. Double-doubles are overrated, but he's a league leader there. Aw, hell, I hate talking about Jazz players. Moving along. Sorry, T-Mac, I can't pick you either. It would be wrong and shamelessly homer-ific of me.

Center

Chris Kaman

Anyone who says "Marcus Camby" can bite me. For that is the wrong answer. He wouldn't even be in the top 3 choices for reserve center. Amare Stoudemire, Chris Kaman and Tyson Chandler are ALL playing better than Camby. Camby is great at rebounds, blocking shots, and leaving the guy he's guarding open while he tries to block shots. He is not great at scoring points or contributing in other ways. Sorry, that's not all-star worthy to me. My pick is Kaman. The Caveman plays on an injury-riddled team that's missing Elton Brand. So what does the Hogan look-a-like do? He starts playing like Elton freakin' Brand! Much respect. And it allows Yao to crack jokes about how you can't f--kin' stop him all weekend. I can't overlook that.

2 more

Well, I gotta pick two more to fill spots...

Amare Stoudemire
Brandon Roy

Stoudemire plays no defense at all and is generally perceived to be quite the dumbass. But he's exactly what we want to see in an All-Star Game. So, he's in. Brandon Roy has led a very, very young Portland team to a potential playoff run. And he impressed the hell out of me last week during the Rockets victory over them. Sorry, Deron Williams, no way I put two Jazz players on my roster. And Baron Davis? I saw his 6-22 effort on Tuesday... no way he's an All-Star over these other guys. Stephen Jackson? I like you, but no. Manu? Mr. Eva Longoria? Oh, hell no - Timmy made you guys famous, and if I put any other Spur on the roster we all know it would be Robert Horry. Spare me your sob stories!!

Projected MVP? CP3. Or Kobe. One of the two. Kobe is the only guy who takes these games seriously... and CP3 is playing at home.

What's that? You want to know who I'd pick for the Eastern Conference? Uh, other than KG and LeBron, who gives a shit? the Eastern Conference sucks and I only want to know who makes the East roster just to make sure that the Fat Ass does NOT make the team. Even though he's begging and pleading, yet his own coach doesn't fully support him. Shut yo' trap, Shaq. You are not an All Star anymore.

Notes from the couch

Rockets damn near gave me a heart attack last night. Up 21 at one point... then losing 102-101 with a few minutes left in the game. No one guarding anyone shooting 3s for Golden State. Scary stuff. A few notes though:

1. Yao is a beast. An absolute Godzilla according to Deadspin. 36 points (season high), 19 rebounds (season high), 14-15 from the FT line (see, that's how it's done, T-Mac!). Granted, the 7 turnovers are a concern, but the Warriors were fouling him on every play and the refs let 'em play rough. So be it.

2. Rafer almost had a freakin' triple double. But, of course, he had to take 19 shots to get there. Yao got 19 shots, too. Let's compare... in 19 shots, Rafer scores 17 (on 7-19 shooting, and 2-8 from 3-land). Yao doubles that effort in the same amount of shots taken. Again, why is Rafer shooting 8 times from behind the line? Shane and Novak were hot... yet Rafer kept chucking.

3. Luther Head had 20. And again disappeared in the 4th Q. This is bothersome. Very. At least he made his free throws.

4. Scola is starting now! Yes! Finally!

5. Where was Carl Landry in the 4th Q when we needed defense and inside scoring?

6. Why is everyone slurping Baron Davis on a night when he goes 6-22 from the field? Sorry but he's not an All-Star. Not with all the stud guards in the West (Kobe, CP3, Nash, Iverson, T-Mac, Deron, Mr. Eva Longoria, etc.)

7. Wait a second.... Carl Landry only went 3-6 from the field? When did he start missing shots?!?!! His shooting percentage just dropped like a rock!

8. Novak is great in his 5-10 minute bursts. But then you have to take him back out of the game, Ricky...

9. No T-Mac, no problem. That flu is a killer though.

10. Rockets win! 25-20 now!

An All-Star photo essay

The end.

The Best in the League!

Congratulations to Yao Ming for his sixth consecutive All Star game start this year. That's one start for every season in the league. He's the best center in the league in my eyes, and if everyone else would open theirs he would be the best in their eyes as well.

Tracy was narrowly edged out by AI, who is much more deserving this year than TMac, but about 50% as deserving as Chris Paul was. If the NBA was going to stack the ballot box for Tracy to get his wish of not playing (and I honestly 100% believe they did), why not do it with Chris Paul? I know he was further behind Tracy, but come on, you could have made an easy argument him or Nash before you did Iverson.

Congrats again to Yao, keep kicking ass big man!

Am I excited or just relieved?

I still don't know what happened last night. The Rockets didn't play bad at all, they just didn't play very well. The Sonics just could not miss until the last 5 minutes of the game. The Rockets weathered the storm and came out victorious.

Yao kept the game from becoming a blow-out with another "Yao Game", also known as 25+ points and 8+ rebounds. He finished the game at 26 and 12 with 6 assists and 1 block. Just another all around solid game. It's amazing to me that there are still people out there that do not recognize Yao's greatness. He does this EVERY NIGHT, this season he has only not scored 20 on 9 occasions and on 3 of those he had 18,19,19, so his scoring is there pretty much every game. He's had 8+ Rebounds 34 times this season, he is nothing if not consistent.

Just for fun:

You look at those stats and say: Player A and B are pretty damn close, right? In fact, this season, Player A is having arguably a better one than Player B, right? Player A is obviously Yao, Player B is Tim Duncan. Don't get me wrong, the Big Fundamental is inarguably, fuck Karl Malone, the greatest PF of all time. Honestly, it's not close. That said, Yao is great too, people need to realize this. Just think, he's 27, he's just now STARTING his prime.

Edit: (Just saw something similar over at Clutchfans, I've been wanting to work it in since the SA game, but didn't want someone to not get credit for a good idea)

Okay, enough about Yao, let's talk about TMac. I'd like to say that more players should say they want to grow up to be Tracy like KD did. Then maybe he'd play like his old self every time. He was really spectacular at the end of the game. 13-23 for 28 points and seemingly every one in the 4th quarter. He also managed 4 rebounds including a huge offensive one and 5 assists. I missed you old Tracy McGrady from your first year with the Rockets, I missed you. Now, please, I beg of you, stick around for the rest of the season! I'm going to ignore the 2 missed free throws at the end that almost cost us the game.

I also have to say, Rafer played like he was when TMac was out, and that is a very good thing, he shot WAY too much, but some of that was out of necessity since no one else early in the game, except Yao,was moving at all. His 8 assists were all pretty decent and he has ZERO turnovers. Good game all around Rafer, good game.

Last but not least I have to talk about Carl Landry. He played his ass off last night and cemented the fact that the Chuck Waggon should not be playing any more. What once was a black hole on the team, power forward, is now a plethora of awesome. Luis and Carl, welcome to the big time. Landry was everywhere, his athleticism is exactly what this team needs to compliment Luis's all out hustle. In 15 minutes he was 4-4 for 8 points, and had 2 rebounds. He also got 2 absolutely incorrect foul calls in that time and fouled out. He was so pissed off that he almost cried on the sidelines. And unlike Adam Morrison the game was over for him when he almost cried. That's some bad ass passion, it actually made me more impressed with him.

So that's a third win in a row for the Rockets and 8-2 in their last 10. Next up: Friday at 9:00PM CST - The Portland Trailblazers, one of the hottest teams in the league. I'll have a preview up today or tomorrow.