Rockets pull it out by cranking up the defense and the running game again in the 2nd half.
Rockets 93
Knicks 76
High scorers - Lonny Baxter - 27, Dion Glover - 21
Disappointing - Luther Head (sort of), Malick Badiane
Head got into a bit of foul trouble, but it was strange that he didn't see any action that I recall in the 4th quarter. He was still hustling on defense but didn't leave much of an impact on the game offensively.
So what should I expect from Luther Head? Should I expect more than what I've seen? Should I see a shooter? A gunner? A scorer? A PG? A SG? A hybrid? Since I don't follow college basketball, I don't know what to expect from him. He is a #24 pick, so I shouldn't expect Tim Duncan talent. One thing is certain so far in this summer league - his shot hasn't been all that great. He is gutsy on defense and this game was no different. He goes after steals - sometimes he wins, other times he loses and it allows the opponent to get into the paint easily or causes the Rockets defense to crumble on the perimeter. He was still running like a gazelle. I saw him lose his man on defense a couple of times during the game, but I also saw him run the court beautifully. I envisioned Tracy McGrady and Head flying down the court with [insert_PG's_name_here] throwing the ball to either wing on a fast break. Head is fluid, smooth, and can run.
So what am I worried about? What is it I'm not seeing? Honestly what I'd like to see that I'm not seeing is a first round draft pick saying I'm going to take it to these guys. Not every time, but I guess more than I'm seeing. It's almost as if he's content being wherever he needs to be and shoot if he needs to. Yes we have a team with Yao Ming and TMac, so he's at best a 3rd or 4th option even if he gets any minutes - but you can't be the threat that pulls double teams away from Yao and TMac if you don't take a shot.
Maybe I'm expecting too much or all the wrong things. Maybe he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing - playing within the flow of the game. Maybe he's still learning. What I've seen of him has been solid so far. But when I think of Luther Head, I wanted to perhaps see a Cuttino Mobley on offense minus the ill-advised shots. A Cuttino like the one that played for us in his final year here. What I think I see is a Rodney McCray (old school) who just does everything good, but nothing great. Pass, rebound, dribble, score just enough, etc.
But as I said, this is probably way too early to make judgments. I hope he evolves because his composure and athleticism combined with little showboating is rare.
I'm officially off the Malick Badiane bandwagon for now. I don't know what to say except the guy I'm seeing out there playing is pretty much the same guy I saw 2 years ago. If anything, he seems to have regressed. He used to be wherever the ball was. Now he's got Dikembe Mutombo Disease in that he can't hold on to balls (which I guess was an issue 2 years ago, too). His offensive movements aren't fluid - he almost has to think to move his leg in order for it to move... right... left... shoot. What also didn't help Malick was the fact that he had 3 fouls by 6:12 of the first quarter. Now watch him go for 40 tomorrow.
I honestly do not know why this guy cannot get a gig anywhere in the league. You've got to be kidding me if you tell me this guy isn't better than many of the stiffs on the teams in the NBA. I'm not saying he's going to score like he has in the summer leagues, but anybody that can hit a 15-18 foot jumper like he has been all day and can bang inside with that body of his has got to be valuable for at least 10 minutes a game. Lonny was scoring in a million different ways. He's got this baseline up and under move that goes either for a layup or a monster reverse jam. The latter has been getting a rise out of summer league fans thusfar. Then he pops out about 20 feet on the baseline one time today and tags a jumper from out there. Then he moves over to the elbow about 15-17 feet out and pops jumpers from there. He's not a one trick pony - he's got moves. One of my favorite moves of his is a pumpfake that everyone has been biting throughout this summer league. NBA players may not bite, but it's nice to see the guy has all kinds of tricks. The only negative I've seen about Lonny is that he's been winded with extended play in these games. You'd think that a guy that wants to play in the NBA would be in some kind of shape before playing in these games. It seemed as if the coaches rested him before the 4th in this game so he wouldn't be winded at the end, and it paid off. Dion Glover threw a pass the length of the court that Lonny had hauled butt to meet and threw down a reverse jam. I hope he gets a shot at making this team. He's got the kind of skills that could help us for 10-15 mins a game.
No catchy title. I'm tired. Dion is an interesting player. I've never watched him play much, but he seems to be able to handle the ball, penetrate, hit a jumper, etc. The only negative I see sometimes is that he seems to take it upon himself to score even when people such as Baxter or Head are out there and can also do the scoring. Dion sometimes has a tendency to jack up a shot off the dribble when he could have made another pass or pulled the ball back out. He can score, but at what cost? He's had a good summer league so far, and today was no exception with his 21 point outing. It'll be interesting to see if he gets an invite to camp. From what I've seen, he's no worse than the worst Bob Sura or David Wesley have shown us, plus he's 6'5", young, and isn't injured.
David Bluthenthal showed off the long range strike ability that pissed me off when we played the Kings during the regular season. He stroked about 2 or 3 long range 3's and another long range 2. He's got a beautiful shot for someone his size.
Coach Tom Thibodeaux was yelling at the players to run and push the ball today. I hope we see some of that during the regular season. The Knicks held a 26-17 lead at the end of the 1st quarter that was cut to 46-43 at halftime. The Rockets turned up the defense at around the halfway mark of the 4th quarter and the Knicks just fell apart. What was a close game ended up being a blowout as a result.
Once again, Luther Head played very little PG duty.
Nate Robinson was a spark plug out there. He was everywhere doing everything. He's fast as hell, can dunk at 5'9" (I think) and nearly blocked 2 of Dion Glover's shots - one was on a fast break! He got a tech during the game, so his composure may be an issue. But from what I saw, he's going to be fun to watch.
