NBA Preview: Houston Rockets to take Golden State Warriors by the Horns
After Tuesday’s defeat to the two-time champions Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets are looking forward to regain their lost confidence in Wednesday’s game against Golden State Warriors. The game was in their control
for most of the 4 quarters but a slight lapse of 7 minutes snatched it right out of their hands and Wednesday’s encounter with the Warriors is only thing they are waiting for to make them feel good.
What is important for the Warriors is their new look that has made them a franchise to watch out for. The former Knicks All-star, power forward, David Lee is an addition along with the promotion of Assistant Coach Keith
Smart as the new head coach. Smart is an experienced NBA assistant who has been with the side for 7 seasons and he plans to do wonders with the team this season. Lee, on the other hand, is a player who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game last season,
though with a bad team. His value as an asset for the Warriors could be well calculated by the fact that Warriors traded Corey Maggette to Milwaukee, Anthony Morrow to New Jersey and C.J. Watson to Chicago just to afford Lee for a gigantic six year, 80 million
dollars deal.
Warriors are thus hoping for their first season-opening win in five years. Smart has had enough time to be grateful and now he has a game plan that is more traditional in style. He does not want to take away the creativity
of his two talented guards and wishes for David Lee and Andris Biedrins to utilize their rebounding abilities to the fullest. Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis are expected to emerge as the best backcourt players this season for the Warriors. The only thing they
are hoping for is Curry to maintain the level of play he exhibited in the second half of the last season with 21.9 points per game, 7.5 assists and 5.15 rebounds. Curry is a year wiser and experienced this season with a tremendous chemistry with his teammate
Ellis, who had the charming stats of 25.5 points per game last season.
The only thing that David Lee lacks is the defensive side that means so much in the NBA. The Warriors have won 26 games last season which is not an impressive total but with the new additions, Golden State Warriors
are possibly on the point where things turn around for good.
And for that good they have the human interest angle of Jeremy Lin. The story is interesting as he is the real wild card who just might prove worthwhile. Everybody knows the story where this kid first led his team to
state championship and then led Harvard to their first Ivy League championship in decades. He has made it to the NBA on the performance of a single great game in NBA summer League. Will he be the answer to the Warriors’ war cries?
The Rockets with their 112-110 loss to Lakers in the season opening game seem quite impressive. Even coach Rick Adelman considers this start a pretty good response to the world champions and thinks it the team’s loss
of grip on the game that cost them the game. Center Yao Ming came back after missing the last season to a surgery with 9 points and 11 rebounds seeming to lose a bit of confidence on the way. There is a slight chance that he would appear in the second game,
keeping in view his injuries.
Aaron Brooks is the same improved player of the last year with 24 points and nine assists in his first game this season. Luis Scola, the same Luis Scola who scored 2 double-doubles against the Warriors last season,
started off with 18 points and 16 rebounds against the Lakers. The Rockets have the psychological advantage of winning nine straight games against the Warriors that includes the last five games at the Oracle Arena.
It is an easy bet to place as far as the stats are concerned, but don’t forget the stats are the same which predicted the Miami Heat Big Three taking the Celtics by the horns, yet the results proved otherwise. Fans
are anxiously waiting to see what the Curry’s Warriors have got up their sleeves this time.
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