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Patrick Patterson and the Houston Rockets host the dangerous Sixers tonight before heading into the six-day all-star break.

BY: KYLE ADAMS

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

The Houston Rockets (19-14) host the Philadelphia 76ers (20-13) tonight as they put the capper on a four-game homestand before the All-Star break this weekend.

The Sixers are in first place in the East’s Atlantic Division, but they have lost four straight games, including Tuesday’s bout in Memphis. For both the surging Rockets (7-3 in their last 10 games) and the reeling Grizzlies, this is a pivotal game tonight.

STINGY SIXERS: Philly is the best in the NBA in points allowed per game, surrendering a stingy 87.3 per contest. Andre Iguodala is their designated ball stopper, guarding the other team’s best backcourt scorer. He is having a bit of a down year in scoring, averaging just 12.4 points to his career number of 15.5, but he is the leader of this team on offense and defense, being named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season. He leads the team in assists at 5.3 per game, and steals at 1.8 a game. I expect him to shut down Kevin Martin, and hence bring forth more frustration and doubts before the break to accompany all the trade rumors thrown Martin’s way.

Sixth Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams is the Sixers’ leading scorer, surprising most with 15.9 points a game to go along with 3.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds in only 26 minutes, which is shocking. I know Jrue Holiday is the bigger, younger point guard, but Williams this year has been the better player and should be rewarded with more minutes.

The Sixers also have some talented big men in Spencer Hawes, Elton Brand, and Thaddeus Young. All pose tough defensive assignments for the likes of Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson and Samuel Dalembert. Hawes is 7-foot-1 and averages 1.5 blocks per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds and 10.5 points. I think he will give Dalembert a tough time on both ends of the court, and you might even see him go up against Scola if Brand or Young struggle. Brand is also averaging 1.5 blocks per game, so I think he will be tough for Scola to get around.

A TOUGH ROUND FOR HOUSTON: The Sixers will be a tough matchup for the Rockets all across the board. The Rockets will need Kyle Lowry and the bench to lead them to victory, since those are aspects where they are significantly better. I think Courtney Lee could have a big game for the Rockets off the bench defensively and offensively. He’s averaging 9.9 points per game to go with 1.2 steals and shooting 41 percent from 3. The Rockets will need him to help Lowry and Chandler Parsons keep the Sixers’ backcourt at bay, as they have a lot of scorers in the starting lineup and off the bench.

I would look for Patterson to also have a big game, taking minutes away from Scola just like he did in the Memphis win Monday night. The more minutes he takes from Scola, the faster Scola is more secure on the trading block. Patterson has shown a lot of promising potential, and I think eventually he becomes the starting power forward. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and shooting 47 percent on mostly jump shots. I think his shooting percentage will go up as he gets more experience down low.

I also expect to see more of big man Greg Smith. With Dalembert struggling lately, and Hasheem Thabeet never seeing the floor, the Rockets’ front office and coaches will want to see what he can do against the tough and strong NBA centers. His first game against Utah Sunday, he showed a lot of promise, getting four blocks. But his last game, the only numbers he tallied were his 11 minutes and five fouls. Look for him to contribute more against the Sixers’ frontcourt.

Will we finally get to see prized rookie Marcus Morris get some playing time? I hope so, but I don’t expect it in the last game before the break, unless there’s a player who goes out with an injury, or it’s a blowout. The Rockets are unlikely to throw him into the fire against Philly’s wing threats.

THE OUTCOME: I think it will be a close game. Each team will be playing its heart out, fighting to win the last game before the stars take the stage this weekend. This is the only meeting between the two teams this year, so that only adds to the excitement.  Whoever does come out with the win will be relaxing all weekend, watching the All Star festivities. The other team will be grinding its teeth, pacing around, waiting for the next chance to step on the court.

Rockets win in a nail-biter.

Kyle Lowry has absolutely dominated the fourth quarter the last two nights against crucial opponents who are chasing Houston in the West.

WHO: Rockets 97, Grizzlies 93.

WHAT: The Rockets currently sit 6th in the West at 19-14 overall. They’re now 13-4 at Toyota Center and, once again, played brilliantly in the second half against a Memphis team that came in with the same overall record, yet holding a 2-0 edge in the season series, which is huge should the two tie in record for playoff seeding after the regular season.  The Rockets clamped down defensively and made the necessary adjustments after holding a brittle halftime lead. They rode that defense to victory and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

WHAT HAPPENED?: For the third straight game, the Rockets’ interior defense was put to the test. The Grizzlies scored 38 points in the paint in the first half, and though Houston hit 66.7 percent of its shots in the first half (a season best), Memphis was staying close by way of forcing turnovers (they’re the league’s best) and hitting more than 60 percent of their own shots. The tide turned in the second half when both defenses tightened. With the game knotted at 76 heading into the fourth quarter, the Rockets put together a beautiful defensive stretch, going on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies missed their first eight shots of the period before finally accompanying a pair of freebies with their first field goal of the fourth with 5:44 left. That was enough for Houston to hold on to the lead. That defense, along with 9-of-9 free throw shooting down the stretch, allowed the Rockets to pull away with a pivotal win. The Rockets held Memphis to 22 points in the paint in the second half.

CHANDLER DOES IT ALL: Defensively, rookie Chandler Parsons set the tone for Houston, holding Grizzlies star Rudy Gay to 23 points on 22 field goal attempts. The 6-foot-9 second-round draft pick did an admirable job keeping Gay off the 3-point line (0-for-2) and free-throw line (5-for-5). Parsons had a nice all-around game with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists, including two wily dimes in the fourth that led to backbreaking 3s from Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee. He, Lowry and Lee are the most consistent Rockets in regard to knowing what you’re going to get every night.

CLUTCH KYLE: In these last few big games against the Jazz and Grizzlies, Lowry has come up sensational, especially in the fourth quarters. Tonight he hit a couple of 3s that kept the Grizzlies at bay, and again had a solid, solid night, amassing 24 points and nine assists less than 24 hours after burning the Jazz for 32 and 9, respectively. His shot looks back on track, having knocked down 10 of his last 15 triples, and he’s being aggressive and taking control. We’re just going to have to accept that Kevin Martin and Luis Scola may or may not be on point during any given game, so this is Lowry’s team and he’s going to have to take over when it matters most. Scola only had 10 points and two rebounds tonight, hitting 5 of his 7 shots while committing four fouls in 20 minutes. Martin had a nice game with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, though he’s become nothing more than a shooter – opposed to scorer, and yes there is a difference – as he’s no longer a cinch to get 8 or 9 free throw attempts a game. It also helped him tonight that Grizzlies defensive specialist Tony Allen, who held Martin scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting in 19 minutes the last time these two teams met, picked up a quick two fouls in the first quarter and allowed Martin to get some early buckets that kept his confidence up.

ROCKETS’ DIAPER DANDIES UPDATE: For the first time this season, the Rockets had their two  promising young buds active. In his second game, 6-foot-10 forward Greg Smith was not effective in his 11 minutes, compiling nothing more than five fouls. He seemed a bit hesitant and not as aggressive as he did last night against Utah. He mostly stood out of the way on offense and closed out too late defensively. 6-foot-9 wing Marcus Morris did not see action, as Parsons played 37 minutes due to his outstanding effort offensively and defensively. Parsons is going to make it hard for any wing to see valuable time this season.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?: It means the Rockets are doing what they have to do and taking care of business before a much-deserved break this weekend. Houston is currently 2-1 on its four-game homestand, with Philly looming Wednesday. Right now, the Rockets are doing what they have to do to win games – like making free throws down the stretch – and they’ve excelled at making second-half adjustments of late. The Rockets should be eyeing the fourth seed in the West for homecourt advantage in the first round. The Lakers (5th) and Clippers (4th) currently sit in their way, but I don’t trust the Lakers at all, and the Clippers have Vinny Del Negro coaching them. Fourth place in the West is very realistic for the boys from H-Town.

Rockets rookie Marcus Morris was called up to the Rockets today.

In less than three days, the Rockets have called up their two most interesting prospects from the Vipers. First, it was undrafted rookie center Greg Smith. Then, today, they brought up Marcus Morris, their 6-foot-9 small forward and the 13th pick in last year’s NBA draft.

Morris averaged 22.8 points and 9.1 rebounds in 10 games as a Viper. He also played another game in which he suffered an ankle injury in the contest’s first minute, leading to a lengthy stay of inactivity. He is now healthy, however, as he pretty much had his way with D-League competition.

The Vipers play just one game the rest of this month, so reports are the Rockets didn’t feel Morris would be helped by just chillin’ all day and night in McAllen. Even if he doesn’t play much here, at least he’ll get to soak in more of the NBA life, which is really what he should have been doing to begin with, but I digress. Before he was sent down to the D-League, Morris played 17 minutes in three games with the Rockets in the early part of the season. He hit 2 of his 10 shots, 1 of his 2 free throws, and amassed two rebounds and two fouls with five points.

Morris enters a tight forward contingent of Patrick Patterson, Chandler Parsons and Chase Budinger. Patterson and Parsons have been mainstays pretty much throughout, as it helps that both are as strong defensively as they are offensively. Budinger’s minutes have come and gone, depending on his shooting. Where Morris fits in, I’m not sure. His situation is unlike Smith’s, as Smith was brought on board once Jordan Hill went down with an injury. Even with Hill fine, the Rockets still lacked strength in the paint.

The Rockets have considered Morris to be NBA-ready from an offensive standpoint, which, reading between the lines, means he is far from ready defensively. If Morris can be more of an asset defensively than Budinger, I don’t think it will take much to take his spot, as Morris is more rounded offensively, has more size and can do more things with the ball.

It would be assumed that Morris would not see too much time before the all-star break this weekend. The Rockets host Memphis tonight and Philadelphia on Wednesday. Wins against both could go a long way toward building more confidence, and both teams have quality swingmen that may make it hard for Rockets coach Kevin McHale to throw Morris into the fire so soon.

Luis Scola got his groove back on Sunday night against the Jazz.

WHO: Rockets 101, Jazz 85.

WHAT: The Rockets currently sit 7th in the West at 18-14 overall. They improved to a gaudy 12-4 at Toyota Center and dominated the second half against a Jazz team that will likely be a thorn in their backside for a playoff spot as the season winds down. The Rockets’ second half was brilliant, as they outscored Utah 56-39 and had their way with a team that prides itself on toughness, physicality and execution.  The Rockets are 6-4 in their last 10 games.

WHAT HAPPENED?: Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola pretty much carried the Rockets to victory, scoring 58 of the team’s 101 points. Both needed this. Badly. Lowry, who has struggled with his shot all season, was absolutely en fuego against the Jazz, hitting 9 of his 13 shots, including 7 of 8 from deep. He also hit all seven of his free throws in a performance that was reminiscent of the Lowry from last season. Scola, however, was arguably the bigger story. Coming off a lethargic last six games (12 ppg, 5 rpg, 11 FGA), he was assertive and aggressive against an impressive Jazz frontline. Scola hit 12 of 20 shots for 26 points, providing headaches for Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin. I’m still concerned that Scola doesn’t attack the rim more and get to the  line. He only shot two free throws tonight. It would help if he could put opposing forwards in foul trouble from time to time. But tonight is not the night to picky. He showed up, and did so big time, against a foe that will likely be battling tit for tat with Houston for a playoff spot down the stretch. Defensively, the Rockets adjusted well throughout the game. Dominated in the paint in the first half behind Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, they held the Jazz without a point in the paint in the decisive third quarter when they outscored them 27-18 to take control of the game for good.

WELCOME, GREG!: Undrafted Rockets rookie forward Greg Smith made his debut tonight, fittingly as the Jazz boast a plethora of strength, size and agility in the paint. Smith passed with flying colors, setting great screens, attacking drivers and protecting the rim. He had two points, three rebounds and four blocks in 11 minutes, but he also had five fouls. He’s got to learn to control his body in close-out situations, but that will come. The shot-blocking was awesome, and he showed a quick second-jump for the rebound of his own miss that led to his lone basket of the night. He moves well for someone 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. I’m very excited about Smith.

DALEMBERT HELD OUT OF STARTING LINEUP: Rockets coach Kevin McHale benched Samuel Dalembert after he was late to this morning’s walkthrough, so Patrick Patterson got the start as Houston reverted back to the days of a mini-me starting frontcourt. Patterson didn’t disappoint, with eight points and seven rebounds (four offensive) in 27 minutes, but you have to wonder what’s up with Sammy. Sometimes it seems like his head’s just not in the game. He had four fouls in 17 minutes and also had four points, five rebounds and two blocks. I asked Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen after the game if he got the sense Dalembert wasn’t totally invested in the Rockets/McHale, and he said absolutely not. It was just a missed walkthrough, something that’s not a rarity in the NBA. I’m still wary. I’ve heard rumblings from Sixers and Kings fans that Dalembert was known to be lazy and apathetic at times, and while I’ll continue giving him the benefit of the doubt since it’s so early, it is something I’ll watch. He is pivotal (parden the pun) to the Rockets’ success.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?: It was a meaningful win. Simply put, if the Rockets want to be taken seriously as a true threat in the West, they have to start beating the teams they should, teams like the Jazz and Wolves, for example. The way they responded after halftime in that crucial third quarter showed a sense of urgency that is only a sign of going in the right direction. I think we see how Scola’s play opens things up more for Lowry. In the West, you have to have someone who can get you buckets in the paint. Truly, Scola is the Rockets’ only option in that regard, and he showed it tonight. When he’s getting points in close and Lowry’s hitting 3s, the Rockets are a tough team to beat. The Rockets have a big game tonight as Memphis comes to town. Right now, the Grizzlies are tied with the Rockets with an identical 18-14 overall record, and Memphis has the Rockets’ number so far this season by winning both of its games against them.

Courtney Lee and the Houston Rockets face a big test tonight with Utah, which is on the Rockets' heels for a playoff spot in the West.

BY: KYLE ADAMS

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

WHO: Utah Jazz (15-14) at Houston Rockets (17-14), 6 p.m. CT, tonight. Houston is 11-4 at home. Utah is 3-9. The Rockets are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Utah is 3-7.

The Houston Rockets will welcome an old 90′s rival to the Toyota Center tonight, as the Utah Jazz come to town.

Although there will be no Stockton to Malone, or even Williams to Boozer, there will be a couple of matchups you will want to pay close attention to.

The Jazz are third in their division and 7 1/2 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder, hovering just above 500. But, like the Rockets, they’re still a tough out. They’re coming off a win against the terrible Washington Wizards, against whom Al Jefferson torched for 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Devin Harris dished out nine assists.

LOOKING AT THE JAZZ: This is the first of three meetings on the year between the Rockets and the Jazz, as both teams will likely be fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the West. Both teams have been up and down all season, but the Jazz big men have been very impressive. Al Jefferson is averaging 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in what is easily his best season so far as a member of the Jazz. Rockets center Samuel Dalembert could have a tough time keeping Jefferson’s wide and strong body out of the paint.

The Rockets might even have to throw in rookie center Greg Smith to defend him. Smith, at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, is a power forward by nature that was just called up from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Paul Millsap is also having a good year. His average is down a couple points from the 2011 season, but he’s still a go-to guy on offense next to Jefferson down low. He’s averaging 15.6 points and leads the team with 9.4 rebounds to accompany 2.1 assists per game. Both he and Jefferson have strong assist totals for big men.

LOOKING AT THE ROCKETS: Rockets forward Luis Scola, having a down year, will have to force Millsap away from the rim with his shooting ability. Scola is averaging just 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, compared to 18.3 and 8.2, respectively, last season. His matchup against Millsap will be a key one tonight, if not the most crucial.

I will also be looking forward to seeing Patrick Patterson against Derrick Favors, two athletic, young power forwards looking for an opportunity to start in the near future. And how about Greg Smith against Enes Kanter? Two big, young bodies could also battle it out, though one was undrafted and the other was a prized top-3 pick.

WHO WINS?: I think the Rockets win this game in a close one. Their backcourt is much better, in my opinion with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin, also with Courtney Lee and Goran Dragic energizing the bench. Devin Harris of the Jazz is having a very frustrating year, everything is down and it looks to be his worst year since his rookie year, only averaging less than 10 points and five assists per game. Expect the Rockets guards of Lowry and Martin to have huge nights. I expect both Martin and Lowry to score around 25 points, while Lowry will flirt with a triple double.

Scola should chip in the usual 15 points. I also expect big games from Dragic and Lee. Al Jefferson will have a good game for the Jazz; I see him getting 25 and 10. I expect Millsap to get around his averages.

Follow me on Twitter @Kyle0788

Jordan Hill strained his right knee in practice, which means we'll get a shot to see Greg Smith as he's been called up from the Valley.

Jordan Hill sprained his right knee in practice on Saturday and is expected to be out through next weekend’s All-Star break, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.

This means we’ll finally get to see Greg Smith, the Rockets’ 6-foot-10 undrafted rookie booming with promise, get a look with the big-league club.

Look, it’s no secret I’m not the biggest fan of Hill, whose inconsistency is so frustratingly maddening. He is undersized, he’s not tough, he’s weak around the rim, he fouls too much. He’s everything the Rockets don’t need at center. His five points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 15 minutes is not cutting it.

Smith, on the other hand, is big. He’s strong. He’s a presence. He PLAYS big. Even at 6-foot-10, he can be considered undersized at center but he is your typical behemoth of a power forward; he loves being physical and he loves the paint and has no problem throwing around his 250 pounds. I love it. In 21 games for the Vipers this season (17 starts), he’s averaging 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 27 minutes per game. He averages 2.2 offensive rebounds per game and shoots 66 percent from the field. Not a whole lot not to like.

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the Rockets chose to keep Jeff Adrien around instead of current sensation Jeremy Lin. Then they cut Adrien a few weeks ago to make room and sign Smith. So, essentially, Lin’s departure made way for Smith. Interesting.

Here’s some stuff on Mr. Smith:

http://youtu.be/_VNYUqTkCGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VNYUqTkCGc&feature=related

Welcome on board, Greg. Here’s hoping you never have to go back down to RGV.

The closest thing the Rockets have to an enforcer is point guard Kyle Lowry. That's not a good thing.

BY: MICHAEL GUTIERREZ

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

When Luis Scola ate a mouthful of Kevin Love’s NIKE nearly two weeks ago on the floor of the Target Center, the proverbial revenge blow that usually occurs in such a situation never came from the Houston Rockets.

In the “Grown Man” world that is the NBA, one is led to wonder if the team not only has an enforcer, but to what level of importance there is in having such a player on its roster.

The Rockets are no different than any other pro sports team in that they’ve been disrespected their fair share throughout their tenure. Whether it’s from the days of Vernon Maxwell confronting Charles Barkley (of the then-Phoenix Suns) over a hard foul on Hakeem Olajuwon in the ’94 playoffs, or a more recent Ron Artest ejection after taking a Kobe Bryant elbow to the neck against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the ’09 playoffs.  Among the many incidents, the Love-Scola “stomping” incident seems to stand out from others in that it left such an overwhelming feel of defeat after the game was over in Minnesota.

A feeling that still lingers in many of Houston fans’ minds when hearing the name “Kevin Love,” public enemy No. 1, at least for the time being.

To make matters worse, they lost to the Wolves 100-91 that night, giving Minnesota an edge it has not relinquished in the season series between the two teams.

While the Rockets’ bench, plus Scola, was called for technical fouls in the aftermath of Love’s stomp, it was more in the nature of getting a bad call by the referee (proven by Scola’s technical foul being rescinded).  In fact, the official who missed the call apologized to Scola and the Rockets the next time he saw them, for missing the blatant foul that proceeded the play AND the stomp. Still, normally a disrespect of that magnitude has players ready to duke it out, in which case it’s routinely broken up before it even begins. At minimal, a player would confront the guilty opponent face-to-face in a manner worthy of a meaningful technical.

It seems to be the way of the NBA, as teams are praised for such mental tactics.

For a perfect example, you need to look back no further than March 18 of the Rockets’ 2010-11 season. While hosting the Boston Celtics in the Toyota Center, former Rocket center Chuck Hayes (now a member of the Sacramento Kings) engaged in a heated back and forth of unsportsmanlike words with power forward Kevin Garnett of the Celtics. As the bumping and jarring continued, an eventual double-technical foul was called between the two players, after already being separated once before.

In a later possession, the shorter (6’6″) Hayes ferociously snatched the ball away from Garnett (6’10″) as Houston fans roared in appreciation.

On the flip side of the Minnesota debacle, Houston torched a better Boston team with a final score of 93-74. Boston eventually finished with the third best record in the East (56-26), only behind the Bulls (62-20) and Heat (58-24).

Hayes had this to say in an interview after the game: “It was just an intensity game and what they like to do is bully you and get in your head to try to make you think you can’t play with them,” said Hayes, while recalling the game’s emotional turning point. “We just hit the bully back and see if he can take a punch. [Garnett and I] got into a verbal altercation and I let him know I’m not standing for it. Then the next play they tried to iso him on the block and that was the wrong time to do it because I had so much adrenaline rushing I was determined not to let him get a score – not even giving up a shot.”

Interestingly enough, when looking at the league leaders in technical fouls this season, you have to turn quite a few pages before you find a Rockets player. At the top you’ll find two championship- winning, bulldog centers in Kendrick Perkins of the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team) with eight and Tyson Chandler (formerly of the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 championship team) of the New York Knicks with seven. Before eventually finding Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry with the only non-team technical foul by anyone on the Rockets’ current roster, you cross a top-ten list with three other former champions’ names on it, those being Kobe Bryant (with 5 technical fouls), Rajon Rondo (5) and Stephen Jackson (5), who have all won a ring and are known to be respected, hard-nosed individuals.

While the technical foul statistic gives you a small aspect in which to measure these players’ passion, the bigger truth lies in the transformation of last season’s championship-winning Mavericks roster. Before acquiring Chandler from the Charlotte Bobcats to the start the season, many considered the Mavs (and their star player Dirk Nowitzki) to be lacking the toughness of a true contender. The attitude embedded in Chandler’s demeanor sparked the team to its first championship.

Since Chandler was signed and traded to away to the Knicks, the Mavs (currently 19-11) seem to be who they were before his presence entered their locker room. Despite being the reigning champions, from season’s start they have been considered inferior to teams such as the Thunder (22-7), Heat (23-7) and Bulls (24-7), teams with fiery personalities and no-nonsense aggressors who are willing to do anything to win.

What defines tough in the NBA? It varies according to different people, but one thing is that champions and true contenders boast toughness, a junkyard dog, win-at-all-costs mentality that the Rockets have not seen since Artest.

It’s important to understand the difference between tough, physical play or reaction, and just being flat-out dirty. It is also just as important to understand the mental impact of literally letting a team walk over you, as the Rockets let the Wolves do in the aforementioned game. Throwing fists is never the answer, on or off the court, but there’s a vast middle ground of appropriate ways to handle such an occurrence. What the answer is not is what the Rockets did following the Scola incident: Nothing. Their silence spoke volumes.

Somebody on Houston’s roster needs to find that middle ground. The Rockets don’t need a dirty player. They don’t need to stoop to the level of a player stepping on somebody or someone resorting to physical violence. Basically, they just need somebody to feel the way that Hayes spoke of after making Rockets fans proud that night a few years ago against the Celtics.

Especially if their playoff hopes come to fruition.

The Rockets were no match for the Timberwolves on Friday night.

WHO: Minnesota 111, Rockets 98.

WHAT: The Rockets currently sit 7th in the West at 17-14 overall. They lost at home for just the fourth time in 15 games this season. Rockets-Wolves is blossoming into a pretty intriguing rivalry – in its earliest stages, of course – and now the Wolves are creeping up as a  threat for a playoff berth. Minnesota is 15-16 overall and owns a 3-1 series record against Houston so far. The Rockets are three games behind fourth-place Dallas and 5-5 in their last 10 games.

WHAT HAPPENED?: This was a setback in a way Rockets fans loathe. After seeing such steady progress defensively, particularly in protecting the rim, Houston let Minnesota eat it up in the paint. The Wolves hit 24 of 33 shots at the rim (72 percent) and neither Samuel Dalembert nor Jordan Hill was a match for Wolves obscure center Nikola Pekovic, who scored a career-high 30 points on 13 of 20 shooting. Dalembert’s effort was particularly disappointing as he is developing a bad habit of great inconsistency as a Rocket. He had just six points, four rebounds and one block in 20 minutes. He also had four fouls. Pekovic (who also had 12 rebounds) and Kevin Love (33 points, 17 rebounds) completely manhandled the Rockets’ Dalembert and Luis Scola, respectively. The Wolves shot 55 percent from the field and absolutely embarrassed Houston on the boards, 44-26. There’s the story of the game, folks.

WHERE’S SCOLA?: If we want to scold Kevin Martin for his lethargic play this season, we have to start doing the same for Luis Scola. In the last six games, Scola is averaging 12.7 points on just 11.8 field goal attempts per game. He’s averaging just 5.7 rebounds in those six games, but especially worrisome? Just 11 free throw attempts total, not even two per game. We have to be fair. When Scola is not scoring, he’s not helping. He’s a post version of Martin. He’s simply not getting touches, and him getting shots and opportunities only opens things up for Martin and Kyle Lowry, both of whom are having down years offensively. Before coach Kevin McHale concerns himself with getting Martin better looks, he’s got to make Scola more of a priority. It’s a domino effect.

CHANDLER ON THE RISE: Enough speaking of those who are on the downslide. Let’s take a look at a rising performer in rookie small forward Chandler Parsons. Over the last nine games, Parsons is averaging 9.4 points and becoming more than just the glue guy and defensive specialist that he was earlier this season. He’s becoming a much bigger part of the offense, averaging 11.8 field goal attempts the last four games (yes, the exact number as Scola). He’s coming off a stellar performance against the Wolves Friday, when he amassed 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting in 40 minutes. Truly a diamond in the rough type of find for the Rockets.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?: With the West such a tight race, the Rockets have to take advantage of chances, and that means beating the teams they should beat. They’ve lost to the likes of the Wolves (three times), the Warriors and the Bucks over the last month. They still don’t really have an identity, not with Martin and Scola struggling badly and with Lowry having a poor shooting year. It’s clear their defensive woes are not totally solved, and the offense isn’t exactly headed in the right direction. Simply put, this team needs more punch, specifically offensively where it doesn’t get to the free throw line and doesn’t exactly light it up from 3. For every big win against the likes of the Thunder, there are too many clunkers against teams floating in mediocrity, and if the Rockets want to be more than that, then they need to tighten things up sooner than later.

Samuel Dalembert has helped give the Rockets more of a defensive edge this season, but they still rank in the middle of the pack in most areas of that department.

In most cases, the basic, raw stats for an NBA team doesn’t tell the whole story. But when you go advanced, well, that’s a whole other thing.

Here’s a look at how the Rockets are fare in advanced measures offensively and defensively. Stats courtesy of hoopdata.com, my favorite NBA stats site.

OFFENSE

PACE (Average possessions used in 48-minute game): 94.9 (10th in the NBA).

OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY (Points scored per 100 possessions): 101.8 (9th in the NBA).

TRUE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE (Weighted efficiency, adjusting for 3s and free throws): 52.5% (12th in the NBA).

%AST (Percentage of field goals that are assisted): 55.3% (23rd in the NBA).

TURNOVER RATE (Percentage of possessions ending in a turnover): 14.04% (10th in the NBA).

FREE THROW RATE (Free throws attempted per field goals attempted): 22.3% (30th, last in the NBA).

3-POINT RATE (3-pointers attempted per field goals attempted): 23.5% (15th in the NBA).

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY (Points allowed per 100 possessions; best measure of opponents’ PPG): 99.7 (15th in NBA).

OPP. TRUE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE (Weighted efficiency, adjusting for 3s and free throws): 52.2% (14th in the NBA).

OPP. %AST (Opponents’ percentage of field goals assisted): 51.83% (3rd in the NBA).

OPP. TURNOVER RATE (Percentage of possessions ending in a turnover): 14.15% (15th in the NBA).

DEFENSIVE PLAYS RATE (defensive plays (blocks, steals, charges) per 100 possessions): 15.7 (16th in the NBA).

OPP. FREE THROW RATE (Free throws attempted per field goals attempted): 25.2 (8th in the NBA).

OPP. 3-POINT RATE (3-pointers attempted per field goals attempted): 21.3 (9th in the NBA).

Some quick notes before I head off to work:

Defensively, the Rockets have shown fast improvement. Just look at the opponents’ rates from the free throw line and 3-point line. It’s very tough to get easy buckets against this team, and that’s one thing coach Kevin McHale has brought, an accountability defensively. I also love the opponents’ assist percentage number. Anytime you can hold a team to isolation basketball, you have a good shot to win.

Offensively, a couple things stick out to me. One, the Rockets are one of the better teams in the league in assisting on field goals, which is kind of shocking. Under Rick Adelman, the Rockets always fared well in assists, usually in the top five or so. This year, they’re ranked 13th in assists per game, which is a bit odd since you don’t consider their roster as full of creative, one-on-one players.

Another thing is the poor free throw rate, which is not good. The Rockets simply do not get to the free throw line, and I think that will come to haunt them as the season goes on, and it will definitely bite them should they make the playoffs. When you consider they don’t get a high 3-point rate either, that’s doubly troubling. I could see if they were shooting a boatload of 3s to kind of offset that lack of free throw rate, but they don’t. Something to keep an eye on.

Overall, it’s what we should expect. The Rockets are fine offensively, but troubled in key areas. Their defensive is improving, but still middle-of-the-pack. It’s 30 games into a 66-game season, and I feel, at this point, what we see is what we get. If the Rockets can find some way to get an aggressive attacker by the trade deadline, that would help things considerably offensively, the department that has more dire need than defense (it feels weird to say that in regard to this team). Otherwise this is a team that doesn’t hold a lot of promise for a significant playoff run should they get there.

Marcus Morris, the Rockets' prized draft pick last summer, should be learning the tricks of the trade in Houston instead of dominating the relatively hapless D-League.

BY: RAMZY KAWAJA

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM 

The Rockets have developed a bad habit of babying their draft picks.

Many players, like Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Patrick Patterson, Hasheem Thabeet and other young Rockets, have spent time in the D-League. While it seems that it did them some good eventually, I personally believe that this tactic actually stunted the growth of these high-potential players. Is playing minutes with a group of underachievers, rather than riding the pine and soaking in all that needs to be learned from veteran NBA stars and coaches, really helping a rookie?

Nothing prepares a young man for the speed of an NBA game than actually experiencing it first-hand. I can understand sending undrafted players there, but shipping your first-round pick to the D-League is just counter-productive.

The latest casualty is 2011 first-rounder (14th overall) Marcus Morris, from Kansas. Are you saying that a player who you trusted enough to draft that high overall, and who has been coached by future Hall Of Famer Bill Self, isn’t ready to take on the responsibility of being in an NBA rotation right now? The Rockets passed up on Kawhi Leonard for Morris, angering and confusing their fans. Now it feels like the anger was justified, given how serviceable Leonard is in San Antonio. Chandler Parsons was drafted in the next round and he has proven that the game is not too fast for him to be successful.

There was a reason Morris was chosen to be the starting small forward for Houston; the guy can play. The longer the Rockets wait, the longer it will take Morris to get where he wants to be as an NBA player. He could be used now. It’s not like Houston has a lot of depth at wing, and there’s got to be room for a versatile, 6-foot-9 scoring machine who can get the ball in the hoop a variety of ways.

The former Jayhawk can dominate the D-League, win the MVP, but when he finally gets to play in an NBA game, he will still be a rookie making rookie mistakes. At a time when a new coach and a new system are being implemented, it makes sense to play your most promising player and get him acquainted to things sooner rather than later.

Marcus Morris’s career stats as a Rocket this season: Three games played, 5.7 minutes per game, 1.7 points per game.

In the season opener in Orlando, the rook played a whopping four minutes, shooting and missing two 3-pointers and committing two fouls while trying to guard Glen Davis. Morris was forced into the power forward spot due to the absence of Patterson. Morris was clearly overmatched. “Big Baby” is a lot to handle for most players at his position, much less for a man playing in his first ever professional game.

Almost as soon as he got his feet wet, McHale had seen enough and diagnosed “The Twin” – his twin brother Markieff plays in Phoenix and is a part of its rotation – as unready for the NBA. This is hardly the sample size needed for someone to make an accurate assessment of a first-rounder’s game. If the Rockets’ coaches don’t think Morris is as good as Parsons right now, then something is wrong. Either McHale is being too hasty in his judgment of Morris, or GM Daryl Morey drafted a dud.

I don’t think it’s the latter. He’s averaging 19 points and seven rebounds while shooting 46 percent in the D-League.

All that is happening is that Morris’ development is being stalled. Paused for the time being. The guy is probably picking up bad habits from players who will likely never step inside an NBA arena unless they purchase a ticket. To make matters worse, Morris recently hurt his ankle. He is back practicing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but what a disaster that would’ve been. Having the team’s future getting injured playing in a game he probably shouldn’t even be playing in is not something that could easily be explained to the owner or the fans.

The sooner the Rockets bring him back and let him take his lumps, the better. The only question remains: What are they waiting for?

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Morris scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting on Thursday in the Vipers’ 136-113 loss to Canton in Hidalgo. Morris also had six rebounds in his 26 minutes as RGV fell to 20-14).