Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science: The Pivot in the Storm

The Houston Rockets didn’t lose on Tuesday and yet the feel of sheer panic won’t fleet from my psyche.

The Rockets didn’t lose Tuesday because there was no game – and at this point it feels like that’s the only way Houston can avoid a loss. Pessimistic? Perhaps a little too much. But after seeing the numbers from yesterday’s DRS, I now know my feelings are not purely emotional panic.

The whirlwind has started – will Kevin McHale be fired? Should Ty Lawson be traded? Are the moves a bust?

Trainwreck. Dumpster fire. Mess.

The only way this gets silenced is a win tonight against the Portland Trailblazers. One win doesn’t fix the greater problem – but it cools the spirals of the whirlwind for one day. One day at a time, the storm can die down. But that’s only if the Rockets can pull their sh*t together.

The highlight from Tuesday was a players only meeting – a meeting that hopefully set some minds straight *COUGH* TY LAW-*COUGH*-SON *COUGH* and can turn things around. Happy reading!

Houston Rockets news and notes from around the web

Paul Flannery and Tom Ziller are two of the best NBA minds in the media going – so I would suggest everyone to take what they say seriously. For one, they tell Rockets fans not to panic. Then again, neither can seem to figure out what’s wrong with the team. Seems about right. There are some other juicy NBA nuggets in the piece too, so dig in:

Is it too early for the Rockets, Grizzlies and Pelicans to panic? [SB Nation NBA – Paul Flannery & Tom Ziller]

"The Rockets look so bored! looks more like 2014 Harden than 2015 Harden, which is to say he looks like a top-3 scorer in the league, but a distastefully uninterested defender and generally filled with malaise. Like, I understand if he can’t keep up last year’s breakneck effort permanently. But if that’s the case, our expectations for this team need to be downgraded substantially. James Harden"

Here’s the news we’ve all been waiting to hear – the dreaded “players only” meeting. When one of these is held it’s never a good sign. It’s a signal for organizational turmoil and for a team run by Daryl Morey it’s the last thing a fan wants to hear. It’s not a very long article and doesn’t go into a huge amount of detail, but at least you know what’s going on internally.

Rockets hold players-only meeting amid four-game losing streak [ESPN NBA – Calvin Watkins]

"“It was a good talk for us,” Harden said. “We hadn’t had an opportunity to communicate like that since the season had been going. It was good for us to communicate and each guy basically said what their role was and every single night they’re going to contribute to that role. After the talk we had a really good practice, guys communicated, we worked hard and now it’s about carrying it over. It’s about doing it on the floor.”"

Finally some good news! If you’ve been reading these regularly, you know I swoon over K.J. McDaniels. I’m a fan of bouncy, intense, effort-based players and McDaniels is all of that laced with caffeine. After being in the D-League for just two games, he’s back to provide some back court depth. I’m very excited to see how he affects the lineup.

Houston Rockets Recall K.J. McDaniels From D-League [Space City Scoop – Andre Cantalogo]

"K.J. McDaniels can definitely bring some solid production in a currently drowsy defense as he often energizes the team and the fans with his come-from-behind blocks and could also contribute by crashing the boards and avoiding offensive rebounds from the opposition."

Hey James! How do you feel after holding that players only meeting?

Harden, Howard & Ariza discuss building confidence. Watch all practice interviews » https://t.co/x815J1gVWXpic.twitter.com/k6mp2pREdw

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 17, 2015

Yeah… that’s about what I thought.

Next: Dekker To Have Back Surgery

The Trailblazers are beatable. This could be a step into silencing the whirlwind… or, it can just add more trash onto the burning dumpster. Tonight will tell the tale, so gird your loins Rockets fans. Good or bad, this ride isn’t slowing down anytime soon.