Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science – Soothing Your mind on Slow Start

Okay everyone, let’s slide those fingers off the big red panic button..for now.

Last night’s 110-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder had to ease the nerves of Houston Rockets fans everywhere and for a good reason. This appeared to be no fluke win, as James Harden, Dwight Howard and Ty Lawson all looked to come back into their own as offensive threats.

The aforementioned trio scored a combined 67 points on 49 shots last night against a team many consider to be a legit title contender. It was a breath of fresh air for a team that looked downright disgusting through the first three games of the season.

More good news, we’re set for our first full month of basketball! Plan your schedules accordingly and set aside the money for league pass, because basketball is finally back in full swing.

Houston Rockets News and Notes From Around the Web

I’ll admit this article is a little old considering it was published before the Thunder win, but I think it still applies for a 1-3 team. It’s a pleasantly optimistic take on how Houston needs to feel its way around the new personnel and it’s probably going to take some lineup shuffling before Kevin McHale hits the sweet spot (example: last night).

Rockets: Forgive the Slow Start, It’s a Long Season [House of Houston – Brandon Davis]

"“The Rockets thrive when mixing up their lineups and have a coach willing to find where players fit. Given that Houston overhauled its bench and tweaked its starting lineups, these kinds of hiccups are to be expected. That’s expected, not forgiven (you don’t blow 20 point leads to lose by 20, that’s not okay).”"

Now that we’re in the first full month of games, it’s time for the NBA League Pass articles to start flooding the interwebs. Who’s the most watchable? Who do you not waste your time with? Well, according to this piece, the Rockets. Only one must-watch game in November? The 0-3 start must have really scared some folks.

Your Unofficial Guide to the NBA League Pass Schedule: November [Nylon Calculus – Matt D’anna]

"“Incorporating two of Chicago’s 11 is pretty impressive, really. But don’t start at the bottom of this list and groan; start at the top and celebrate. Three games from new-look Detroit! Four games with the reigning Eastern Conference champs! Clippers-Rockets, Clippers-Warriors! Melo vs. Wade, Butler & Rose vs. KD & Russ, Boogie vs. KAT! These are some great match-ups.”"

It’s time to throw the D-League some love! The Rio Grande Valley Vipers have officially announced their training camp roster and there are plenty of intriguing pieces worth mentioning. The group includes former Florida star Chris Walker, former Southern Conference player of the year Karl Cochran and I have to give a biased shout out to my man from the University of South Carolina, Tyrone Johnson.

RGV Announce 2015-16 Training Camp Roster: [Rio Grande Valley Vipers -Rebecca Sweat]

"“ .” The Rio Grande Valley Vipers today announced the team’s 2015-16 training camp roster. This year’s roster is comprised of seventeen players – four returners, four affiliate players, six players acquired during the 2015 NBA Development League Draft and three tryout invitees. A full roster is listed below"

For all the H-Town fans who entered the yesterday thinking you would never see the bearded man dramatically celebrating again, here’s a visual offering sure to appease your senses:

Rockets lead Thunder 104-100 with 2:33 to play on @NBATV! #NBAGIF pic.twitter.com/Brc2abQy9Y

— NBA (@NBA) November 3, 2015

Before you go out to conquer the day, I’ll leave you with one more comforting thoughts on the Rockets slow start. Scroll to the bottom of the article to let the CBS NBA staff tell you they’re not worried about the Rockets after the 0-3 start. After reading and seeing last night’s game, you shouldn’t either.

3-Man Weave: Pistons for real? Are Rockets, Pelicans getting in too deep? [CBS Sports – Eye on Basketball]

"“ .” It was impossible that the Rockets would struggle the way that they did through the first three games (all 20-point losses), and sure enough, they got it going Monday night with a big win over Oklahoma City. James Harden was miserable through those first three games, but that was never going to continue either. He had 37 points Monday"

And from one of our Space City Scoop scribes here’s a link to Andre Cantalogo’s article on Chuck Hayes describing his innate leadership qualities and positive effect in team locker rooms along with the accompanying link.

"“ “ Of note, he was said to be one of the main locker room reasons for the Raptors turn around. Upon his arrival the Raptors went from being considered a team looking to tank to a team who went to the playoffs and lost on the final shot of Game 7. In fact, many speculate Hayes had a lot to do with Kyle Lowry’s emergence as a leader on the squad."

Next: Chuck Hayes Winning History

That’s your Daily Rockets Science countdown for Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Remember to stop by every morning and start your day with a daily dose of Rockets and NBA news to keep you informed and sounding smart around the water cooler.

Happy pre-hump day y’all.