Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science: What makes sense anymore?

Blue is green, grass is sky and the Houston Rockets lose to the Brooklyn Nets and beat the Washington Wizards.

So what is normal anymore?

Maybe the Nets just have the Rockets number. If so, first and foremost that’s sad – but it could also explain how the Rockets could beat a John Wall/Bradley Beal backcourt and lose to a Jarret Jack/Joe Johnson backcourt.

Or, maybe the Rockets are just not normal. Consistency does not exist, and expectations are but a figment of my imagination. This Wizards may not be playing like the Wiz of yesteryear, but they are still a much better roster than the Nets. I simply have no explanation.

Two more days wait between today and the Kobe Bryant traveling circus – game six of the easy stretch. So far 4-1, so not bad considering the loss was to the Nets. Still, there’s plenty of time to get back to .500 before the looming showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers on December 19th.

Houston Rockets news and notes from around the web

First thing on deck is some trade news. After weeks of speculation clouding around Ty Lawson, word is now that he has been taken off the trade block. As the Terrence Jones/Markieff Morris trade rumors heat up, it may make sense to keep Lawson around. It guarantees nothing for Lawson being on the move, but it is an interesting development none the less.

Houston Rockets Trade Rumors: Ty Lawson trade denied [Sports World Report – Lauren Moranor]

"With Lawson not available, the best asset the Rockets have to get a deal done is Terrence Jones. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Rockets are interested in a deal for Markieff Morris of the Phoenix Suns and could be willing to give Jones up in the move. However, a simply player swap is not possible. Jones is earning under $2.5 million this season while Morris is getting paid $8 million this year as part of the contract that has three years and $24 million left on it. As a result, the Rockets would have to toss someone else in in order to make the deal workable."

Dribbling hurting James Harden? That’s all he does! But according to this article by the fine boys over at The Dream Shake, it is. Now, last night Harden looked like Harden – he was dribbling and pulling up from range and knocking everything down. But like I’ve always said, I love any piece of writing that is data driven – and the data here looks pretty solid.

James Harden’s Dribbling Is Hurting His Three Point Shooting [Dream Shake – Max Croes]

"Watch a few Houston Rockets games and you’ll see Harden putting up more contested threes than ever before and working harder to get the still-contested looks. Numbers from NBA Savant tell the story. The more James Harden dribbles and holds the ball, the more likely he is to miss a subsequent three point attempt."

And finally some good news! This poor guy has taken more trips from Rio Grande Valley to Houston and back than any normal person would like, but K.J. McDaniels is back in Houston, for now. It seems the Rockets can’t figure out what exactly they want to do with the bouncy winger, but one’s things for certain – they keep bringing him back for a reason.

Houston Rockets recall K.J. McDaniels from the D-League [Space City Scoop – Joshua Van Horn]

"Before he was traded to Houston last season, many considered McDaniels to be one of the top rookies. Since becoming a Rocket, Houston fans have been eager to see what he can do with significant playing time."

What is this? Another instance of Harden playing defense in the wild? So rare a sight it is almost never caught on camera? Space City Scoop has another exclusive shot of such a rare occurrence:

Beard block! https://t.co/vb8L9oRADU

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 10, 2015

Next: James Harden Drops 42, Igniting Houston Rockets Win vs Wizards

Try to make sense of your life today, because right now nothing makes sense. Trump leads the polls in my home state where now Will Muschamp is the head coach of my alma mater, so as you can imagine I’m in a very dark place.

Help me. Please.