Shaquille O’Neal is far too big for the NBA and should be banned. He’s soon going to kill someone! I do like the hustle though…

 

The first time…

 

The second time! The Big Cactus needs to calm down. Notice how he can make other NBA players, who are already HUGE, scatter like little kids.

 

Yeah…he’s just that big…

This guy goes crazy and performs the patented PODIUM SLAM because his women’s basketball team lost. Who cares? Apparently they gave up a 20 point first half lead and 23 offensive rebounds. Women’s basketball sucks, but this coach is hilarious.

Game over? Sorry, I meant season over…

Yao is out for the season and playoffs because of a stress fracture in the worst possible area of his foot. China will force him to play in the Olympics, healthy or not, buy apparently he should be fine by then.

So what does this mean for the team? Well, we can pretty much count ourselves out of the championship race. We now have no chance to compete with the Lakers and Spurs. But we do have a very good chance to make the playoffs, in fact, we are almost assuredly going to make the playoffs because of our weak schedule.

Carl ROY Landry is going to emerge as a candidate for rookie of the year, Scola is going to continue playing well and put up bigger offensive numbers, and our beloved Dikembe will get more minutes (especially tonight against Brendan Haywood). We may have trouble getting Brent Barry now that we don’t have much of a chance for a ring, and Dallas is probably going to sign Jamaal Magloire.

So this may be the season that T-Mac rises to his former MVP-like play, which I wouldn’t be surprised and hey, we have been unsuccessful in the playoffs with Yao, maybe we can play without him…This is now a season to improve the rookies, restore T-Mac’s confidence, learn Adelman’s system, and play some fast, exciting basketball. This summer we’ll have plenty of money to add someone and the Rockets will be the team to look out for…next season…

Oscars? What Oscars? I was busy watching the Rockets shoot lights out in Houston, I don’t know about you. By the way, if you don’t have HD I feel sorry for you and promise you, seeing that fat guy’s nipples in the Amp’d commercial is amazing.

Anyways, the Rockets played a hell of a game in the second half. They were 13-24 from three, and shot 50% overall against a bad Bulls team. I know, there’s not too much to brag about there, but what I did see from the Rockets is that they’re are a truly balanced team. Seven players scored in double figures on a night when Yao struggled (he showed some of his past weakness against small, quick defenders). T-Mac continued to play hard and Bobby Jackson played like he’s been with us all season. That guy is still quick, can play some defense, and knows exactly where to be in this system…this trade may have rejuvenated him a bit. Another thing to note is that Rafer’s minutes were down tonight, presumably because of his six turnovers, and we didn’t miss a beat with Bobby at the point. One player that I see benefiting from the trade is Luther Head, unless of course we get Brent Barry. Luther can now play at the two…really his natural position.

Some other notes…why the hell do people sit in the Lexus Lounge during the game. I know the Bulls are bad, but this team is playing so exciting now, and I know if I was in Houston I wouldn’t want to miss a second of it. The refs sucked. Yao was posterized by Drew Gooden. The announcer called Dikembe a cheerleader, which I found a little disrespectful. And did you see that casual 360 dunk by T-Mac? I didn’t know he still had it in him.

In other sports…Memphis finally lost…a team in C-USA should never be first. Tiger Woods won the Accenture Match Play; yet another reason to call him the most dominant athlete of his time. Limas Sweed (I do go to UT by the way) had a very good combine, surprising the scouts with a 4.45 40′ and a 35″ vertical. And the Auto Club 500 was delayed….who cares?

DARYL MOREY IS A GENIUS.

So it’s been a couple days since I’ve posted something, but I’ve been behind on some reading and had to study for a couple tests. ANYWAYS, lets get started…

So the Rockets’ effort on Friday was simply outstanding. In the 10 years or so that the Rockets have consumed my life I’ve never seen them work so hard for the ball, play tough defense, and pass the ball so fluidly on offense. We came into a hostile Hornets sell-out arena on a back-to-back night against a team that has been feasting on the top teams of the west like Charles Barkley at a donut buffet. The Hornets had been averaging a 20-point margin of victory in their last eight home games and were playing smooth as butter.

I told you how T-Mac would come to play in the playoffs, and he gave us a taste of that last night. From tip-off Mcgrady had an obvious swagger and you knew he was gonna kick some ass. Yao had a normal Yao night and Landry and Scola couldn’t be kept off the boards.

Rafer Alston, on a bad shooting night, stifled Chris Paul. I never understood people’s criticisms of Alston’s defense, but have always seen him as a smart, effective defensive player. And Yao proved in this game what a dominant defensive force he has become. Sure, he only had one block, but he has become so adept at using his size that no one, including Chris Paul who killed our guards and Yao in the past, can get to the basket without being contested.

Tonight we have Chicago at home and if everything goes our way we have a chance of being tied with Dallas for sixth place and only 2.5 games away from the first seed. By the way, did you notice the Suns went from first to fifth today in their loss to Detroit? The west is TOUGH, the Suns are 1-2 with Shaq, and Detroit now looks like the favorite in the east.

I have one more rant…the Miami Heat and Pat Riley are dropping games purposely for the #1 pick. I hope to god that they do not get it and a much deserving team like the Wolves (one of the worst NBA franchises in history) does.

End the season now!! Start the playoffs!! The Houston Rockets have declared GAME OVER for the rest of the NBA. On Thursday the Rockets completed two deals, ridding of Gawen DeAngelo “Bonzi” Wells, Kirk the bench Snyder, and Mike James (who played more golf than basketball).

Not only were they able to rid of the three stooges, but brought in the GREAT Bobby Jackson and the cupcake-blowing-while-dunking hometown STUD Gerald Green!!OK, I know they were not the most mind-blowing or fan-friendly trades, but they were nonetheless SMART.

As much as fans want progress now and could care less about the future, this trade will do a great deal of help to the Rockets in the future. This summer we will have the money to go after someone who can really help us. As much of a homer as I am, I have to look at this trade through the statistical genius of Daryl Morey. Statistically, the chances of the Rockets actually winning the championship this year are slim to none. The west has never been this good, and if we some how do get past the beasts of the west, we would still have to face one of two…scratch that…now THREE very good teams in the east (the Cavs did some dealing yesterday as well). Fans will be praising Morey this summer when the Rockets are vastly improved through some additions and we don’t have to go after players like the Franchise or Stromile Dee Dee Deee Swift.

That is not to say that we don’t have a chance. Adelman has done what none thought was possible in combining JVG’s defensive brilliance and some of his pass the ball like a hot potato offense. And T-Mac seems to be cruising through the second half of the season, a la Robert Horry, where he will likely explode into the playoffs. But lets face it, although Aaron Brooks can play and has a good chance of being our PG in the near future, he is not ready to handle the reins in the playoffs. We needed an experienced backup to Rafer and we got it in Bobby Jackson. Jackson is a competitor in the playoffs, and only old man Dikembe Mutumbo has more experience than he does. Trust me, playoff experience in the playoffs makes a world of difference. Gerald Green is another story…

this guy plays less defense than the Phoenix Suns and is basically a turnover-prone spot-up three-point shooter. I do believe however that with a veteran team like the Rockets he does have the chance of getting his act together and improving vastly. He’s barely 22 and has worlds of talent.

By the way, this should be interesting…FIGHT!!!