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Per clutchfans, I'm so stoked for the season to start
http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/basketball-back
HOUSTON - This is it. The long, slow grind of August and September has nearly come to an end. Media day is tomorrow. Training camp begins in less than 48 hours. Basketball is back. Hallelujah.
So to get you ready for the onslaught of news and coverage that is about to flow forth through the electronic ether and onto your screen, here are a handful of observations culled from having spent a healthy portion of the summer months watching the Rockets players work out on their own and play pick-up ball on the club’s practice court:
-- James Harden will always be known more for his otherworldly efficient scoring prowess and overall basketball IQ than for high-flying dunks or other aerial acrobatics, but the 24-year-old enters this year’s camp with noticeably more bounce than we’ve previously seen from him. That’s not to say he’s suddenly morphed into the second coming of Dominique Wilkins, but there’s certainly more spring in his step when he does lift off to throw one down. But forget leaping ability – it’s his remarkable core strength that gives him the necessary body control to perform that balletic Euro step or bully his way past defenders on those unstoppable forays into the lane, and he's stronger than ever in that area, too. Perhaps the most important takeaway, however: Harden is clearly on a mission, showing absolutely zero signs of contentment after turning in the best season of his career a year ago. He's in great shape both physically and mentally, incorporating a businesslike approach to ensure that he and his teammates are on the same page and taking this title contention stuff seriously. Hard as it may be to believe after watching his breakout season with the Rockets, the best is still yet to come from Houston’s All-Star two-guard.
-- Speaking of All-Stars arriving in phenomenal shape, Dwight Howard still looks like he walked straight out of a superhero comic book. That’s no newsflash, of course – Howard has been a physical freak since the moment he entered the league. Also not at all surprising: He’s been unstoppable when running the pick-and-roll with Houston’s perimeter players – but hey, what else would you expect in pick-up situations when combining the league’s preeminent roll man with the likes of Harden and Jeremy Lin? More meaningful is this subtle but massively important potential development: Howard has done a superb job this week recognizing double-teams and hitting the open man along the perimeter for unobstructed 3s – that’s the kind of oft-overlooked skill that can pay enormous dividends for Houston this season. Last but not least: it will truly be fascinating to watch the big man battles that will ensue when Howard and Omer Asik get to go toe-to-toe when camp begins. That sort of elite competition should only serve to bring out the best in both of these behemoths.
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My man.
Don't frequent this thread much since I'm always on clutch fans but man, my body is ready.
doworkson I really did forget you were the OP
