The Thunder get back in action today with a 7:00 pm bout with the Houston Rockets (2-0). The Rockets have opened the season strong with two wins over Western Conference opponents: The Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies. While neither are expected to be among the NBA elite this season, the Rockets have had little trouble integrating the enigmatic Ron Artest into their lineup. Yao Ming remains the focal point of the offense, but Tracy McGrady seems happy to take a step back and let Artest find his footing. Artest is averaging 22.5 ppg for the refueled Rockets.
Best Player: Yao Ming. When healthy (which is less than 60 games a year), Yao is still a unique force in the NBA. He has a size advantage over every player, but it's Yao high skill level and high basketball IQ which allow him to stand alone among NBA centers. Yao will find the going even easier when matched up against Nick Collison, one of the more undersized centers in the NBA. Collison is slightly undersized for a power forward, let alone matching up with Yao. Johan Petro can't expect to neutralize Yao, but physical play will help limit his effectiveness.
Best Matchup: The Rocket's peremiter defenders vs. Kevin Durant. Fresh off a subpar opening night performance, Durant gets to follow up with two of the best defenders in NBA in Ron Artest and Shane Battier. Coach Rick Adelman will likely let Artest and Battier rotate on Durant with McGrady taking his turn occasionally as well.
Hidden Stat: Statheads love the Rockets. GM Daryl Morey is the foremost proponent of statistical analysis in NBA management, and stat-friendly media members like John Hollinger have been routinely projecting the Rockets to be better than their past results would indicate. The emphasis on statistical analysis in evaluating talent carries over to the court, where in order to increase offensive effiency, the Rockets have routed their offense through their two best players McGrady and Yao. While this is perfectly logical, the Rockets take to further extremes than any other team, with McGrady and Yao ranking near the top of the league in Usage rate. Last year the Rockets were able to shut down Chris Wilcox, who averaged just 4.5 ppg on 27% shooting in two appearances vs. the Rockets.
Prediction: The Rockets are efficient on offense and excellent on defense. They have had no problems integrating Ron Artest and are at home. At this point, the Thunder are no match for them. Expect the Rockets to roll 104 - 85.
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