Patrick Beverley Has Torn Meniscus

The wrong kind of Woj bomb dropped today. Yahoo NBA beat reporter Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news this afternoon that Rockets starting point guard Patrick Beverley has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee. While Pat will seek a second opinion, his timetable for return is unknown, he will very likely at least miss the 11 games remaining in the regular season with a possibility he could be out for the remainder of the playoffs as well. Pats value to the squad cannot be overstated, as hes posted +276 plus/minus factor, over 100 points higher than that of JLin in similar minutes, and provides an invaluable spark plug and all but effectively takes opposing point guard offense out of the game with his stifling defense. Jeremy Lin will return to a starting role and Isiah Canaan will come off the bench to slot into a role posting valuable minutes. Get better soon Bev!

Pre-game Hype Rockets vs 76ers (3-27-2014)

By Brett Baker | Houstonbias.com on March 25, 2014

This Thursday the Rockets will take on the 29th place 76ers. Even though the 76ers are currently on a 25 game losing streak, they have shown that they aren't completely terrible. Michael Carter-Williams has been on fire over the last 10 games averaging 15 points, 6.4 assists, and leading all guards with 9 rebounds. Thaddeus Young and Henry Sims have also been playing well as of late. Thad is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals a game, and Sims has been a rebounding machine when given playing time. Sims has 10+ rebounds in 3 of his last 5 games.

The 76ers' starters put up solid numbers just about every night, but they can't defend anyone. They own the worst defense in the NBA, and once MCW, Thad Young, and Sims come out of the game, they have no one to rebound the ball. Dwight Howard should dominate with ease on Thursday. James Harden has scored 28+ points in 4 of his last 5 games and averaging 6 assists over that span. Harden will have no problem putting up 30 points vs the 76ers. He will be guarded by former Houston Rocket, James Anderson, who was released because of his lack of defensive skill. Terrence Jones is another Rocket that should have a monster game on Thursday. T-Jones plays significantly better at home (like most young players), and the 76ers are the worst team at defending the PF position. 

The Rockets also have a little bit of trouble defending the PF position, which means Thad Young could be in for a big scoring night. However, it won't be enough to carry his team to victory. Patrick Beverley should keep MCW in check, and the Rockets bench will finish them off halfway through the 3rd quarter. Look for Donatas Motiejunas and Jeremy Lin to put up solid numbers as they will get plenty of playing time when the game gets out of hand. 

Overall you can expect a back and forth scoring battle between Terrence Jones and Thaddeus Young, a superstar performance from James Harden, a ton of rebounds for Dwight Howard, and another Houston Rockets win. 

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All-Star Break Assessment Of The Rockets

By Brett Baker | Houstonbias.com on February 16, 2014

The Rockets go in to the All-Star break on a 7 game winning streak, and are now 36-17 good for 3rd place in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs (even though the Rockets are 3-0 against them this season. I guess the scoreboard does lie sometimes).

With the emergence of Terrance Jones to be that final guy to complete the Big 5 , the Rockets are looking terrific so far this season. Dwight Howard is averaging 25.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocked shots per game over the last 14 days. James Harden is looking like the same superstar that we saw last year and is leading all SG's in free throw attempts and free throw percentage this season. Last but definitely not least, Chandler Parsons is not only unbelievably good looking, but quietly has improved statistically in every single category this season. He is averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over the last 14 days. CP is the role player that the Rockets' big 3 needs to succeed. Houston does not have a problem and will continue to dominate the NBA all the way to the playoffs.

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How Omer Asik And Dwight Howard Can Coexist

Guest Article from Fanduel.com

Follow us on Twitter at @RocketsBias and @HoustonBias

     Just one summer ago, the Houston Rockets were looking for a legitimate center to replace the services of the often injured Yao Ming. Houston has always had a reputation of solid big men, from Ralph Sampson to Hakeem Olajuwon to Moses Malone to Yao Ming to Dikembe Mutombo, so size definitely matters to the organization. One year later, the Rockets now have Omer Asik and Dwight Howard to play inside, forming one of the scariest post duos in the game.

Houston took off last season thanks to the addition of James Harden, but Asik quietly put together a solid season himself. He was limited with his minutes while playing for the Chicago Bulls, but the move to the Rockets allowed him to be a full-time starter. He started all 82 games for the team, and the seven-footer averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He became somewhat of a fantasy basketball legend for his efficiency inside. Not only that, but his defense continued to be outstanding, and he anchored a team that overall had trouble making stops. With Asik in the rotation the Rockets ranked in the top 10 defensively, where as with him on the bench they came in at dead last. 

After a solid run as a #8 seed in the playoffs, the Rockets still had money to spend. They made a run this offseason for Howard, and their sales pitch was able to help them land the star center. This was great news for the Rockets, but initially, it was anything but for Asik.

The Turkish center felt a bit betrayed by the organization when they decided to sign Howard. After coming off his best season and still just being 27 years old, why did the Rockets need another center? This led to a trade demand initially, but since then things have cooled off. Once everyone settled in, the Rockets could be on the verge of bringing back the old style of play.

Throughout the history of the NBA, big men have ruled the game. Miami has helped popularize the small ball phenomena recently, but the Rockets know that Howard is a championship type of piece. Asik is an above average post player who is a good enough defender to guard centers and forwards, but they would be foolish to not try and land Howard. Playing them together has more benefits than drawbacks, so the organization will likely do what they can. Coach McHale and GM Daryl Morey have confirmed that they plan to at least try out Howard at the 4 and Asik at the 5. If this rotation can pan out, many a mismatch will come as a result and only the Grizzlies would be able to match the Rockets size. Asik will also work wonders for the second team, which will quickly separate the Rockets from  the pack. 

Sure, things might not be ideal in Houston with the way the NBA is played right now. Neither center can shoot outside particularly well, which means the lane could become clogged and fantasy basketball numbers could be slightly down. It is the defensive side of the ball that will allow things to work. The setup might be reminiscent of the 1980s Rockets teams with Sampson and Olajuwon, and if not for injuries, that team would have been a consistent title contender. We just may see the return of the two towers in Houston. 

P.S. This article was written by our friends at Fanduel.com. Check them out for all fantasy sports and especially this upcoming fantasy basketball season at www.fanduel.com/fantasy-basketball. 

Chandler Parsons

By Brett Baker  | Houstonbias.com on August 29, 2013 

Chandler Parsons, the best looking man in basketball. He is also one of the hardest working players in the NBA. Every offseason he goes back to his home town and works with his shooting coach at Orlando Hoops in Orlando, Florida. Parsons does it all on the court. He can shut down anyone defensively, crash the boards, and knock down threes. CP keeps improving his game, and continues to impress, which is why he is a fan favorite in the great city of Houston. Word around town is that Chandler Parsons has put on loads of muscle this offseason. I look forward to watching him outwork and outplay every Small Forward in the league this season. Go Rockets!

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #1

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Houston Rockets come in at #1 in the Houston Bias ranking system. The Rockets are the past, present, and future. What isn't there to love about the Rockets? They are the most well rounded team in the NBA, and they play for the greatest city in the world, Houston, Texas.

When it comes to ranking the top 2 teams, you have to match them up and figure out who would win if they played each other. Lets face it, the Rockets are just an awful matchup for the Heat. The Heat are the worst rebounding team in the NBA and the Rockets now have the top 2 rebounders in the league on the same team. The Heat also can't defend a post presence like Dwight Howard. Not to mention that James Harden's "euro-step" would make Dwayne Wade's knees buckle so hard that his ACL would pop right out. I've mentioned it before, the Rockets are the last team the Heat want to see in the Finals.

Dwight Howard has been working harder than ever this offseason with Hakeem Olajuwon. Expect an even more dominant Dwight Howard this season. I personally can't wait to watch him make other teams look childish when he shows off his improved post moves.

No one will be able to stop Harden and Howard's pick n roll game. No one will be able to stop Parsons and Howard's pick n roll game. Chandler Parson's ever improving 3 point shot will drive teams crazy. It's literally unfair. The Rockets will be top 10 in every aspect of the game, and they will bring a championship back to the great city of Houston in the 2013-2014 season.

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #2

Here at Houston Bias there's only one team that can be ranked #1 and it's not the Heat. The Heat are without a doubt a championship caliber basketball team. They have a team full of superstars.. What do you expect.

They are growing a bit old however, and injuries are becoming a problem. The Heat rarely lose, but when they do, it's to defensively sound teams with good Centers. The Heat didn't have anyone that could defend against the post game last season. They are hoping that Greg Oden will be able to help in that category, but I think he will just add on to the injury problem.

Don't get me wrong. The Heat have been the best team in the NBA for the last 2 years. I just don't see how they can maintain this championship level of play with Wade falling apart, Bosh turning 30, and Ray Allen (38) on the slippery slope of declination. The depth they once had is fading rapidly. Heat fans are hoping that Lebron can put the weight on his shoulders and carry them to another championship.

There is a new, young super-team that is emerging in the 2013-2014 season. That team happens to be the team that I've been a fan of for 20 years of my life. I am not just hopping on the bandwagon (All disrespect towards Heat "fans").

Warning: The #1 ranking will be a very biased, unfair article. My team is finally good and I am going to be obnoxious about it.

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #4

The OKC Thunder come in at #4 in the Houston Bias rankings. As much as I hate them, this team can do it all, which is why they are in the top 5. That trio of Westbrook, Durant, and Ibaka is unstoppable. The Thunder can score at will, keep teams from scoring, and they are as athletic as it gets.

If you look at the top of your screen you will see the words "Houston" and "Bias", so I will not write a lengthy article for the Thunder.

They are a good team. They have Westbrook back. They will be a contender. The end

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #5

At #5 in our rankings we have the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA, and they are stacked this year. They also have a very loyal fan base. Therefor, I respect Golden State.

The Warriors will start the 2013-2014 season with Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala in the starting lineup, which should fix the defensive struggles they had last season. They will still have that high scoring offense that they had last year, and that makes them a very dangerous team.

I have nothing negative to say about the Warriors. They are young, versatile, they can rebound, score, and defend. There is no reason why they shouldn't make it to the Western Conference Finals this year.

Asik In The Starting Lineup

Omer Asik is arguably the best defensive Center in the league right now. The 7 footer could be a starter on any other NBA team. The Rockets signed Dwight Howard, and it looked like Asik would become his backup.

Recently rumors have been spreading that Omer Asik will be the starting Center this year, and Dwight Howard will start at Power Forward. As you probably know, I am really high on Donatas Motiejunas, and I was excited to see him get the position. However, Asik and Howard together would be a nightmare to play against; no one would be able to score or get a rebound against them.

At first I thought that they would be too slow together, and you can't have two big men clogging up the paint at the same time; but the more I thought about it the more I like the Asik/Howard duo. If the Memphis Grizzlies can do it with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, why can't the Rockets do it with Dwight and Asik? The Grizzlies are always a solid team defensively, only giving up 89.3 points a game last year, which was good for 1st in the NBA. They also are always causing mismatches offensively, and they out-rebound just about everyone.

Asik was initially upset about the signing of Dwight Howard, but he may still be a starter this year. We'll see.

Go check out my NBA Rankings 1-10 for the 2013-2014 season. The Rockets will be ranked in 5 days. Mark your calendars

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #6

The Nets!? The Nets at #6? Yep. The most overrated team in basketball; the oldest team in basketball. They have a lot of hype coming into the upcoming season after acquiring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Andrei Kirilenko, who are all over 30 years of age.

The Nets have put together a team filled with injured players that once had the potential to be good and they have also added a ton of old, former stars to go along with one of the best PG's in the game, Deron Williams.

Someone has to say it. Joe Johnson is overrated. Not only is he inconsistent and injury-prone, but his numbers have continued to diminish every year for the last 6 seasons. The 32 year old will be a role player at most this season.

The Nets are "supposed" to be the team to compete with the Heat this season in the Eastern Conference, but lets face it, they don't stand a chance. Especially late in the season around playoff time. After playing 82 games, the Nets will be beaten and battered, and will want nothing to do with the Heat.

Overall they are a good team, but can this brittle team stay healthy? I guess we will have to wait and see.

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #7

The Denver Nuggets have earned their right on my top 10 list at #7. They also earned my respect last year after quietly having a fantastic season with a record of 57-25, and beating my Houston Rockets all 4 times that they played each other.

The Nuggets had the best offense in the NBA averaging 106.1 points a game. They are also one of the youngest teams in the NBA with the oldest guy in their starting lineup, JaVale McGee at 25 years old. Expect them to continue to terrorize the league for many years to come.

However, Denver did lose Andre Iguduodala, which will hurt them even more defensively. They were already dreadful last season giving up 101.1 points per game.

With the addition of J.J. Hickson, Nate Robinson, and Randy Foye the Nuggets are even better offensively than they were last year, so maybe they won't need defense to win games... "It's a bold strategy Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for 'em."

10 Teams In 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #8

At number 8 on our rankings, the Indiana Pacers. Getting better every year, the Pacers have a lot of hype surrounding them.

Ranking 1st in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.9) and 2nd defensively allowing only 90.7 points per game; I would say that the hype is real.

The only problem I see with the Pacers is their depth. They have a fantastic starting lineup, but a very weak bench. Scoring only 94 points a game, their bench is to blame for the lousy offense. Hopefully  the addition of Luis Scola will help them out a little bit.

Danny Granger coming back will be a HUGE boost for the Pacers. Add him to go along with David West and Paul George offensively and Roy Hibbert getting "bounds like Macy" and blocking shots on defense, this team has a very good shot at going all the way.

The Pacers just seem to come up short every year. They have battled injuries every year and once again they may not be deep enough to compete with teams like the Heat, Nets, and Rockets. Therefor, they come in at #8 in the Houstonbias ranking system. Tweet me about it @Rocketsbias 

10 Teams 10 Days 2013-2014: Rank #9

Coming in at #9 in our rankings, the Chicago Bulls. With Derrick Rose back they could be much better than #9, but we will have to see how strong he comes back from that serious ACL injury.

The Bulls are still a reasonably young team with Derrick Rose still only 24 years old and Jimmy Butler, who is from Houston, at 23 years of age; you can expect them to be a top 10 team for the years to come.

Chicago ranked 3rd in the NBA defensively last year, allowing only 92.9 points a game.
Their problem was scoring points, and thinking that the return of Derrick Rose will fix that problem is a bit bold. Tweet me about it @Rocketsbias

Top 10 NBA Teams in 10 days 2013-2014

   

      It has begun. For the next 10 days Houston Bias will be ranking the NBA's top 10 teams from worst to first. Yes, the Rockets will win the number 1 spot because I am very biased towards Houston teams. Get it? I hope so.

       To start the rankings at #10 we have the New York Knicks. They had themselves an amazing season last year and 10 may be a little harsh. Sorry Knicks fans. I think the Knicks have the potential to be top 8 in the NBA in the 2013-2014 season, but as of now it is just potential. That starting lineup of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Andrea Barganai, and Tyson Chandler will be hard for any team to matchup with, as well as the additional depth this season with Beno Udrih, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Metta World Peace; they look solid. Their main problem is injuries. No one in the Knicks' starting lineup has played a full season in the last 3 years. They are a playoff team without a doubt, but how far can they go with an aging, injury prone team? I look forward to watching them next season. I am rooting for them to prove my rankings wrong. Tweet me about it at @Rocketsbias 

Rockets Better Than Heat?

         Have you heard anyone recently say that the Houston Rockets are better than the Miami Heat? Neither have I, so today I will be the first one to say it. The Houston Rockets are better than the Miami Heat in every aspect of the game, and will beat them in the 2013-2014 NBA Finals. It's a bold prediction, but when it happens be sure to come back to houstonbias.com and give me some credit.

   
       According to the Official NBA Rankings the Rockets ranked #2 overall in points (106.0) scored per game only behind the Denver Nuggets who scored 106.1 points per game. The Rockets allowed a hefty 102.5 points a game last year, but that was only because of Houston's terrible post defense (Sorry Greg Smith). The Rockets' starting lineup ranked in the top 5 defensively, but it all fell apart when the starters came out. If you've read any of my other articles you know that I am fired up to have Marcus Camby or Omer Asik coming in off the bench this season to give us that defensive post presence that the Rockets need. Through the duration of last season the Rockets were searching their roster for solid defensive players to come off the bench. Coach Kevin McHale finally found Patrick Beverley and Francisco Garcia to be the players the Rockets needed, but it was at the end of the season. This year they both will come off the bench to start the season out right.
       Now with a solid defense, which I would say is worthy of a top 5 ranking giving up 94-96 points per game and continuing to be a top 2 offensive team scoring 106 points per game, the Houston Rockets are THE team to beat this season.

      The defending NBA champs, the Miami Heat, have proven that they are as elite as it gets. With a team full of superstars the Heat have an impressive balance of offense and defense. They ranked 5th overall with 102.9 points per game and 5th overall with 95 points allowed per game. They are talented but will the aging Heat team be able to handle the young Houston Rockets? I don't think they will be able to.

       The Heat seem to have trouble with teams with a dominant Center because they don't have a good defensive big man on their entire team. I know they recently signed Greg Oden, but I don't think he can get a rebound without getting injured, so he won't be able to fix the Heat's weaknesses. The Rockets ranked 7th overall in rebounding with 43 rebounds a game, while the Heat ranked dead last with 38. With the addition of Dwight Howard, the leading rebounder in the NBA, expect the Rockets to move even higher in the rebounding rankings. The Heat will have no answer for Dwight in the paint, and the Houston Rockets are a nightmare matchup for them. That championship trophy will be in H-Town next year. Tweet me about it @Rocketsias 
   

Houston Rockets 2013-2014 Schedule

       It is a very exciting day. The Rockets' 2013-2014 season schedule has been released! I'm excited to hear that the Rockets will play 26 games on national television (The Miami Heat play 27) this season; compared to their pathetic 6 national TV games last year. This is awesome because I don't have Comcast (Neither does anyone else in Houston). The Rockets will play the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas night at 7pm Central @SA. I'm glad that the Rockets get plenty of opportunities this season to show the rest of the country how great they really are. 

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The Houston Rockets 2013-14 Official Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time
Oct. 30	Charlotte	7:00
Nov. 1	Dallas	7:00
Nov. 2	@ Utah	8:00
Nov. 4	@ LA Clippers	9:30
Nov. 5	@ Portland	9:00
Nov. 7	LA Lakers	8:30
Nov. 9	LA Clippers	7:00
Nov. 11	Toronto	7:00
Nov. 13	@ Philadelphia	6:00
Nov. 14	@ New York	7:00
Nov. 16	Denver	7:00
Nov. 19	Boston	7:00
Nov. 20	@ Dallas	8:30
Nov. 23	Minnesota	7:00
Nov. 25	@ Memphis	7:00
Nov. 27	Atlanta	7:00
Nov. 29	Brooklyn	7:00
Nov. 30	@ San Antonio	7:30
Date	Opponent	Time
Dec. 2	@ Utah	8:00
Dec. 4	Phoenix	7:00
Dec. 6	Golden State	7:00
Dec. 8	Orlando	6:00
Dec. 12	@ Portland	9:30
Dec. 13	@ Golden State	9:30
Dec. 15	@ Sacramento	5:00
Dec. 18	Chicago	8:30
Dec. 20	@ Indiana	7:00
Dec. 21	@ Detroit	6:30
Dec. 23	Dallas	7:00
Dec. 25	@ San Antonio	7:00
Dec. 26	Memphis	7:00
Dec. 28	New Orleans	7:00
Dec. 29	@ Oklahoma City	6:00
Dec. 31	Sacramento	6:00
Date	Opponent	Time
Jan. 3	New York	7:00
Jan. 8	LA Lakers	8:30
Jan. 10	@ Atlanta	6:30
Jan. 11	@ Washington	6:00
Jan. 13	@ Boston	6:30
Jan. 15	@ New Orleans	7:00
Jan. 16	Oklahoma City	8:30
Jan. 18	Milwaukee	7:00
Jan. 20	Portland	7:00
Jan. 22	Sacramento	7:00
Jan. 24	Memphis	7:00
Jan. 25	@ Memphis	7:00
Jan. 28	San Antonio	7:00
Jan. 29	@ Dallas	7:30
Date	Opponent	Time
Feb. 1	Cleveland	7:00
Feb. 5	Phoenix	7:00
Feb. 8	@ Milwaukee	7:30
Feb. 10	@ Minnesota	7:00
Feb. 12	Washington	7:00
Feb. 19	@ LA Lakers	9:30
Feb. 20	@ Golden State	9:30
Feb. 23	@ Phoenix	7:00
Feb. 25	@ Sacramento	9:00
Feb. 26	@ LA Clippers	9:30
Date	Opponent	Time
Mar. 1	Detroit	7:00
Mar. 4	Miami	7:00
Mar. 5	@ Orlando	6:00
Mar. 7	Indiana	8:30
Mar. 9	Portland	6:00
Mar. 11	@ Oklahoma City	7:00
Mar. 13	@ Chicago	6:00
Mar. 16	@ Miami	2:30
Mar. 17	Utah	7:00
Mar. 20	Minnesota	7:00
Mar. 22	@ Cleveland	6:30
Mar. 24	@ Charlotte	6:00
Mar. 27	Philadelphia	7:00
Mar. 29	LA Clippers	7:00
Date	Opponent	Time
Apr. 1	@ Brooklyn	7:00
Apr. 2	@ Toronto	6:00
Apr. 4	Oklahoma City	8:30
Apr. 6	Denver	6:00
Apr. 8	@ LA Lakers	9:30
Apr. 9	@ Denver	8:00
Apr. 11	@ Minnesota	7:00
Apr. 12	New Orleans	7:00
Apr. 14	San Antonio	7:00
Apr. 16	@ New Orleans	7:00