2/2/08 Houston Rockets @ Milwaukee Bucks

I went to the Rockets-Bucks game this past Saturday. It was supposedly viewed in China between 100-200 million people. There certainly were a great deal of Asian people at the game.

Some thoughts from the game:

-I still think the Bucks need to move to an up-tempo game. They have little depth, lack a big-time inside threat, and appear a bit soft. In a fast-paced game, they could take advantage of their guard play and versatility.

-After the game, I went on 82games.com and checked out the amount of time Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian have played together. Since the combination of the two of them has not made up one of the top twenty, five-man units for the Bucks, I was not able to figure this out. However, I'm guessing it is very minimal.

-I assume Luis Scola has been a disappointment for the Rockets in terms of ability to score. All his points basically come in putbacks or transition. He has virtually no post moves and no mid-range shot.

-I really like some of the sets that Rick Adelman runs for Tracy McGrady to get shots. He uses different types of screens and even includes one where the point guard passes and then screens for McGrady to curl into the lane.

-Royal Ivey is a fringe-NBA player. He just doesn't do enough out there to make a difference, especially on offense - same can be said for Carl Landry.

-At this point, if Yi Jianlian is not hitting his jump shots off pick-and-pop he is useless. He struggles to defend, is not quick enough to take his man off the dribble, and cannot score in the post beyond a fadeaway.

-I really like Aaron Brooks and think he has a lot of potential. However, at this point, he forces too many turnovers and is not as far along as I thought he would be.

-The Rockets need a true, veteran point guard who will be a distributor, knock down open three pointers, and play tough defense. At his best, Rafer Alston does the first two well. At his worse, Alston doesn't do any of these things and then the Rockets struggle to win games.

-The Bucks either need to make Villanueva fit into their offense or trade him. He shoots everytime he touches the ball and appears disgruntled with the team. Again, I would play Yi and Villanueva together and see how that goes. They can't be much worse off then they are today, sitting there with a record of 18-30.

-Houston has to be disappointed with the play of Mike James. James makes $5,632,200 this season, $6,049,400 in 2008-09, and has a player option of $6,466,600 in 2009-10. He's playing behind Alston and Brooks at the point guard spot and Tracy McGrady, Luther Head, and Bonzi Wells at shooting guard. He's averaging seventeen minutes per game and only 6.9 points per game. In the last twenty games, James has played in only four of them - his best performance coming in a 31-point win against Minnesota.

Video:

Scouting Report: Aaron Brooks

The Houston Rockets have a crowded backcourt currently with Rafer Alston, Steve Francis, Luther Head, Mike James, and Aaron Brooks fighting for playing time. After drafting Brooks on draft night, it was surprising that the Rockets chose to add Francis and James. However, Rick Adelman has made it known that he believes in Brooks in the long run. It appears that this season, Brooks will not see the floor much, but in the future he could play a big role in the Rockets franchise.

Player Name: Aaron Brooks
Current Team: Houston Rockets
Ideal Position: PG
Drafted: 26th
Height/Weight: 6'0"/160
Birthdate: 1/14/85
Hometown: Seattle, WA
High School: Franklin High School
College: University of Oregon
Agent:

Contract:
2007-08 $972,720
2008-09 $1,045,560
2009-10 $1,118,520 (Team Option)
20010-11 $2,016,691 (Team Option)
20011-12 $2,976,637 (Qualifying Offer)
2012-13 $2,885,924 (Qualifying Offer)

Notes:
Became a father in summer 2006; Played in the McDonald's and EA Sports all-star games; Named the Gatorade, Associated Press, Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune state player of the year; Averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game as a senior.

Strengths:
Clutch; Extremely quick; Dangerous long-range shooter; Lofts soft floaters high above defenders; Unflappable demeanor; Shifty ball handler; Strong stutter step; Improved perimeter shooting greatly; Free throw shooting; Pull-up mid-range jumper; Rebounding for his size; NBA shooting range.

Weaknesses:
Small frame; Tends to reach on defense; Can get single-minded on offensive and forget about teammates; Does not control game tempo well; Favors right side; Reputation as a selfish player; Needs to put on another ten to fifteen pounds in order to handle some of the bigger guards he will need to defend.

Video: