Category: Houston Rockets Blog

Rockets blog – Houston Rockets blog

Rick Adelman won’t return as Rockets coach

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports:

Rick Adelman won't return as Rockets coach

After four days of talks, some that were close to bringing Rick Adelman back as Rockets coach, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey called Adelman a “Hall of Fame coach.” He also showed Adelman the door. Adelman was happy to take it.

Adelman, who led the Rockets to their only playoff series win in the past 14 years and a franchise record 22-game winning streak, agreed to step down on Monday, a decision described as mutual.

“After numerous discussions and careful consideration with Coach Adelman, we have mutually agreed to part ways,” Morey said in a statement. “It has been a privilege and an honor to work with and learn from Rick during these past four years. He is a Hall of Fame coach who earned the respect and admiration of our entire organization during his time here.”

In four seasons with the Rockets, Adelman had a 193-135 record, the best winning percentage (.588) of any coach in franchise history. He moved to eighth in NBA history in career coaching wins with 945.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Rockets sign forward Marqus Blakely

Rockets sign forward Marqus Blakely

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Marqus Blakely to a multi-year contract.

Blakely (6-5, 225, Vermont) earns a Call-Up from the D-league’s Iowa Energy. This past season, Blakely averaged 15.0 points (.625, 287-459 FG), 6.3 rebounds, 1.47 steals and 1.2 assists in 49 games (19 starts) between the Bakersfield Jam and Iowa. He was traded by Bakersfield to Iowa for a 2011 first-round pick on Jan. 24, 2011, helping the Engery capture the D-League’s Eastern Conference title with a 37-13 (.740) regular season record. Blakely, along with teammate Curtis Stinson, were also named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played March 14-20.

As a collegian, Blakely finished his career at Vermont ranked fifth all-time in scoring (1,875), second in rebounding (1,044) and field goal percentage (.571), third in blocks (254) and field goals made (673), fourth in free throws made (525), and 10th in assists (304). He stands as a two-time America East Player of the Year winner and a three-time America East Defensive Player of the Year. Blakely also earned First-Team All-America East and America East All-Defensive First Team accolades three times during his career at Vermont. Winner of the 2010 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship, Blakely averaged 17.3 points (.542 FG%), 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks in 35 games as a senior. He was named to the America East Conference All-Tournament Team and helped Vermont to school-record 25 wins in 2009-10. Blakely was actually the only player in NCAA men’s basketball to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during the 2009-10 campaign.

Blakely will wear jersey #15 with the Rockets.

Rockets sign Marcus Cousin, recall Hasheem Thabeet, waive DeMarre Carroll

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed center Marcus Cousin to a non-guaranteed contract and assigned him to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. The Rockets have also recalled Hasheem Thabeet from the Vipers and have waived DeMarre Carroll.

Cousin (6-11, 255, Houston) earns his second GATORADE Call-Up of the season by signing with the Rockets. His first GATORADE Call-Up came when he signed a 10-day contract with Utah on Mar. 9, averaging 1.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in four games with the Jazz. A 2011 D-League All-Star selection, Cousin averaged 14.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.16 blocks while shooting .533 from the field in 38 games (38 starts) for the Austin Toros. Cousin also appeared in five games with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2010 preseason, averaging 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. He spent the 2009 NBA Summer League with the Rockets. After transferring from Seton Hall, Cousin played two seasons at the University of Houston, averaging 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a senior in 2008-09.

Thabeet (7-3, 263, Connecticut) was assigned to Rio Grande Valley on Mar. 21, averaging 9.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks with two double-doubles in seven games (six starts) including the playoffs with the Vipers. Acquired by Houston from Memphis on Feb. 24, Thabeet has played in two games with the Rockets since being acquired from the Grizzlies. He averaged 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.33 blocks in 45 games with Memphis this season and made his Rockets debut vs. New Jersey (2/26/11). Selected by the Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet stands as the first Tanzanian-born player to be drafted by and play for an NBA team.

Carroll (6-8, 212, Missouri), who was acquired by Houston from Memphis on Feb. 24, has played in four games with the Rockets. He also averaged 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in seven games with the Grizzlies this season.

Rockets beat Nets by 25

Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the Houston Rockets moved within two games of the final playoff berth in the Western Conference with a 112-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.

Kevin Martin added 20 points as the Rockets (39-35) posted their sixth win in seven games and inched closer to idle eighth-place Memphis (41-33) with eight games left in the regular season.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Rockets won the rebounding battle 56-42 and the assists category 30-20… For the Nets, Brook Lopez shot 10-of-16 for 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Kris Humprhies shot just 3-of-10 for six points but did grab 13 boards. Jordan Farmar scored 12. Deron Williams did not play.

LeBron, Wade, Bosh each reached 30-point, 10-rebound mark in Heat win over Rockets

The AP reports:

With the playoffs looming, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are finding a new gear.

And they accomplished something Sunday that hadn’t been done in more than 50 years.

Each of them had 30-10 nights—James with 33 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Wade shook off a bruised tailbone to finish with 30 points and 11 boards—as the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets 125-119 for their eighth win in nine games.

It was the first time since February 1961 that three teammates finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a non-overtime game.

“Unbelievable,” James said.

“That’s why we get paid the big bucks,” Wade said.

The last time a team had three players score 30 in the same game was Feb. 26, 2010, when Houston had Martin, Aaron Brooks and Scola combine for 94 against San Antonio. Before that, you’d have to go back all the way to Nov. 14, 1997, when Portland’s Isaiah Rider, Brian Grant and Arvydas Sabonis all had 30-plus points and 10 or more rebounds in a quadruple-overtime win over Phoenix.

Rockets sign Mike Harris to 10-day contract

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Mike Harris to a 10-day contract.

Harris (6-6, 235, Rice) returns to Houston after playing in China with the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks. The former Rice standout actually began this season in training camp with the Rockets before being waived on Oct. 18, 2010. Overall Harris owns NBA career averages of 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 30 prior games with Houston and the Washington Wizards. He has also played in the NBA D-League with the Colorado 14ers (2006-07) and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2009-10). In 2009-10, Harris averaged a league-leading 27.1 points (.582, 363-624 FG), 10.5 rebounds (third in D-League), 1.9 assists and 1.18 steals in 34 games (31 starts) with Rio Grande Valley, guiding the Vipers to the 2009-10 D-League championship. He was also named NBA D-League MVP and earned First-Team All-NBA D-League honors last season.

Harris will wear jersey #33 with the Rockets. Houston’s roster currently stands at 15 players.

Rockets assign Hasheem Thabeet to D-League

Rockets assign Hasheem Thabeet to D-League

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has assigned center Hasheem Thabeet to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. Thabeet, who is the third Rockets player to be assigned to the Vipers this season, also averaged 13.8 points, 11.2 boards and 3.17 blocks in six games (four starts) with the NBA D-League Dakota Wizards in 2009-10.

“With one game in the next six nights, we wanted to take advantage of the break in the Rockets schedule to give Hasheem some extended playing time with the Vipers,” said Rockets Vice President of Player Personnel and RGV Vipers GM Gersson Rosas.  “Hasheem has been working with our Rockets coaching staff over the past few weeks, but this opportunity to get valuable game experience with Rio Grande Valley will help with his long-term development.”

Thabeet (7-3, 263, Connecticut), who was acquired by Houston from Memphis on Feb. 24, has played in two games with the Rockets since the trade. He averaged 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.33 blocks in 45 games with the Grizzlies this season and made his Rockets debut vs. New Jersey (2/26/11). Selected by Memphis with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet stands as the first Tanzanian-born player to be drafted by and play for an NBA team. In 2009-10, Thabeet ranked second among rookies in blocks per game (1.31) and actually led the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes (4.84).

He finished his rookie campaign with averages of 3.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 13.0 minutes over 68 games (13 starts) in 2009-10. At Connecticut, Thabeet was named the 2009 Co-Big East Player of the Year along with Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair. He was also a two-time winner of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009.

Aaron Brooks suspended for throwing ball at referee

Aaron Brooks suspended for throwing ball at referee

Aaron Brooks of the Phoenix Suns has been suspended for an incident during Friday’s game, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Brooks has been suspended one game without pay for throwing a ball at an official and striking him in the leg. The incident occurred with 7:46 remaining in the fourth period of the Suns’ 108-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the US Airways Center in Phoenix.

Brooks will serve his suspension today in Los Angeles when the Suns play the Los Angeles Clippers in a 3:30 p.m. EDT/12:30 p.m. PDT game at the Staples Center.

Rick Adelman says Gregg Popovich should win coach of year

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports:

Rockets coach Rick Adelman does not get to cast a ballot, but he has seen enough to know he would vote for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for Coach of the Year if he could.

“I think Pop’s just done a great job this year,” Adelman said. “To me, the record they have, he’s the Coach of the Year, the way he’s put these guys together and the type of season they’ve had.

“Right now, they’re still the best team in the league. They’re so efficient. They played together so long, especially (Tony) Parker and (Manu) Ginobili.

“They’ve got two playmakers. That’s really hard to guard. That’s like (Steve) Nash the other night. He had nine points, but he set the whole thing in motion for them. That’s what those two guys do.

“Pop has those guys playing well. He has his role players playing well off the bench. They shoot the 3s well. They just take advantage of what you give them.”