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Q & A with The Dream Shake

By Seth Pollack

In the wide world of NBA blogs some are better then others and none totally suck.

One of those that sucks less then many others is Rockets blog The Dream Shake.

Sorry JSun, I couldn't come up with a better adjective then "suck" in that instance...

We were honored that the good guys at The Shake exchanged a few questions with us. See their responses to our questions after the jump.

Click here to see our my responses to their inquiries. But first, an exciting announcement!

For tonights Live Blog we are testing some new software that will allow a more instantaneous instant messenger like instant experience. And not only that, the Live Blog will be simulcast on The Dream Shake so their readers can participate. BSoS brings the Live to Live Blogging!

This live blog system was used to great success last night on yahoo's Ball Don't Lie. Here's the link for tonight's big first ever cross team fan-site live blogappoloza!

You don't need to do anything except show up during game time and participate. You don't even need a BSoS account for all you lurkers out there - and you know who you are!

Your's truly will be running the show....sorry about that. No one better was available.

1. Let's get right to it. What are T-Mac's chances for finally getting out of the first round and what are the best possible match ups to make that happen?

I've stated since the beginning of the year that the Rockets will make it out of the first round no matter what. I reasserted that after the Yao injury but with the caveat that they probably won't beat the Spurs and the Suns are a really bad match up for us without Yao.

I'm giving it about a 65% chance to happen this year. The best possible match up for us is the LA Lakers, I have no idea why teams are scared of them. They are good, but we can beat them for sure, especially if Bynum doesn't make it back or is still hurt when he does.

I respect what this Rockets team has done this year. I do. But there's a reason they are everyone's first pick for an easy first round...

2. We know that Scola and Landry have played well, but what other Rockets have surprised this year with their play? And what secret sauce did JVG use to get Rick Adlemen to coach defense (and where can we get some of it)?

Rafer Alston is the biggest surprise to me. He still drives me nuts with his poor decisions when he gets lazy, but overall this season he is about 75% better this year than I expected him to be. His decision making in big games has been above and beyond what the Rockets need from him and he's actually impressed me with his shooting on occasion. Just so I don't jinx him (every time I talk good about him he goes out and shoots 2-16) RAFER YOU STILL SUCK!

As far as Adelman and JVGs defense, that's the reason he is coach of the year. His decision to continue the defensive intensity and to allow Yao to stay in the post were coaching genius. The defense has actually gotten better because of Scola and Landry.

I really like Scola. Just remember when you see Dang, KT, Rajon Rando and all the other players the Suns gave up that the Spurs passed on both Barbosa and Scola...just saying.

3. Ok, just between us fella's, how much of The Streak was luck and timing and how much was just legit ass whooping by the Rockets?

I'd say about 12% of it was luck. The Rockets were absolutely rolling teams before and after Yao went down. In the first 12 games it was all skill and the Rockets finally gelling. In the the last 10 games, we got a little lucky in games 20 and 21 that we were playing the Hawks and the Bobcats because we wouldn't have beaten many teams with a winning record with the shooting "performances" during those two games.

At one point in time the Rockets tied the all time mark for wins by double digits in a row with 9, not a lot of luck in that.

Fair enough. But still, its hard to see this Rockets team as having the second best ever streak and being like the 6th or 8th best team in the NBA this year.

4. Jazz, Spurs, Mavs - who do Rockets fans hate the most? (We just finished a wonderful Day of Hate towards the Spurs which capped off nicely for us with a big win!)

I don't know about Rockets fans in general, but I personally hate the Jazz the most. I do have to say that most of their fans are really nice and it makes it hard to hate them. But Karl Malone and John Stockton trump their niceness. Even though the Rockets won the majority of their meetings and all but one of the meaningful playoff meetings (before last year), I still can not stand them.

Carlos Boozer and his stabbing of blind guys in the face is helping my hate to continue and the loss in last years playoffs was especially painful.

Wow. I thought in the land of Tom Delay that there would be a lot more hate...

5. Will Yao ever be able to stay healthy enough to contribute to a Rockets championship run and how much ancient Chinese deer penis will it take to do it?

Yes, next year. The Rockets will win the championship next year, mark it down. Luis Scola and Carl Landry will have another year under their belts and Rafer Alston will have one more year under Adelman. And frankly I can't wait.

Yao is not actually injury prone, though this injury is particularly troublesome, as you can see by the previous few sentences I'm choosing to ignore that possible trouble.

Rockets fans = Cubs fans

Thanks again to the fella's at The Dream Shake! Good luck. Hope to see you in a few weeks in round one!

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