ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 1/12/2007

J.R. Smith - 19 minutes, 17 shots

Can't wait to see the meltdown in Denver once Melo returns.

 

It's becoming more and more obvious that we have a lot of posters here that just don't know/understand basketball, let alone that concept of winning or the marathon that is the NBA season.

Mentally weak? You've gotta be freakin' kidding me! All this team has done is WIN games and edge out tough ones on nights where they weren't playing even close to their best, individually and collectively. We're playing .800 ball without our go-to guy on offense...what more can we ask for? Not a SINGLE soul could have predicted -- with a straight face -- that we would be anywhere near as successful as we have been so far. It's been ten games, which I think is a sizable enough sample to dismiss any and all doubts of this being a 'fluke'.

The true test of a potentially great team is how they respond when they're pushed or challenged, how they respond to adversity and less-than-ideal circumstances...this team has done nothing but make a believer out of me. It has shown me what a 'team' looks like, and we have done all this playing very shorthanded (three key rotation guys in Yao, Bonzi, Snyder).

It's time to give this team some credit for a change. We will have the ups and downs, but the ONLY thing that counts during the season is winning games, making the playoffs is the objective, and we're doing a GREAT job of playing like a team that belongs...even when we're shorthanded.

 

melo is coming back on 22nd at home....we wont see melo on the 20th

 

that reminds me of a certain other Rockets team that when pushed to the wall, stayed strong and came back to win it all.

You must have this kind of strength of will to win at all costs, no mattter how bad it looks.
You wont win the FInals without it.

 

Hey R2K, can you please include the soundbites from Bill Walton and Jon Barry's reactions to those comments in your highlight clip? If you can't, it's cool, but it's hilarious. He also said some stupid stuff in the postgame on ESPNEWS.

 

What I am saying is in the 4th quarter, when they had a few points lead, Mac's shots were off, why doubled mac on the premiter and left battier or head for wide open 3 points. That doesnot make any sense.

 

because you never want the other teams best player to beat you down the stretch

you can live with role players beating you...not the superstar

 

I'm waiting on that too because JR Smith is a borderline nutcase, with some talent. Nuggets4 said he doesn't expect it to be a problem.

 

This thing with T-Mac being scared is WEAK. Like I said before. A 10 year old veteran will have games where his body isn't explosive as some other nights. What you are saying doesn't make sense. He sure didn't look like he was scared during that 5 game streak where he was getting 35 a night. He was attacking the rim relentlessly. I think it has more to do with how his back is feeling that night. Tonight, he looked a little stiff. You can tell from the very beginning of the game just by looking at him dribble around the perimeter. On those good nights you see more bounce in his step.

 

::sighs::

Seriously, how long have you watched McGrady play in this league? Because I can assure you the opposing coaches are FULLY aware of his abilities, and the type of player he is. McGrady is and has always been one of those special few that can go on a 'streak' within a game and just absolutely murder the opposition. It matters not how he struggled with his shot for the majority of the game, or if he's just having a bad shooting night, because this guy can catch fire at ANY moment of the game -- especially in the clutch, where he's one of the most feared in the game -- and beat you single-handedly. How many times have we personally experienced that in his brief tenure with the Rockets? The guy is known as a silent assassin...he has those sleepy-eyes, that demeanor that lulls opponents into his trap and then BOOM! he strikes like a cobra. If the Chicago games taught the league anything, it's that T-Mac still has it in him. Opposing coaches know this, and Coach Karl simply decided that he wouldn't even give McGrady the chance to perform another one of his 'heroics'. In hindsight, it didn't work, thanks largely to T-Mac being a GREAT passer and one of the best decision makers in the game. It's why the guy is a superstar, not just a scorer like a bunch of other NBA players. He literally can and will beat you with a variety of tools at his disposal. His court vision is second to none, and he passes out of the double-team better than ANY player in the league.

They thing is McGrady doesn't just make a pass, he makes the 'right' or 'perfect' pass to the ideal target player almost every time. What did he have tonight, an 11:1 ratio? It's just silly how good he is...Mad Handles indeed.

Really struggled finding his shot, picks up his game in other areas and does enough to help his team win the game...that's pretty much all the guy has been doing since Yao suffered his unfortunate setback; doing just enough to win.

 

I wouldn't be too sure about that! It could either make them really really strong or break them completely. Its 50/50 chance. If the coaches are smart enough they'll over come this problem, it's all about how they handle this situation and I'm sure they thought of something good before they brought in AI. It might take a while for them to click on the court so we won't see the result immediately!

 

Example: Tmac vs. Spurs 13pt/35secs.

 

mcgrady's still got some stamina issues to work out. i'm watching the espn replay right now and he was panting and sweating during the interview going into the half. now part of that may be the denver air but it made me think back to that 13 in 35 game when dude didn't even break a sweat.

he was clearly stiff tonight but even a hampered t-mac makes us a very good team. his court vision is spectacular.

 

I think tmac should get that Altitude Tent that Gilbert Arenas uses. He said that it helps give him the same energy in the 4th quarter as he did in the 1st.

All he has to do is sleep in it.



http://altitudetraining.com/main/products/product/cat430

 

Even though he's not our best player this season, without T-Mac we're likely the most predictable team in the league, like a book that has been read a thousand times.

Our game evolves around this guy and he's the most instrumental to our success.

That being said, I really don't understand some people on this board... their either the most unappreciative fans ever or they really don't understand the game, like tigermission points out (every now and then).

It's not all in the scoring figures... and that's especially the truth with our coach (& his system).

 

To you guys responding to dakota: I've been noticing it in the past few weeks that he's simply trying to make up for the absence of ZBoy with the idiotic comments. Hopefully, with his return, dakota will once again take a back seat.

 

Hahaha I never thought about that...

 

So where is Zboy anyway? When we're winning he doesn't post? What a great member.

 

ONE OF THE GREATEST ROCKETS WIN I EVER WITNESSED IN MY LIFE SO FAR...

ROCKETS -2 CASHING IN.

 

I honestly think we are overachieving at this time, this team is going to struggle, reality is going to set in and all y’all will realize that we aren’t really that good. Please don’t respond to me with the 'go back to the raptor forums', I’m giving an unbiased opinion. I notice most the fans in here tend to have a game by game opinion on the team.