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[Chron] Rockets play against Jazz concerns Van Gundy

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by GRENDEL, Apr 3, 2007.

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  1. GRENDEL

    GRENDEL Contributing Member

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    Play concerns Van Gundy
    Coach warns that beating Jazz will only get more difficult in postseason series

    By JONATHAN FEIGEN
    Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

    There were other points to make.

    Coach Jeff Van Gundy likely began with the defensive breakdowns down the stretch and that "finishing mentality" that he has been trying to develop in the Rockets since they led their first-round series against the Mavericks 2-0 and held consecutive fourth-quarter leads at home, only to lose the series.

    But Van Gundy's postgame chats are brief, their message clear. So he also made a point Sunday that the Rockets' distressing loss to the Utah Jazz was not a playoff game.

    This observation was not meant as consolation or as a reminder that when their presumed first-round series with the Jazz begins,the Rockets will be back even with Utah. It was a warning.

    "I told the team this was not a playoff atmosphere at all," Van Gundy said. "This was not playoff-like. This was regular season, hard-fought. Playoff is when you don't get any do-overs. We have too many guys right now making too many mistakes, too many repeat mistakes."

    With that clear, the same things that proved so difficult Sunday will be tougher in the playoffs. The loss likely will mean the series will begin in the Jazz's Energy Solutions Arena. Utah's win gives it a two-game lead on the Rockets in the loss column, and the tiebreaker favors the Jazz.


    It's how, not where

    "I'm not as concerned with where we play in the playoffs," Van Gundy said. "Obviously, every team would want home court. I'm more concerned with how we play.
    "You have to be at your best when your best is needed," Van Gundy said, speaking of Sunday's closing stretch, but also of a requirement even more applicable to the postseason. "In this game, our best was needed, obviously, in the fourth (quarter). We didn't play well enough to win. We didn't play well enough offensively to win. We fouled too much. There's things we need to do better."

    Sunday's game might not have been a playoff game, but the Rockets expect to see more of roughly the same. The series will likely be filled with low-scoring games determined in the final minutes.

    When the Jazz ended Sunday's game with four consecutive dunks or layups down the stretch, the Rockets got a pretty good idea of how disciplined they will have to be.

    "Once again, playoff games will come down to the last few possessions," guard Rafer Alston said. "Down the stretch, they ran their offense, executed, scored. We knew how we wanted to defend it. Yet we allowed them to get catches under the rim, layups, a kick-out to a (Mehmet) Okur 3. Basically, we gave them every look they wanted."

    They argued that they gave up more than that.

    "It's a bad loss," Tracy McGrady said, "because we beat ourselves."

    Wanting it not enough

    The Jazz, however, had plenty to do with it, perhaps even enough to demonstrate what it will take to beat them.
    "Everybody wants to win, but you make game-plan mistakes, you give up a layup," Van Gundy said. "You do that, and no matter how much you want it, you're not going to get it. You have to be disciplined enough, with enough mental strength to get hit and do it the right way. We didn't do it well enough.

    "If Rafer's shot goes in and we get a 3, and down on the other end we hold, they're lamenting what they didn't do well enough. If that shot went in ... I would have the same problem with how we played, because I know it's not going to hold up. It's not the result of losing; it's what we did. Even if we came back and made the shot and won, I would know that's not going to hold up."

    ROCKETS SUMMARY
    Yao honored

    Rockets center Yao Ming was named the Western Conference player of the week. He averaged 30 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.25 blocks as the Rockets went 3-1 for the week, beating the Bucks, Clippers and Lakers before Sunday's loss to the Jazz.

    In the last three games, he made 30 of 56 shots, averaging 32.7 points.

    Toronto forward Chris Bosh was the Eastern Conference player of the week. He averaged 22.3 points and 14.8 rebounds.

    jonathan.feigen@chron.com

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4683112.html
     
    #1 GRENDEL, Apr 3, 2007
  2. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    yes, the defense on Deron's penetration with Mehmet and Boozer's ability to shoot with range can be improved.

    but that game was a win if TMac has a better game.

    Can Utah stop Yao?
    I think we can win every game where Yao and TMac both have good games. And we nearly had Sunday's game when TMac didn't score that well. Utah has no room for error. They have to play perfect, and still might not beat us.
     
    #2 heypartner, Apr 3, 2007
  3. yaominn

    yaominn Member

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    but neither Deron nor Boozer had a good game. so i am not sure you can say Utah has no room for error.
     
    #3 yaominn, Apr 3, 2007
  4. roxfan123

    roxfan123 Member

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    Hmm, how about develop some new offensive approach and stop riding 111's tail SOLELY when the game is close?
     
    #4 roxfan123, Apr 3, 2007
  5. Jimes

    Jimes Member

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    So wait, should Rafer have taken that open 3 or should he have passed it to Yao or TMac? :confused:
     
    #5 Jimes, Apr 3, 2007
  6. DonkeyMagic

    DonkeyMagic Contributing Member
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    wait, dont you want to go to the dominant player on the court?
    its makes perfectly good sense to go to your center who shoots the best from the field and from the free throw line, not to mention the fact he demands double teams that can open others....yeah lets not go to that guy

    nice blind jab at coaching...for no valid reason.
     
    #6 DonkeyMagic, Apr 3, 2007
  7. blackbird

    blackbird Member

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    Yao is the best shooter of ROX, he should shoot wide-open long range 2s and 3s (If you let Rafer shoot those ugly 2/3s, why not Yao?). It will save his energy for 4th qtr, reduce turnovers, reduce blocked shots. After 4 years, JVG still don't know how to play Yao. :( :(
     
    #7 blackbird, Apr 3, 2007
  8. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    well, you got to admit: JVG knows how to use the worst shooter of ROX, Hayes. He only let's him shoot layups.
     
    #8 heypartner, Apr 3, 2007
  9. blackbird

    blackbird Member

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    I agree, but ROX' win or lose is on Yao and Tmac, not Hayes. Now, Tmac is not the real Tmac, and Yao is not the real Yao.
     
    #9 blackbird, Apr 3, 2007
  10. MLittle577

    MLittle577 Contributing Member

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    That, I can 100% agree with. Even though we won against the Clippers and the Lakers, we got away with a lot of garbage that won't hold up in the playoffs. This time it didn't hold up against the Jazz, and if we happen to get past them, we'd get swept by the Mavs.

    No one expects us to play like we did against the 76ers every night, but we have to play better than we have been since the second half of the Hornets game.

    Somehow in the next couple of weeks, we need to find our way back to solid basketball, if we want to play in the playoffs for more than one round.
     
    #10 MLittle577, Apr 3, 2007
  11. rofflesaurus

    rofflesaurus Member

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    1) t-mac needs to play better

    2) boozer and deron had their worst games of the season

    3) it'll be hard to win if t-mac cant shoot
     
    #11 rofflesaurus, Apr 3, 2007
  12. solid

    solid Contributing Member

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    The bottomline. If TMac continues to shot 30% and take 25-30 shots, it will be a quick series and the Jazz will be moving on. He has to get it together and quick.
     
    #12 solid, Apr 3, 2007
  13. dookiester

    dookiester Member

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    i did notice we didn't set a lot of screens for mac; when he's struggling it would help to work to get him an easier shot, instead of the contested jumpers he had to jack up all game. we take for granted how talented he is, so when we see him missing those we think he's missing easy shots; those were tough shots he had to take, single coverage or not. help a brother out!
     
    #13 dookiester, Apr 3, 2007
  14. Mordo

    Mordo Contributing Member

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    Yeah, let's have more JLIII, Rafer, and Snyder. :rolleyes:
     
    #14 Mordo, Apr 3, 2007
  15. Almu

    Almu Contributing Member

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    I agree, Solid. T-Mac just need to be T-Mac. T-Mac shows up, I see an easy series actually.
     
    #15 Almu, Apr 3, 2007
  16. MattHolb11

    MattHolb11 New Member

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    And how exactly do you propose to get Yao wide open 2's and 3's? Rafer gets those shots because teams are double and triple teaming Yao. I don't think Rafer can draw the same attention with his low post game...
     
    #16 MattHolb11, Apr 3, 2007
  17. Fuse

    Fuse Member

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    Actually, I think the reason we do need to set screens is because t-mac can no longer explode past his man that easily anymore. He needs to mismatch or the defensive rotation mix up to get into the lane. I don't recall too many times that when T-mac was at the end of the quarter where he took it to the hole strong on a one on one situation, instead of driving in and then taking a jump shot because he can't blow past his man.
     
    #17 Fuse, Apr 3, 2007
  18. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Rockets coaching against Jazz concerns Van Gundy
     
    #18 vlaurelio, Apr 3, 2007
  19. McGradySNKT

    McGradySNKT Contributing Member

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    Only he was blowing by Kobe like he was a lead block in the game in LA
     
    #19 McGradySNKT, Apr 3, 2007
  20. blackbird

    blackbird Member

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    If JHo can get wide open 2's, so can Yao. Just need some PnR or game plan. It is just an offensive option, and ROX do need more offensive options, but JVG refused to do it. Also, I think semi-open is good enough for Yao.
     
    #20 blackbird, Apr 3, 2007
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