[official Rocket Hero] Kenny Smith Appreciation Thread/Education

so why doesn't Carl Herrera get a gig on TNT? why doesn't Dave Jamerson speak to Google? Why doesn't Larry Smith produce a show with Jamie Foxx?

 

just facts for ya:

Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Date: WED 03/27/1991
Section: Sports
Page: 1
Edition: 2 STAR

Floyd gives Rockets feast or famine

By EDDIE SEFKO
Staff

ATLANTA - Some people, Don Chaney included, say Sleepy Floyd is a streak shooter.

On any given night, he can infuriate his coach and teammates and endanger life and limb for fans seated on the baseline with his airballs.

But in Chaney's opinion, that doesn't translate into a liability, because he knows nothing lasts forever. And in Floyd's case, nothing lasts more than a few games.

A bricklayer one night, he can be a gravedigger the next, burying opponents with basket after basket.

"Sleepy Floyd's good games usually are great games," Chaney said. "I can tolerate the 1-of-8 nights because I know there are going to be a handful of nights when he wins the game almost by himself.

"And I also think it's a quietly kept secret that Sleepy is a big-time player in big-time games. In the biggest games, he's always ready to play and usually has excellent games."

He has done so twice during the Rockets' club-record 12-game winning streak. He had 37 points at Phoenix in the second game of a back-to-back situation, carrying the Rockets to a win they could not have gotten without him.

He also had 21 against the Bulls, which doesn't sound overwhelming. But he scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, hitting all three of his shots from the field, including a three-pointer that broke the Bulls' backs.

It is games like those that have convinced Chaney having Floyd around is better than having most guys who average 12.4 points per game.

Floyd gets his points despite averaging only 21.8 minutes. His average per 48 minutes played is 27.2 points. On the Rockets, only Hakeem Olajuwon (29.2 points) averages more per 48 minutes.

And it has been a credit to Floyd that he has kept his focus despite never really having a shot at a starting job this season.

Last season, Floyd was banished to the bench early in the season and did not regain his form until March.

Floyd admits it has been an adjustment coming off the bench. He would rather start, but winning 24 of the past 28 games, as the Rockets have done, is proof this rotation works.

"When you go 1-of-6 or 1-of-7, it doesn't really matter," Floyd said. "When you're coming off the bench and you start like that, you don't end up with any minutes.

"People say I'm streaky, but if I stayed in the games when I started 1-of-7, most of the time I'd be able to turn it around. If I played 30 or 35 minutes, I could easily make up the difference. But you can't do it in 17 or 18 minutes.

"You're not going to go into a game and immediately go 5-of-5 every time."

Floyd is capable of doing either. He can shoot the Rockets into a big lead or out of one with no warning.

As for a few numbers to substantiate this, Floyd:

Started the season shooting 22-for-68 (32.4 percent) in the first nine games. He shot more than 50 percent just once in the first 15 games.

Has had streaks of 5-for-39 (four games), 1-for-20 (two games), 6-for-27 (three games) and 2-for-16 (four games).

Has had streaks of 23-for-41 (three games) and 42-for-69 (four games) and has gone 13-for-25 in the last two games.

Has scored fewer than 10 points 31 times and more than 20 points 17 times and has been between 10 and 19 points only 20 times.

Scored 40 points on 16-for-25 shooting in 24 minutes at Denver on Feb. 26, then scored nine points on 2-for-14 shooting Feb. 28.

We could go on, but the picture should be clear - Floyd is not a steady player.

As he said: "Nobody notices when I score 13, 14 or 15 points in a game. They only notice when I score 30 or three."

Chaney never knows which Floyd will show up on a given night, but he's convinced, in the Rockets' scheme, Floyd is the kind of spark off the bench without whom no title-contending team can survive.

"I expect to get into the game and provide some offense," Floyd said. "But we've got a talented backcourt now.

"Kenny (Smith) and Vernon (Maxwell) have been playing great all year. Usually, at least two of us have a good game. And when all three of us are playing well, it really puts the pressure on the defense."

When the Rockets put all three of them on the floor against the Bulls, the quickness difference became obvious. Whichever guard Chicago forward Scottie Pippen covered usually broke free for drives to the basket or a jump shot.

More often than not, it was Floyd.

Some nights, it doesn't matter if he is guarded at all. But for the moment, he's on a roll.

"When he gets it going, you sit back and enjoy it," Chaney said. "You know it won't go on forever, but it's great while it lasts."

 

hating on the videogame Kenny Smith! that's a new one!

 

Kenny > Sleepy Floyd
So Kenny got the starting Job. Sam Cassell is old has been old, so is Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.

Yeah just ignore the 41 point games, the clutch playing, the praise by his teammates.

Hey next time they show that Orlando game on NBA classics, just don't watch it.

 

the people who are insane are the people who claim to have watched kenny smith play and thought sleepy floyd was better than him. Kenny had a great career with the Rockets and now the "HATE" is actually coming from fans who know nothing of Kenny's tenure with the Rockets and just judge him based on his TNT comments and INSANELY claim he was a bad player with the Rockets.

the INSANE people are the ones who go nuts when Kenny doesn't put the Rockets #1 every year and get mad that Kenny doesn't talk about the Rockets in the 2nd round or 3rd round of the playoffs.

 

well close your mouths cause you can't get enough of whatever I write.

This is a Kenny appreciation thread with great articles of what he did as a Rocket. if you don't like it, don't read it.

but you can't stop reading and replying.

go read some article about Steve Novak or something.

 

dude call in the knights of Gondor since you are on this thread contributing nothing on the topic of Kenny's appreciation.