[Chronicle] Stagnant, "selfish" Rockets crash. Haven't we been here before?

I never find myself defending Rafer, but maybe in this case, when the tenor of the game has changed so drastically---Yao out, Selfish #1 and Selfish #2 back in the game---it might make it that much harder for the others to get it going out there on the court.

Of course, Rafer doesn't need help playing poorly, but I can see that he fits Adelman's system better than he does joining the stand-and-chuck method of McGrady and Artest.

Although given his devices, Rafer has a tendency to play well in Adelman's system, then do something dumb at the last minute to give the game away (see also, Bibby, Mike, standing all alone behind the three point line).

 

Look it is obvious who Rafer is talking about, he was leading a TEAM that was playing TEAM ball and winning, then Tmac and Ron come back and the TEAM barely wins one and chokes away another.

Either TMac and Ron get on board, or they should get kicked off the bus.

DD

 

I expect those guys to go one on one alot. I think they should on a team where they should have a mismatch every time down the court. The problem is they weren't converting on offense. I don't know what's wrong with Artest but Tracy has been clearly on the decline and he just has no idea how to play with such limited abilities.

At this point Tracy going one on one only works if his man is playing bad defense. The great wing players of this league would have went one on one just as often but guys like Kobe, Lebron, Wade etc. would have scored on the mismatch. He's never going to get that quickness back he has to play another way.

 

No, time to trade both of them. It is time for big change. I am sure they can get some good players in return not great ones.

 

Going one-on-one occasionally is taking advantage of mismatches. Going one-on-one repeatedly is predictable and easy to defend.

The problem I saw was Tracy and Ron decided, probably each on their own, that it was 'on them' to win the game single-handedly. They took turns going one-on-everybody and didn't trust their teammates by moving the ball and getting their shots in the flow.

They better get on board (not sure if that's even possible) or this season will end like so many others recently.

Oh, and I'm not excusing Rafer for his poor play -- how many layups is he going to give up by losing track of his man??

 

Major props to Rafer for tellin it how it is. Ball movement has been the key to our surge recently. That and having a clearly defined plan of feeding the low post. Without Yao our team has lost its center of offense and our one true low post threat.

I will reserve judgment until Yao comes back and T-mac and Artest get a chance to play off him. Artest and Yao were showing some serious chemistry before they left and T-mac is always looking to pass to the big fella.

One note though. Rafer is a giant douche. He is just as guilty as playing selfish ball as the other two. The Pistons game he nearly shot us out of the game at the end. He needs to recognize that he isn't Skip to my Lou out there and play to manage the game. He is the freaking point guard have some awareness on the court please! He seems to make one good decision followed by five horibble ones after that. This rant is more aimed after watching that last quarter of the Pistons game but it's been on my chest.

 

Passes only when double team. Tmac's problem is he needs to get JVG system out and start running Rick's system.

 

but you have to ask yourself, Did Ron have any haters to prove wrong? No one dared diss him over those few weeks. We just talked about how much we wanted him back and how he would help. Anyone way you wanna slice it, we hated t-mac way more and people still question his heart and ability as of last night so he does have something to prove to haters. Ron was just expected to get his ankle healthy a do what he already was for us. Everyone 'wanted' t-mac to step up his play.

 

at the cost of a friggin W against the NEW YORK KNICKS?

is he playing for the fans or the team?

I'm no hater.. but u gotta admit that he played ridiculous b-ball in the last 4 mins..

 

Rafer is the man. Although he is not one to say it, but since the soft coach refuses to say it, someone has to say something. The time is running out, and Tmac and Artest are still refusing to buy the coach system, trade them or sit them down. By the way, Rafer did not play well last night, but he was not one who took the stupid three one after another in last a few min., plus that he is buying the system, and making the efforts.

 

rafer needs to shut his butt up and be a man an tell the person he is talking about to his face and not run to the media like the little b____ he is .he cant blame no one he cost us the game the other night shooting all those wild three pointers...be a man and tell the person face to face not in the media.

 

Rafer is part of the problem taking crazy 3 pointers like the Detroit game and shooting that ugly floater aiming it to go straight in.

The Rockets stop running the offense in the 4th Qtr when they have leads. I would sit Rafer, Artest and McGrady down and watch Shane, Wafer, Brooks, Scola, and Landry run the offense and win.

Rick needs to prove a point to these guys.

 

I wouldn't be so certain that he hasn't. We had stories emerge in December that McGrady had been sat down/confronted by the front office, coach, and teammates about his play. None of us are privy to what's happening behind closed doors.

Evan

 

I don't think Rafer is the type of not to confront someone if he has something to say. I also believe that for some strange reason this season Rafer plays better without TMac and Ron.

 

No thanks on having two underachievers on the rockets...

 

the announcers for ny called him out for 2 bad shots, one of them was bad imo, the other he was wide open with 9 seconds or so left on the shot clock...not a bad shot, if you are wide the f open with 23 seconds, take the shot, you miss it you miss it, but if there ain't a man within a mile from you, you take the damn shot, i don't believe rafer took that many bad shots, 1 at the most 2, that i recall

 

the sad thing is, tmac wasn't always like that, he used to get to the top of the key and almost immediately attack, dish when the double and triple came for an easy layup or 3, i.e. the sura, jon barry year of 04-05...

 

the ball movement was terrible....I wouldnt mind isolation plays if they shot almost 50%, or atleast 45%...Von wafer is shooting 47% or something like that, and atleast he has the opportunity to beat his opponent off the dribble..
Tmac couldn't beat a 2009 charles barkley off the dribble, and Ron seems like he's dribbling in one place, waiting for the opponent to shake himself, so he can drive past him to the rim. I hope they get well, but they shouldn't be ****ing wafer on his minutes for sub-par shooting and no passing

 

mcgrady and artest should of been benched