ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 10/9/2007 (PRESEASON)

I believe this post needs to be quoted again.

 

why are you complaining about having an extra scorer? isn't that what everyone so desperately wanted last season? isnt that why all of you are so giddy about francis?

 

I just have to say,

yall get in line to hop on the Mike Harris bandwagon!

Those of us who watched the summer league games.. already on that one!

Also, even though we lost (it's a preseason game.. do we care a lot?) I am sure Adelman and crew got a lot of information about the players out of the combos and such on the court!

It's hard to judge some things when neither of your stars are on the court.. which doesn't happen as much as it did tonight. But overall there was a lot to see in this game.

On to the Home preseason opener!

 

It's only one pre-season game. They started practicing last week on a completly new system. Rafer still looked like the same Rafer, a backup pg and everyone else played the same way as last year. Give it up to T-Mac and stand around while he makes a play. Bonzi was the only one that did good inside the system because he knows the system. Yao got his points because he's just that good. This game was more like a practice game against another team, you work on some things and get guys playing and trying to gel. If this was game 20 of the regular season I might have issues, but it's the first pre-season game. They have things to work on, that's it.

 

luther looked better, but still showed a few of his typical flaws, i.e ball handling, passing etc. He was better and still an asset, but im not ready to let him handle the ball that much. Honestly, between MJ/SF/luther, i still want rafer handling the ball.

as for, NOOK. looks like they have some bigs in armstrong and wright, at least in a couple of years

 

QFMFT.

 

At this point, Francis has GOT to prove that he's at least as good as BJax was with the Kings. Individually, Francis may have been the better player, but people forget that Bobby Jackson was the complete offensive sparkplug off the bench with the Kings. He could shoot from outside, shoot off the dribble, and he can finish at the rim despite being undersized. Francis has not shown so far that he can step into that kind of role.

I like the Bibby - James comparison, both have pretty similar games, though Bibby is a better and more willing passer than James. That's why I won't be surprised if James eventually starts for us and play the role that Bibby did.

I think the role of Yao in this offense is more akin to that of Webber's than Vlade's. And in that respect, I think CWebb circa '02-'03 might have been better than Yao. He could drive either way and finish soft or strong, shoot the outside jumper, or give you the jumphook down low. No knock on Yao, but at the high post, I just don't see him having that kind of game going to the basket that Webber did before his knees failed him.

Of course, Adelman has said that the Yao post-up will still remain a staple of the offense, and of course, in the post Webber definitely can't touch Yao, so it's not really a fair comparison either way.

 

yea the thing i dislike VERY much was how when they give the ball to tmac when yao was out, EVERYONE just stood still like they were in cement outside of that bonzi's cut.

that was very disheartening.

the movement was great w/ yao. but they just expect tmac to go 1-on-1.

maybe that's the tmac's iso play but i like more movement so tmac can have more spacing.

 

that seems to be a problem throughout tmacs career. people just stand and watch.

 

i just watched the first quarter and part of second.

+ Yao in the high post...looks like a great new strategy....

+ Bonzi looks good

+Scola looks good....but he doesn't seem like strong defender, but his post game (offense) and athleticism looks top notch.

+Rafer still looks like he might be the starting point guard by opening day.

+For it being the first game of the season, I don't think we look to rusty.

-/+ Defensively, we're not going to be holding teams in 70s and 80s alot anymore, but when you're gonna be scoring over 102 ppg...it's not gonna matter. Still, we will have top 10 defense, and one that might even be hovering in the top 5.

- I saw that whole T-Mac thing with everyone standing around watching....not really cause for concern, maybe down the stretch.

 

Everyone knows when Yao stand in the high post, he is looking for cutters and open shooters. He's not standing out there to take his man off the dribble or shoot a contested jumper. Everyone expects McGrady to score from there, though, so they stand around, just like they stand around when Yao gets the ball in the low post, where he's supposed to score.

 

Thanks for the post. I wasn't able to catch tonight's game. The Rockets look REALLY good. Who cares if they lost; it's just preseason. What matters is that the players really look in tune with one another. Can't wait to see Brooks, Butler, and Francis (who didn't play in the first quarter) in the next game!

 

I seem to remember that Michael Jordan had this problem too. In fact it was so bad that opposing players sometimes stopped just to watch Jordan.

 

Nice recap, but I think you're being a bit harsh with Scola. He was active on defense, if not always effective. He looks to have quick hands, and good instincts for drawing charges. Keep in mind that he was playing out of position a lot (he is NOT going to look good defensively as a center). And he's new to the league, so there'll be an adjustment period.

What I know about him is he has a high basketball IQ, and he hustles. Those things usually equate to being a good team defender, if nothing else. He just needs some time.

BTW, you were right, and I was wrong about playing Yao in high post. I didn't think it would work with him, but he looked thoroughly effective playing the high post tonight.

 

Yaoza is back!!!

 

I think Yao still should play more in the low post. He is more efficient there.

 

Things that I did notice more in the second half - the players seemed to give up on playing the coach A system. Some players became selfish and almost refused to get their team mates involved on the offensive end of the court. Players were standing about and not in motion as per Coach A's system. Head should not handle the ball only shoot it when he is open and in position. Francis needs to snap out of his present mind set and get going with the job in hand.
Glad to see Novac shot 66% from the three point line.
Would urge coach A to get the rotation sorted out as quickly as possible, there is still some dead wood listed on the team.

 

I agree. This was the first preseason game and I'm sure the Hornet didn't even bother to gameplan. If the Rockets have Yao in the high post too much the opposing gameplan will call for Yao's defender to crowd him, bump all cutters, and help on back picks and the like.

 

what was awesome was that he adapted IMMEDIATELY. he truly is a hi IQ guy. right after that cheap foul, every single pick he did was like statue.

very encouraging. if he can make adjustments so quickly like that he's going to adapt to the NBA very nicely.

 

true, but if he stays there full time, u can't cut or move around the basket as much since he clogged the paint.

u have to mix it up. yao looked lively and energetic b/c of less banging.

plus, he never stepped out on ANY pick and roll, which was what i wanted all the time. he's too slow to recover.