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ClutchFans Game Thread: Spurs @ Rockets 10/22/2006 (PRESEASON)

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Oct 21, 2006.

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daywalker02 Member

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cute? hehe

#281 daywalker02, Oct 22, 2006

m_cable Contributing Member

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Matchman said:

Lebron James splitting the defenders and driving right at Yao, taking the 4th step to the basket~! YES! he did it! Lebron James gives the Cavaliers a 2 point lead with 0.1 seconds to go!
Click to expand...

Taking extra steps is one thing, but I hate how every other pumpfake is called for a travel. It doesn't even provide much of an advantage, but cracking down on it slows down the game tremendously. And a ton of them have been borderline at best. I'd rather let the borderline ones go so that we can get some flow back into these games.

#282 m_cable, Oct 22, 2006
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So that's how the Spurs won all those Championships...bored everyone to death.

#283 MystikArkitect, Oct 22, 2006
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Yeah, I agree that T-Mac didn't really seem like his old self, but it's probably because he's not trying. I don't know.. just does bother me though that he's not exploding to the basket.. but again, it's just pre-season and it doesn't seem like he's trying.

#284 rofflesaurus, Oct 22, 2006
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battier had a nice game, and is tmac okay? someone help me out on that one. BUT i did make a nice little thing for BATman(battier) <img src=http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/2986/shanebattiersmallvc7.jpg>

#285 SLrocket, Oct 22, 2006
xomox Contributing Member

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maybe mac doesn't want to chance an injury on meaningless games, especially if he is trying to get his stamina back up. if he goes all out and gets himself too tired, he increases his risk for injury. i'm hoping he's just taking it easy.

#286 xomox, Oct 22, 2006
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It looked to me like the Rox offensive flow and energy lost a lot without Luther Head.

#287 sfayner, Oct 22, 2006

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Rusty Yao Ming only shot 59%, what can we expect when he shakes off the rust?

#288 Yetti, Oct 22, 2006
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Rockets crush Spurs 93-72

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

As much as breathless, even nonsensical hyperbole is a preseason ritual, Yao Ming went for the early, insurmountable lead.

In a moment of unrestrained giddiness, Yao compared Rockets guard Billy Spanoulis to Steve Nash.

Upon hearing this, coach Jeff Van Gundy turned to the cinder block wall behind him and hit his head against it.

"He needs to be checked on that statement," Van Gundy said. "There should have been a straight jacket."

Yao did not go so far after the Rockets got past a ragged start to pull away for a 93-72 win against the pseudo Spurs. With Spurs stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginoboili, Tony Parker and Bruce Bowen at home, Yao led the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds. .

Even if Yao did not feel the need to gush again, Spanoulis' style — full speed, high energy and somewhere between daring and reckless — tends to inspire strong reactions.

A comparison to Nash, the two-time MVP — an incredible shooter and sure-handed ball-handler — might not fit a rookie who is trying to find a shot and has been turnover prone.

Van Gundy's concern was not with Yao's ability to describe teammates, but for escalating expectations for a rookie likely to face growing pains while dealing with the pressure that comes from having already has had success in International and professional basketball.

"A lot of players from Europe come over and it doesn't work out right away," Van Gundy said. "It's a hard adjustment. If he (Spanoulis) stays mentally strong, doesn't let others' expectations or questions about what is happening distract him, he'll be fine. These guys, already professionals, feel a lot of pressure externally.

"He's gotten better. I like that he has a natural intensity. He has a great passion for the game, a good engine. Now it's about harnessing that into being a productive NBA player. How long it takes, I don't know. If he stays mentally strong, I have no doubt it will happen."

Spanoulis' play was fairly typical, with a turnover on his first touch, a pair of quick fouls and a slick baseline drive past the Spurs' Jacque Vaughn, a move he reprised in the second half.

"For every European player, there is an adjustment when they came here," Spanoulis said. "You must play more from your teammates. You must learn your teammates better. They must learn you better, how you penetrate, where you like to pass.

"After so many practices and preseason games, everything is getting better and better."

In his first four games, Spanoulis has 14 turnovers, averaging 9.3 per 48 minutes. On Sunday, he had two in 20 minutes before fouling out. He finished with four points and, after getting eight assists on Wednesday, had two on Sunday.

Still, Van Gundy raves about the improvement. But in some ways, that indicates where Spanoulis was when he began the preseason, and how far he must go.

"He makes some (turnovers), you're head-scratching," Van Gundy said. "You're saying, 'I don't know what you saw on that.' But ... he is a heck of a lot better today than he was the first day of training camp and the first week and the first 10 days to two weeks.

"He played basically as poorly as a guy could play in that 10-day stretch. What I was impressed with, as were the other coaches, was his lack of getting down in that stretch."

That said, a better comparison for Yao might be Spurs points guard Tony Parker. But not to the All-Star Parker so ready for the season that the Spurs left him home on Sunday, but rather to the Tony Parker who arrived in San Antonio in 2001 as a teenager with nearly as much to learn as Spanoulis.

"Nobody even knew who he was in a lot of ways," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He wasn't a point guard. He was skinny, didn't really know what the position entailed. And here he walks in the door with David (Robinson) and Tim (Duncan) standing there and he's supposed to run the show.

"That was tough for him, but because of his toughness and his intelligence, his ability to handle criticism, mainly from me, it made it tougher. We thought he was good enough as we saw him through the preseason that if he wasn't going to fold on us, we had one hell of a player.''

Spanoulis, however, was not ready to argue with Yao.

"I want to take something from many players," Spanoulis said. It is good hear this from Yao.

"I like how (Nash) is the MVP. He's a great player, maybe the best, one of the best in the league. I like the way he makes the right decision every time, the way he can pass the ball and to who at the right time.
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"In a moment of unrestrained giddiness, Yao compared Rockets guard Billy Spanoulis to Steve Nash.
Upon hearing this, coach Jeff Van Gundy turned to the cinder block wall behind him and hit his head against it.
'He needs to be checked on that statement,' Van Gundy said. 'There should have been a straight jacket.'"

hahaha. at least it seems Van Gundy still has a fair amount of faith in Spanoulis. he sounds at least somewhat appreciative

"He played basically as poorly as a guy could play in that 10-day stretch. What I was impressed with, as were the other coaches, was his lack of getting down in that stretch."

LET'S GO KILLBILL

#289 rookie17, Oct 22, 2006
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Where are the pagett bashers now?.. i was ecstatic we got him back and now i'm rapt scotty is playing so well. novak and padgett are rapidly forming themselves as good rotation type players.

#290 blazer_ben, Oct 22, 2006
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hopefully they start calling these travel calls on lebron '4 step' james

#291 yaoluv, Oct 22, 2006
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Just got back from the game. went to the Texans game today as well, so needless to say I have had a good day. Tmac did nt look like himself out there but I am not worried just yet, it is the preseason and Spurs held everyone back.

I have to give a shout out to the Red Rowdies. You guys definately bring a new energy to the game, plus the fact that you guys keep it up all game. It is going to be great in the TC this year. My season tickets are in Sec 114, so I look to seeing you guys!

#292 Kerfeld, Oct 22, 2006
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padgett sucks. jhowards game is superior in every way. if the rox orginization had any clue to success, they'd let juwon lead the team. padgett is juwons footstool. ok, that's quite enough of that.

#293 xomox, Oct 22, 2006

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A good game!!

#294 chris_Rocket, Oct 22, 2006
DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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Any time we beat the Spurs it is a good day....I don't care who played or not...

GO ROCKETS !!

DD

#295 DaDakota, Oct 22, 2006
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xomox said:

maybe mac doesn't want to chance an injury on meaningless games, especially if he is trying to get his stamina back up. if he goes all out and gets himself too tired, he increases his risk for injury. i'm hoping he's just taking it easy.
Click to expand...

actually I hope thats not the case cuz tmac has play 82 regular season game and he has to give everything hes got in every single game.

#296 Riz, Oct 22, 2006
blazer_ben Rookie

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xomox said:

padgett sucks. jhowards game is superior in every way. if the rox orginization had any clue to success, they'd let juwon lead the team. padgett is juwons footstool. ok, that's quite enough of that.
Click to expand...

Really?... pagett is a more efficient scorer, better rebounder and is a much, much, much better defensive player.

#297 blazer_ben, Oct 22, 2006
xomox Contributing Member

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you took the bait!

#298 xomox, Oct 22, 2006

daywalker02 Member

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when it comes down to hit that ugly mid-range jumper, j-how is still the best at it

#299 daywalker02, Oct 22, 2006
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xomox said:

you took the bait!
Click to expand...

Oh silly me.

#300 blazer_ben, Oct 22, 2006

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