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[Oregonian] McMillan blows whistle on officials

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by xelloss12, Apr 27, 2009.

  1. CrazyDave

    CrazyDave Contributing Member

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    All I know is, when games are officiated fairly, that is to say, calling the same types of physical contact consistently on both sides, it typically seems to be a GOOD thing for Houston.

    Keep whining, Nate, a truly fairly officiated game will only get worse for your team.

    I look for a tightly officiated game, and for us to win decisively because of it.
     
  2. SuperMarioBro

    SuperMarioBro Member

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    If the officials actually called every foul that Oden and Jizzbilla commit (even just the ones they commit on Yao), they would both be fouled out by the beginning of the 4th quarter in every game.
     
  3. Cowboy_Bebop

    Cowboy_Bebop Member

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    Are they freaking joking? Oden is a fouling machine during the regular season even with limited minutes. Maybe they should think about playing Yao fairly instead of grabbing him then they wouldn't complain about the fouls they are getting. What an idiot.
     
  4. Icehouse

    Icehouse Contributing Member

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    So you would complain about inconsistency because you got away with it 3 times and didn't the 4th? So if I successfully steal from a store 3 times because the clerk didn't care enough to stop me, I have a right to compalin when a different clerk does his job the 4th time??

    You can't complain about inconsistency when you are being allowed to get over when you shouldn't be...and then get mad when things are called correctly.
     
  5. Acedude

    Acedude Contributing Member

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    I'm sorry but this is pure gold from one of the comments under that article.

    Are you serious??!?!?
     
  6. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

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    talk about babies.

    Way to show how much of a "good" team you are by saying the refs are responsible for you not hustling after lose balls and not being aggressive.
    I'm sorry but Portland's full of pansies. Get some tougher skin. It's like it the first time they've played in the playoffs...oh yeah.
     
  7. Manny Ramirez

    Manny Ramirez The Music Man

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    I don't even know where to start other than I will say these things...

    1) I like Portland, really I do. If we wind up losing to them, they are the team that I would be rooting for to continue to advance. However, with all this whining and b****ing by McMillan and their fans just makes me want to puke. As others have said, after enduring years and I mean YEARS of seeing Yao getting torn a new one all the time by the officials, for them to complain about the fact that their centers (including Bill Russell's classmate from high school, Oden) can't just mug Yao at will is so laughable. This really has left me with a bad taste in my mouth and makes me want to root against them if they somehow make it to the next round. No one likes to root for a whiner.

    2) That blog and some of the comments were hilarious! I don't have time to go through all of them but there was one that stood out - there was this running theme, that it is a conspiracy theory on the NBA and David Stern to have the Rockets play the Lakers in the next round. One guy even said it was because "Houston is the 6th largest market in the US." I guess someone forgot to tell him that it hasn't been since 1997 that the Rockets used that little factoid to their "advantage" and got out of the 1st round. What is even more a scream (to me) is that these Blazer fans would have you believe that the Rockets are such a big bully because of their big market clout (mind you, the SIXTH largest market), yet it sure was funny when we won back to back titles in the mid 90's at how little publicity we received for doing that. :p
     
  8. JunkyardDwg

    JunkyardDwg Contributing Member

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    When you're watching a game, and you don't notice the officiating, then the refs generally did a good job.

    I'm gonna agree with Bull, Bill and Clyde from the other night. Game 4 was probably the best officiated game in the series. I remember a lot of things about that game, the officiating wasn't one of them.

    My only real complaint is that the calls haven't been consistent from game to game. Otherwise, neither Portland nor Houston have much to complain about because both probably have benefited from some home cooking. It's not the refs fault the Blazers lost by 30pts in game one.
     
  9. Vivid

    Vivid Member

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    I think a big thing about it in game 4 was Adelman's new approach concerning Yao. He told Yao to go with the flow and not tussle back; this has been something Yao has struggled with for a while. I know he is labeled as soft, but Rocket fans know better. The guy opened up mid-season about it, he simply can't go full throttle and bull people over or he gets a foul called. He simply tries his best to establish and resist his opponent, who often times throws everything and the kitchen sink at him. He basically matches or equals the exertion of his opponent (laws of physics), but this is still physically exerting and it still tires Yao out without the benefit of Yao dominating offensively. It was hard for Yao to balance this unfair dilemma that the refs had allowed. To be reasonable, the refs are trying their best; so let's not get funny ideas of how refs secretly conspire against Yao. The only truth to that is they probably get more complaints and reviews about Yao than just about any other player. Yao will always get tough love, so you either wait for the league to change, or you adapt. If you don't, well throw in the fact that his size and strength were his advantage and his quickness wasn't and you start having trouble with defense schemes like the front.

    Now, Adelman tells Yao not to fight it, let them be overly aggressive and try to bull you, and move with it. This accomplishes many things; (1) Yao is not fighting all game long so he is a lot more fresh come the 4th quarter, (2) the react offense runs smoother, and (3) he gets less fouls so he can be on the court longer.

    Now you can argue that the opposing center is also more fresh seeing as he isn't really having to fight Yao anymore... irrelevant. Teams switch off their entire roster of bigs on Yao, they are always fresh and generally never as skilled as Yao. A fresh Flopzilla and Odie doesn't help the Blazers as much as Yao helps us. He basically played the entire 4th, and was doing well. He got rebounds, employed beautiful post moves, and was plain being Yao.

    This brings me to my next point, Yao "flowing" optimizes Adelman's react offense. What happens when your game plan of pushing Yao out of the paint was exactly what the other team wanted you to do? What happens when he brushes off the forward momentum and simply goes left or right...even forward to set a pick? Now you have Yao on the low block flashing or up top ready to set a pick. Try to push him and stop him from even getting there...well that's a foul Odie. The Blazers have to react to the adjustment, and this means an open three somewhere or occasionally giving Yao the post. They lose on their main game plan and we optimize ours by not force feeding. We become less predictable and that makes us more dangerous. I feel like we employ a different scoring philosophy than the Blazers, they want to score at the beginning or end of the shot clock. We don't need to score at a certain time, we take as long or as short as needed to reach an optimal scoring zone. Every offense has optimal scoring zones, and even great defenses will allow scoring in these zones. The times will be sporadic and infrequent, so you have to always be ready to react and exploit. 15 seconds to get a good shot is better than a bad shot ever (looking at you Ron, save for the end the shot clock for those heaves.).

    My last point is obvious. Yao won't get ticky tack fouls on the offensive end anymore. Defensive fouls are inevitable and often necessary, but cutting the 1-2 offensive fouls is crucial for Yao. By going with the flow I feel like Adelman is harnessing his inner Bruce Lee, using the martial arts philosophy of mimicking water. Kind of fitting after the martial arts article but I think it works. Yao is using his opponents energy and momentum against them. Push too hard and get a foul, push too softly and Yao will react. Example, in the forth (in game 4) Flopzilla was pushing Yao hard off the block, Yao went forward a bit catching the ball and threw it back out to the pg. He then pushed back up and Flopzilla, who assuming he had done his job lightened up a bit in anticipation of a pass to the weakside. Yao immediately made his move to the middle and was hit with a pass, one step...jump hook, just like in practice. Before, Yao's opponents could just push and push and expect to get and equal amount of resistance. This tired Yao and threw him off his game and when he tried to counter by being overly assertive, well the opponent just baited Yao into a foul. Now Yao isn't initially pushing back, so there is nothing to push on and establish that initial position. Kudos to the Rockets for being patient, kudos to Yao for not giving up on the play and reacting to what was given when it was given. Another example of the react offense.

    Master Adelman said to Yao "be like water, do not be limited in your form and adapt to your surroundings. Water can flow smoothly but it can also crash with a monstrous force. Be like water, and remember only you can prevent forest fires...and take them out if said prevention doesn't occur." Yao responded with 21 and 12. More importantly, he responded by staying on the floor longer than Flopzilla and Odie combined. The student is now the master. The reporters ask "Master Yao, what is your favorite drink to go along with your favorite dish?" and Master Yao replies "Waaaaataaaaaaah!"

    Two 5's in Master Mutombo's jersey number.... must be a sign. Game 5, ladies and gents... the series ends tonight.

    -V
     
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  10. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Red Auerback started the concept of intimidating the refs; or he fine-lined someone else's precedent.

    Phil Jackson is the latter day ain't of NBA coaches (he should coach 'for' Cubes, eh?) so, now, to all, an L = bad officials (not lesser play nor, heaven forbid, poor coaching).

    However, Nate (The Great!) is right: call it the same both ways. Then watch the foul discrepancy become a gulf wider than Mexico.
     
  11. MONON

    MONON Member

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    I disagree! I think Portland will come out very aggressive and get rewarded for it. How we respond to that initial run will determine the outcome. This is simular to what happened in game 4. If the refs call it like game 4, we win. If not, we probably loose.
     
  12. professorjay

    professorjay Contributing Member

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    BTW, Oden LEADS THE LEAGUE IN PERSONAL FOULS with 3.9 a game. And he does it AVERAGING 21 MINUTES A GAME.

    For comparison, every other person in the top 10 averages over 30 minutes a game except for one (Collison, 25 mpg).
     
  13. choujie

    choujie Member

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    Expect Portlan come out be aggressive to the basket and getting calls early. A couple of foul calls will make Rockets players hesitate on defense. The score will be higher for Portland than previous two games if that's how the game is being officiated.

    To win this game, Artest can't shoot 5/20 nights anymore. Scola needs to hit open jumpers like he did in regular season. Brooks needs to dribble much less. More importantly, Yao needs to get the ball.
     
  14. rocketsregle

    rocketsregle Contributing Member

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    I think the whining by Nate will be a non-issue. I have faith in the refs. There were so many foul calls in game 2 and yet the game was there for the taking if they just made their free-throws. Just keep playing as you have and make your free-throws ... no more 1 for 2 at the line.
     
    #134 rocketsregle, Apr 28, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2009
  15. Yak

    Yak Member

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    The guy is being sarcastic.

    His name is "delusionalblazerfan".
     
  16. dachuda86

    dachuda86 Member

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    Oh.. what? They started calling fouls on people when they shank Yao? What has the world come to.
     
  17. trueroxfan

    trueroxfan Member

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    everyone is so used to getting away with the fouls on yao that they actually think what they do is legal, there is no way that will continue, the officials will swing back in portlands favor after this, just like they did in 05
     
  18. nickb492

    nickb492 Contributing Member

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    Man i hope this bull**** don't affect the game tonight. I don't want a repeat of Game 2. Fouls called every damn 2 seconds, but it doesn't make sense that Nate would say that regarding the fact that they called fouls on Battier when he got blocks just because Roy fell down, or through up his hands like a women. I liked the Blazers but I'm starting to see they are a bunch of p*****s.
     
  19. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    Whining doesn't become them. Poor, poor wittle Bwazers. :( How sad! I guess we should ignore the cuts and bruises on Yao.

    They want the proverbial cake and they want to eat that sucker as well. Tough.
     
  20. HowsMyDriving

    HowsMyDriving Member

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