some observation: SF or Cat never pass after PnR with Yao even if he is wide open. I am not sure it's their inability or intention to score themselves Offense is not started with Yao even if he has position. I am not sure if it's JVG's idea or guard's idea. It seems to me that guards dont trust Yao enough to take it by himself. There have been patterns when we played agianst Dallas. it's always the mid-3rd quarter, we got completely beaten.
Another observation from last night's game, Dallas exploited our most glaring weakness, Cato trying to cover mobile power fowards. This is a situation that will have to be addressed moving further into the season, with the likes of Malone with the Lakers, Walker and Jamison, and Wallace to a certain level. And guess what, Mo Taylor ain't the answer. We really need EG to get over his issues because Mo Taylor doesn't play defense well enough and Cato is a center.
Kenny, great post about whether JVG has the guts to bench Mobs for Pike. Mobs is the senior member of this pathetic Rocket attacks. Undoutbly Mobs is more talented player than Pike in all aspect of his game except passing and playing within the JVG system. His game is much more suited to run n gun and as the main focus of the offense. If he's not involved, he just fades and take dumb shots. So the challenge for JVG is to convince Mobs that he would be more valuable to the team as a 6th man. But I doubt that would work as he and SF are tight. I am not sure Mobs would take this role (he still regard himself as a cornerstone of this franchise and he has made a great sacrifice for the team by signing for such a low salary 2 years ago). But I would love to see JJ as the shooting guard and Pike on the wing as this team gears to playoffs.
Here are my observations of the game: 1) Yao needs to show his size and start becoming a brute force. On defense Yao is still awesome and changes the flow of the game simply being 7 ft 6. However, his offense needs a shot of testosterone. NOT MEANING TO BE CRUDE BUT YAO NEEDS TO GROW SOME TESTICALS. 2) We need a more stable point guard who knows how to make good decisions. Moochie Norris scares me every time he brings up the ball. He plays like the guys on the infamous AND1 players on ESPN and Steve Francis doesn't know how to play the point. So here we go again with reiterating comments from last season. WE NEED A POINT GUARD WHO KNOWS HOW TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
How does one go about growing testicles. On a tree? My oh my. THat would be one tree I would never want to climb.
You can't read the forum until you registered, which is why I registered. Yet you registered in Octobor, so you can't be reading the forum with the "lignny" account. So you have to make the new account within the past month. So what's the account that you'd been reading posts in again? Tanner, with some of the rumors I've heard about you and regarding certain other bbs, I wouldn't criticize some one about creating fake accounts. Not that I disagree with what you said, but pot, kettle and black.
lol, this is even more stupid. How come I can not start a new registration as the new season start after a long break?? And is there any problem to be a newbie?????? BTW, great win today! Go rockets !!!
I was at the game in Dallas... it seemed like there were two different teams on the floor, both wearing red. OKay, so there were three teams on the floor... The Rockets couldn't handle the defensive intensity of the Mavs. The Yao inside out game just didn't happen after Yao went 0-4 to start it off... then when we'd get fast breaks it would look like we didn't know how to complete the break... Van Gundy seemed to be begging our boys to run it down and we looked lost... I love Yao - as a potentially good prospect - but how can you not blame him for not setting the tone early? He SHOULD dominate in a game where he is 10" taller than his opening defender, even if you slide Dirk into defend for Danny "SHORTson" Yao still has a 6" edge... For goodness' sake he's a second year pro with way taller oponents scoring fewer against him, and scoring more on them... he get's the fat lip in this one. Unbelievable to me that you have the ball down low, closer to the basket than you are tall, and you blow 8 easy points... Set that pace early, with Yao getting easy buckets, THEN you would have freed up the guard play... It's the same as a football team establishing the run game to open up the passing game. Check the score vs. Dallas... what? 11 points? Way different had you set up the inside game and stuck with it... that would automatically get your running game on too, inside completion sets up defense, defense sets up fast breaks. Shoulda, coulda, woulda... had Yao got it IN THE HOOP early... Why "freeze out" Yao? Cause he misses easy buckets. Why does he look lost? Cause he gets his confidence rocked early and often.. and seems to psych himself out. Better outcome later, we hope. (AND HE DID WELL VS. PHX ) p.s. - I've got some limited live game and warmup footage (I got my camera in) and some stills, mostly of Boki and Moochie (Yao had gone in by the time I got down to the floor)... if anyone would like to see them email me through the board and I'll send them too you... Other than the outcome of the Dallas game, and my frustration with Yao (which made our guards "look lost" as well), the AAC was a fun place to attend a game... maybe our marketing can take some notes...
Right, so I asked what was your old handle? There's nothing wrong with being a newbie, but you said you being reading the boards for over a year when it can't be possible with your current id. Please explain to me how am I stupid.
P.S. Tanner was talking about how ppl create new handles and let themselves be flame bait, your last post isn't not doing anything to disprove but only incriminating your self more.
Yao Ming InterviewBy ***********.com Houston Rockets center Yao Ming at age 23 is quickly becoming one of the NBA's top centers. ***********.com met with Yao in the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey for an exclusive interview. ***********.com: What kind of things has Rockets assistant Patrick Ewing taught you? I saw you two talking on court before the game and it looked like he was teaching you some stuff. Yao Ming: He was talking about issues that arise from being a center. ***********.com: How's your relationship with Ewing? Yao Ming: I just feel like he's a fun person. ***********.com: What are the main changes taking place under new coach Jeff Van Gundy that affect how you're playing? Yao Ming: I don't feel that it's had an effect on my personal game. ***********.com: What did you do this summer, both on the court as well as off? Yao Ming: After the season I stayed at home and rested for a month. I ate all the great things that I like to eat at home that I couldn't get here. And, in terms of basketball, I worked a lot on my strength and conditioning. In practice, I tried to work on how to use my strength. ***********.com: You're a great passer for a center. For anyone. How did you get so good at it? Yao Ming: That arose from when I was playing in (China). As I got better and better, there were a lot of double teams, and I drew a lot of defenders, so I had to learn how to pass the ball, and get it off to my teammates, because the more people that came to defend me, that means there are more openings for other players. ***********.com: How does it feel knowing that you are one of the only potentially elite centers in the entire NBA right now? Yao Ming: It's something that I don't think about a lot. I'm only 23 years old. And I regret the fact that I didn't get to play with a lot of those great centers, like Hakeem, and our coach (Patrick Ewing). Of course, I get to play against Shaq now, which is a great honor to play against such a great player. But to play against those kinds of centers is an honor.
i wonder if the rockets are trying to make yao into someone he is not...he's not hakeem or shaq...he's not an atheletic freak, he isnt that quick nor is he particlarlly strong at this point in his career...and this is think this is contributing to his struggles.. having him bump and grind in the paint may not be the most efficent use of his skills...his lower body seems to be strong enough to hold his position in he paint, but doesnt seem strong enough to root out opponents to create space for himself..nor does it seem his uppper body strong enough to get people off his back...adding 20lb of muscle does not necessaryily mean he is strong enough now, it could just be an indictment on how weak he was...having him try to dunk over people in the paint isnt his forte.. until he gets strong enough, why not play him more at a high post position and let him use his strengths..shooting and passing...and not post him on the low block fulltime..think back to last year, when he shot 80% over a strech of games, most of those shot werent dunks..im guessing most were turnaround jumpers and he was weaker than..than he is today...so we know he can succeed playing a more "outside" game....he just needed more touches and more stamina.. i just think the jvg is trying put a square peg in a round hole at this point...all of us want yao to a MD center ala shaq...but why cant he just be yao for now?
No way, I was a lurker since the clutchcity.COM days and if I didnt' have to register to read the forum, I would never would've. I remember one day I clicked on bbs, and next thing you know a sign in page appeared. So my experience tells me you have to register to view the pages.
very astute observation, saitou, and i share your suspicion ! Tanner = lignny. same writing style; well written posts, almost sports columnist quality. down with flame-baiting
