ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Grizzlies 1/19/2004

The guards do not know how to do this. This is why Robert Horry is still in the league. He can actually do this pretty damn well. If a defense is successful in keeping the ball away from Yao with only a single defender fronting him, it totally puts a wrench in the offense.

 

I expected the Grizzlies to make a run in the 4th quarter but we didn't respond well and ended up with only 12 points. This was most disappointing. It was a winnable game but we blew our chance once again.
I don't think we have it in us to win.

 

This is my summary what happened to Yao tonight:

Memphis swamed around him early on to make sure he doesn't get easy points. Rox couldn't same kind of sharp passes to Yao like previous 3 games. So we kept taking jumpers. Unfortunately, they were not falling. Them memphis just ran crazily fast down the court. They weren't much more successful, but this tempo killed Yao. So we took Yao out, and played small. It was quite successful and our 3-pointers were falling. Although Yao played some minutes in between, he wasn't invloved in offense much because our jumpers were falling. In the 4th, a few bad shots and TO's plus dumb lucky 3-pointers by Posey let Memphis took the lead. Yao scored two baskets to put us back in the game, but memphis just got lucky at getting offensive rebounds at the end. God was not on our side tonight, simply put. Yao played well on D, had a couple of blocks, changed a few shots (including one of miller down to the wire), drew a charge at clutch time, and don't forget Gasor was not his assignment.

 

Yes, that is not always guards job to pass the lob to Yao, Rox has their PFs to do it.

MoT had couple nice dish, Cato has a horrible hand and I insist we should bench him while playing against a quick / perimeter team with relatively weak frontline.

 

I hate Posey for leaving

On a better note, we only had 12 turnovers [Steve with only 2]

 

I saw a game in which the guards did not even attempt a lob pass a single time to Yao. Yes, it might be a turnover, but it is also one of the easiest baskets to convert due to the defensive overplay. At least try to make a pass to make it look like they practiced the lob pass in practice. I watched this game. I saw no attempt to lob even once.

 

I don't know why there're so many negatives here. I watched the whole game and I think they played fine.
Sure there were some bonehead plays but it's really the rebounds (unlucky bounces I should say) and Posey's 3's that killed them in the 4th quarter.
I don't feel bad about this game even though we lost. Perhaps you guys had set the expectation too high. Sometimes a winning streak also requires a bit of luck, and we just didn't have it tonight.

 

Cato had one good pass and one basket, that's his entire contribution in the entire game. Gasol schooled him, and he responded with the Caveman hack/flagrant. Did somebody look at the +- for cato, he's pathetic tonight? I counted -16. Not sure though.

 

Nobody said he is perfect. but it was a fact that he could get the ball more if guards did a better passing job. This game is similar to last three games, except 1) timing of pass was off tonight so they didn't get him the ball often enough. 2) our shooting was cold at the begining so it allowed memphis to commit to Yao.

 

Whoever says Yao did not play well has no clue what he's talking about.

A few times when the ball did go to Yao when he's fronted, the pass was even good. There was an occation that that pass was so uncatchable that Yao had to throw it onto opponent's legs to prevent going out of bound and a turnover.

He played aggresive, but most of the night, the game isn't played in Rockets' tempo or style.

Although Rockets lost a tough one, I feel like they actually turned corner, especially the role players have been playing well and they played with energy through out.

 

Yes, at least attempt the lob pass.
How do u know whether u succeed if u don't attempt it?

The Rox needs some time working some of the problems out. Hopefully we have it figured out before the playoffs.

 

If the lob pass is done correctly, it will be close enough to the basket for post player to catch the ball above his head and lay it up into the basket without much effort. Posey wouldn't even be a factor. Have you ever seen Robert Horry pass into the post with Hakeem and Shaq? As much as you think it is because of Yao that the guards do not attempt a single lob, I've seen instances in which Maurice is fronted, and the guards do not try to lob the ball to Maurice. So it's all Maurice and Yao's fault for the guards not even attempting the lob right?

 

our guard are only confortable passing the ball to Yao when defense player is behind Yao, not beside Yao, not in front of Yao.

And to those who are missing Posey, DON'T! check the stats, JJ is better than Posey!

 

I agree. I don't even see the guards even try to lob the pass. Why do they not try to pass? Do they not practice this type of pass? If not, then this is a failure on Van Gundy's part to emphasize how important it is to possess this skill.

 

This was not one of Yao's good games. That was obvious. I think any uptempo game is going to be hard on Yao until his stamina increases, but anyone who thinks Yao should fighting through a fronting defense has not watched Shaq or Hakeem. Let those bastards front. Lob a decent pass to give Yao a chance to catch the ball from up top. You know what? The guards sometime lob the ball to Yao when they are inbounding the ball. They can certainly do it if they practice more.

 

The beginnings of each halves were bad, and it wasn't a coincidence that Cato started each one. However, this was already known prior to the game. Van Gundy knew this weakness of the team too. The fact that he started Cato out of loyalty is a weakness of Van Gundy.

 

Mobley's gotta be the most selfish player I've ever seen, I can't recall him ever passing the ball to anyone,period!!!

 

1. shooting guard
2. he had 6 assists tonight [same as Steve, our PG]

 

BULL****.

I watched the entire game and say Pau scoring over Yao's outstretched arms time after time.

You're in denial.

 

This is where Mark Jackson become the MVP this year. If he can get the team to effectively pass into the post especially when Yao is just fronted by a single defender, he should get a contract for another year. Make sure he gets paid for teaching his skills to a group of young players.