ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hawks 11/16/2004

he doesn't seem to drive near enough but he did have like 7.6 FTA/GM last year. of course that's down to 5.8 this year. guess who else had a big drop in FTA last year but is back up this year?

 

Funny thing is, you might be right. This team may use this as a wake up call and finally get going.

 

Have to agree on this to let the loss be somehow positive. THis kind of loss is better sooner than later.

 

If this continues, I wouldn't blame him for doing that. If I were Yao, I would beat the crap out of Lue and Ward in the locker room.

 

i dont understand why boki wanst in the game in crunch time...or more importantly why we didnt get yao more than 3 shots in the WHOLE 4th quarter. i think i am going to be sick.

 

It looks like the latter from a shot chart I saw, at least outside of Yao's shots, not too sure how accurate they are though.

 

Bench Ward, start JVG at the point until Sura comes back. Give Boki more minutes and quit playing Bowen..

 

The guards just didn't want to make Yao Ming look good
as a punishment for his lack of effort in the Nets' game.
JVG told them to do so.

 

I really can't understand why those guys don't want to feed the ball to Yao in 4th quater even if yao has a good position to get ball. If it's going to continue in whole season,I have to say yao will leave after this season.

 

Wow! A positive post, thanks!

I hope you're right...

 

Wow, I am absolutely ashamed to be a rockets fan right now. How can a whole team simultaneously shrink up and choke so incredibly badly? Antoine Walker, my least favorite player in the league, led his team to victory over our team with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

The list of problems is long:

1. Yao apparently really does have no balls. He let Peja freakin Drobnjak take him out of the game. He only made half-hearted efforts to "demand" the ball in crunch time. I knew after the first half when he had 8 boards that there was a good chance he wouldn't make it to double digits. That's just what he does, and whenever it looks like he's on the way to a huge rebounding game, he pulls down 2 or 3 in the second half.

2. JVG has got to get the ball to the right people in crunch time. Yao was dominating, yet a concerted team effort was not made to get Yao the ball as our lead dwindled. What was he telling the team during the timeouts? "Ok guys, Drobniak is shoving Yao and sometimes fronting him, lets go to Tmac for tough jumpers. AND PLAY HARDER ON DEFENSE!" As I mentioned, Yao is largely responsible, but how can a coach let a player disappear like that? Hell, lump Ewing into this critique.

3. Point guard play. Crucial turnovers by Ward tonight. Lue committed dumb fouls when in the penalty. For some reason our guards like to pass the ball to Yao from the top of the key when Yao is posted up on the block. That's just bad fundamental basketball because it is such a tough passing angle.

4. What did Tmac do tonight to warrant him getting the shots in the crucial minutes of the game? He's probably still hurting a little bit, but he did not go to the basket nearly enough against a donut team. Just because the hawks tried a light fronting scheme against Yao does not mean that Tmac has to start taking tough, contested jumpers.

5. JJ has no handles whatsoever. When he dribbles the ball up court, i get flashes of clairvoyance and can just see the turnover occuring before it actually happens. JJ has lost the ball at least 4 times this year while dribbling against very light or no pressure.

6. Obvious, but our PFs are horrible on the boards. Howard had inside position so many times on offense, but just couldn't come up with the offensive rebound. Being beat to the ball by the likes of Josh Childress, who i love, by the way.

Frankly, I could see a loss like this coming a mile away. You could tell that the intensity was not there. Normally, I would be really mad, but i'm more just disappointed and disgusted. You can't pin all of the blame on one guy. Every single player absolutely shrivelled in the clutch.

And last but not least, the TV coverage really dropped the ball on replays. Yao had that awesome dunk on Childress, one of his best i've ever seen, and they did not show a replay. They did not show it at halftime either. Hard to believe they wouldn't show that play twice.

 

bench both Ward and Lue, play Tmac at 1 and Boki at 2.

 

Why they refused to give the ball to yao when yoa was in the good positiion.They like showing off.Everybody want high score,but they should be aware of their roles in this team exactly.
Yao is a good team player,and a really noble-minded man.

 

JVG Must GO! Dude probably thinks he will mop(e)ivate the team to play harder on the defensive end, now. After all, offense is just an after thought and certainly no way to win games ,or for that matter close out an easy win over the Hawks.

I AM MOP(E)IVATED AND JVG IS MY LEADER!!!

 

Did you read my post from the Nets game? The same thing happened there. We were lucky the Nets were worse last night.

 

Lay this loss on JVG's doorstep. What was he thinking by pulling all those substitutions late in the game. I know he wants to keep the players happy by giving them minutes, but roll with those that got you there. JVG f***d around and tried to coast with a 13 point lead. This was a bad loss, I think JVG is going to have to shake things up.

 

there is a 7'6 guy on the court make sure you don't give him the ball

 

a charlie ward who cant make a wide open jumper, is completely useless in this league. Just ask Greg popovich!!! Only JVG will like to sign some of his ex-knicks player.
I dont usually blame JVG, but this game is completely his faults. I would like to hear what excuses from him or put blame on the players. Think he gonna said, we didnt defend well, didnt go after the rebounds and didnt take care of the ball blah blah blah!!! Sounds familiar??? Yes, i heard this since last season and more than 100 games coached by JVG and we still have the same mistakes... could this be the players??? oh... wait we already traded some boneheads... or could this be the coach!!!!!

 

I didn't like the substitution plan either, hopefully when Sura comes back he can bring something new and better