One thing about the playoffs is that it truly exposes the weaknesses in a team's game. For the Rockets, despite the win, it showed that we still need toughness under the basket and can be really foul prone. But, more importantly, it showed that Dallas is really lacking a playmaker. They have great individual players who all can create shots, but they create shots for themselves, not for their teammates and that is a key difference. As good as Nowitzki is and as quick as guys like Terry and Stackhouse might be, none of them makes a move looking to create a great play. They make a move looking to score. By contrast, you look at a guy like McGrady and he is a great playmaker. He can go off for 30+ at any moment, but he can also find open players, control the tempo, make smart decisions, get to the foul line...and on and on. I said in previewing this that the chemistry and nature of the players on the Rockets bench made them more dangerous than Dallas. I stick by that assessment. They may be a group of no names, but they play within their roles and don't try to be anything they are not. They get the ball and they make plays. The Dallas bench has name players but, again, they are guys who can make plays for themselves but don't have the ability to make plays for teammates or to simply spot up and wait for the action to come to them. It is why our bench, though certainly not more talented on paper, and our playmakers, though not the traditional point guard (i.e. Steve Nash), were more effective in game 1 of this series and why they can win this series against a team everyone picked. The series is by no means over and I still think they'll have to go at least 6 games to get past Dallas. But, the combination of great defense and decision making is what sets this team apart from the Mavs at least today.
I agree 100% with you Jeff... Our guys ALL play as a team. One cohesive unit firing on all cylinders. They are not afraid to make the extra pass to create a better shot and our stars in Yao and T-Mac know how to keep everything flowing. Man I'm going to have to watch Hoosiers again.....lol or maybe the 1994 Finals
It seems like you were right and I agree that we have chemistry. We play like a team..smart good basketball. We tend to foul when other players drive and attack the basket..go up for layup..we can usually stop that..then our guys i guess have a tendency to foul to stop the guy from getting an easy bucket inside. Howard may have helped..but I don't know if he would be good on Nowitzki. Bowen and Tmac did a good job on Dirk. I love Tmac. We were getting the shots we wanted and we made them!!! Nobody on the Mavs can stop Yao or Tmac. And doesn't seem like they can contain Mike James either. I love the Rockets!!!! So yeah the announcers yesterday on ESPN kept on saying the Mavas have numerous scorers who can score at any time..but they didn't yesterday..they couldn't..we have an offense that works that creates easy scoring opportunities for everyone! We definitely were better than the Mavs yesterday. I hope we can continue to shut them down and score more points than them! Yesterday worked out well for the Rockets. I definitely felt like we were better. I still wonder what Mavs fans are saying. I'm worried about who we play next..Suns or Spurs or Nuggets?
This analysis is on the money. Interesting that no one in the media sees it; they are so sound-bite oriented and they don't watch the Rockets every game like we do. Still! The BBS is the best place for in-depth analysis. The Mavs may have more talent, but, I too believe that the Rockets are the better team. Game two is critical, though. I hope the Rockets play with even more intensity.
interesting point, it makes me think of Mark Jackson's "analysis" last night ... one second, he is saying how Dallas is better because they are a team of "scorers" vs. Houston, which is a team full of "shooters" he goes on and on about scorers and shooters, then by the end of the game he is describing T-Mac and James as incredible "scorers"
In response to the first sentence: We should be able to win if we score more points than them Second question: We play Dallas next Just messing with you
Great points, and frankly TMac, the teammate, the on court general, is even more TMac than I 'bargained for' when the trade went down. I thought it was talent v talent, but it was more. (And that was enough, for me, 'then'. Their talent, now our talent, was greater than the sum of its parts while our talent, now their talent, is just what you see. BTW - I would gladly reclaim Cat though I expect Kings to retain him. BTW - I wish Stevie had come onto a Rox team with the kind of veteran leadership which might have enabled him to grow into all his talent.
Yeah Mark Jackson was the "announcer" I was talking about. GO ROCKETS!!!!!!!! Those fans were awful quiet!!!
The thing that stuck out to me was how our defense differs. Dallas defense is tight one-on-one defense, causing turnovers, stealing passes, and blocking shots. Our defense is team defense. Our defense does not show up in the TO, BLK, STL category but shows up in the FG% category. Dallas rotates much slower than we do on defense, and I think our defense is so tough because we have been doing it since day 1. It's not something that is extra curricular, it is an everyday thing to rotate and predict your cover as quickly as possible. Dallas has just now began to focus on doing that. Our defense will decide this series for us. Once our defense kept denying easy plays for them they didn't know what to do next because nothing was working as well as they hoped. JVG > AJ and that is our biggest advantage of this series.
I wouldn't go that far. Dirk can get open looks for his teammates. He's not a point powerforward, but who is, ever was. Dirk can get shots for his teammates. Avery Johnson didn't let him do it'. I guarantee he will in game 2. If you put Dirk in a Pick and Roll I guarantee you the MAvs get open shots.
i' said this under "jeff' first analysis" that Houston is weak down low.... Ming and Deke are both good...but they play the same position.... this is nothing new..... anyone could have told you that except for anyone from this board ... anyway superstars have off nights ... they do not get shut down ... so expect Dirk to go nutz the second game... Bowen did'nt do jack.... he's getting credit for Kirk's off night Mavs in 6.
You know, I like KG a lot as a guy and as a talent, but has there EVER been a more overrated player in NBA history? I doubt it
The discrepancy in free throws was merely the result of a difference in defensive intensity. The Rockets were up in their face, the Mavs were kind of back on their heels most of the game. Oen by product of aggressive defense is having a greater tendency for fouls that were unintentional. Plus, while the Mavs were seemingly more willing to not foul any driving Rockets and just try to change their shot, the Rockets didn't allow ANY easy inside baskets after that first 5 minutes or so. Like a poster mentioned earlier, Bowen is getting a lot more credit for the defense on Dirk than he should. I thought McGrady did a HELL of a lot better job harassing Diggler than anyone else on the team. Dirk will rebound, but you know what, so will Yao.
KG the MOST overrated? I seriously disagree. He won't even go down as the best at his position but OVERRATED? Don't think so. Larry Bird played both forward positions, he is the quintessential point forward. (Scottie Quitten was always a 3) As far as Dirk going nuts, our system defense will either let him get his or his teammates to get theirs...but not both. Another Mavs fan in delusional denial. BTW, who the hell is Kirk?
The great thing is that all we need is to acquire a power forward..which isn't easy..but who can help to contribute and fix our weaknesses and add more strengths. THen add some youth and shooters and defense..even more.. I really hope we keep Barry and Mutombo they have been like awesome/outstanding. This season has been spectacular really awesome..it'll be sad when we get defeated..if we do HOPE!
I totally agree with this. Dallas' defensive style is a reflection of its coach. AJ preaches that whole philosophy of being a man on the floor and accepting responsibility for your man on defense. That's fine if your team is made up of 4 Bruce Bowen's and 1 Michael Jordan. JVG's defense is based on a team concept. Keep guys out of the lane, make quick decisions and rotations, run out and get a hand in the face of every shooter, take away the clear paths to the basket, play good body position and stay on your feet. The best defensive teams in the league consistently play great team defense. And it should be noted that I don't think we are going to blow Dallas out the rest of this series. They will win games. They are a good team, without question. They will adjust and so will we. I just think that, as much as everyone thought this would be a bad matchup for us, I think it is better than we all thought.
across110thstreet, I remember him saying that too...he had a good point... Look at it like this...(For the sake of explanation...I'll leave out centers Yao/Deke and Dampier) Three factors: scorer, shooter, and playmaker Rockets: Mostly shooters (Barry, Westly, Padget, and James) One excellent scorer (TMac) One very good play-maker (TMac) One very good scorer (James) Two good playmakers (Barry/Sura/Westley - on fast-breaks) Mavs: Mostly scorers (Stackhouse, Terry, Daniels, Finley, Howard) One excellent shooter (Dirk) No playmakers TMac is our scorer. He's our best player that also can be a playmaker. Versatile! We surround our scoring/playmaking super star (TMac) with a buch of shooters. Good complement. Dallas has surround their shooting super star (Dirk) with a buch of other scorers that don't like to pass. That's like having a bunch of "TMacs" that didn't like to pass -- except they are worse scorers than the real Tmac.
Good analysis MrRolo. It's frustrating sometimes to hear people not give the Rockets and JVG credit for their team defense on the Mavs last night. Especially since these guys have been doing this the whole year. Bill Walton was just on and the dude says 'Dallas just played horribly' but thats what having a great team defense will do. It'll make fans of teams think their team played horribly. I think the tempo has been set by the Rockets for the rest of the series and they will control this series with what they have relied on all year - great team defense.
