This is the ultimate solution. This isn't a championship team yet. Rockets need a guy like Cassell who can create his own shot and make it, oh wait, isn't he not wanted by the Wolves anymore?
Agreed. We've been complaining about not getting the calls from the refs, but the truth is that the Mavs are penetrating and drawing calls. Whether they are actual fouls or not, the Rockets are not going to get calls if we sit and settle for jumpers all night long. Unfortunately, we don't have the right players for us to be a penetrating team. Other than TMac, the rest of the team aren't good penetraters. We can't settle for outside jumpers like we've been doing.
If we get beat in a 7 game series, there is no excuse, not luck, not refereeing. Just get better next year.
Yes and no. If they let TMac and Yao do their damage, and if they do enough damage, they could offset what's limited in the role players' department. If Yao and TMac both scored 30+ points last night, they could have won the game, without major input from the bench. Your opponent adjust to your games, and you adjust to their adjustment. They defended harder and better against our role players, our roleplayers and coaching stafff have to realize it, and punish them by going to your star players even more. If the players were more determined to send the ball into paint more, especially after Yao fouled Damp out, it would have been a totally different outcome.
He's still good, but way too old, too expensive, and too injury prone. The Rockets definitely need young players and fresh energy, who have legs in the fourth quarter. But a passing first PG and a defensive oriented PF first.
Yep. I think we all got a nice dose of fool's gold this season. This team came together and got hot during the season, making us believe that we were true contenders this season, including myself. I'm not saying we can't win this series or the championship, but this team isn't really built for a blow-out championship run. We have too many combo-guards that can only shoot out there. Once we get a legit PF and another playmaker, we'll be true contenders, but I think for the most part, we are just getting a hit of reality. You're right, a pass first PG isn't necessary, but another playmaker is. You look at the Mavs lineups, Dirk-Stackhouse-Finley-Terry-Daniels/Howard can all make plays for themselves. They can all drive, post-up, and pass. They have about 4-5 playmakers when we only have 1 true playmaker.
Oh I agree. We do need more playmakers on this team. Finding a 3rd star for this team is very important. A lot of people have compared Mcgrady and Yao to Magic and Kareem while forgetting that those 2 had a hall-of-fame player in James Worthy playing beside them. I just disagree with the idea that we need more deferers on this team (ie. pass first point guards). There are already too many deferers on this team already and not enough take charge type guys. Acquiring someone like Bobby Simmons or Desmond Mason in the offseason would be huge for this team.
Agreed. Atleast when people take it into the lane, we get more fouls called, and more wide open shots. Only Mcgrady is allowed to take jumpshots off his own shot, others should pass it off unless they are within 5 feet. (unless their wide open)
I was screaming "take it to the hole" on top of my lung during the last qtr... I was very disappointed when the rox settled for jumpers for most of the possessions.
We do have enough players to beat the Mavs, it is not like they are blowing us out or we are blowing them out, it is a very tight series. I still say H-town in 6, but only because McGrady is the best player on the court, the KEY player on the court is Yao, as he goes so goes the series. DD
This is the one thing i couldn't understand...in Game 4 with 6:50 to go in the 3rd quarter we had the Mavericks in the penalty....we started settling for jumpers instead of taking to the hole just infuriated me to no end...we could have been getting them in foul trouble and shooting free throws the whole quarter but we didn't...
People are blaming the role players but T-Mac is the shot the Rockets out of that game in the last few minutes. He needs to go back and watch how he finished the first two games. And getting the ball to your 7'6" center who can shoot at the end of the game may help also.
I fully concur. I was screaming so loud that my up stair neighbor had to come down knocking on my door to stop me. The only excuse I could think of is that T-Mac is injured or so. He fell hard in the 1st half fouled by SOB boooooth
Yao fumbled a picture perfect pass that would have given the Rockets a dunk and put far more pressure on the Mavs....Yao has to play better and smarter for this team to win. DD
I don't buy it that the Mavs are a better team. McGrady has been able to do what he wanted, when he wanted. Ming has a clear advantage over their front-court when he's assertive as well. They're figuring out how to stop our role players, so we need to figure out how to get them involved early is what I feel. Yes they're jump shooters, but they don't need to take every shot from deep, I feel that we have to play more of a midrange game when we get cold. Play more pick and pop, I think that it could work, and I still pick the Rockets in 6.
Lots of good ideas here - time for JVG to read this thread and incorporate these ideas into the game 5 Plan.
