ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Clippers 2/14/2006

STATEMENT GAME!!!

Rocket River

 

Just sweet, R2K! You should do this for a livin'!

 

Something that Bullard said last nite stuck out to me about why the Rocks havent been fast breaking. With all the injured bodies, you cant run the whole time because people will get worn out and with a short bench you have to slow it down and get fewer possesions. I never really thought of it before that way. Its not that JVG has eased up, but he now has the bodies and energy to run when we're all healthy. I think he's made minor adjustments, but its really the personel we have now, especially on the bench. I must admit, Matt Bullard is starting to grow on me as a commentator. He's really holding it down, much better than Clyde IMO.

GO ROCKS!!!!

 

R2K,

You are terrific for doing this night in night out.

Even better - yesterday highlight clip seemed to have an extra "Chick eating Hot Dog" bonus 3:26 into it. What can be better than a Rox win and a Chick eating a Hot Dog???

Many Thanks!

theSAGE

 

This time, he graced us with "the cleavage" shot, and the Clippers' dancers.

 

EDIT....

 

hey...what can I say...Im a true fan of the female form

or a huge pervert...you decide.

 

R2K, a question... I was seeding this thing, and it stopped doing it, saying I'd met what I had it set on, I guess. (16%) I'm willing to seed it longer, but I'm technologically challenged, or somethin'. (and I used to build computers... go figure) What should I have it set on, if I want to seed longer?

 

depends on which client you are using.

In azureus, all you have to do is highlight the torrent in the lower pane, adn click start...it will seed till turned off.

I would assume it works similiarly in other ones.

 

Put the seed on "forced seeding". That's the name that most clients use to override seeding minimums.

 

If you think Matt is smart, you should listen to the pplive Chinese commentator (if you could ), that guy basically said before the game that Rox should be looking for run tonight because LAC is so short handed plus Wilcox was gone... He also pointed the caveman stayed on the court after two fouls in the middle of first Q proved how much confidence the coach had with their bench and Rox should run even more to wear them out.

My thoughts are Rox will probably go back to their 90 point games, unless the opponent team is very short handed like LAC

 

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

R2K you rock man! Seriously!

 

I've got it seeding again. I put the setting on 0, which I'll use for awhile, and then stop. I have no idea which client I'm using. I downloaded what I'm using from Bit Torrent.

(I told you I was clueless! )

 

I disagree.

Matt and Bill said point blank that this style of ball is EXACTLY what VG wanted this team to do this year from the very beginning and the only thing holding them back were all the injuries. As noted above, when you have a short bench...you have to slow it down adn play more half court cause you dont have the personnel to run all game long.

Rafer seems to have standing orders to run run run as much as he can...and as long as we have healthy veterans and youngsters who are able to and want to run...they will continue to press at every opportunity.
Notice how many times we pushed it up looking for a quick basket, if it wasnt there, Rafer would drive in and pass out for the quick shot attempt. Alot of those successful shots may not have been technically fast breaks...but there was very little time ran off the clock.

really hope we see alot more of this in the future.

 

honestly i dont know what the deal with JVG doesnt like to run the ball, obviously are teams stars are meant for half court, we didnt have the players to run early in the season. but last night at the game i could hear jvg screaming to keep pushing the ball and now with wesley,rafer,head,bogans,stro i think we'll look to push it as much as possible.

i really like rafer man he understands the game much better than i thought. i mean he is probably one of the most decorated street legends and yet he plays really smart, he'll push the ball when he sees a good scoring opportunity and then will bring it back to reset the offense if needed.

 

Check out my prediction... pretty close.. lol

 

I agree R2K. This is obviously what Rafer excels at...and I think they knew that coming in. He amazes me with his controlled speed. Yesterday, at least, he looked like Nash in his quick penetration and pull back out if nothing's there...except he didn't look as helter-skelter as Nash does (though we all know Nash is in control even when he doesn't seem it).

It reminds me of the way some college teams (that like to fast break) run it...look for secondary break opportunities. All that's missing (not that I want it) is a full court press right after it

 

hey..lol.. whats up with the huge-boobed woman in the highlight..LOL..

 

Now the rest of the story. Matt said this is how the players practice all summer, running up and down the court, at the faster tempo. He said the players like to practice this way. What happens is they get to training camp and start the grind it out routine. He didn't mention "grind it out with Van Gundy". But you can read between the lines.

It's the adjustment that Van Gundy needs to make to make him a champhionship coach. He needs to loosen on the "grind it out" early in training camp, and let players run up and down, and get a feel for their teammates. Implement the defensive system, but don't grind the players down in training camp. Just get them in general basketball shape to run up and down the floor and get their confidence going.

With a team like the Rockets and our star players, we could come out of the gate winning games just on our offense if they were allowed to free flow it early in the season. Then as the season moves along, start tightening the screws down on the defense as we get to the all-star break and beyond. By then everyone should pretty much know the system and they've developed their offensive confidence and they know to get down the court on offense and to get back fast on defense and they've been less susceptible to injuries because they aren't fatigued out from the constant slap the floor defensive grind that Van Gundy puts them through early in the season. Now, later in the season, you turn up the heat, jerk players who aren't putting in the time on the defensive end or who are missing assignments, and start increasing and decreasing minutes accordingly.

Van Gundy is a great coach who coaches every game like it's the seventh game of the finals in a 50 game season. IMO, if he would make this adjustment, he would a multi-championship winning coach.

 

I dunno. That's not how the Spurs do it. Nor the Pistons of the last two years. They struggled early on, but eventually the wins started coming. Remember how the mavs started 14-0 and the Spurs were near .500? The spurs ended up winning the division because their defense was instilled from day one. And look at the Pistons this year: starting out red hot because of a new and improved offense, but struggling to regain their defensive identity now. They still have good defense, but not like last year.

I say it's better to have the style of basketball you want executed from day one. I'd rather play tough D early and catch up on wins instead of getting regular season wins and catching up on defense. Get your D into shape and the wins will take care of themselves.