Lakers won both games by a huge third quarter. Actually Lakers always play excellent in the third quarter. Remember Kobe had 30 in a single quarter not so long ago? And that was in a third quarter. On the other side, Rockets played poorly in many third quarters. The two games vs Lakers are good examples. And going back, you can count the home game vs. Spurs as well. I know we discussed about the 4th quarter meltdown a while ago but the topic here is nonrelevant as Rockets played decent (well, compared to the meltdowns...) recently. My point is our offensive inability is becoming so obvious in the third quarter, where we normally had some lead (thanks to Yao's hard work...yes, I am talking in the absence of Tmac), that every opponent begins to exploit it. Because fatigue as well as double team normally kicks in the second half for Yao, he cools down for a while in the third (I don't have the statistics to back it up but I think the trend is clear), our offense literally stalls. It is funny that after he went to the bench, the other players actually starts to score but the lead is normally decreased, if hasn't been surpassed at all. The poor performance in the third gives us such a hard time in the fourth, and it gives much more pressure on Yao and Yao alone. JVG knows Yao can not get it done all by himself, but he doesn't seem to have a good answer for a better second half, or a third quarter more precisely. His offensive plans need a lot to be desired. I thought he would be more flexible after the first vs Laker game, where we had a disastrous third but a feabulous fourth by the bench but I was wrong. For all the crys that we need for a better PG and a healthy Tmac, I believe deep down somewhere in our heart, we all admit we need a PJ.
We haven't proven we can play well against other teams playing at a high level. When a good team like the Spurs or the Lakers ramp up their intensity and level of play, we seem to fold every time. That should be a huge concern for all Rockets fans.
To what question? Are we descendants of monkeys? Are there UFOs? Will Jeff Van Gundy be completely bald in 5 years?
The Answer is not the answer. First he is becoming old and probably soon his performance will decline, he could well become another Tmac, and even worse one since he is older. Second you never know how much he has left in his tank after playing so hard for so many years (for that I admire AI though). And third, you just can not predict how well he is gonna coexist with Yao, Rockets can not afford such a huge gamble. Finally, if Rockets does not want a fragile Tmac anymore, why would anyone else? My point is, a coach as great as PJ could probably survive the absence of Tmac with such a phenominal performance from Yao, whereas JVG seems can not get it done. You can clearly see the difference in the third quarters in both games. JVG is a type studier and his game adjustments is probably not even 10% as good as PJ, that in part explains why we actually had a big lead in the first half the second game...
Obviously we usually have a poor second half. Depth is what we need for this team. Tade Sura and Tmac for two healthy and tough players will solve the problem. But I don't know which team will buy their contracts. Maybe we should involve the AI's deal. A three or four teams trade may help us get some players we want. The GM should try at least.
I don't think so. With Kobe in your team, you are survive even you are down by 20 in the fourth quarter. He can drop 33 in a quarter and 81 in a game.
This goes back the mediocre offense in the second half---actually you can probably say that to the entire game, I mean how many times you enjoy a fastbreak from Rockets? Yao is unstoppable simply because he is unstoppable, not because JVG's offensive plans, he works hard on every possesion and there are not a whole lot of easy shots for him as we all know. As the defensive intensity heats up in the second half, we fold because Yao fold. Yao fold because he is after all, human, tired after fighting nights in and out for scoring. If the entire team, again, I am talking in the absence of Tmac, can share some offensive load from Yao, the big guy can provide even more than hes doing right now. By then, you will see other teams fold in front of us. All that saids, we need better offensive strategies, question is, can JVG provide more?
K24 is not GOD. And as good as Kobe is, he didn't single-handly save last game, Walton and Parker did provide some help, and that is called offensive strategy. You may rely on a superstar to win a game, but to win a championship, I do believe it does take 5, plus a good coach, and some decent bench.. .
You guys that seem to think Les Alexander could have snagged Phil Jackson on his whim a couple of years ago need to grow up and quit whining. Maybe you fail to realize it was PJ's decision where he was going, not Les'. PJ said his choices were returning to the Lakers or going to the Knicks. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and keep sucking your thumb about it forever but please don't waste any more server space on it. Is it also Les' fault we don't have Kobe, LeBron and Wade on the Rockets? Get used to the idea there is only one PJ and he won't be coming here. He isn't the only coach capable of winning a championship. Otherwise, everyone else is playing for 2nd place right now. The fact is without Tracy, we are not a contender. Hopefully Bonzi will get up to speed and offer a solid scoring option. Hopefully at some point during the season the Rockets will develop good chemistry on offense. We shouldn't even worry about having home court advantage in the 1st round. The best hope we have is to hit stride at the right time late in the year so it doesn't matter who the opening playoff opponent is.
Again I can not agree. Look at Lakers' bench, do you seriously think their bench is better than ours? Remember, our bench outscored them 26-1 in the first game. I think JVG is just too rigid, he is working hard enough to be a decent coach for a playoff team, but not flexible enough to be a GREAT coach for a championship team. Call me a JVG hater if you want, I respect his hardwork, his protection for his players and admire his good defensive plans, but I don't think he has the ability to win it all (he might get lucky if Tmac comes back 100% though).
I thought the Lakers would stink for a few years after trading Shaq. But they have turned around more quickly than any others. It is not like they have a lot of cap space to work with. I believe PJ has to have a lot of credit for this. Anyway, it is just frustrating to see us stuck at mediocre for so many years.
Yao needs more help in the 1st half of these games so he can save some energy for the 4th quarter. Hopefully Bonzi can provide that soon until T-Mac comes back. If T-Mac was healthy or Bonzi was in better shape we would have won the last two games.
What we need are guys smart enough to drive to the basket instead of being lazy and settling for jumpshots! Yao can't do it all and when TMac doesn't go to the hole this team hurts! Too bad we only have two players who can work a pick and roll with semi consistent results (TMac and Yao)! Also somebody learn to make a F666ING entry pass....this team lacks heart in a bad way.....and that is something JVG can not give to them.....and when his players don't have the will to put teams away that is an infraction on the players not the coach! They want to front Yao go to the F666ING Hole and stop being like streetball players that are too scared of getting blocked than trying to score!
The answer is simple. The cause is CD and JVG as they are the ones most responsible for our player surrounding YM. Howard, old and limited, can play back up, reasonable spot up jump shooter and rebounder.No defence Hayes a short Power Forward who can rebound and make putbacks around the basket.Foul prone. Mutombo Old Old and way past his prime, 10 mins. a couple of rebounds and occasionally a blocked shot. Worn out. We need a tall and athletic Power Forward to complement Yao Ming and a decent backup Center. Too much of the onus is placed upon Yao Ming, especially when he needs careful rest management during the games. This management is seriously impaired due to inadequate support and backup players. I hope that with the upcoming change in Management that we will move away from being overly loving and sympathetic towards players who do not fit the equasion of a championship team.
