ClutchFans Game Thread: Hawks @ Rockets 12/29/2006

Nowitzki has the benefit of a nanny that whines on his behalf everytime someone so much as looks in his direction. Now if Novak was able to court and then date Cuban like Dirk currently does, there'd be serious considerations about letting Novak into the rotation. Unfortunately for the Rockets, Cuban likes bratwurst rather than kielbasa.

 

VSpan's "style" fits JVG's system a whole lot better than JLIII's does. JLIII is a shoot first, control the ball type PG in the same mold as AI, Boykins, and Francis. VSpan is a penetrating distributor/finisher who gets others involved. I'm not against Lucas' play. I think we need the scoring, especially when Rafer is off (which is a lot of the time) But VSpan is the true point guard that can keep up with faster PGs and penetrate.

Last night's game helped prove my point that Tracy and our team is best served when he looks to score first and then looks to make a play secondarily. Tracy is a scorer who can distribute, not a distributor that can score. VSPan is a distributor that can score. It would be nice to see him get some minutes with 111, especially when other point guards are toasting us and Rafer isn't hitting his shots.

 

The whiners, as usual, are whining. Can't whine about JHo, or Battier, or TMac anymore so, for this game, it is "Rafer sucks, Novak should play, and JVG is a moron."

First, Rafer does not suck. He is an average NBA PG. No, he is not an NBA all-star but he is better than Boykins, D Fisher, or Damon Jones. I would prefer Rafer to D Harris of the Mavs and even Mike James. So no he is not Kobe, but he isn't a bum like a lot of the posters say. Of course, these were the same people that were yelling last week that JHoward couldn't play.

Second, anyone with an ounce of bb knowledge knows that Novak isn't close to ready to contribute in the NBA on more than a casual/specific role basis. He can't play a lick of defense. Watch when he goes into a game. The other team IMMEDIATELY exploits his inabiltiy to defend. He is a great shooter and in the future might become a marginally successful player, like Bullard, if he puts on a little bulk. If he ever wants to go to a higher level in the NBA he will have to learn how to rebound and defend.

Third, JVG has the same record of advancing his teams to the playoffs as does Popovich. How many of you think Pop sucks too? You guys just kill me with your whining. But for a season ruined by injuries to 8 of his 9 regular rotation players, JVG would have a perfect record of 10 seasons and 10 playoff apperarances. Yeah, he is a bum and knows nothing about coaching. lol His players have never quit on him, but the whiner/fans have. I'm sure he would prefer to have the loyalty of his players.

 

ubigred are you saying Yao was dominant as Shaq was in his prime? I was just saying the way our team is made, it is easier for Yao to get doubled and deny an entry pass than for McGrady since he has the handles and mobility. This has nothing to do with the individual but applys to their positions. You can't really front a perimeter player and play one behind him.

jopatmc, oops I didn't mean to say JL3 was better fit than VSpan in JVG's system and they havn't played enough quality time to judge them. All I was trying to get at was that they are playing 10 minutes/game and that's all they should see. JVG has said it before, they can earn PT in practice and if you think he's BSing, guess whose been coming off the bench (Jh) because someone's been out hustling him on the boards (ch).

 

You have got to be out of your mind if you would take Rafer over Devin Harris and Mike James.

 

You have to be crazy to want a Maverick or Mike James, now.

 

Yeah, I am out of my mind. Just like I was out of my mind when I argued with Zboy that JHoward is as good a backup PF as there is in the NBA. He called me a "fool" as I recall. Now he doesn't call anybody, anything, because he went into hiding like a little girl when he was proved wrong.

 

Vspan is still a human bakery. Lucas knows that when regular rotation players are in the game, he better pass that ball.

Skip has the worst floater in NBA history. For all that tweedle-dee stuff he does at the rucker I would expect him to be able to make a layup. I really don't want him shooting anything other than his usual 6 threes a game.

 

I think Skip's bad layups and botched shots are a result of lack of confidence or something. He might have all the confidence at Rucker Park where he is a legend and everybody loves him, but he doesn't have that reception in the NBA. He really just needs to do like 600 layups and shots a day or something and boost his confidence at the NBA level. He still has potential to be a great point guard

 

Anybody that thinks JHoward is as good a backup PF as there is in the NBA is definitely out of their mind.

 

That would be anyone who knows basketball. Any backup PF that comes off the bench giving 200% every night is a quality player.

 

He actually shoots the least amount of 2pt FGs per minute among the 32 PGs in Clutch's comparison thread. So, it seems he knows he suck at those and doens't shoot them that much.


Back to Howard... his rebounding had always been rather lackluster, even back in his younger days. I think that was the main problem of the Yao/Howard frontcourt-- neither of them are really great rebounders.

This year, though, he's been particularly aggressive on the boards (even stealing rebounds from his teammates in order to do that) and it seems as long as his rebounding rate is high, he can help the team even with Yao.

I think Hayes is still a better match with Yao, but we're just not gonna get Chuck to play that many minutes due to foul trouble and whatever else he deals with. I'm OK with Howard filling in the rest of the time.

 

I like Chuck Hayes a lot, but he has the WORST foul shot I have just about ever seen. I breath a lot better when JH is at the line I tell ya. Just as i feel better about outcomes when Rafer is in then vspan.

Dekembe is jsut playing out of him right now, and it's not surprising when you look at his standings in all time blocks. THAT takes defensive effort, something the Rockets are better at this year then many I can think off.

Seriously, what's the last Rockets team that plays defense better , ( the thing that wins championships), as compared to the current cast? refresh my memory.

 

quit b****in yall!

happy new yankee new year!

 

None that I can recall. This is the best defensive team we've had in a long, long time.

And if you look at our roster this year compared to the last few years, what's the difference? Two players: Battier and Hayes. They are both excellent defenders:

Battier on: give up 98.4 points/100poss
Battier off: give up 105.4 points/100poss

Hayes on: give up 92.0 points/100poss
Hayes off: give up 105.0 points/100poss