Looks like Yao Ming got inside Boozers head, check out his comments:

He probably was just disappointed after the loss and his team's collapse and didn't want to talk anymore... let's not read too much into it

 

Wasn't that what we expected him to do? I don't really know any other moves that Okur can do besides throwing it up behind the arc. I personally think Okur is too slow to do much damage under the basket.

 

thank goodness they did not play Ak-47 a lot during the 4th quater... They also have a lot of good rookies like Ronnie brewer and dee brown who did a good job against us last game we play them... Those quick, long, athlethic guys are those who Rockets have trouble guarding...

 

Actually, Head, Battier and Alston missed a lot wide opened shoots. Hopefully, in Game 2, they'll make them because t one will be even harder.

 

Yao's probably the only player in the NBA who can altar a player's shot by just standing there. Ok, maybe shaq too.

 

lol, our Big man has just started! Let's all pray that the Rox will stay healthy and let's see what they can bring us!!!!

 

Boozer has the same problem that Amare frequently has with Yao: he keeps trying to go through Yao instead of around him. Memo to Boozer: you can't go through a brick wall, you need to walk/run around it.

As some have already pointed out, that's why Yao has problems with Brand who has more mobility, range on his shot, and most importantly the right approach in playing Yao. In the case of Boozer, he doesn't have Brand's range or mobility. In Amare's case, he's often too stubborn and caught up in trying to humiliate and dunk over Yao rather than play smart basketball; it's that whole 'pride' and 'arrogance' thing I guess that Amare is known for.

 

By the way, I think Duncan has trouble playing vs Yao too. He has trouble against taller guys who contest his shots much like Boozer.

 

Yes he does but he can get on fire and hit his jumpers unlike boozer!

 

ALso, a guy like Boozer is just flat out stronger than most guys on most nights, so he's able to use his strength to get rebounds and lay-ups, that then opens up his mid-range jumper............

but that doesn't mean jack when he's playing someone bigger and perhaps stronger than him, like Yao. He can't bully Yao and when Yao gets position, it's over for anybody, sans Shaq. He has to find another way to be effective, or he'll be frustrated all series.

 

Forgive me for expecting an NBA All-Star center to do something else besides shoot 20+ footers all game.

 

what're you scared of these guys now? I hope your not saying if AK-47 played more in the 4th we woulda lost.

I Think if sloan believed that, he woulda put him in more.

 

I called this one. Boozer is a cream puff. Get physical with him and he will crumble.

This will be key the entire series. If Yao can keep the intimidation factor up, their pick and roll will suffer.

Jazz will have to depend on Deron Williams winning them the series. As good as Deron is, and as much Rafer will allow him to score, I dont think he can win the series single-handily. He needs Boozer to play like an All-Star.

 

Uhhh Boozer is freaking buff dude. Yao can contain him down low but it's just a good thing for us Boozer was missing his jumpers.

Did you see that dunk over Yao? Twice maybe, but those aren't cream puff dunks. I just think he lost his confidence because his shot wasn't falling. Yao was playing good D, don't get me wrong, but Boozer is no cream puff you can just bully around and make him crumble. At least that's what I believe. But yeah, he doesn't use his full strength to it's maximum potential, if he did...




Oh and BTW Rafer didn't do a bad job on Williams yesterday.

Williams only scored 15 and he shot poorly, he averages 16 ppg on 45%.

We'll see how he does once he rids himself of the playoff jitters.

 

Buff does not equal Tough (either physically or mentally).

Chris Webber was buff but when playoffs came around he turned into my sister (when she was 5).

Karl Malone was buff but when his teams needed him most, he would crumble.

David Robinson was buff but the Admiral would demote himself to Lt. Commander before entering playoffs.

Charles Smith was buff but he had chicken little heart.

To me, all the above players were cream puffs. Few dunks does not equal toughness. Bozzer has the potential to be in their good company.

Some players who were buff AND tough : Hakeem, Otis Thorpe, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Horace Grant, Anthony Mason.

 

You're right, buff doesn't equal tough, but it's not like we were playing rough, aggressive defense and that shut down his game. He was missing his jumpers, is that not right? We did catch him off guard with out physical defense, he demoralized himself because he couldn't get anything inside with Yao holding it down and then his jumper wouldn't fall.

But yeah, Boozer could be a beast. He could be like Dwight Howard down low (almost), then you throw a 15 foot jumper in there...damn.

Anyways we'll crush him and the rest of the Jazz.

GO ROCKETS!

 

Boozer is a very tough and physical player on offense. It's silly to toss him in the garbage because of one game. He's smart and will figure out a way to be effective, but his lack of range and quickness will make it difficult for him to beat Yao. Getting physical has nothing to do with stopping him because he thrives on that.

Where Boozer is very soft is on defense. The guy just doesn't put out the effort on that end and he really isn't a Jerry Sloan type of player, but his scoring and rebounding get him court time. Too bad we don't have a PF to school him.

 

If only we still had.....

 

I won't take the bait though it's very tempting.

 

Boozer is a freak.