Chron: Rockets lose a very tough one, but might have won, too

Please tell me..how can you stay optimistic about McGrady's act but not be happy about finally seeing an effort? I admit there are things that need fixing, but those things will take care of themselves as long as they play with the intensity displayed last night.

Putting words in to my mouth...I didn't compare this team to Hakeem's Rockets, nor Yao to Dream. Thanks for twisting my words around though. I'm not comparing the two teams or players, but yeah...when Sweater is out, this team has to be built around Yao, and when double and triple teams come, this will lead to wide open threes. That's similar to how Hakeem's Rockets played. That's all I'm saying. But please, since you like to pick fights seemingly for the sake of picking fights...continue to put words in to my mouth.

And as for the rebounding rate...the Rockets are 4th in the league in RPG, and trail 1st by less than a rebound per game (SA is 25th and Dallas is 14th), and they are 5th in the league in rebounding differential (SA is 7th and Dallas is 12th). Nice try though.

 

this alone is a thread worthy topic. I'm not piling on T-Mac, this maybe what he is required to do but I don't get it. I understand he can create his own shot but wouldn't more movement by him cause more disruption for opposing defenses?

 

Nuggets only put Najera on Yao one on one late in the game, because they had no choice then. Yao fouled out Camby (actually Najera also fouled out). It's not like they didn't put effort to play defense on Yao, but rather their defense did not take effect and their best defensive player was fouled out.

 

a definition of a YOF is to see all of yao's positive and see all of tmac's negatives. That is exactly what you are doing. YOF's consistently dog on tmac rain or sunshine, YOF's consistently glorify yao rain or sunshine.

and don't pull this "hey i'll give tmac props when he plays well." people like you stink up this board every day. yao this yao that, tmac this tmac that. post less read more

 

Are you the clutchfans dictionary? I said Yao has flaws. We can talk about those if you'd like. He turns it over too much. He's slow. He holds the ball too long and doesn't make his moves fast enough which sometimes bogs down the offense...come on, let's talk about it. I'm more than willing. I admire him as a person and how he puts his heart and soul in to it DESPITE his flaws.

And I'll give "tmac props" when he plays hard and not like a prima donna. I've said this multiple times. He can play hard but not play well and I'll be happy. Shut your piehole please.

It's people like you that stink up this board every day by misinterpreting statements and putting words in posters' mouths. That's really the first time I've gave love to Yao like that on the BBS, yet here you are coming at me with this nonsense.

 

post less read more

 

Nice rebuttal.

 

post less read more, it's a pretty simple statement

 

Nice rebuttal, it's a pretty simple statement.

If you want to attack my views and posts up to where I respond back, please be prepared to engage me instead of copping out like that.

 

Tmac sucks

 

JVG + McGrady's comfort level = 75 FGA/48min

Adelman + McGrady's comfort level = 75 FGA/48min

Adelman + team effort vs DEN = 84.4 FGA/48min

9 more 2pt FGA's * even a horrific 35% = 6.3 more PPG

I'll take it.

 

The one who needs to read more is not hermbob but you yourself. I read hermbob's posts criticizing Yao when Yao played lousy ball. And it's pathetic that you are so eager to label the others while you yourself are so biased.

 

how hard did the team play in the other 40 something losses they have when t-mac is out of the game ?

wow, so last night the team decided to play hard while t-mac was out, and now its t-macs fault guys dont always play hard. amazing.

the team played "hard" when yao was out last year, but also won games. its easier to play hard when one of the best players is out. guys know they will get more touches and shots...so that in itself can make it seem like they are playing harder just because they are doing more with the ball. but realistically, they still shot a low percent and denver is still a very bad defensive team....and we still lost the game.

 

they played against the nuggets....a porous defensive team that attempts to play an up and down game... those stats mean NOTHING.

 

One key number that comes out is what Doug Collins on TNT pointed out ... the Rox are 2-35 when trailing after 3 quarters. That's dating back to 2004-05 season. The fact that the Rox displayed any ball movement is a victory in itself. Yes, the Rox were winning games mostly by luck early on and not based upon a patterned system. The offense resembled rats going crazy in a maze with no organized system. Yes, moral victories suck but consider this, if the Rox can demonstrate an accidental ability to deliberately go with a motion attack instead of the crap we've been afflicted with most of the season to this point, then perhaps some good things will start to happen and perhaps this playoff jugernaut team we have been promised will start to come to fruition.

They've underperformed largely so bad talent wise this season it's about time for a level playing field of some kind.

 

It's easier to move the ball around when no one can create their own shot.

The main guy who can (Bonzi) had a few iso's and was ironically the only player who cut to the basket for passes from Yao.

It's not a coincidence.

 

The one thing I think that's pretty major is that maybe now the players themselves will see that Adelman's system works. Honestly, who knows, maybe McGrady has been the only one all along who HASN'T been buying into it, and since he dominates the ball, that forces the other players to play along with his plan. I really don't know, but you could definitely see a change in personality with this team the last 5 quarters (coincidentally, 5 quarters that T-Mac has not played in....).

I'm not trying to infer or assume one thing or another about T-Mac; I'm just hoping that when he comes back, we can continue to knock down our shots, and play solid basketball all around.

 

Well Mr Smart Pants....you're entitled to your opinion but let's try some facts....

Who was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 with over THREE times as many 1st place votes as runner up Bruce Bowen?

http://www.nba.com/news/camby_defensiveplayer_070427.html

Which NBA leads the league in BOTH Blocks and steals per game?

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable2.html?cnf=1&prd=1#top

Which NBA team has the 8th BEST point differential?

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html#top

Which NBA team doubled their league low fastbreak average of 7 vs ORL?

http://www.nba.com/games/20071219/ORLHOU/gameinfo.html

I'm no math wizard but some rough calculation show the Rockets scored 40 first half points vs ORL and 52 2nd half points. Dwight Howard must have fouled out or been injured in the 2nd half.

 

Stop waiting for Tmac and trade Tmac and let's move on. Yes, I will admit it if Tmac comes back and the Rockets turnaround the season. However, we are a long way away from that.

 

I know GATER is loathe to accept any support from me based on stats, but the Nuggets are currently 2nd in the league in defensive efficiency. They've been a good defensive team. They're above average in limiting opposing team's shooting % from the field, they don't foul a lot, and they lead the league in forcing turnovers. Defensive rebounding is their big weakness, and that's because they like to get out and run.