We have one more game against Sacramento before the All-star break. Since the last time we faced them on 12/1, here are our losses: Code: [B]Date Opp the injured / missing[/B] 12/9 @TOR Rafer 12/10 @PHI Rafer 12/15 DAL T-Mac (affected by knee all game) 12/19 ORL T-Mac (missed second half) 12/20 @DEN T-Mac 12/23 @DET T-Mac (missed second half) 12/31 GSW T-Mac 1/2 @BOS T-Mac 1/13 NOH T-Mac 1/15 PHI T-Mac 1/27 UTA Yao What I noticed is that in every one of these games, we didn't have Rafer, T-Mac, or Yao at full strength. In only one of them (home loss to Dallas), we had all three for the entire game, but McGrady was laboring all game with the knee that night. I don't know if its just a fluke or what, but the Rockets have been playing pretty well when these three are available and relatively healthy for the last 2 1/2 months. 14 straight wins in fact, 6 of them coming with the new starting lineup. Hopefully we can keep it going through February.
Crap, I had forgotten we had even played Sacramento already this season. Don't know where else to post it, so might as well say it here. Rockets and Kings are making the playoffs -- Nuggets and Warriors are not. That is all.
In another word, we have not lost a single game since then when all of three played with full strength? WoW!
Thats too small a sample to say that Rafer and Yao are the reason we lost those games, but certainly proves once again how important Tracy McGrady is to this team.
I guess you weren't around when they lost those games without Rafer. The team was completely and utterly lost on the court. As bad as they have looked in the past without T-Mac, they looked much, much worse without Rafer.
I think no Rafer against Toronto and Philadelphia definitely impacted those games. Francis/James were terrible, and Brooks was out of the rotation. Against Utah, it was a close game for the most part. I suspect Yao would have a difference.
I agree with you that we were terrible without Rafer, but I just think two games is not enough to tell how this team plays without Rafer. Even more so now that Brookes has shown he could possibly grow into that role; however, I'm insinuating that Rafer isn't important to this team. As for Yao, we have shown that we can win some games without him in the past through McGrady's play. This season however, I'm not so sure.
We saw basically the same problems last year when Rafer would miss a game. He really runs the offense well. His only problem is shooting, which is the attribute that most colors fans' judgement of a player.
Actually, I think his problem is shooting off the dribble, as a catch and shoot player, I think he is ok...and significantly better than off the dribble. I think I remember D. Morey commenting about this same thing early this year.... It would be interesting to see......the difference, in the catch and shoot percentage versus the dribble and shoot. DD
That's true. But if you look at what the Rockets did when he wasn't on the court, it was typically pretty ugly.
I'm pretty sure Rafer got hurt and left a game in the opening minutes. The Rockets broke down. Hornets maybe?
