ClutchFans Game Thread: Nuggets @ Rockets 3/2/2008

Lol. I love Yao and I think he's a top center in the league. However, is there really much of a drop off when he's out of the game? Are we really that much better with Yao in the game than when he's out? Answer me that. Maybe it's just me, but whenever I see Yao walking towards the scorer's table, I don't get goosebumps or feel relieved that he's coming back in the game, but I do feel that with T-Mac.

 

are you seriously making this post? seriously? now Tmac's lack of driving the lane is due to YAO MING? I thought it was tracy's 10 years in the league and bad back that was making him tenative going to the rim. thanks for clearing that up.

you do realize that mutombo is 7-1 260 right? it's not like when yao's not in the game mutombo disappears into the ether when the rockets are on offense. you also realize that no one else on the team (including mutombo) draws double teams like yao does playing opposite tmac. to claim that there's better spacing for tmac (or anyone) to drive simply as a result of yao being out doesn't know anything about basketball. the lanes have been open largely as a result of battier and rafer stretching the defense... LAY OFF THE PIPE DOOD

the one thing you can argue is that the team gets up and down the court faster without yao but at what cost? when mutombo's in he's even slower up the court than yao. with both of them out, we are GIVING UP transition points to the other team when we do not score and/or give up offensive boards. we are GIVING UP points in the lane when teams drive the lane on us... are there going to be that many more points we score in transition PURELY because yao isn't in the game versus what we give up due to him not being in?

 

you keep posting "answer me that" riddle me this.

okay Jim Carrey, will you quit posting if someone "answers" you?

"is there really much of a drop off when he's out of the game?" YES

"Are we really that much better with Yao in the game than when he's out?' YES

"Maybe it's just me, but whenever I see Yao walking towards the scorer's table, I don't get goosebumps or feel relieved that he's coming back in the game" your ass is numb from too much internet. get up and walk around and tell me if the next time you see yao the feeling is back

 

We are one of the only winning teams that doesnt fill up their arena.

 

exactly..the world must be wondering..why the fock are their so many empty seats in their crowd??? our crowd sux monkey nutz

 

Why are we winning?

1. Defense!
2. Passing, and getting open looks
3. Hitting open shots.

Without Yao, we pretty much lose our low post offensive threat and must resort to jump shooting/slashing to the basket/offensive rebounding to get our points. We haven't needed any low post scoring because our shots have been falling. What i'm afraid is that when our shot isn't there, how are we going to score? We all know we could setup ISO plays with Tracy, and pick and roll all day long, but we don't have the big man in the middle to pick up the easy 2 or draw fouls on the other bigs. We'll see how we match up when we have to play team with a low post beast such as the Magic, Spurs, Lakers, & Suns.

 

One thing that occurs to me is Scola, Landry, Hayes, Battier are perhaps the four toughest competitors that I have seen in a while on any basketball team. And they just get tougher as the game wears on. Fierce, focused, doing the intangibles to win is all they care about. And in an increased possession game they just get tougher. More chances for us to score and more chances to shut the opponent down.

That and Scolandry again with 30 pts and ridiculous rebounds.

I miss Yao as much as anyone, but I also like our chances with this new mix.
I like our chances against the wests elite. So much of the NBA is "storybook" and I think we have a great story, teamwork, tough players, and when our jumpshots aren't falling TMac will take it to the rack - mark my words. We are seeing something special this year.

 

i live in oakland, CA and whenever i go to warriors games, no matter what team they r facing, their arena is full and bumping as if its a playoff game.

 

yea i am jealous of the oakland crowd..it's like a college atmosphere every game..if toyota center was even HALF that rowdy...i'd be happy..

i'll be courtside at the lakers game in a couple of weeks...might have to slap some of them rich "fans" in the face to get them into the game hah

 

just waiting for Yao's back IMHO.

 

skimming through the entire thread, how come no one has mentioned battier OUTSCORED and outplayed melo tonight? his name should not always be associated with "intangibles".

 

game download:

http://bt.hosting-file.com/torrents-details.php?id=30

 

Major props for rafer tonight. Solid D on AI and unbelievable shooting - midrange, long range and even the tear drop. has he gotten so consistent that no one notices that he had a great game?

 

Couple of responses to your points.

1) Mutumbo should have played some in the Jazz series - but to put that loss on Yao and Yao alone is just wrong. Deke was pissed about that himself, but Boozer was doing a number on everyone except for Chuck Hayes...Chuck should have had the cover. Utah (read: Boozer) has been and will be a bad matchup for Yao, although we did much better depth wise this year when playing Utah.

2) Adelman's offense gets everyone moving...but Yao doesn't block the lane the way you think he does, even before he had Yao moving from high to low. Part of that was to help Yao with the banging down low, and part of that was for Tracy. But T-Mac's driving is strictly a will based issue: if he wants to drive to the hole, he will. That's an issue with or without Yao. Anyhow, movement is a team wide goal of Coach Adelman's. Help me out here...how does Yao stop movement or slow it down?

3) The speed of shots doesn't have anything to do with Yao. This year is unlike last year, where the ball went down to Yao in the post right away. Oftentimes, the ball swings two to three passes before Yao gets position on the block, or Yao takes the ball at the high post off a screen and works from there. In other words, Yao is neither a ball nor a shot stopper.

In short, I still feel we are a much better team with Yao. Beyond pick and roll issues, there aren't serious deficiencies in Yao's game, and he is so diligent that he improves most every year. There are things about Yao that may frustrate you, but that's the case with almost everyday. You have to look big picture, and see that at the end of the day, Yao is a net gain with the Rockets as a whole.

 

Yea, no kidding, the rockets are going to dominate the league next year with Yao back and the system under their belt.

 

Nuggets is rubbish

 

I can support that claim. I live in Houston but have been traveling to the Oakland area for work over the past few months.

I've only been to one game so far during the second week of the season. Having been to over 100 games at the Toyota Center over the last few years, I've never once seen our arena as loud as Oracle that night. Not even during playoff games.

Oracle Arena is off the hook. It isn't even close.

 

K eeping ahead!

Go Rockets!

 

Great win and we are only 0.5 behind the Hornets!!!

 

What impressed me was the solid all round team work and confidence that we displayed. Keep it up guys.
Go Rockets!