The consensus is correct that all around talented big men give the Rockets fits. As we also have witnessed this season, the Raptors front court give us problems because both Bosh and Bargnani can shoot with range. They are certainly not better than the Rockets but that is due to lack of talent at other positions. The Jazz have a star PG and excellent role players to go along with their talented big men.
Brooks/Lowry on Deron Williams is obviously a tough matchup. Boozer hasn't completely recovered from his injury yet and may remain less than 100% in the playoffs. Despite giving him the open jumpers, Yao may be enough to handle him. Scola has been doing a respectable defensive job on Okur this season. I believe it would continue in the postseason. I thought Battier having to cover their bigger small forwards (Kirilenko, Milsap) was really a bad matchup last year, but there really was no other option. This year we have Artest, who I believe will play a huge role. That way, Battier can defend Miles or Brewer, which he does very well IMO. The key will be defending Deron Williams without relying on too much help defense. Let him get his shots but don't let him create for others. Which is, of course, easier said than done.
Okur can take Yao out of the game. Yao can't guard big-men who can shoot 3's. We have to depend on our PF's as always to guard Okur. The other who is inside need to concentrate on the rebound, because that left us with only one primary rebounder which is Yao
keep in mind when rockets beat jazz they where without boozer, millsap, Okur, and deron williams playing hurt http://www.nba.com/games/20081227/UTAHOU/boxscore.html that game went to double OT houston only without artest the other game jazz where without boozer Ak-47 deron close to 100% scoring 32 points 11 assist rockets without mcgrady and artest
Yao can't guard jump shooters that can shoot beyond 10 feet. Al Jefferson had a field day against Yao, and Boozer always does well against Yao. Also, the Jazz are the experts on defending Yao 1 on 1 and fronting him. Unfortunately, they owned Artest last game too. If Artest plays like he did the last game against the Jazz, forget it, no way the Rockets can win. IMO, the players that could possibly make a difference is Brooks, Landry, Lowry, and Barry. Brooks and Landry are better from last year.
yao...shuts down miles. scola...on Mehmet. hayes....against boozer. Brooks..gets Williams...help D from yao on a Williams' drive-in Artest....pushes with Brewer. These 5 have enough speed and defense and offense to take down the Jazz. can i git an amen?
why didn't you suggest the rockets commit suicide? playing Yao "the slow" ming and two PFs on court is definitely a terrible idea, though the Jazz is also as slow as turtles. this post doesn't make any sense, except for the "yao...shuts down miles" which almost amused me to death.
I believe in the last game against the Jazz it was more the bench players that killed us. Brewer and Korver in particular sealed the deal for the Jazz. We need Yao to dominate against single coverage so things open up for the other players and our coaching staff needs to teach him the proper way of passing out of the low post. ENOUGH of those one handed bullet pass from the post which are easily telegraphed or deflected. Also , the last time in the playoffs when Yao dropped around 33 points to give us a 2-0 lead , he went to his power move against Okur on the right block. If the Jazz use single coverage on Yao and he goes to his signature move on the right block. book the two points. Yao actually blocked boozer on his left handed drive in the last game and last game boozer didn't really burn us in terms of his shooting percentage from outside. We need to contain their Role players, boozer's game is on the decline this year in my opinion. I also think it will be our bench vs. their bench which will be the X factor. Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer need to show what they're made of against the Jazz.
good man...i thought starting off with a little dash of some "yao...shuts down miles" would really put a nice kick in to a Good defensive plan . You know? Get that slow turtler as...I mean...get those slow turtly Jazz a good crackin up on whatever they might try for an abstract joke. So if the post doesn't make sense...except for the punchline that amused you to death...plus you admitting that the starting line-up for the Jazz are slow, how can it not work? When you say #11 and the 2PFs...you're Mac sizing my budget. Meaning you ordered 2 large fries..but see...I only asked for one. Cuz Scola is the only true PF in this line-up. Ron(zilla) is a small, tooth spittin out, halloween idea spoiling then poppin it back in and chewing Brewer like winter fresh gum, forward...(SF)....Jazz pun intended on the winter fresh. But lets not forget...Ron is playing with the speed and label of an SG. Hayes is a Small Foward that can play as STRONG AS A PF. Hayes can maintain and wear down boozer as the help D from Yao keeps boozer from getting alot from the paint. Hayes can definitely defend boozer's outside shot with consistency as well...boozer. Aaron can maintain a suitable perimeter defense against Williams...but for a limited amount of time, however. Williams can wear Brooks down...but help D from #11---yes that would be all. It's gonna be credit..thanks. Hey you forgot my cup...haha, thanks..no problem. (goes to coke machine and punches the ice button...looks at you and says...remember those suicidal thoughts you brought up?) Well yes...maybe CJ can get quite a few open looks cuz yao is guarding the paint and gravitating toward miles' position on the court with a lower priorty... but why?? Because CJ miles wont kill us in the playoffs. So therfore to answer your question in your reply to my post...the reason I didn't ask them to commit suicide was because I was only suggesting a way they could beat the Jazz and their starting lineup...to death. (insert my amusement here) So tell me why this post doesn't make much sense...except it's all good if yao shuts down miles? P.S. So you know Kobe? Lock my question if it's been asked already. .
It's not that simple. Take spurs for example, Yao is slower than Duncan but just enough to keep up with him to defend him well. Duncan is slower than Boozer, but just enough to defend him well(if he needs to). Now, you put Yao on Boozer, who is two steps slower, and there is no way for Yao to defend Boozer well. An elephant crashes a cat, but can do nothing to a mouse. So, you see, Rockets match up well with spurs doesn't translate into match well with jazz
You're right, even Spurs(although both two teams like armies, well disciplined), no one want to matchup Jazz in the playoffs.
Almost nobody matches well against the Jazz at home. The Jazz are a different team at home than on the road, they hustle more shoot better and get more calls in Utah than outside.
The Jazz have mismatches at three positions with the Rockets. Boozer/Okur -> Yao/Scola/Landry and Deron Williams -> Brooks/Lowry. Jerry Sloan is the best coach in the league at exploiting mismatches. That, and they sold their soul to Satan.
I have seen many posts but none is this comprehensive and accurate as this post. I would like to add 1 more: The Jazz is a very discipline team, they keep doing the things they do well until they get it right. If they fall behind, they stay with it, eventually we get in a bad stretch, as all teams do, and they catch up. The Rockets, on the other hand, panic very easily. When things go well, no problems. When something does not go right, we go away from the game plan, each player try to do much more than they are accustomed to. More likely than not, we dig even a deeper hole. When the Jazz do go in a cold stretch, we are too far down to catch up or that we keep doing things the hard way such that we can't catch up.
It's actually pretty simple. Normally Yao is a great player, he does it on both ends. But, against the Jazz, he gets abused on D because he can't defend anyone on the court and Okur renders him a 40-45% shooter.
