Yao was completely taken out of the ballgame. He can be taken out of any game with fronting. The Rockets, as much as they say they have a plan to deal with that, never seem to implement that plan to counteract it. Why would you ever let Yao post up when you can just front him? Fronting him makes him pretty much worthless. Rockets always have the same excuses every time Yao is taken out. Oh...we went away from Yao and made bad choices. Well...no kidding. It's not like you had a choice. They took him out and the rest of the team buckled with poor decisions/shots. It's not a recipe to win a playoff series. Portland would be stupid if they let Yao post up. They should front him from the tip to the end. They do that...and this team won't beat them. That would be asking the rest of the team to take the brunt of the scoring duties and they would have to put the ball in the hole...something easier said than done in a playoff game. Good luck, Rockets. You are going to need it. You are also out of excuses. You had all season to correct the fronting problem and blown leads...neither of which appears to be resolved at all.
Well... maybe they got their bad one out of their system now, instead of during the actual playoffs... maybe? anyone?
I get the same feeling that the coaching staff hasn't been doing its homework with respect to its fronting assignment. The reason why lobbing the ball used to be a big no no on defense is because it leaves the rim vulnerable for some type of alley-oop or lob pass. I was very frustrated especially with battier on several possessions where again he brings the ball down to his chest level when trying to make a post pass. its like the coaching staff hasn't taught him the basics to put the ball over your head and make an overhead pass. you just need to spread out the floor when yao is being fronted, of course it is easier said than done. The coaching staff should do their homework, the SPACING just isn't right when Yao is fronted. Instead of spreading the floor when Yao is fronted which will expose the rim even more to a lob pass, the Rockets try to overload one side with players which makes the fronting defense even more effective. SPREAD THE FLOOR don't crowd the area where Yao is being fronted. That Dallas game was really very frustrating. But there is a solution to every problem and i hope Adelman studies this problem very well.
That is something that I agree with totally. I feel that when he is rendered ineffective,Deke should substitute him on occasions even against a young Blazers team. I think Deke can match up fairly well with Przybilla and also stop Oden from going to the rim easily. Deke's presence can also make things easier for both Scola and Landry on the defensive end. Chuck Hayes also can defend Aldridge and improve our rebounding.
I would like to see scola be the focal point off the offense sometimes . I think his moves are more aggresive than Yao's because he goes towards the basket instead off away from the basket like Yao.
That was just most painful loss this season. They HAD a chance to be #2! Basketball gods weren't in our favor last night. Oh well. I want to blame the refs but Rockets blew it. They were up by 14! Sure, there were stupid calls against Yao and Artest but where was the whistle while Yao was being hacked? Other guys should have stepped it up. Scola was nonexistent for us. He could not contain Dirk...I think we would have won if Adelman put someone else on him instead of Scola. It was obvious Scola was a bad matchup against Dirk. Terry and his stupid airplane pose just KILLED us. Again, I'm just glad we're not playing stupid Jazz and dumb Mavs. Those teams are the most hated teams on my list. Ugh. I hate the Mavs and gay skipping owner. Portland, bring it on.
Horrible game. Horrible collapse. Horrible execution in crunch time. I haven't been upset about a Rockets game in years....simply because I really haven't had much faith in them. I hate to say it, but it's just the truth. So the first round playoff bow outs haven't really bothered me too much. But last night, it was Dallas. Last night, there was much on the line. Second seed, home court advantage, opposite side of the draw from the Lakers, and a SW division crown for the first time in, what, 15 years??? To top it off, Dallas gets a favorable slot with a slowing and incomplete Spurs team with no Ginobili. And I can't help but think Dallas pulls off an upset, and moves on. They have a pretty nice view of the WCF without the Lakers in the way. It could happen. UGH. Anyway, on ESPN radio this morning, I get to listen to Tim Legler saying how the Rockets pulled off the most disapointing game of the night last night, with more important implications than any other team....and then to hear that Portland will hold home court and beat us in 7. Portland is the hottest team going into the playoffs, besides maybe the Lake Show. Blah blah blah... I must admit I am worried about Portland. Roy is playing like a 10 year veteran, making solid decisions on the court, and playing great down the stretch in the clutch. They have plenty of size in Pryzbilla, Oden, Aldridge, etc., and they have a deep, albeit young, bench. Travis Outlaw gives them a really nice scoring option off the bench too. Anyway....no point to my rant...other than to rant. Thanks. I feel better now.
you guys are UNBELIEVABLE! Just yesterday prior to the game, everyone was jumpin on the bandwagon, and now everyone's jumping off?? CMON! WE GOT THE MATCHUP WE WANTED! Sure it cost us home court, but Portland's BIG MEN are NOT quick enough to front YAO. Yao will eat them up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I thought our defense was consistently good throughout, but Dallas kept makin shots! Our defense had a hand in every shot! Dallas just made shots that they normally would not make! Dirk and Terry made shots they had NO BUSINESS in making! C'MON! I know this is frustrating but LETS DO THIS! LETS SHOW UP THE WHOLE WORLD! Game3...BE LOUD BE PROUD! All we need is ONE game in Portland and we'll have our HCA back!
Fock...Although, I agree, this is the 1st round match-up we needed...but we could have had the division and home court...that being said, it does show how little we are prepared for a big game...
The refs screwed the Rockets big time. NBA refs have a clear anti-Yao agenda. They'll blow the whistle on Yao for simply touching the ball, especially in the 2nd quarter. This allowed Dallas to get back into the game and erased Houston lead, which gave them back their confidence while demoralizing everyone on the Rockets team and swung the momentum of the game totally in Dallas favor in the 2nd half. And combined with horrendous subs by the coach sealed Houston's fate.
Not a big deal. The rockets have had home court advantage the last couple of years hasnt really helped them. All they have to do is win one of the first 2 games in Portland against a young and inexperienced playoff team. If they cant do that the rockets dont deserve to get out of the first round and yes at that point its time to rebuild and get ready for the 2010 free agency season.
Let's look at the facts boys and girls. Positives 1. Portland IS the team we all wanted to play in the first round according to the clutchfans poll. Google portland trailblazers real gm forums and look for yourself. 2. Jason Terry stepped up his game and delivered BIG TIME!! NO one in the entire league could of stopped him in the 4th quarter. 3. Dallas had a lot to play for as well AND they were at home. 4. AB is going home.....he has friends and family in attendance and has something to prove. 5. IF we can win 1 game in Portland the series is over. Negatives 1. Rockets coaching staff have no idea how to combat other teams fronting Yao. 2. Ron Artest shot selection. 3. We need Luis Scola to be a beast again. 4. The Rockets have no killer instinct. 5. The Rockets are an average road team. My prediction Rox in 6..............We need to stand behind our team....Why? Because we won 53 games in the Western Conference without Tracy Mcgrady. Where would we be with a healthy T-mac?
not only against yao, ryan hollins looked at von when he duncked and said something, thats an automatic tech, not to mention dirk's and terry complaing and throwing their hands on the refs with no tech, ron artest 5th foule was a bull ****, yao's foruth foul was a bull**** too.
The NBA refs effectively neutralized all our best players with their disgusting calls while they let Dirk get away with murder and hammering Yao all night long.
Forget the most favorable 1st round matchup. The SW division title would have put us back in the record books and HCA through the first 2 rounds would have given us a strong advantage and sent a statement to the league. Now we're a 5th seed teetering on the edge of another first round exit. Portland should not be taken lightly, especially since we are only an average road team. Regarding your statements about the game, it wasn't necessarily about the defense. It was more about the adjustments, or rather the lack of adjustments. I think every single poster on this board that watched the game could see Scola was being eaten alive by Dirk, yet he was trotted back out there late in the second half. And we also all know how poorly Brooks was playing and how well Lowry was playing. Why Brooks was in there when we were losing our lead is beyond me. And the guys b****ing about the refs?? Give me a break. WE blew a 14 point lead by not adjusting, not the refs or their calls. We ****ed ourselves last night. Everyone better be praying that Utah can somehow upset the Lakers, which is possible.
Jason Terry took over the game! I'm worried about the Rockets now that they do not have home court advantage and they do way better at home
im putting this game behind me even though its hard... look to saturday guys... and btw why did scola only have 5 points...
