ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 11/26/2002

No.

But they miss the net, though.

 

Disjointed offense, turnovers, trapping defense esp. on Francis, and mostly jacking up perimeter shots. Virtually noo attempts at posting up Taylor, Griffin or Ming.

Lousy coaching, lousy shooting, lousy on court decision making, lousy game.

We are a mediocre team at best.

D R

 

Come on. He's played well for three straight games, has one bad game, and that outweighs the three good ones? Any good jump shooter is going to have a day where he struggles from the field... it happens. Nothing unnatural.

He's been playing much better defense than most of us expected, he's hitting his shots from the outside, and he's done a good job in the low post. He struggled for one game, which most perimeter shooters do now and then... give him some more time before you say he sucks.

 

Can I get an Amen?!

 

The last two games are ugly, but it doesn't mean this team is hopeless. Lakers lost to Heat tonight. Kings and Spur both had straight losses this year. just don't give up yet.

 

That was one of the ugliest shooting displays I have ever seen. I think the rims must have been off, or something.

I thought when we got the ball to Yao, things were happening offensively- either he'd score or get fouled, or someone would have a wide open shot (but proceed to brick it). The problem was getting it there early in the shot clock.

I swear EG is getting frozen out on everything but 3s. He must have posted up, and been in position to get the ball on the high post a half dozen times, but got it all of one time. Moochie waved him off like he was Shandn Andersn in a transition situation.

 

Rudy is clueless.

Our players are clueless.

Clueless coach + players isn't a good combination.

18 minutes for Yao? 1 strike.
But then, he sends in Mooch for 30 min. 2 strikes.
Downright horrible combinations. 3 strikes.
Didn't fire up his LIFELESS team. 4 strikes.

Go now Rudy. Please. You are a clueless clueless man.

Steve - a clueless man as well. If someone went up to him and told him to 'move the ball', he'd probably start twirling the ball in his hands. He's selfish and puts up atrocious shots. Not only that, but he keeps puttin them up even when he's off. He is clearly not a true leader.

 

We did the same with him and without him last year on the IR. The problem is Rudy won't play anyone except Moochie in place of Cuttino in crunch time, going with SF at 2 and Moochie at the 1. IMHO, Calvin Murphy stepping onto the basketball court in place of Moochie would give the Rocks a better chance to win. I think Cat's a good player but he's not unreplaceable. It's Rudy's fixed substitutions that make Cat's absence now seem terrible.

 

Two weeks ago, everyone applauded Yao for his 10 points game. Tonight he got another 10 points on 3 out of 4 from the field and you blame him for the lost? Sure he should do better from the free throw line. Buts a rookie, he will have some ups and downs. Give him some time. The thing is, ROX played poorly tonight as a team!

 

Well, he played about 25 piss-poor game for the Rockets in a row before he had that good stretch over the past week, so I can't say if that little hot streak increased my confidence in him.

However, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and see how he plays over the next couple of games.

 

Agreed on both of those points. Nachbar should have gotten a few minutes, since no one (especially Glen's 3-13 performance) could shoot tonight.

 

I'm in agreement with DCKid on this one. Play very reminiscent of Walt Williams at the same position.

 

Another thing I've noticed is something I have always thought was questionable, but am just starting to realize it's a pretty serious problem is Steve's outside shooting. By my estimation, he is not a good jump shooter. I would say that over the last 7 or 8 games he has shot the ball poorly from the outside. That is a pattern! It's not like he's just shooting bad every once and while.

 

rudy blows.

 

Horrible team game. Can't really point the finger at any one person tonight. I'm sure that won't stop some people though. I will say one thing. When an entire team is playing that badly with no entusiasm, energy, or love for the game, then there is a lack of strong leadership on this team. Again, I'm not pointing at any one player or coach. Just the Rox are in desperate need of consistent leader(s) that can play/motivate/lead this team throughout their finest and darkest moments.

 

The whole Rockets team can't shoot that's why they lost. It's not just Yao. Glen Rice and Norris were off. Yao missing FTs. But why Yao only play limited minutes to begin with is puzzling. I think the coach need to run more plays for Yao, he hardly get to shoot much in every single damm game. And in the Clippers game, he hardly get to touch the ball much either and the goaltending at the end was not an error. The ball was going to go in anyway, so don't blame it on Yao. The whole Rockets team play horrible...turning over the ball too much. Yao running up and down and watching the Rockets turning over the ball is like he's not even there to play the game. The coach game play sucks, hardly any moments...most of the plays are just one pass and one on one. Not much teamwork and too many stagnant offense. I am not a Rockets fan by the way....i am a KINGS fans and i only support Yao cuz he's Asian. The game against the Clippers is the first time i get to see him play on TV (telemundo) and ROckets were horrible. Yao hardly did anything other than helping the Rockets solified interior defense. That's because the coach hardly run any play for Yao as if he's not even on the court. I problem with Yao is not a problem at all, it's more about coaching. If the coach chose not to go to Yao in the post, then it's just a waste of time to even start him on the court. I don't understand how someone that shoot 31 out of 35 not getting much touch at all, instead most of the shooting are done by some other Rockets that can't even shoot a lick. If the Rockets want to win, they better pass it to the big man and run more play for him. I hardly see any trick plays (a la Shaq), especially for Yao. All i see is pick and roll and catch and pass, that's it! Can't the coach come up with some creative plays that utilize a tall person? How about have Yao run across the paint like Shaq and have Steve pass it to him and let him outjump lean over them for 2 easy unstoppable points.

 

I would trade all three of our forwards for player like Elton Brand, he leaves his ass on the floor every game.

 

Rockets suck plus horrible coaching

The whole Rockets team can't shoot that's why they lost. It's not just Yao. Glen Rice and Norris were off. Yao missing FTs. But why Yao only play limited minutes to begin with is puzzling. I think the coach need to run more plays for Yao, he hardly get to shoot much in every single damm game. And in the Clippers game, he hardly get to touch the ball much either and the goaltending at the end was not an error. The ball was going to go in anyway, so don't blame it on Yao. The whole Rockets team play horrible...turning over the ball too much. Yao running up and down and watching the Rockets turning over the ball is like he's not even there to play the game. The coach game play sucks, hardly any movement...most of the plays are just one pass and one on one. Not much teamwork and too many stagnant offense. I am not a Rockets fan by the way....i am a KINGS fans and i only support Yao cuz he's Asian. The game against the Clippers is the first time i get to see him play on TV (telemundo) and ROckets were horrible. Yao hardly did anything other than helping the Rockets solified interior defense. That's because the coach hardly run any play for Yao as if he's not even on the court. I problem with Yao is not a problem at all, it's more about coaching. If the coach chose not to go to Yao in the post, then it's just a waste of time to even start him on the court. I don't understand how someone that shoot 31 out of 35 not getting much touch at all, instead most of the shooting are done by some other Rockets that can't even shoot a lick. If the Rockets want to win, they better pass it to the big man and run more play for him. I hardly see any trick plays (a la Shaq), especially for Yao. All i see is pick and roll and catch and pass, that's it! Can't the coach come up with some creative plays that utilize a tall person? How about have Yao run across the paint like Shaq and have Steve pass it to him and let him outjump lean over them for 2 easy unstoppable points.

 

Yes, win or lose, Elton always puts up a "if I go down, I'm going down fighting" type of attitude. Something the Rox didn't seem to have tonight from any player.

 

I don't understand why people are complaining about Yao's minutes.

Rudy used the same pattern he always has used.

Yao picked up 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes. 99% of the time, after your 2nd foul in the first quarter, you go out. Francis went out because of that as well. Rudy has always taken Yao out at the start of the next period (2nd), and if he had less than 2 fouls, he'd play the last 4 minutes or so. Yao had 2 fouls, and Rudy wanted to
a.) get Cato minutes
b.) allow Yao to have 4 fouls to work with in the 2nd half.

In the 2nd half, Yao played his normal rotation- he played the first ~8 minutes of the 3rd, gets rest at the end of the 3rd/beginning of 4th, and finishes the game.

If Yao doesn't get early foul trouble, he plays the whole 1st quarter (+10 minutes) and possibly end of the 2nd quarter minutes, putting him at around 30 instead of 18.