ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 12/6/2002

Back in '86, Boston went 40-1 at home...don't know how many of those were to start the season...

 

I've been reading the board for 2 months--it's awesome!!-- so I've been waiting for something really insightful to say for my first post. It hasn't come so I'll just say something...

It'll be interesting to see if Yao is able to dominate the paint. He still hasn't been able to put up excellent numbers on back to back games, the closest being the games against Dallas and Washington a few weeks back. It'll be interesting to see if he can handle lots of touches and minutes night in, night out. Although he doesn't force anything so as long as the rockets continue to feed him like on tuesday, he will do okay.

An interesting observation--yao seems to do better against size (i.e. Duncan/Robinson and Bradley) and not so well against leaner, quicker centers (i.e. dale davis, predrag drobnjak) of course this has to with how the offense was flowing on those nights and it's certainly not a representative sample, but let's see how he does against campbell, who I've alway though was a good, serviceable center with underrated D. So it's hard to tell how Yao will do.

On the impending return of Cat, I've never been a big fan of Cuttino Mobley because he's really one-dimensional. A defensive liability. And last season he averaged only 2.5 assists... I think with as many touches as he gets, if he's just swing the ball he could get 3. I used to think that he hurt the team. Although since he's been gone, Houston has struggled to score even 90 points... so I'm not so sure now. Maybe you need him in there.

 

I thought last night that the Rockets had the best record with one lose reported by ESPN 22-1

I think we can win at any their court if we play together.

 

Chicago won 37 home games in a row to start the season in 1996.

 

Baron a daily question mark, ala Stevie last year. The big ? facing the Rox is who can contain Mash?

Yao and Stevie should rule.

Then, BackToBack W's with the answer for Allen.

 

This is a good point. When Yao gets big minutes, he is visibly exhausted by the end of the game right now. Against San Antonio, I remember he would be running back up the court on offense and Moochie would be slapping him on the butt trying to get him to get down into the low post. It was pretty funny, but it went a long way towards showing where Yao's endurance is right now. What will prove interesting is if he gets big minutes against the Hornets. Then we will see how he does on a back to back situation when he has had 30+ minutes or so the night before.

I worry sometimes about Yao slapping at loose rebounds that he is out of position for. A team with good rebounders like PJ Brown might be able to scoot him out of position and draw a lot of loose ball fouls if Ming insists on slapping at all the rebounds. Sometimes it is very effective in tipping the ball to himself, but if a team exploits the tendency just right, they could get him in foul trouble early.

 

He is supposed to miss this game but play in the Philly game. They didn't want him coming off the injury list and playing back to back games.

Any one have any ideas on who is next to go on the reserve?

 

I think this is going to be a easy win for Rox, much like how they beat Toronto. If Rox can keep feeding Ming the ball, this W is in the frige(love chick hearn). I am not too worried about Hornet's 9-0 record at home. I just now checked their schdules in Nov, they had a weak weak schedule, mostly against teams without true center. If Ming gets hot earlier, who can stop him in this hornets team, Ming can just turn and shoot over anybody. I have a feeling that Ming will do well if there is no opposing physically strong center.

 

Let them double Yao Ming. Somebody, will be open...

 

hey i remember the last couple of time we play the hornets we did good on most of the players EXCEPT david wesly, he was beastin everyone out ther(hint hint CAT) but i hope the Hawk will shut him down

 

heh i still dont understand why yall predict the final outcome score of the game. c'mon how many of yall really get it right on the dot?

 

I'd say we will win. Even though they had 9-0 home, most team they beat are pretty weak except the Sixers, Sonics and timbervolves. Hou 89- NO 81 Final

 

wat time is the game? and wat channels is it on.pls say ESPN

 

It wont be on ESPN.

I think the Rockets are only currently scheduled to have 2 more nationally televised games. One of them is against Dallas in December I believe the other is against the Lakers in January.

Of course the NBA schedule is pretty flexible so if the Rockets keep a good record I could see ESPN/TNT adding more Rockets games at the beginning of the year.

Chris

 

Rockets will win. Baron Davis is playing a lot of minutes yet has a bad back.

If Yao can outplay Duncan and Robinson, I'm not too worried about Campbell and Brown. Well, maybe Brown. We'll see how the refs treat our boy Yao.

 

Nice post, yipeng. Welcome to the board.

 

I think Cat's defense is underrated.

As far as assists last year, who was he supposed to assist too?

 

I think this will be a good matchup for us. Their backcourt is small. It's exactly like ours. Two small guards playing most minutes, with a big guard playing minutes too. I think hawk will be very important. If he can come out and hit a few early shots and NOT allow the zone to sag on him, this can be a game we can win.

I think we have the rotation to beat them: Ming, Cato, MoT can cause lots of trouble for their inside.

I'm worried about Mashburn though. I think we should go to a 3-guard line-up. Hawk on Mash, Francis and Baron, Moochie and Wesley.

With Baron struggling, I think Francis can really harass him big time. Mooch is doing well, and hopefull he can stay with Wesley while Hawk slows down Mash.


We're relying on our bench again. Problem is, their bench is good too, and they're at home.

We need some luck.

 

i have a feeling Moochie is gunna balll hog tonite

 

btw AMS: the game is not tonight.