Chron: Rockets playing it cool about reaching playoffs

I don't care if it's politically correct or not.

Now that we've clinched a playoff spot, we should limit Yao and McGrady to 20 minutes per night the next few games and completely sit them out the last 2 games.

We need a healthy McGrady for the playoffs.

 

Wrong. Feigen hasn't checked the standings for a while. Dallas has passed Seattle (by 2 games). If the standings don't change, the Rockets (at 6th place) would go up against Dallas (At third place).

The only way we could match up against Seattle is if we pass Sac to be in 5th place. I've looked at Sac's schedule, and in order for that to happen, we would need to win all of our remaining games, and have sac lose two of their remaining games. It's possible, but I don't think it's probable.

-- droxford

 

No. You're wrong. Division winners get the 1st 3 seeds.

 

Ah dammit. I'm still not used to this new system.

-- droxford

 

Except that we need to maintain our position. If we rest T-Mac and Yao and end up falling to 7th or 8th and face the Suns or the Spurs with Duncan coming back we may be in for a short playoffs. Facing Seattle is our best chance.

I would wait until we firm up our seeding but would also play smart with them. If its the fourth quarter and we got a 20+ lead or are behind by that much I would sit them.

How ironic that the Rox would want to face Seattle unlike the 90's.

 

Who cares what our seed is.

We've played the Suns close almost every game and beaten them twice in Phoenix.

The Spurs are not that unbeatable without Tim Duncan. Dallas absolutely crushed them last week.

Seattle is not going to be a pushover once Rashard lewis is back for the playoffs.

Also, you have to look past the 1st round. If we beat Seattle, we;d still have to potentially face the Spurs anyways. By that time, a half-injured McGrady will only get worse, not better unless he rests prior to the playoffs.

If we're healthy, we can beat anybody.

 

I don't think it would help too much with McGrady. His main ailment seems to be tendinitis, which won't get too much better if you just play him fewer minutes over the final five games.

I'm not sure about Yao. It might help a lot, it might just end up leaving him rusty once the postseason comes along.

I think the guys who are most in need of rest are the Jon Barrys and David Wesleys and Bob Suras... We need them to have fresh legs in the playoffs, so that their threes will start to fall down and frankly, Sura just hasn't looked right at all the past couple of games.

 

TMas was really hobbling and hurting the past few games. I don't think anybody mentioned it, I think Yao was hurting pretty bad too. The last two games, although Yao played with grit but he did not have the usual jumping ability and the quickness he had. It looks like Yao also worked really hard but not playing 100%.

 

Yao has quickness and jumping ability?

 

On the flip side of this argument, Seattle is the only opponent that the Rockets have a decent chance of winning a *short* series against. By working hard now, they may earn needed rest during the playoffs instead of before.

I think they should try to win the next three before contemplating extra rest.

If they win all three, then the Rockets can afford to lose at least one game. And hopefully, the Nugs and Grizz will lose another one along the way, meaning the Rox can waste another game if need be in order to rest players.

OTOH, if they lose the Nuggets game, then I'd be OK with ditching the 6-seed plan and going for the rest instead.

 

It all depends upon what your goal is ...

If your goal is to get into the second round, then year, playing Sattle would give you the best chance ...

If your goal is the championships, then it does not matter who you play against in the first round...

 

When Yao was healthy, he runs very well and finish on the break. Yao is pretty atheletic for a big man. So you think Yao has no quickness and jumping ability?

 

It's still possible the Suns fall to the 2nd seed. They're only a half game ahead of San Antonio right now.

 

Before all the injuries, the Rockets hit a peak that was exhilirating. It was hard not to see them as a geniune "dark horse" for advancing in the playoffs. Now, quite frankly, they are out of gas. TMac will light up some scoreboards, BUT Ming appears spent (he has used up his two or three impressive performances for the year), Sura is a shadow of his earlier self, PF is by committee and there are not enough voting members, Wesley is on fumes, James looks motivated, but can't make a layup, and, well, I am planing for an early exit, especially if they slip in the standings. The team has been very entertaining, has shown some real chemistry, but simply needs better and younger players. Contender status was fleeting.

 

Screw it. Let's just keep winning and we'll play whoever the hell we'll play.

 

Right on, bro, right on.

 

LOL. Sad to say, but that's the first thing I said to myself when reading that line.

 

His 10" vertical was down to 8".

 

Yao can jump, kinda, but he chooses to stand flatfooted and try to rebound usually. Quickness is not a word I would usually associate with Yao. Those are his major weaknesses. In Yao's defense it seems that rebounding is generally Yao-on-five unless Sura is in the game. Everyone else is out around the 3-point line hoping it's a long rebound.