ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Pistons @ Rockets 1/24/2003

That slow boring ugly game is called defense.

Everyone on the Pistons plays it. The Rockets? Not so much.

 

Is this the same defense the Pistons played when they were blown out by the Mavs.

 

Rudy said our lack of depth and execution was the cause of our defeat. What is the organization going to do about it?

 

Some basketball player said in public that during JUMP BALL at the start of the game, the players are usually telling stories and talking together. That player got released a few weeks later...

 

Short interviews from before Detroit game:

MoTay disses Ben Wallace:
rtsp://a389.r.akareal.net/ondemand/...d.akamai.com/6101/rockets/taylor030124_300.rm

Yao says nothing about Ben Wallace:
rtsp://a389.r.akareal.net/ondemand/...load.akamai.com/6101/rockets/yao030124_300.rm

Ben Wallace comes off as a class act. Nice guy:
rtsp://a389.r.akareal.net/ondemand/....akamai.com/6101/rockets/wallace030124_300.rm

 

Not quite, Chauncy Billups (our best backcourt defnender) was hurting in the 1st game and completely absent the next. I thought he did a fine job of keeping francis out of the middle of the key last night. And yes, Dallas plays our defense well, but they are the only ones so far who have had success against it. In our last 15 games no one has topped 100 on us.

Our "boring, ugly" brand of basketball wins us games. Over the offseason, we have a HIGH lottery pick coming from Memphis, and possibly 7 mil in cap room (Cliff is outhighest-paid player at 7 mil and his salary comes off the books) to get the "superstar" people assume we need to win a championship, and maybe we'll score more points. But in any case, I'll take W's anytime, anyhow. As your local beatwriter put it, Ben makes hustle as entertaining as ANY dunk.

As for you guys, I really hate to go after a hometown guy, but Rudy has to go. That was the LEAST disciplined team I've ever seen ,for the talent they have. There was no semblence of an offense out there, just one-on-one ball. How does Rudy not bench guys that ignore the team like that? Rick Carlisle benches player for simply not boxing out, and on occasion, Cliff Robinson will have lazy teamates taken out of the game. What you guys need is a disciplinarian. IF a guy plays selfishly, bench him. If he keeps it up, trade him. It sounds harsh, but trust me, it'll be better in the long run.

 

Exactly!

Most people don't know what the saying, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," means.
Some people would think that saying means: winning isn't the goal. That's not true. Some people would think that saying means: losing is ok. That's not true.

It means that if you do what it takes to get better, play as a team, and do what it takes to learn all facets of the game (not only scoring or "getting your shot.").

It means that you concentrate on what YOUR TEAM does. Not what the other team is doing.

It means that you must buy into the system, and put the team first!

It means that if you believe in each other and learn to play TOGETHER...

If you do all those things, it means that you are playing the game the right way ("How you play the game"), that it doesn't matter if you win or lose. Because in the end, you know that you played the game the right way, and that single loss was just a fluke (or lucky, or had a good game).

But the moment you start saying things like, "We were tired," "The other team was just on fire," or "Everyone struggles" you are buying into losing with an excuse.

Once people see how you play the game night in and night out, they will know that you are playing the right way. It's smooth. It's in sync. It's together. And they NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER!

Once people see that, then they will give the Rockets more leeway. But, today. We have no heart, consistency, and leadership. So can you blame the fans for not being critical?

So, let me repeat the phrase....

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME."

If you concentrate on "not losing" then the team will fear losing.

If you concentrage on "only winning" then the team will be devastated when they don't win.

But, if you concentrate on "HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME" then all you need to worry about is prepartaion and your contribution to the team concept. If the team can play the right way, the wins will come consistently.

 

Kstat, this defense you speak of, is this the same defense played against the Spurs tonight, a game in which the Pistons were smashed.

 

It wasn't boring at all. It was refreshing to watch the Pistons' style of play. Cuttino is an idiot.