ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Bulls 1/26/2003

I have not exactly count how many games Steve had more turnovers than assists this season. But I am sure he got more turnover than assists among at least 75% loss of games . He can have more assists, during the 4 game win stretch, he had average 10 assists a game. So its' not basketball IQ problem. It's
team first or personal stats first problem. I think 44 points in the lake's game sent him a wrong message: he can take over by himself anytime he wants. I hope this 4 loss stretch is good and last lesson to him. Otherwise, a trade must be done.

 

Then we will continue to lose.

 

There is a great quote out there, "The best teams have chemistry. They communicate with each other and they sacrafice personal glory for the common goal. " --Dave DeBusschere

I think the lack of "team" play is what bugs me the most about this particular group of guys. I can't say I blame Posey, Cato, Ming, Griffin, Taylor or any of the predominate bench-warmers for this. I expect this kind of mentality to come from our leadership on the floor, two of our tri-captains, Francis & Mobley. On paper, there aren't too many other teams I would rather have...yet we lose to inferior rosters.

I, too, have come to the conclusion that either Francis or Mobley will have to be parting ways. We need to acquire a point guard that is more concerned with including teamates rather than excluding them (purposely or not). Assists are significant. Look at Steve's stats in the last 10 wins compared to the last 10 losses. He averaged three more assists/game (7.5 compared to 4.5). Six more points may not seem like much, but we have lost at least 8 games by six or fewer. Is there any way to get GP?

Also, we must start utilzing Yao more. Some here are too concerned with him being tired. Yao's job is to play basketball. If he needs more rest, I suggest that he stop flying out to New York and California to film commericals. It just does not make sense to have the guy that has the best shooting percentage on the team touching the ball so little.

 

We seen a lot of that. Francis will get 5 assist, but also 5 turnovers. He scores, but his efficiency is bad.

Check it out...

Francis:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3325/gamelog

Barron Davis:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3326/gamelog

Tony Parker:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3527/gamelog

Note: Davis and Francis came into the league the same year.

Note: Parker is a rookie!

 

Francis starts looking for the honeys in the crowd...

"Call me..."
- Francis, after hitting a couple threes, gestures to a young hotie in the 1st row.

 

Yes, I liked it better when Mobley came off screens and played without the ball. He complemented Francis instead of mirroring him.

 

It is getting ridiculars while even the fans on the other team can easily see Rocket's problem, but Rocket players and coach can't!
Rudy suppose to know how to play with big man but what's up now?!

posted by Bulls fan in their BBS:

Quote:
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On 2003-01-26 15:46, Original Billy Bob wrote:
I'll tell you what though: If Francis ever learns to share the ball with Yao, that team will be dangerous. Yao gets, what, two touches down the stretch when he is guarded by Donyell? That's absurd. The Rockets should have kept pounding the ball into Yao in the low post. The Bulls would have had to make some kind of adjustment. If I were Rudy T, the paramedics would be in the Rockets dressing room right now trying to surgically extract both of my feet from Francis's rectum.


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The Rockets pathetically rank 27th out of 29 NBA teams in assist per game. Their games style is to go one-on-one. They don't make extra passes and that's why they hardly have easy baskets. They have one of the worst ball execution in the league. Their guards don't always share the ball. Stevie is a great player, but also a selfish one.
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LOL!!!!

 

You forgot New York... and some others against decent teams that we still shoulda had.

 

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This has got nothing to do with FTs. It's their inept, inability to utilize Yao properly. That comment from the Chicago announcer sums it up.

Rox are playing themselves out of the play-offs. There will be changes we miss the play-offs this year! No more excuses...

 

With their poor and lack lustre effort of late, they are undeserving of a play-offs berth. Wonder if a trade is in the air.

 

Before the following actions are taken, Rockets will keep dissapointing us. Either:
1. Trade Yao for a good PF package (since we don't use him much and we prefer to use him as defensive weapons). Cato would be sufficient to do the job.
2. Trade either Francis or Mobley for a good PG.

One of the two above should help Rockets improve their performance. If it's still the same result, fire Rudy T.

 

Exactly! If u don't wanna use Yao, TRADE HIM!
And our selfish guards can't make other players involved and play better. Compare the difference of NJ Nets when Marbury and Kidd was the PG. A good PG can lead the team and GET ALL OTHER PLAYERS INVOLVED! We need a passer, not a ballhog.

 

Please don't trade Yao for Brand (I know many people on this board like him). Clippers will not give Yao much PT. Wang Zhizhi only plays 5 minutes one night there.

 

There is no way the Rockets would trade Yao.

 

Don't whine, Yao will be fine in any team even if he is traded. But I don't think he will be traded before SF or CM.

 

I think CD and Rudy need to sit the two of them down and say, "Guys, if you want to stay together on the same team, you better introduce yourselves to the other 9 guys on the team and start working with them. Otherwise, you'll only be hanging out with each other via telephone."

 

It's just not the Bulls fans. Try to read the Kings, Pacers fan boards at http://www.bleachermob.com/madness.html. They seem to be fairly intelligent fans. They all recognized our problem even the games were not played against them. Not to mention every announcer in the league.

We have become the laughing stock of the NBA. Everyone knows our problem except the coach and/or the guards of our beloved team.

 

You must be confused... Dream just recently said that Toronto doesn't understand how to use a big man... They didn't know how to get the ball down low and how much work it is to accomplish just that. Rudy and the Rockets spent time in almost every practice doing just that with Hakeem. And do the same thing in practice with Yao But they can't make Francis give Yao the ball in the game...

Everyone thinks that the coach just says pass the ball to Ming and thats the way it works. Francis is doing what he wants out there, I've seen Rudy talk to him but Francis isn't listening he doesn't get it... The Rockets are playing one on one basketball and I can assure you that is not what Rudy is coaching. So what is rudy to do bench him...

So what is Rudy to do bench him... Forget about it... that would be the demise of the Rockets... personally I think Stevie is very talented but just not a team player and is a poor fit for this team. Give him Andre miller or Mike Bibby anyday but that's not going to happen and the Rockets or stuck with Steve for now.

 

I went to the game today... some observations here:

1. Boki hit three automatically during the practice. it's hard to believe he's not a good shooter.

2. Fizer was huge, quick, fast and adds nice finishes now. He needs to get little smarter at court. EG couldn't do nothing on him. Cato was ok when defensing him. I think Rockets should try to trade for him.

3. Bill Cartwright made some substitutions which were as dumb as Rudy's. Most time of the final quarter, no Crawford, no Fizer... well, for Rockets... they should play Yao and Cato together...

4. Francis has below average passing skill while Cat's even worse at this category. Yao played excellent PicknRoll and I can see his disspointment when guards didn't feed the ball to him.

5. Posey is the hardest worker.