ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Clippers 11/24/2002

2 more steals also.

 

I am filled with disgust. This was hard to take and it's real hard to find a positive feeling anywhere in my body. And tomorrow is Monday.

I'm officially on the "Throw Mooch off the plane, train, bus, or any other Rocket mode of transportation... preferably if it's moving" brigade. I'm signed up.

I think I'll set my tape of this game on fire.

 

That was a joke, right?

 

Amen. This was my biggest problem with the game today. I dont really give a crap if KT can take his man off the dribble or any other role player has an advantage. You must establish Yao each and every single game. Did it really help the offense so much that KT could take his man off the dribble? The iso trash ball, trying to win matchups garbage re-surfaced today and it really really irritated me. Blackholes should not get the ball in the post.

Yao Ming is the best passer on this team and should receive the ball in a position to set others up on a consistent basis. THIS is why it is important to have the proper role players around your stars. This team really needs an identity BADLY, and I was actually naive enough to think we were headed in that direction. Guess not, there is WAY too much selfishness on this club still. Disgusting.

 

Hey you guys,

I don't get to see many houston games and for some reason here in Jersey I didn't get Telemundo so missed today's game, but I have a question for all of you.

4 Points for Yao sounds like there were absolutely no plays run through him on the offensive end. Could it be this game was a test on the viability of an offense not run through him?

Also, what were his stats? Perhaps his assist numbers went up?

 

every team over the course of a season loses games they should win. every single team. i'd rather have lost this one by 40 then the way it happened but it's not franchise threatening like i seem to be hearing.

wasn't i just reading 12 hours ago right here how amazing this team is and with yao ming and steve francis it can become a dynasty? weren't dallas anouncers just proclaiming how good the rockets are and how the mavs better get a ring quick?

so one loss later on a mooch choke job and we're out of the playoffs. f#$king ridiculous. this is still a damn good team with a shot at a home-court seed not just the playoffs.

 

Nope. I guess you missed the biggest joke of them all: having Moochie with the ball in his hands in the closing minutes of the game. Rudy had something to do with that, or he doesn't have control of this team anymore.

And I'm not joking. I'm tired of making excuses for rudy. Ever since the days when Pippen got in the team we have been making excuses for him, but the truth is, he hasn't been able to develop any sort of identity for this team since the good ole days of the "dump it in, kick it out offense".

Change may be long overdue, wether we like the guy or not.

A coach that preaches defense first and ball movement second is needed, and I am losing hope that Rudy is the right coach to pull that off.

 

Later on there was a defensive 3 second T, and Francis told Ming to take it. Ming missed it and was really embarrassed. The Telemundo announcers said Francis told him that's the last time he's going to let him take a T shot for him. Really, you can feel the love.

 

Yup you did read that 12 hours ago. Against the Wizards, this team was really starting to plant the seeds of something real special. There was little iso play (except when KT came in), and Yao was making incredible passes as he was established in the post. Today, the team reverted back to iso trash ball and did not at all establish Ming in the post. Its no coincidence he only took 4 shots. Today's game was a HUGE step backward imo. Hopefully, the Rockets will stick to the game plan.... if there is one.

 

Didn't get to see the game which is typical, but I can't believe Ming only got FOUR SHOTS! That makes no sense at all. Why would you not run more plays for the big fellow after the week he has had? Rice must have regained his stroke, but what is with the massive number of turnovers? Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. I wish this team had more of them. Playoff teams win the games they are supposed to win, but it is just one game. Hey Rockets, make us all feel better by surprising Portland. I bet the film of the Clipper game won't strike fear in their hearts.

 

Van Gundy quit as coach of the Knicks because he lost the respect and the control of his players. They stopped listening to him.

Hmmm...I guess he would be a great fit in Houston

 

I will say that I overreacted a bit. The playoffs are still in the picture, and there is still a real chance that the Rockets could be 10-5 after Friday. (God, I hope...)


I just can't stand losing to lesser teams.

 

AGREED... AND A HALF!!! CALM THE F--K DOWN! Give 'em time, like we've always been saying, you guys are just going massively overboard. This team would be playoff caliber even without Ming, and NONE of us expected him to develop as fast as it seems like he has been last few games. We still have a winning record, and a good and improving team. Rice has been playing well, Francis has improved and is playing like a POINT gaurd, KT's picked it back up, Mobley will be back in full form, Cato's coming back next game, then there's Ming... yeah, Norris sucks like we never thought possible, but we still have a very good team.

 

A win over Portland would be nice, but it wouldn't be a huge surprice... God, I hope I don't regret saying that...

 

One thing I noticed after watching this game, Eddie Griffin just might be the biggest disappointment on the entire Rockets team this season. I was expecting good things out of him, but he just hasn't shown me very much so far. Rudy totally benched his ass!

 

I am kind of dissappointed about Moochs performance. But I guess I can't complain, I am not a professional baller.

 

Today's defeat was disgusting. The ball game was in our hands and we let it go. Moochie made only one important shot but he couldn't defend Dooling at all and also missed an important freethrow and turned the ball over with 53 seconds left.Rudy made the mistake of not having Hawkins on Dooling. They also stopped going to Rice in the final minutes of the game even he brought the team back into the game. The defense was almost nonexistent in the 1st half and then we collapsed in the latter part of the game. The ball movement was poor,important free throws missed,and so many turnovers were made.
Yao needs to get stronger so he can matchup better with guys like Kandi etc. He was very hesitant today and couldn't shoot over him nor did he try to dunk the ball. We missed Mobley today.
When we lost to Phoenix I was disappointed but they looked a lot more dangerous than the Clippers. If we are going to make the playoffs we have play better as a team and win the close contests. We can still make it but we can't afford to keep on making so many mistakes.

 

DCKid, I am certainly disappointed in Griffin's inability to play consistent, power forward defense.

Griffin had no shot defending Brand, and hence the 9 minutes of PT. Thomas is the only one on the frontline who can body-up and play fundamentally smart defense. That's obviously why he gets the minutes. He was continuously able to deny Brand the ball. Griffin gets the highlight blocks, but the more effective defense is to just not let Brand get the ball.

I will not consider Griffin a power forward until he learns to deny the studs the ball at their sweetspots and quit relying on the infrequent blocks. Brand just walked to the rim in the 1st quarter.

On a positive note: I like those lineups with Mo and Kenny with a center. Mo forced LA to put a SF on Kenny, for some pretty easy buckets. I'm really beginning to like the punch we have on this bench.

 

the difference in people saying how good this team was for fighting back from a 17-point deficit or how horribly it's regressed from one game was friggin 2 points. this wasn't a beautiful game by any means but it was lost almost completely because of one player over one minute not because of the previous 47.

did everyone miss the 3rd quarter and 95% of the 4th. there was some pretty nice basketball there by the rockets. look how many times they swung the ball over to glen rice. look at the first quarter again and how many times they went right to yao in the post. he just happened to get pushed out to far by kandi or double-teamed quickly. look how many times hawkins got wide-open jumpers. because mooch blew 2 free throws we played selfish basketball? no not at all.