ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Kings 12/1/2002

Kings commentators during the Clippers game were raving about Yao Ming saying how much they're lookng forward to seeing him. They're clearly excited about him and saying that he's no Shawn Bradley and if anything comparable is Rit Smits but say that they know Yao is much much better than Rit Smits and certainly will have a much better career than Rit Smits had. Also they said he could very well likely be the best center in the league in 3 or 4 years because they'll be surprised if Shaq is still around. Also mentioning "should play in a lot of All-Star games before career ended," "has nice body" "very accurate shooter from 15 feet." I bet they're going to be talking alot more on radio tomorrow when it's game time. I am looking forward to it.

 

I haven't bet on Houston losing this year yet...

and this seems like the right time.

We lose Kings 103
Rox 89

 

I think the Kings will put Christie on Rice to stop our only three point threat.Hawkins can't shoot,so I expect Gerald Wallace to be defending him. Divac is smart,knows a lot of tricks including his flopping acts and is certainly physically stronger than Ming. Keon Clark is another player apart from Webber who can cause mismatch problems.I would put Griffin on him,and KT/Cato to take turns on Webber.
Kings will probably win.

 

i think divac will try his hardest both offensively to get yao in foul trouble n defensively but i think yao will have a big game cuz there is no way divac can guard him in 1v1

 

Kings are hurting..but they own us - so it seems.

This is probably the best time for us to win......given that Kings may have only 8 guys ready to play. But you never know.......we will need to get both the defense and offense going and couple of Kings should have a no-show for us to have a miracle win. Our perimeter guys need to have a big game. Kings will play boxed zone almost the entire 48 minutes.

From Yao's development this is an important game..though I am sure he will have several flopping fouls called on.

 

This game is gonna be ugly, Steve will have to dominate big time. I think Divac is gonna be big time trouble for Ming on both ends of the court.

110-95 Kings

Ming gets into early foul trouble and Steve gets like 35 pts.

 

It's simple really. We have the better bench. We have the better PG. We are equal in the C rotation. We may or may not be better at SF (Gerald Wallace, unproven at this point), but Rice will do well here.

Since Christie won't light us up (hopefull Hawkins is good enough to hold Christie to his average, or a few points below), this game will hinge on Griffin.

He can change this game in so many ways. It all comes down to one thing: can he get his jumper going early?

Early Jumper >> Confidence >> Better shot >> More minutes >> Rebounding improves (he's better than Kt or Mo) >> In big minutes, shotblocking will be huge factor against the Kings backdoor plays...'

It's all a cycle. If he can hit his J, we know he can rebound and block shots given the minutes. If he plays 30, and has 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks, we win. He's the only PF on our team who can neutralize Webber.

 

This one belongs to the Kings, but maybe we can steal it...

 

Rockets 95 Kings 91

 

I think the small forward spot will hurt us more than you think. Rice has been shooting well, and that is certainly a plus. However, there is no way that Rice can keep up with Wallace on defense. I suspect Rice might end up guarding Christie with Hawkins on Wallace, which is still a mismatch because Wallace is bigger and stronger.

 

You guys are talking like Wallace is a champion defender, or even basketball player. Aside from the lucky tip in from rookie-hustle, Wallace is nothing, and will not be able to contain Rice in the post. It matters not that he is taller or more athletic--Rice is a crafty scorer with a battalion of moves to get off the jumper, none of which Wallace will be able to stay with. The only player I've seen stop Rice's move in the post this year has been Brian Shaw, because, 1, he's a very smart veteran player, and 2, because he's played with Glen on the same team before and has seen his tendencies much more than any video could exhibit. This will be a very tough game--but with Peja still out, and big quarters from Yao, SF, and Rice...we could pull this off.

 

Rice hasn't doesn't crap in the post. He's shooting 43% from 2 point range. I guess if you compare him to Mo, Eddie, KT, whoever, he doesn't look too bad. However, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

What Rice is doing well is shooting the 3, and the past few games he has been hitting the boards better. He needs to continue to do these things, not post up.

This is a very difficult game for the Rockets. It's the 5th straight road game against an 8-0 home team. It would be a great win, but I'm not really expecting it.

 

Would anyone else like to see Tito get some playing time since Moochie is playing so poorly. By the way, I'm aware he made a few shots in the 4th quarter the other night, but he has been TERRIBLE. Won't pass, can't shoot. I never thought I'd miss Cuttino this much. I don't think the Rockets have a very good chance unless one of our 3 power forwards steps up and has a big game.

 

Two predictions:

1. tommycatluvsme gets banned in 2 days and...

2. Rockets win 95 to 94. The Rockets are going against Kings team minus Peja and Bibby so they have a chance. Francis will get out of his shooting slump tonight and explode for 35 points.

 

Everybody keeps talking about Griff's matchup. Griff won't play unless CWebb is on the bench. MoT will likely start and see the most minutes cause he's the only one that has the body to matchup against CWebb.

MoT's role tonight is defense so don't expect too much offensively.

I also think The Flopper will get Yao in quick foul trouble.

As poorly as we've been shooting, it'll be tough for us to pull this game out. Only way I see it is if Yao has a big game and out shooters are on the mark.

 

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/5430637p-6416353c.html

Yao Ming to pay his first visit to Arco
By Martin McNeal -- Sacramento Bee Staff Writer
2:15 a.m. PST Sunday, December 1, 2002

The Kings have seen on him on DirecTV and cable, but tonight they have a chance to not only examine but test Houston's Yao Ming.

The Rockets bring the NBA's No. 1 choice of last June's draft into Arco Arena and for the Kings, to play against him and at least try to get a feel for him.

The Chinese star did not arrive in the U.S. in time to play in any exhibition games, so he's been going through training camp and the start of the regular season all at once.




He's 22 years old and 7-foot-5, or 7-6, depending on which section of the Rockets' advance notes one believes.

Yao is so new, in fact, neither opponents nor his teammates nor anyone else truly knows where his ultimate evolution will take him.

But quite a few observers believe they have a fairly good idea how this Yao Ming thing is going to turn out.

Kings coach Rick Adelman says the combination of size, skill and feel points to success.

"I've seen him quite a bit, and the guy is going to be good," said Adelman, who expects to have at least eight players available tonight and possibly one more if the Kings are able to sign a free agent and get him here in time to play.

"I mean, he's only had about two or three games where you really noticed him, but just watching him play, he's getting more aggressive. ... And he's just so darn big.

"The thing I like about him is he's got great hands. And he knows how to finish around the basket. He seems like he's not afraid of contact, and it's just going to take him time to figure out how he's going to be successful. But eventually, he's really going to be a force for them."

Yao will start just his sixth game out of 16 tonight, but his league-leading 66.7 field-goal percentage indicates the man is a good shot walking, or even standing, much less jumping.

For perspective, only two players, Wilt Chamberlain (twice) and Artis Gilmore ever have exceeded that shooting percentage during a season. Kansas City Kings center Steve Johnson shot 61.3 percent in the 1981-82 season, to establish the mark for a rookie.

If Yao were to even approach that type of success throughout a full season, his path will be that much clearer.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Alvin Gentry watched Yao score just four points, grab seven rebounds and block two shots in 28 minutes. The lackluster game in which Yao picked up two early fouls did not affect Gentry's impression.

"I think he's going to be a terrific player," the coach said. "Obviously, everybody forgets how some of the other guys came into the league during their rookie years. I always use a guy like (Orlando's) Tracy McGrady. He came into the league as a young player and had to kind of feel his way through. Now, he's probably the best player in the NBA.

"With big guys, you've got to give them time to develop, but (Yao) seems to me to have a pretty good grasp of the game. He's got great skills for a guy his size, and he can make jumpers. Once he gains upper-body strength, he'll be able to post up and take the ball to the basket. He hasn't had the opportunity to play against guys of NBA-caliber. So quite naturally, it's going to take him a while to learn."

Kings center Vlade Divac said he is looking forward to playing against Yao.

"I want to see how he is doing," Divac said. "I can relate to what he's going through. It has been a long time since I came here (in 1989 from Yugoslavia as the Lakers' first-round draft choice). But I remember there were a lot of difficulties.

"First, the language and then the system. And not just international guys, but you see in a lot of rookies, they are not consistent and they are up and down.

"And his game is the same way. But he's going to be a great player."

Divac said how Yao is accepted by his teammates and the organization will be a major factor in his development.

"For him, I think it's very important how (the Rockets) adopt him," the Kings center said. "I was lucky. The whole Lakers organization helped me a lot.

"Hopefully, the Rockets are doing the same for him."

 

8 players only, come on, Yao, foul out them all

 

Ther question is:- Is Steve going to play defence? Because Bobby Jackson is red hot and needs someone on him, every moment of the game! This game should be a good lesson to the Rockets on just how to play the passing game. The Rockets have heart and if our second level players can hit their shots, then the Rox are in with a chance of a win! Everything must go just right if we are to win this one.

 

Now Divac is certainly more experenced and a great flopper, but I have my doubts he is physically stronger then Ming.

 

Ming said before Seattle's game, he was really tired. He only played at max 2-3 games in one week over China. He said he felt exhausted. This was why his offense was a little bit off in Seattle. I would imagine Ming would be a little slower and less aggressive tonight because of the fatique. This is probably another part of NBA he needs to improve quickly.