ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Spurs 10/24/2003 (PRESEASON)

I completely and totally agree with you. Mobley has gotten better year after year. His decision making has improved every year as well. It seems to me that most people are blind to his progress because they've already got their minds made up.

 

I don't know if you'll be awake or whatever, but there is an encore presentation of the game at 2AM on ESPN2. I'll probably watch a second time.

 

Man, I figured that two-year hiatus would put a damper on my passion for this team, but I think the opposite was actually achieved...
By the way, this is really frustrating--Whosnumber1 is like that stupid friend you have who you can ALWAYS bet in basketball and not feel bad about taking advantage of his stupidity. I never said he was a GOOD friend...makes me mad that I don't actually know the kid, I could write him notes to get him out of gym class and stuff...hey, feel free to close out a playoff series--ANY series. Getting outscored by 61 points in the final three games of a series USUALLY doesn't get you too far.
I feel much better having at least seen a few of our players that I hadn't seen before. My observations (for what they're worth):

1. Wow. I love Yao Ming.
2. I like this Braggs guy quite a bit. I don't really know what we'd need Pig Miller for (excepting his remarkable toothpick abilities) as long as this guy can bring it every night. Check out the arms on that guy! If he can stay healthy and bring the same kind of effort every night, he can be a contributor who can spot our starters some time to sit on the bench. I also was impressed by his mid-range jumper--impressive for a guy his size.
3. Mobley is much more under control under Van Gundy, but his game (as I remember it) doesn't really mesh well with what it appears that Van Gundy is trying to do here. As a spot-up shooter he's still fine, but it makes me wonder if we can get something more useful for him--oh wait, I forgot, he's a SCRUB. Yeah, 20-point scorers suck.
4. Boki looks slightly more aggressive, but only SLIGHTLY. I like what the guy can potentially bring to the team, but I don't feel like waiting until 2015 for that. Hope he feels a BIT more comfortable soon (VERY soon).
5. Cato is MUCH different than when I last saw him. I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but it looks like he *actually* cared. Weird.
6. Again, Yao. Wow. He's neat.
7. I think Jim Jackson and Eric Piatkowski will be GREAT options on this team. With the ball in the post (seems like it's been YEARS since we threw the ball in the post), slashers like Jackson and Pike should be able to score some points.
8. John Amaechi is fat.
9. Did you guys catch Bill Walton talking about Moochie Norris and saying that Moochie even admitted that the reason he cut his hair is because he sucked so bad last year? Was it really that painful? It must have been, because when I left we all seemed to like Moochie pretty well, and now everybody wants him hung.
10. I can't wait for the season--isn't it great to be a Rockets fan?

Sorry for the unusually long post--it's just the first time in a while I can actually respond semi-intelligently, having actually SEEN A GAME.
Best regards to all,

SLC (wannabe Macbeth ) rocket

 

THE ROCKETS DID AWESOME!!!!!!

cant wait til the season starts!!!

 

Link:
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=211&xlc=1074624&xld=211

Spurs stumble in final tuneup

By Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 10/25/2003 12:00 AM

The Spurs went through their final dress rehearsal Friday night at the SBC Center, the results of which suggested they likely will remain a work in progress long after the curtain goes up next week.
Missing a couple of important cast members, the Spurs labored through an 84-63 loss to Houston in their last game of the preseason. They open the season Tuesday at the SBC Center against Phoenix after posting a 4-4 record in the preseason.

Until then, they will have some work to do. They shot just 28.6 percent and allowed Houston to make 36 of 73 shots (49.3 percent).

After losing 19 of 23 games to the Spurs in the six seasons Tim Duncan and David Robinson played together, the Rockets unveiled their own tower tandem Friday. Seven-foot-six center Yao Ming and 6-11 forward Kelvin Cato combined for 25 points and 20 rebounds.

Yao, whose legs looked as thick as tree trunks, plowed his way through every defender the Spurs threw at him in 34 minutes. He finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds and ended the preseason as the NBA's leading scorer.

Duncan never appeared to find his rhythm. He missed 10 of 15 shots and ended with 12 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes.

Duncan's new partner, Rasho Nesterovic, had only three points and six rebounds in 34 minutes. He missed all but one of his six shots.

Tony Parker missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle and the Spurs held out Manu Ginobili to avoid having him re-aggravate his sore groin. However, both teams used their regular rotations for much of the first three quarters.

The Spurs looked like a team with nine new players. Duncan threw one pass into the seats when he mistakenly thought Anthony Carter was cutting to the basket. Cuttino Mobley stripped him from behind on the following possession.

The next time down the court, Duncan took Yao to the middle of the lane before making a short fadeaway jumper over him. It was one of the few highlights for the Spurs.

 

Now it's confirmed that Yao is the leading scorer in the preseason. I still couldn't believe it!!!

 

oh it was definitely that painful. he may have been the worst player in the nba last year. at the very least the worst guy getting 16 minutes a night. it was an unbelievable downturn. apparently he's lost a lot of weight so hopefully he at least sort of gets back to respectable. man he was terrible.

 

Ming is one of the leading scorers,I guess

 

I checked staticstcs on NBA.com. Ming is not listed. Because he is a Rocket? a Chinese or what? suck

 

I'd just like to toss in something here... the new uniforms look great. Our dudes look good in red. Nah, I ain't even high, neither.

 

On behalf of all of us drunkass mofos who just walked in the door, I thank you.

 

If you're still up... watch the damned replay.

Wait and see who takes the first truly bad shot of the game for Houston. Watch and see who takes the most bad shots until garbage time in the 4th quarter when Moochie is "let loose."

Did you see me claim that Mobley isn't a good player? I sure as hell don't see that in one of my posts. Did you see my posts indicating my dismay at trading Mobley for practically nothing in the Boston trade thread? They're there.

I like Mobley (well, it's a love-hate thing, tbh). He plays hard. He's improved in many ways - particiularly on defense and as a pure shooter. But the decision-making still isn't good, but the lack of improvement is being obscured by the fact that his role is more limited.

If you disagree with that, then tell me why... rather than just re-iterating your Mobley-love.

 

These 4 wins, all increasingly impressive, are all really engouraging...

... but I think some people are getting a little over-excited. I know you've heard it a million times, but another reminder never hurts: the preseason matters very very little. If you look at some of the best teams' records, and some of the worst teams' records, you can see why.

That said, I'm still much more excited about the Rockets' possibilities this year now than I was 4 games ago.

 

Sure, the spurs were missing Parker and Manu, but nobody wants to admit that we were missing A.Griffin, Piatkowski, and Mo Taylor.

NO EXCUSES SPURS! The better team won tonight.

 

watching the rerun. although i saw the original. only had 2 beers tonight.

 

MAN.... I wish I could see onley one keyboard tobnight. The Rocket's really kicked butt. They killed thge spurs tonight. WHen the girl I dig pulled be aw2ay from my tv, I was like dang!!! But I had a real good night. and still saw the rest of the rox game at a partyh!!! WOOOOOOOOO. The rox kiuck butt!!!

7th seed and up!!!! Rockets are rising to the top...or better yet. The rockets are Uprising!!!!

 

so is cato the third most important player on the team now?

maybe.

 

Man, Cato has become a hell of a player. He is so awesome at PF. He is one of the most important players on our team all of a sudden.

Let's go Rockets! You kick a$$! 4 game winning streak to finish the preseason at .500!

Time to kick butt in the regular season!

 

Thanks Les for making the coaching change. It took guts and we are all, including Rudy T, better off for it

 

Cato is not as important at Yao or Francis but he is a critical role player.

Where would of Hakeem been w/o Otis Thorpe or Mario Ellie?

Cato played a critical role in the win guarding the best PF.