ClutchFans Game Thread: Hornets @ Rockets 11/5/2005

Howard was banging down low for rebounds, but crappy refs blew the wistle for no reason.

 

All good points.

Good to get a loss like this out of the way early, so corrections can be made and have more of the season to take root. In the meantime, I think this game may be the establishment of a rather heated rivalry.

I rather like that Juwan Howard was right in there backing up Yao when Mason decided to go all WWE on Yao.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who saw that. I was quite amused by Rafer Alston kissing one of the refs on the head for one of those calls.

 

But the thing is he hasn't had chances to be the real leader of the team. Steve Francis was here and then TMac. And neither of them were injured for any real length of time. Yao has always been the defacto second option for his entire career. This is his first time where he's going to be the main guy on the team (after 3 seasons!).

 

totally agreed. how many minutes did yao play today? he was tired to a point that his usual money shots were no where to be found, and the pressure didn't help. i hope he can learn to excel under pressure and i have full confidence that he will. just wait and see.

 

The fight was not between Mason and Yao, but Mason and Howard. I think Mason sorta initiate the friendly gesture. Brushing if off wouldn't go well with the refs down the road.

 

I dont know what are your basis to make those claim. Yao has no problem
to be the 1st option on Chinese National Team and Shanghai Sharks and
had some success. On the other hand, Tmac-led Magic is just a bad
to mediocre team (he did make the playoff with around 40 wins in the East).
Also, without Shaq Kobe couldn't win even with Odom as his sidekick.

Yao is definitely no Shaq. But don't sell him short either.

 

I question the necessity of ever playing Yao for 18 minutes straight. And I question the possibility of Yao ever becoming efficient in that situation. It is like training a lion to run marathon.

 

Well I'm disappointed that we lost, and that Yao pretty much collapsed down the stretch, but I haven't lost faith. He's hit a ton of big shots down the stretch for us the past few years. Numerous times, when the other team was making a comeback, Yao would score to keep us up for good. He hasn't had a whole lot of game winners in the past, but he's usually money in the last 4-6 minutes. It happened against the Kings when he hit three shots in a row down the stretch.

I still can't help but second guess JVG's decision to play Yao for the final 16 minutes. When has Yao ever played that many minutes straight without a breather. Maybe he's just sticking Yao out there to sink or swim, but it sure didn't help this game to have Yao completely gassed in crunch time.

 

just one game, we lost a bad team and ROX always lost a bad team! We are not champ conteender yet!

I know guys complain YAo for the loss, yes, he only had 2-9 in the 4th, but did you guy also see he is the ONLY reason ROX build 8 pts lead? YAO just played like NASH in the SUN VS MAV game, he had to do everything and he was too tired

when TMAC out, YAO is the leader, and should/will continue to be. He stepped up and tried to make every shot but w/ miss. He took too many jumper and it's bad bad. He still has problem dealing with dirty centers. H elost his cool after fighting

 

I think you are putting way too much into this game. Both teams played poorly. We gave this game away. Over the long season, the Hornets will be "fun to watch" because of Chris Paul and the run and gun, but they aren't a good team by any stretch, much less a playoff contender. Cleveland destroyed them a couple of days ago.

Today was about how poorly we played our first game without T-Mac. We gave them the 4th quarter on a platter. If the Hornets continue shooting 39% from the field and 20% from 3 point range, they will finish next to last in the conference.

P.S: I wish we had somehow got P.J. Brown from them last year, but CD didn't want to give up the 1st round draft choice along with JH. I've liked him since his Miami Heat days.

 

Damn tough loss and with T-Mac being out it looks like things may stay tough.

 

Can't agree with this. Rember game one? Yao was every bit like a #1 option down the stretch in that game. Yao missed too many this time, that happens with every great player. All I want to see is Yao keep playing aggressively and he'll get there.

This game is real phisical and refs somehow changed the way they call the game in the 2nd half. First half, Honets 10 free throws, Rockets 25. 2nd half, Hoents 22 FTs, Rockets 3.

 

He had no problem of making 3 clutch shots in a row in the last game if I remember correctly.

It's just one early season game guys.

 

Rockets are too slow, DA is a good player but he is not quick enough. No guard on the rockets team is decently quick, other than Rafer Alston. Rockets won't be a championship team with this kind of speed, Luther Head needs to be added to the rotation.

 

the chinese team is a lot diferent then an nba team.

good points about tmac and kobe not doing much on thier own. but you can't deny that these guys will take over a game and will thier team to victory.

there is a little difference between being a great player and a great leader. leaders will carry thier team and close out games. yao will have a great game up until the end, just like tonight. yao is pretty clutch too, if you give him a game winning shot, but there is just something missing.

i don't feel like i'm selling him short because i know he will be an all-star, all nba first teamer, hall of famer one day. he just doesn't have that "next level" in him that the leaders will go to in order to will thier team to a W.

 

Dang, I hope we don't run into these guys in the playoffs.

Shoot me now. Anyone who isn't dumb is weak, anyone who isn't weak can't shoot, anyone who can shoot can't defend, anyone who can defend is DNP-aging. To call us a two-man team right now would be kind.

On the bright side, I just saved a lot of money on my car insurance.

 

Damn. That was hard to watch. So many dumb fouls in the 2nd half...And we had many chances in the fourth quarter to put them away. But why was Yao so tired? Too many minutes? He was like dumb tired. On one p&r he completely forgot about PJ Brown. He played an awful forth and nobody else could step up...Hornets deserved that one I guess. Friggin rookie came through for em.

One good thing though–I automatically like JH alot more for standing up for Yao to that Punk B!tch Mason. You can never let an opponent get away with that BS.

 

This is classic!

 

Sorry not many center can close games like Dream. Duncan is not good
at closing games. Wilt was not that great at closing too. Shaq is even notorious for the 4th quarter. But they are all far greater than Kobe/Tmac.

In fact, in terms of closing game (4th qt not just the last minute), Yao is
better than 90% players in the league.