You can't expect 5 star players on your team. Don't worry, if Mac and yao gel more and more, lead the team to more wins, our role players will be better, much better. Still remember guys like Loonley? Had he played with some poor teams, he wouldn't have got any contract, but with MJ and Pippen, he just got better every month.
One thing to remember, Kings didn't front him. This was the biggest mistake in the game. To give the ball to Yao when he is fronted is still the biggest problem. Hopefully, they can figure it out. If Rockets can achieve that goal before all-star game, they have a good chance to go deep in playoff. ------------------------------------------------- YES. sounds like a concern to the team. hope they can fix it.
Well said. There were times one has to wonder why the role players shot the ball instead of passing it to Yao, even when Yao had the position. The key for the Rockets to win, I think, is to establish Yao early in the games. Magic once said the first ten possessions were always going to Jabbar (spelling?), and no questions asked. Right now the other players don't have enough confidence in Yao. Once Yao misses the first 3 or 4 shots, they totally stop going to him.
Some men like Yao in the back. But I think Brad Miller prefer to be in the back. That might give him more pleasure. I don't think we should question his preference. And pride has nothing to do with it.
You are on the money, JJ is such a guy. He even said Yao did not have a good postion, so he can keep missing.
Just over from the chat. Yao was so nice tonight I'll forgive the missed 3-4 FTs down the stretch. 33pts, 12rb on the second night of a back-to-back on the wrong end of 4 games in 5 days! That's earning the paycheck, baby. Tmac was very effective scoring and creating through the middle of the game; he held us in it single-handedly. Then Yao just came to life, and it went very smoothly from there. Ward's two threes in OT reminded me so much of Kenny Smith. I wouldn't be surprised to see Charlie (who is older and not as fast as he used to be) take a more Kenny-like role with the team. Trying to create by drawing defenses to free up open players and hitting the odd big three were Kenny's strengths. I can see Charlie filling that role. A very nice, hard-fought win in which everybody contributed. The Rockets should be proud.
The 56 points by Tmac and Yao is greater than any other point total by Steve and Yao other than the Orlando and Hawks game in which Yao had some absurd numbers. Considering this comes in a game which may impact playoff seedings later on for tiebreakers, it means way more than the Orlando and Hawks victory of last year.
nice to get back to .500 again although some of those ft's at the end for yao made me just a bit nervous.
I'll repost what I said in the other thread: The problem is only there until the team gets some practice time. After watching the previous three games, I've noticed that they weren't running the PF into the high post to give a better angle to deliver it in to Yao. Mo did it one time in the Raptor game, but Howard was noticably late or didn't do it at all. The fronting of Yao was a problem last year early in the season until JVG installed the high post feed. Yao got some easy buckets against the Celtics one night and they never went back to fronting. From then on it wasn't nearly as hard to get Yao his touches, and later he went on a three month run of dominating ball, until his stamina petered out towards the end of the season. Basically with JVG teaching his defensive scheme first during training camp and the China trip, they probably didn't get that deep into the offensive playbook. You can tell that the offense isn't quite there yet and there isn't any sharpness to the execution of plays. So assuming that Yao's stamina really has improved and having two such unselfish superstars in Yao and T-mac, this team will dangerous once everyone gets on the same page.
UNFORTUNATELY, I couldn't see the game which was a real dissapointment, but I just saw the highlights on Sportscenter, and OH MAN! I'm glad to see Yao snap out of that little slump, and WAIT'A GO CHARLIE MURPHY! (That's my nickname for Ward because when ever I see him, I always think of Charlie Murphy on Chappelle's Show). Anyways, that was so clutch by Ward. A couple of 3's from him and 5-7 assists every night from him would be huge.
Yeah, I was wondering why they didn't front him as well but I'm very glad that they didn't. Sac chose to concentrate on T-Mac instead and it cost them dearly. It was also nice to see Yao use more of his offensive weapons such as the short jumper.
Went to the game tonight had fun my first at TC, Yao played well. $15.00 for thre chicken fingers and a beer. Rox win I'm happy.
As for why the Kings didn't front Yao, I suspect Brad doesn't have the quickness to front Yao and then recover. Rockets need to do something when they face a team with quick centers.
