ClutchFans Game Thread: Nuggets @ Rockets 4/16/2005

An Impressive Victory.

Now the rockets have to win out and carry the momentum forward. Let's not see soft play again!

 

How are the Knicks doing these days?

 

For the first time in his career, Yao officially gets over the 2.0 blocks per game mark this late in the season.

Yao is now officially a legit shot blocker in my book. I have been waiting for this and what is left is his rebounding to become consistently good.

Well done Yao.

 

Absolutely! I didn't realize Yao finally topped the 2.0 bpg mark, but this is the minimum, IMHO, for a big man to be considered a premier defender in this league. Yao needs to make sure he never drops below this mark in future seasons. In fact, I would be surprised if Yao averages less than 2.5 or 3 bpg next season.

Yao is clearly the type of player that shows incremental improvements over time, he is not a leaper that just explodes on you out of nowhere. That is why I think Yao will start showing more consistency and dominance by next season (especially if he stays to practice here in the off season), and by his 5th season, Yao will be a true superstar in this league and nothing short of that.

 

I originally saw it in a usatoday article (which I can't find anymore), but evidence for a team option or non-guaranteed year for Deke has popped up elsewhere.

According to realgm, Deke signed a 3 year deal with the Knicks in 2003: http://www.realgm.com/src_transactions0304.php?month=October

Now that third year probably isn't guaranteed or Deke wouldn't be listed as a Free agent for this summer.

Also if you look closely, hoopshype lists Deke's salary as blank for next year. Not $0, but blank. When it is blank that usually means that they don't know what the salary is, but the contract does run through those years.

 

If I am not mistaken, Deke's contract was bought out, and the Rockets then signed him to a one year deal.

So I think that info you have is from Deke's old contract that was bought out.

 

You are right.

 

I don't know, why don't you check the paper? Look under Sports.

 

Yes, his rookie year he average 1.8 blks, his sophmore year was 1.9. At this rate he'll be averaging 3.0 blks per game in 10 years.

In all fairness, Yao probably gets less blocks because he's trying to avoid foul trouble...still, I expect more from the guy because he can do more.

 

Some cool stuff from the ESPN page of our game


Houston is the only team other than Phoenix to beat Denver in the past 27 games. ... Denver guard Greg Buckner played after missing the previous three games with a fracture in his right hand. He had six points in 19 minutes. ... The Rockets' reserves scored a season-high 56 points. ... With 13 more points, McGrady will join Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only other Rockets to score 2,000 points in a season. ... Swimming star Michael Phelps, who won eight medals in the Athens Olympics, and Illinois junior guard Deron Williams, who is considering entering the NBA draft, were among those in the sellout crowd.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=250416010

 

What are you talking about. We didn't sign Deke. We traded Pike, Griff and Wilks for him.

 

Funny thing...I just realized that nowadays there aren't many players that average more than 2.5 blocks a game. Ten years ago it seemed like every team had a center/forward that averaged at least that much.

EDIT: Wow...it was even fewer than I thought. Only 4 people are over 2.5 BPG this season.

 

Too bad...it use to be 4 blocks a game to lead the league. I wonder why it's gone down.

 

because there aren't many centers anymore? and big men like amare dont care to play defense?

 

Watching the reply on ESPN now. Wow! What an impressive win! I think our bench is right up there with Mavs' all star bench players.

 

He does not know how to defense

 

what was up with musberger?

"oh by the way, marcus camby is out."

"nuggets manage to score even without marcus camby"

"the nuggets turn the ball over but it's ok they don't have marcus camby"

"rockets up by 450 points but marcus camby was hurt yesterday and is not playing tonight and this is a back to back for the nuggets and voshon lenard has been out the entire season, and george karl didn't get his morning cup of coffee, and carmelo's braids look a little tight so his shot is off, so don't juge the nuggets by this game"

i've never seen anyone defend a team that hard, let alone a national broadcast. it's not like we're missing a starting pf ourselves or anything. it wasn't until we put this thing away that musberger just said f#$k it and shut up about it. that's not even mentioning that ass-clown tolberg. i was pissed when i saw bill and van towards the end of the game and realized i had the option of listening to them instead. i thought it was espn only. can tnt just handle the rest of these national broadcasts?

anyways what a game by the rockets. this is one of the most exciting games i've seen this year and just from having to sit there and watch k-mart pose every time he dunks it i was hoping to run it up to 50. man i dislike that thug.

as for what will was saying, we all need to send thank you cards to weisbrod. just imagine, if any other human being is gm for the magic last summer we don't one get of the greatest players of his generation. the man is a freak. thank you jon.

 

To Musberger from me.

 

If Yao can play a few minutes longer, he can average 2.5 blocks easily.

 

Knicks now are just playing as a spoiler, 'cause they're out of playoff.