ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 12/20/2006

I agree, we need Yao, Luther, and Vspan on during clutch moments.. Vspan to penetrate and dish to Yao or Luther who can finish, or Yao and Luther who attract attention and dish to a cutting Vspan.

 

I was sanding drywall and couldn't watch the game- I can't believe we lost this one. Ugh.

 

And JVG is a horrible coach in tight games where we're trailing by only a couple of points. We always seem to lose these games.

 

Battier is definitely better than Bowen when it comes to creating some open looks. But the disparity isnt that great to effect the outcome of game. Especially not to the point where he can be utilized regularly. Those % arent great. I guess when Yao is the only other scoring option, they would be somewhat serviceable. Definitely not with Tmac/Yao.

Also, Shane was one of the primary players on a losing team so he was given those opportunities. I dont think Bowen was ever asked to do the same.

Bruce Bowen's role is very specific on a championship team. It has been for a while. That is what JVG is trying to achieve with Battier. Gundy is so enamored with Spurs team/management that he is trying to make a carbon copy of that system. He is one reliable penetrator/creator/finisher away from that exact scheme....

 

Deke is too old now. If he's still playing like 2 years ago, Yao could have get more rest and be more effective by the end of the game.

 

Once again, Howard playing major minutes on the floor with Yao and Deke = slow and slower.

How many times do we have to see it? I know his stats look better but it's the same old story. With Juwan on the floor with either Yao or Deke, we are just too slow. Juwan has to play as the center when they aren't on, or he needs to sit. If Yao or Deke is out there, you've got to have some combination of Battier, Bonzi, Hayes, and McGrady when he is healthy at the forward slots. It makes us too slow, too slow, too slow, and easier to defend.

Why isn't Bonzi getting some minutes at the 3/4 with Battier and Yao. He's a post up player and rebounder. Why not give him minutes flipping back and forth with Battier at the 3/4?

Luther??? Dude cannot finish. It's sick him missing layup bunnies. Rafer??? Same thing. My goodness, hit a layup man.

Bonzi??? Is he gonna get it back? Looked bad trying to create tonight.

What in the world has VSpan done to earn his demotion from getting any minutes? The secret to defeating is when McGrady out is to just pressure the ball handler. This is another game where despite Rafer's shooting from 3, Jarrett Jack dealt him fits defensively and disrupted our offense far too many times. Why can't we give VSpan at least 3 or 4 possessions to see what happens? Rafer's turnovers climb very high anytime he faces pressure from a good defensive point.

 

Yep, a young and athletic C/PF is as much needed as other rotational players. Bring back Hairyass.

 

Yao's hands were hot in the second half, but was "forgotten" at the offensive end in the last minutes. Offensively we were oftenly "4 to 5" or even "1 to 5". Driving to the hoop or giving the ball to Yao, I was just tired to see all these outside gambling shots by these scrubs.

Rafer is at most a bench PG in a good team, if JVG has any lessons in these losses, pls split the minutes to Vspan and JL3, at least have some competition atmospheres.

 

What's incredibly annoying to me is that when we first paired up Tmac with Yao, we needed...

A PG & A PF....

After all these years we still need...

A PG & A PF.

WTF?!?! You would think after all these years they would have been able to fill ATLEAST ONE of those slots.

 

Taped the game and just watched it !!!! All I can say is at this point we are a 1st round exit playoff team and T-Mac is probably done with his back. I thought he was coming back and doing better now I hear he doesn't know
You can mark a loss for Friday night !! Man we are going through a rough stretch I hope it gets better but without T-Mac and inconsistent shooting it doesnt look good....

 

Great point !! We have neither....and probably never will...

 

On the positive side we have lost these 5 games barely I mean it could have gone either way...Just trying to find something positive !!

 

Well if you want to play that angle...

I did stay at Holiday Inn last night while saving 10% on my car insurance after signing up with Geico.

 

As much as I hate being negative, I dont think those games could've gone either way. It was simply bad decisions by our players and coach that made us lose, not buzzer beating shots and what not.

 

JVG is not helping his team out....with Tmac out ( our only penetrating player) JVG elects to only play stationary players around Yao, so if our outside shots are not falling....we have no alternative....but to keep chucking.

JVG needs to play V-Span and or JL3 at the PG position to change things up...you will not win against ANY NBA team on a consistent basis with Rafer playing 40+ minutes a night.

We need a more balanced attack.

DD

 

and I thought we were surpose to be a "DEEP" team

 

not quite when your coach continuously runs an 8 man rotation in the middle of DECEMBER.

 

We are...it is the coach that is not deep.

DD

 

seriously, how else are those two going to learn and become comfortbale if JVG continues to not play them? thats one of many things i dont like about JVG...yea theyre gonna make mistakes but hey Rafer's makin them too and on a nightly basis...

 

The only good thing JVG did was play the bench at the end of the first Lakers game, and he did that by accident. They almost won the game for him and what does he reward them with....nothing. He really does need to change it up a bit.