Yao's 20/10 didn't let me feel he had a good game now. I only feel he played good when he shoots more than 70%. Next season, he must be a 20/10 player.
I jumped to conclusions on inadequate information, and that was a mistake. I was trying to follow the game through a variety of secondary sources. No TV, no radio, very difficult. HOWEVER, this team does not have the shooter to execute that kind of play at critical moments, (little time left). Reggie Miller, yes; anybody on our team, no. With our shooting percentages, I want the team to play the percentages, not jack up threes. Interestingly, one of the press releases on the game made mention of the "ill-advised" attempts by JJ and Francis near the end of the game, and that Francis later "redeemed" himself. I didn't see it, but, I don't think it is unreasonable on my part to object to low percentage shots when the game is in the balance. Maybe Ming was covered up, but all the more reason to drive it in closer. This team has a habit of "jacking" up air balls from 25+ feet out at critical juctures in games. Fortunately, this time they survived.
While I usually agree with you about the guards, this is one thing you're going to have to get used to . I mean, remember the Hakeem era? Shots were either: A. By Hakeem, B. 3's after kick-outs, or C. on the fastbreak (at least until Drexler came). In our offense, we shouldn't care if they double Yao. That should mean that someone on the outside is open. You don't have to be a superstar to take that shot - just a guy who shoots a reasonable %. Jim Jackson fits that to a T. The play was absolutely perfect. Driving could not have gotten us a better shot. If teams double Yao every play, and he always makes the exit pass that well - we'll win a whole lot of ball games.
One of the greatest shots in Rockets History... Mario Elie's Kiss of Death... was an ill-advised shot. Look... there is no such thing as "jacking up" a wide open three... and that's what that was. JJ has been solid on threes all year, and as everybody else has said... that is a very high percentage play. "Playing the percentages" does not mean Yao should force up a bad shot, or get a possible TO, against a very aggressive double team. Now, Steve's shot was ill-advised as well... but sometimes those go in (see Elie). In fact, Elie had a WIDE OPEN Hakeem on that play against Phoenix, and we didn't even need a three in that situation as well. Steve didn't really have anybody down low, and the Bucks did get back in defense... but knowing it was him, he probably should have taken a different shot. Funny thing is, had Elie missed that shot... we'd all be saying the same things about him too.
Like others have said, the JJ shot was a good shot that he should take every time. He just missed. The Francis shot was too horried and was unnecessary since we had around 9 seconds left and down by only 1, but in my opinion it was not too horrible because he had a good open look. Our players had lots of good open shots in this game from the outside that our guys just plainly missed. I wonder why the Rox are having so much trouble with these wide open jumpers this year. Does JVG have a shooting coach on his staff? I remember last year Posey was a horrible shooter when he first came to Houston, but his shooting improved a lot by the end of the season and I think someone said his improvement was due to working with a shooting coach the Rockets had last year.
Well, 100% from FT line also helps. I am not sure 20-10 is a bad game to any player, even if he is Shaq or KG.
WTF?!?!? We won this game? My god, I turned the tv off after SF missed t hat 3 with 2 seconds left This is the best bad news I have heard in a long time.
The refs suck. Seriously, this game is one of the worst officiated games that I've ever seen. I don't think that either team would be satisfied with the calls today. Luckily we came up on top.
You are comparing this team's outside shooting to the outside shooting of the Championship Teams, I don't think so. Remember what Sen. Benson said to Dan Quayle.? I really like JJ and he has made some big shots, BUT, I am simply saying that when the game is in the balance, and the game clock is running down, go for the highest percentage shot available. If that was it, then he should have taken it.
The current Rocket's team is one of the poorest outside shooting teams in the league. If we had the shooters from the Championship years, Ming would be averaging 30+ per game. No way the opposing team could collapse on him like they do now. Other teams dare our shooters to hit their shots and it usually works because they don't. I like your strategy, but we don't have the players to make it work consistently.
Agreed... but, according to solid, its an ill-advised shot to shoot a three. I was just refuting him on that. And solid... I'm not comparing our team collectively as a great 3 point shooting team... but we tend to look thru rose-colored glasses when we consider the championship teams as "great shooting" teams. They were very good, but they also got FAR MORE wide open looks because Hakeem demanded a double team EVERY TIME. These Rockets have made a decent clip of 3's, despite having hands in their faces... I'm not even really comparing the two teams, I'm just saying that NBA players can make a wide open three, and if they have that shot with time running out, THAT is the shot they should take if given to them.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the 3 point line was also closer back then during the championship days. I believe they extended the line about a foot out the year after the second championship.
First championship, it was the old line. Second one, it was the new line... and they changed it back after the 97-98 year.
Yao progressed better than expected, but we were set back by loosing EG and the inconsistent performance from SF. Had we not expereinced those problems, we would be top 4 now.
