ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Cavaliers 12/17/2003

Normally, I jump on people who complain after a win with both feet, especially a road win.

But a little reality check is in order, we beat one of the worst teams in the Leastern Conference (all LeBron hype aside). We beat them when about half the playing rotation hadn't been with the team long enough to learn any plays.

Yes, its a good win, any road win qualifies as a good win, but we are going to have to improve the level of play significantly to beat even an average team.

 

More assists this game. Stevie with 9, and Cat and JJ with 6 apiece. Can anyone who watched the game elaborate why? Is it just because we shot better tonight? Or did the guards do something different?

 

To all you people who say Francis sucks at PG, trade him: 9 assists, 1 turnover - 'nuff said bia***!

 

I completely agree

 

dude, I'm all for Francis doing well, but it's one freaking game. How about we get some analysis instead of going back and forth on he rocks v. he sucks, etc.

 

Will always do a great job of making Battie and Williams look like sensational players

 

I say, you suck! A typical no brainer fan.

 

Analysis? You are only a real fan if you bash the hell out of the team you support and especially your two stars. Nothing says fan like trashing the team and wanting to trade away the stars. Cat got lucky because he is the number 3 on the star list these days and so people don't want to trade as much as they used to.

 

Is this what the respons of fan with brain looks like?

I can see by your faultless logic and analysis that you are a shimmering example of the kind of hope that will make these boards the home of quality game discussion.

 

It is so obvious that Yao's biggest problem is his stamina. I think he's tired even before the game started. Look at his body language after just few plays. You can see he could not even follow the team up and down in quite a few possession. It's so hard to see him running up and down and fighting for position. His lack of energy also affects his rebounding. I think instead of fighting for a rebound, he's so tired that he just tried to boxed out his man only.

I read that Pat riley run very harsh practices. If JVG applies the same strategy, it might be critical factor for yao's performance. If it's about quality vs quantity, maybe yao's mins should be reduced. He should sit out all-star game as well if he's selected. The team should address this weakness of yao otherwise it hurts the team in the long run.

One side note, do all sports in US have the same demanding schedules. In soccer world, it's considered quite demanding for playing 2 games in a week. I dont think any pro soccer players can endure the nba schedules.

 

I think it should be another wary around. NBA player's stamina cant be compared to that of world class soccer players. typically, soccer players run around 10km a game. imagine NBA big men eg Shaq or Yao running 10km every game??

 

Darius is Eddie Griffin without the off-court problems. Highly touted, very athletic, potential to be exciting and a fan favorite, but... he's in his fourth year, and most of his stats have gotten worse since his rookie year. He may never be much more than a sometimes-exciting scrub.

 

Take at look at Allen Iverson in May. He's an absolute wreck and he's arguably the toughest little you know what in the NBA. The schedule is considered grueling.

Yao should really only play 25 minutes a game. 30-35 was going to catch up to him eventually and it finally did. The Spurs series really wrecked him.

It's interesting though. The team's bad fortunes are basically that they played the Spurs twice and Minny on the road with Yao playing poorly. This team is already dependent on Yao playing well.

 

Yes, that is the point I was making in the thread. The recap from Chronicle is much more factual than the AP crap.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/2304241

 

That is going to happen when everyone he passed to besides Jim Jackson shoots 50% or better from the field. Moochie Norris could put up that statline in 45 minutes of PT. How about shooting more than anyone else on the team, despite hitting at an abysmal 33% clip (especially considering the aforementioned hot shooting by nearly all of his teammates).

 

Right And when everyone is hitting 20% of their shots you're surprised he only has 4 assists...

 

I'm glad that my rox won...but still it was Cavs which we have to win not to be ashamed...
I want to see a win against a team that we HOPE to win!!!

Francis was playing well, and I think if he can show more stablity on his emotion, he can be better player than now. He has enough skill but needs to be more mautre..

Yao was ok except that foul trouble...but still this is not the stats that we expect from him. If he can't develope the skill that makes him use his height to dominate the game...well, he will be hopeless.

Taylor is doing fine and Pike was good, too.

I don't give up any hope for rox but still I'm very doughtful whether this team is good enough for play-off...I don't know..

 

I am not sure what you are trying to say or prove. Do you even know what an assist is? The whole point is for someone to make the shot after you pass it to them. The truth maybe that Steve Francis is better then most people think he is but that just doesnt show up on the stats because his team mates dont make their shots consistenly. If everyone would be shooting as well as they did in tonights game Francis might be getting these many assists each game..

 

I believe that this is what is motivating Steve to play selfishly - the publicity and the All-Star game. He's a fame hound and at the All-Star game, he can hang with his fellow star players - like he belongs. He freezes Yao out because he "steals" his fame. The spotlight is not on him anymore and that is not acceptable to him. I've come to the conclusion that Steve will never win a championship because that is only secondary to him. He is not a team player. It's out - I'm a Steve-hater.

 

Did anyone try this link and if so can you please reply to let us know if it worked or not. - Thanks