ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Grizzlies 1/19/2004

You do know Pau Gasol is a perimeter player like Dirk Nowitzki right? As much as you think Yao has quick feet, he's a lumbering big man who is not built to guard a power forward on the perimeter. The times when Maurice guarded Gasol, Gasol tried posting him up. Yao came over to help, and it seemed to be way more effective. That's a coaching error on Van Gundy's part if Yao is ever assigned to guard a quick power forward.

 

how many people have to point out that you are wrong before you realize that you have either blurry eyes or memory?

 

I know that someone has already pointed out your stupidity, but I'm going to follow up as well.

You see.....Mobley is not a perfect player. Nevertheless, he is.....arguably.....the best player we have. At mid-season, the majority of his stats are a reflection of Yao and Steve's.....and all the while, he is neither the primary ball handler nor the person whom which the offense is supposed to flow through. Of the big three, he's generally the most consistent. Only by the virture of Yao's rookie contract is Mobley NOT the best player we have for the money. Mobley is a bargain.

He's a shot guard who.....unfortunately......is a natural one on one player just like Steve Francis. Fortunately, he's responded to JVG's system better than ANY of the big three. Once again, he tonight had as many assists as our star point guard. Though his shot was not falling, he still leads our guards in FG%, 3PT%, and FT% (unless you count Wilks who hasn't played enough minutes to be considered).

But don't feel bad about your complete and utter lack of observation. You have an affliction that runs rampant here. You ARE the rule.....rather than the exception. It affects a large percentage of the population at this online community. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to afflict anyone who actually makes a living in the NBA.

 

DAMN IT! That was such a good game. I was really excited during the game because we were playing well, but damn that James Posey. How the hell could we let them get 3 straight offensive boards in the end!?!? Also, 62% from the line isn't gonna cut it! Man, we had that game

 

Ironically, today is Martin Luther King Jr. day

 

All that being said, I'd still rather have Jim Jackson than James Posey. Posey just had a good game because obviously he felt he had something to prove and that translates 9 times out of 10 to our former players kicking our asses. They always have, always will.

Posey is not all that and a bag of po-tay-toe chips.

 

Good post Ghost. Exactly what I was thinking. This game really boiled down to a few shots not falling for us and a few shots falling for them. Part of me though thinks that we would have had a slightly better chance if we got the ball to Yao more. Especially after building that 8 point lead late. But otherwise, the effort was there.

 

Does 6 assists ring a bell?

 

Yao has 3 straight great games. Did Van Gundy not know that Hubie Brown is a good coach? Did he not realize that Hubie would make sure it would be hard on the passers to pass to Yao? Van Gundy failed to prepare this team for the obvious. This is why I think Van Gundy is not a premiere coach. Upper tier coaches would not let a strategy like this prevent them from keeping Yao on a roll.

 

Good point,London's Burning. especially following two passage.Thanks for your summary!

 

Van Gundy is not proactive. He allows the situation to control rather than be in control himself. He allowed Hubie Brown to force a tempo onto the Rockets that Van Gundy is fully aware of already. He knew Cato is a statue, but he started Cato anyway. It's only after an asskicking at the beginning of each half that he takes Cato out. I think Hubie Brown outcoached Van Gundy even before the tipoff.

 

Van Gundy was outcoached. He did make one adjustment late where Yao helped on Pau which resulted in a couple of TO, but after that, he didn't slow it down and get Yao in during our lead. He also didn't get them to stop jacking up perimeter shots so quickly late, or respond well to the D against Yao.

 

I guess one of the reasons guards didn't pass much to Yao is because they are kind of shorter guards, which makes it difficult to pass in some cases. When you have two hands above your head, it's probably not easy.

 

Should have started Padgett...Yao needs someone who can make the entry pass from the high post, and Cato is NOT that person...

Cato to the bench.......who is with me....ARRGGGHHHH !!!

"What's in your wallet?"

DD

 

I am sooo with you on that one. Cato just didn't have the speed to guard Gasol. Tonight Cato was basically useless since he couldnt make any dunks.

Padgett adds another dimension to the PF position. In the 1H he did make a couple of 3's and brilliant cuts.

 

I think it depends on the matchup. If the opposing team is strong in the paint offense, Cato is necessary like when they play against the Lakers. He becomes a liability right from the get go against the more perimeter-oriented teams like Seattle and Memphis.

 

Outrebounded by FIFTEEN !!!

There is the ball game citizens....

DD

 

I enjoyed this game myself.. even though we lost we played hard and seemed to have some mental errors by everyone.

SF had an overall great game wished he would have fed Yao the ball in better position like with lobs or hard passes. Overall great game if SF can continue playing like this with less forced 3's (which was due to him trying to single handily win the game) we are in great shape.

Yao had a decent game he didnt receive the ball as much as he should have but he was a force on defense (at least in the paint) blocking shots and altering alot. We should have gotten him the ball more like the Boston game.

JVG has no clue when it comes to timeout management he wastes his timeouts way too much. I think his substitution was poor today too.. oh well live and learn.

I dont think the Rox did too bad Memphis is not a piss poor team they have a 4 game winning streak that means something but I feel we were unlucky (all the bounces were in favor of the Griz) and outcoached.

I like the way the Rox played with intensity and the passing was nice too. But more lobs to the post player (Yao or MoT or whomever) needs to be worked on.

How Yao goes we go.. when he struggles we struggle theres no denying that we need to make sure he starts strong and that we keep him involved.

I wish we would stop all the arguing on the board it gets tiresome.

J

 

Sghhhhh, so true. I don't know why JVG doesn't rotate Padgett/MoT/Cato at PF depending on Matchups, which seem so obvious. JVG is just too stubborn with his supposedly great system.

 

Just watched the game on tape.
It was quite entertaining, steve had some good put back dunks and good passes.
However, I think it was too entertaining and too fast. The rox had to play the graizzles game, and I think that's the main reason the rox lose.

I think they simply have to slow the game down.. when Yao.. and esp when both Yao and cato are on the floor.
The team was running too much today, it just wasn't quite the style of this year rox. It should be a much much more controled pace.