ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 11/5/2006

Teams are packing the paint against us mainly because of Yao. We need to hit our 3s to be sucessful. Going to the hole always sounds good, but there is literally no room to work in there. Tmac did the right thing kicking it out to the outside shooters.
Battier had FIVE 3s tonight. 5! This is a guy who barely averages over 1 for his career. That just goes to show you that the three is there for the taking. Where was Novak tonight?

 

I think he's trying to live up to his sleepy eyes..

TMac should take a 1 hr long cold shower before every game from now on. Wake him up a little.

 

The Rox were competitive but the team will play as well as they shoot, horrible shooting night all around, missed a lot of jump shots, shots in the paint and FTs. JVG needs to still tinker with this lineup especially with Chuck Hayes, he rebounds but he is a foul machine and his height is definitely a negative against a bigger player, maybe we do better with Juwan back at the PF. Tmac is struggling and we are doomed if this is the way he plays all year, JVGs decision is do you still play him 40 minutes a night when he is struggling or do you cut back his minutes until he comes around.

 

Thats a good point because if Yao would have scored just 6 more points then we would have won !!!!!!!!!!

 

The only one who sucked in Rox is TMac. Don't pretend you didn't see his careless TOs. Without him, Rox would have won this game by large margin.

 

No, probably...

Rockets 91
Hornets 97

T-Mac has another dreadful shooting night, not to worry he will come around soon maybe game 6 or 7 he will have regular 23-28 ppg nights

 

the most important thing is that we are all healthy still

we are growing and gelling, don't fret guys

 

Snyder should have played more in the fourth. remember when the Rockets started their run in the fourth against the Jazz? that was largely due to Snyder who was incidentally playing against a former team. he shouldn't have played Battier so long in the fourth. those last 4 bricks from the 3 effectively killed the Rockets. Head should have been attempting those treys. when the Rockets had nothing to lose in the last minute, Novak should have been played, and hack-a-Hornet should have been employed.

Grundy probably wouldn't have to have resorted to this if he simply pulled Yao out immediatly after the second foul, but...

 

you guys r fing pathetic.the first game of the season everyone wants to chop jvg's head off then we win a big one and everyone is on the rockets nuts then we lose again tonight and everyone is back to the bashing especially on tmac. its the first fing week of the season. we're a new team. chemistry is not something that can happen over night. tmac basically did not play last season and yall expect him to just pick up a basketball and be the same way he was in 04-05? you just cant do that. if u were a long distance runner and took a year long break bc of an injury you're not going to have the same conditioning and ability right off the bat and that goes for everything especially basketball. it will take tmac time but i am confident that he will find his rythm and his conditioning will only improve. give the team and tmac time and im sure everyone will be all over them again.

 

Well all the standings right now are weird anyway
Let's look at all the strange things that have happened throughout the course of the season:

Sacremento 1-2
Denver 0-2
Dallas 0-2
Detroit lost to Milwaukee
Spurs lost to Cavs
Cavs lost to Bobcats
Miami 1-2
Phoenix 1-3
Philly 3-0 ????
Atlanta 2-1 ????
Portland 2-1???
Chicago 1-2

See it can't be that bad that our Rox are 1-2 eh? Lost both to teams that are still currently undefeated.

T-Mac still really needs to step it up though. I wouldn't mind him missing the Memphis game to rest if he needs some rest. But then Bonzi Wells should start for him...

 

I think it is time to seriously look at TMac trades before his value drops anymore. If we can get Odom & Turiaf for TMac, I'd be on it like yesterday. Odom fits this current team way more than TMac does. And I still don't understand this board. This board seems so apologetic for TMac and gives him way too many excuses especially on defense. I don't know what everyone else is watching, but I keep seeing Tmac get broken down on defense. At this point in time, I grade Tmac:

Offense= D+ (He would be failing if his assist numbers were any lower. It's way too many times that when he has the ball, the offense seems to really stand around)
Defense= D (He keeps getting broken down and seems way too passive on defense. With his so-called athleticism, he should be a lock down defender, and he is FAR from that. It's like he doesn't even try)
Intangibles= D- (As a leader of this team, he needs to take it onto himself to stop shooting and start defending. As a so-called leader of this team, he needs to just MAN up but he doesn't)

 

VSpan should have played ! VSpan +novak== best weapon

 

He does have a point though.

 

Snyder should never came off after those consecutive baskets! You know it's his revenge game and he's feeling it so let him play more!
Where's Novak heh? If Tmac / Rafer both can't make any 3s, I think we need 2 3pt shooters (battier &.....) not one!!! Novak is an accurate shooter! You should trust him that if you sub him on in 4th when pts are 71/70 71/72 73/72, and let him boombad the stupid BEES. Look, VGD's a hard working coach, a good defensive coach, but no way he knows how to communicate/encourage/motivate his players!!! If this is how his going to use Novak, as a Rox fan we better pray that Novak, and Vspan have strong mentality!! Trust me otherwise in 2 month time those guy will have no more confidence to contribute in a game!!!

 

the Rockets need to find those tiny aliens that stole all of T-Mac's skills.

 

T-mac will be fine. Think about free throws. If a NBA small forward guy can't make free throws like he did, you know they haven't touched the ball for quite a while. After all, this is T-mac. He knows he has something to demonstrate.
Show us, T-mac!!

 

Thank You

 

And those 7 hot assists? Nailing 3 free throws in crunchtime to make it close?

Yeah I know T-Mac sucked a lot, but it wasn't only him. I was just commentating on the positive aspect of his game, he started performing somewhat in the 2nd half, which brings a good outlook into this dismal game.

No way we would have won, even if T-Mac didn't play at all. No one was playing any defense.

 

My observations and questions from the game .
a) Tracy is playing cautiously but will find his rythem after a few more games.
b) The Rockets were a tired team.
c) Yao Ming needs to stop defering so many times. He should go to the basket more and draw fouls, he tries to do too much and gets in foul trouble.
d) Hayes has a good heart and is a decent all round player but is inadequate as a starter on a contending team.
e) JVG does not play the best players to fit the situation and needs of that situation. For example near the end they desperately needed steals and scoring.
V. Span is a great one to make a quick steal and Novac is reputed to be our best three point shooter, yet JVG keeps playing five very tired and worn out players, why?

 

the Rockets live and die by T-Mac (and Yao). however, they live and die inspite of Grundy.