ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 12/5/2003

Rockets 89 Hornets 76

 

If Baron gets in a one on one battle with Steve then we might win against the Hornets but if he passes and scores intelligently as he has been doing it's curtains for us.
I also think the Hornets are stronger physically in the frontcourt and will outmuscle and outrebound us.
Hornets 98
Rockets 78

 

my god guys this is a no-brainer. Rockets will lose. Steve will try to outscore Davis and this will end up looking like the first quarter of the jazz game. Remember before the jazz game Steve said he was going to take it to the jazz,only to have the worst first half ever.The rockets play terrible when Steve gets personal with the other team.
NO-98
rox-61

 

This time I am going to be right. Rocket lose. 78:94 .

 

Mann David Wesley always seems to kill us. It's amazing how overrated our backcourt is sometimes, but when we matchup with another team with a decent backcourt atleast one player in that backcourt lays down the smackdown on the rockets.


btw I am an avid supporter of keeping francis and mobley on this team

 

Whoever scores 85+ will win the game! I know the Rockets won't, can the NO do it?


--daoshi

 

Basketball is about matchups and man do we lose this one. BD will destroy us. Magloire will totally contain Yao, probably get 3 or 4 blocks on him.

Rockets lose big.

 

I think We will lose this game since NO is much better than last year. While we went to TO last year with them.

89:85 NO wins

 

On the road again......

Rocks lose by 12


DD

 

did you used to remember that steve is or was better than baron... Baron is onw what you call a hot streak, and someone can shoot me if Baron still averages 25pts and 8 assits by the end of the season. baron is just to chubby and big for a pg. All of you seem to forget that steve only has problems with those small quick passing gaurds who run around picks alot. Baron is just too slow for steve. Steve can d up baron good. Trust me, baron is probably thinking okay here is my chance show up steve and will start doing one on one. ANd most of you will agree francis is too talented to get beaten one on one offensifly and is decent gaurding one on one defensivly.

 

Rockets 91 Hornets 82

 

I'm optimistic about the Rockets chances against the beehives of N'oleans. Hopefully, that win over the Jazz gave them a confidence boost. Let Piatkowski shoot more, thats all I know.

Rox in a tight one.....91-88

 

we're a poor West team, but a good East team...therefore Rockets will win tonight, on the road, by 8...

 

Baron Davis will prove a better player than Steve, but Rox will win the game with Cat and Yao combine to have 60 points.

Houston 97
NO 85

 

Floyd Hopes to be Rude Host to Coaching Pal
Van Gundy, Rockets visit Hornets tonight
Friday December 05, 2003
By Jimmy Smith

In his customary, self-deprecating way, Hornets coach Tim Floyd likes to say everyone is your friend when you're the leader of a losing team.

That's why, Floyd says, he was such a popular guy among his colleagues when he was guiding the lowly Chicago Bulls.

"They all want to see you coming again," Floyd said, laughing.

One of those who befriended Floyd during his first NBA tour, however, tells a different story.

"We spent some time before games, and I had always admired him as a coach," said Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, who brings his team into New Orleans Arena tonight to face the Hornets.

"I saw his teams play in college," continued Van Gundy, among Floyd's closest friends in the business. "And, when you coach against a guy, you know who can coach. And he can coach. He had deplorably bad teams in Chicago, yet they still competed. And I thought at a very high level."

The similarities between Floyd and Van Gundy are striking.

They are sons of coaches, and they are intense.

Both resigned their former positions in December 2001, Van Gundy with the Knicks on Dec. 8, Floyd with the Bulls on Dec. 24.

When both returned to the league as head coaches this summer, they did so just days apart, Floyd being named June 9, Van Gundy on June 11.

As both coaches spent a year and half in exile before returning to the NBA, they stayed in touch and visited on occasion.

"We talk about once a week," Floyd said. "We're pretty good buddies. Talked to him as late as Sunday. You get rattled a bit after what we went through in Chicago. And he went a long way in restoring some confidence if you lost any along the way. We spent a great deal of time talking basketball, and some time socially, not talking ball at all."

One of those occasions came during the 2002 Carnival season, about two months into both men's sabbaticals.

"I made a list of about 85 things I wanted to do," Floyd said, "and one of them was riding in a Carnival parade. Basketball coaches don't get chances to do those kinds of things. It's just something you get to do once in your life."

So Floyd, still living in Chicago, telephoned Van Gundy and Phil Johnson, Floyd's former assistant with the Bulls, and the three traveled to New Orleans and rode in the now-defunct Krewe of America, a corporate-type parade that sold spots to those looking to experience Carnival.

"We put on masks," Floyd said, smiling, "and we had a great time."

"Believe it or not," Van Gundy said, "I didn't know what Mardi Gras was. When he invited me down there, I didn't know what I was in for. . . . Those parades and those beads, it was just an unbelievable scene. A real eye-opener. And there were some great places to eat. He took me to one place. Seafood place. A real dive. But it was good."

Floyd laughs at Van Gundy's recollection. As Van Gundy was unfamiliar with the quirks of Carnival, he also was unaware of the idiosyncratic atmosphere of Uglesich's.

But of one thing Van Gundy is certain: While there are similarities between himself and Floyd in many ways, Floyd's journey to another NBA coaching job wasn't as smooth as his.

"I've had it easy in the NBA, comparatively," Van Gundy said, "coming in with the Knicks as an assistant, staying there, and taking over a pretty veteran team.

"People always tell me, 'It's great to see Tim get a second chance.' My response to that is, he didn't get a second chance because the first time he got no chance in Chicago because that Chicago team was so bad.

"To me, it didn't take someone who was smart like Bob Bass to see Tim could coach. It just took courage to hire him. I knew he'd be a success down there."

Tonight, Floyd said, friendship won't get in the way of what either hopes to accomplish.

'We'll try to beat him and he'll try to beat us," Floyd said. "That's the way it works."

 

Rox - 78 Hornets - 89

 

The front court will have to step up big in this game. They'll have to score and shut down the inside. Davis always dominates Francis. I don't expect it to be any different this time. It will be interesting to see the Magliore/Yao matchup.

I think we can take it 95-84.

 

I think maybe Baron has moved past the "I need to make my name, so I'll go one on one and show up the other PG" type games now. As evidenced by both his 8.6 apg (2.9 Assist/TO!) and the hornets good record.

Your comments about Baron being to chubby and big for a PG echo the things Baron has heard his whole life. Unfortunately for the Rockets and the rest of the league, you're just dead wrong there. I mean, seriously, a 2.9 assist/to ratio? Averaging almost 9 assists/game? All while scoring almost 25? Sounds like a pretty good point guard to me. Oh, let's not forget about the 3 steals he gets per game. Must be really slow.

All that being said, Steve does seem to step his game up against 'known' competition, so I think the Rockets will make it close, but will ultimately lose because it seems like the hornets have grasped the team ball concept more than the Rockets have.

 

Just out of pure HOPE I say the Rockets win by at least 15. Seriously, I'll be at the game tonight heckling the hell out of the Hornets (the only game of the year I do this in the NOArena)

As far as Baron's preformance this year I will say it is no fluke. The guy has endured vast amounts of criticisim for his subpar play and extra weight (that contributed to his back problems) in the past year.In the off season he took this criticisim seriously and came to camp about 20 lbs lighter in the mid section, thus eliminating his back problems. In addition to this the weight loss has given him a quicker first stepand improved his full court game.

With regard to his stats, I would guess his totals will not remain the at their current AVG by season end, unless Mashburn reinjures himself and is out for the entire season. When Mash comes back look to see him (Mash) AVG his usual 20-21ppg, 3-4apg, and 6rpg. I look for Davis to end the season with about the same number of spg, and about 20 ppg, and 7 apg.

Anyway heres to a Rockets win tonight. I'll be in section 107, row 7 at the NOArena. If any of you guys are going to the game let me know and we can catch a few brews during halftime or after the game.

 

If you think Lopez vs. Francis was ugly, wait til you see Davis vs. Francis. Rockets will get smoked in this one. Forget about it. Hornets by 20+, no chance.