ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 1/16/2007

bad game plan

 

If that's what you are hoping to happen to the Mavs, then you are in for a big disappointment because I can guarantee that Avery Johnson will not let this happen. If anything, after what happened last year in the NBA Finals, you can expect the Mavs to be even hungrier come playoff time because they came so very close last year and to a man, they know they let the championship slip away. Living here in Dallas, I get the opportunity to watch them a lot and they are the real deal and it's all due to Avery. He's finally got them to buy into his system and start playing some serious defense which was always the one thing they lacked as a team. The Rockets are good - better than I expected in fact - but they simply don't match up well against the Mavs even with a healthy Yao because the Mav bench makes them far more versatile (and dangerous) than the Rockets.

 

Here's the truth tester. Do the Mavs want us in the first round?


hehehehehehehehe


Right now, they are rooting for us to win a lot so they don't have to face us until the 2rd round or the Conference Finals. They know we coming. They'd rather face the Spurs than us. They do not want to have to go through us and Phoenix.

 

well the way I think about it, Yao has been domniant all season like he did last half of last season. His never really played with Mac being as confident as he is now(about his back, not his game). I don't T-mac has lost much confidence about his game, just his back. So JVG rarely has had this opportunity to run both of them being so hot. I think the tactics would have to alter a little. I mean with T-mac operating like this, would the main play still be dumping the ball to Yao from the corner? I mean would the pick and roll be a staple option now? or will T-mac dump the ball from the shoulders? I mean the options are endless now if Mcgrady is willing to drive as effortless as he has in this type of streak. Given if his 3 pt shot is still holding up, the matchups just between these two given their current form is frightening in itself,.

 

I think John Lopez identified the problem perfectly in this morning's Chronicle when he pointed out how the Rockets have no answer when teams go small on them and shift the game emphasis away from the post. Last night it happened to Mutumbo but we've seen this happen over the past 3 years when Yao was in there. The Rockets have their best chances of winning when they can force other teams to play their style of ball where they can exploit the huge advantage that Yao gives them in the post. I think the real problem they (Rockets) face (and have yet to solve) is that with all the rule changes (zone) that have de-emphasized the role of the big man in the post, coupled the lack of good big men in the league, other teams are no longer looking to play them straight up anymore. For example, with Yao in there going head to head with Dampier, who do you believe will come out on top? Yao, of course. Now if I'm Avery Johnson, why would I try to play to the Rockets' strength when I can turn things to my advantage by attacking their guards and forwards by going small? Finding an answer to counter this strategy is what I believe represents the next major hurdle facing JVG and this team as they try to break through in their division and conference.

 

Agreed, that's why I believe we need another swing man like Mo Pete. Then you run McGrady, Battier, Mo Pete, and Rafer with Bonzi (I actually prefer the quickness and strength of VSpan). There's 4 smaller, quicker guys, with still decent height. And we've still got Snyder on the bench.

Dallas didn't get it rolling until they took out Devin Harris and Dampier and brought in Stack and Devean George. Those guys aren't mighty mites. We couldn't counter George with anybody besides taking Deke out and running in another G/F. Then Harris comes back in and he burns up Luther.

We needed the quickness of VSpan and we needed another swing man off the bench.

 

TMac had 45 points, and still lost the game, use 40 year-old Deke to defend a three point foward, what a great job by the someone who only uses 8-9 player, and.....

 

Yes they can because they'll play Dirk at the 5 who is quicker than Yao and who will play facing the basket rather than down in the low post. If I'm Avery, I tell Dirk to bomb away from the outside and when Dirk gets into a groove he can be virtually unstoppable. The Mavs have better outside shooters than do the Rockets so they'll hit more shots than the Rox which will put pressure on the Rox to extend their defense outward thereby opening up the inside for their (Mavs) rebounding. They'll concede Yao his points on the other end all the while making him work for them with double and triple teams. They'll also speed up the game in an effort to make Yao run the floor in order to tire him. As for Tmac, the emphasis will shift to getting the ball out of his hands and into the hands of Alston, Head or Battier who collectively are far less creative offensively than Tmac. As I posted before, the big challenge facing the Rockets right now is finding a way to counter this strategy which will be difficult given that Yao won't be back until mid March.

 

And this is where I have to agree with those folks who are questioning JVG's approach to giving V-Span and Novack more playing time. They (Rox) need the skills that both of these guys bring to the table because those skills canhelp make the Rockets more versatile. I may be in the minority here but I just don't see Bonzi doing much to help this team. He's been such a non-factor to this point, I just don't see him turning things around at the season's halfway point. He didn't want to come here in the first place and he looks like he's merely marking time until he can go back on the market in search of the big money.

 

You have got to be joking dude!

 

I'd like to see VSpan at this point. Can't really see Novak helping us against an athletic team like Dallas. He is too weak to defend power forwards and he is definitely too slow to guard small forward. His defense is just shambles and his rebounding is nonexistent. I don't think he helps us against Dallas. Against a slower, more half court, less athletic team, possibly. Still, JVG keeps running him out there for a few minutes while VSpan sits in his sweats.

 

Tell me what the Mavs have that the Rockets have been lacking for years. Shooters. They can't be just shooters (Novak), they must be players that can shoot. Shooting seems to fail the Rockets at some point in every game. They just can't seem to field players who shoot consistently. George has been torching the Rockets for years and he looks like Bonzi. We were lit up by a fat boy. Can't the Rockets find a utility player who can come off the bench and light it up? Apparently not.

 

I'm proud of McGrady. Dallas was going to come in and take it to us to avenge the whipping we gave them. He made sure to take it to them first. It just wasn't enough, but it was cool.

 

If Avery really does that, Yao will just score at will and get Dirk into foul trouble.

 

This team needs to acquire more swingmen/hybrids like T-Mac, Battier, and Snyder. When Dallas throws out combinations to create mismatches to their advantage like they did in the 3rd last night we have nothing to respond with. I think we need to think more like Phil Jackson and place more emphasis on taller, athletic guards and hybrids like T-Mac and Battier who can play multiple positions; we need that flexibility in a league that is placing more emphasis on athleticism and versatility, especially since we need to somehow make up for Yao's lack of quickness to minimize its impact against teams like the Suns.

The Zen Master has always had a certain disdain for short guards and I can understand why, it just limits what you can do out there.

 

No team will be content to simply "concede Yao his points"... especially not when he'll get them with the ease of having the weak Dirk or Howard guarding him.

When Yao is in there, we have the advantage... end of story. Teams need to adjust to US... not vice versa. (provided Yao is indefensible with the "fronting" defense... which he is).

 

Even with Yao, I am not sure we can beat Dallas in a seven game series where they have home court advantage... Unless Bonzi starts playing really well or we get a good trade for him. We need a deeper bench.

 

Having Yao (and everyone else) healthy means our bench is:
1. Mutombo
2. Bonzi
3. Snyder
4. Head

Right now, Head is our 6th man. Sure, a lot of things still have to go right (T-mac needs to play at his highest level... Battier needs to hit shots... Yao needs to stay out of foul trouble, etc.), but this team, as it was meant to be constructed, can hang with the deep deep Mavs.

 

It's definately possible... as long as the refs don't let them steal the ball from out-of-bounds ala Finley

We just have to be healthy with Yao, Snyder, Bonzi... last night was winnable and closer than the final score suggested... if George doesn't catch fire, we may have walked out with a win. If Yao was in the game, Avery can't go with the line-up with Deke guarding George, because on the offensive end, Deke is almost a non-factor, whereas Yao would pound it inside. Yao would also help on the boards where we were dominated last night