ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Pacers 12/26/2006

I agree, Tmac jacked up a bad shot in that play. that was really annoying.

but here's another valid question:
can someone explain why Luther held the ball in the last seconds despite being triple teamed and then jacked up a three instead of 1. passing it to a teammate (Shane was WIIIIDEE open) 2. the easier one: take a time out!!!

great mental mistake by the next Michael Jordan

 

Because McGrady managed to do other things during the course of the game that did give the Rockets a chance to win. Let's stop singling out players and assigning blame here. The Rockets lost. It's unforunate, but that's just the way it goes. I don't like it anymore than you do, but I'm not going to start tearing every player apart over it. Some of you need to step back from the ledge and chill out.

 

No Dirk, but Dallas still can win

No TD, but Spurs still can win

No SD, but Sun still can win

Why we can't win, even to a terrible team.

I feel really sad, pray for the team, pray for our playoff

 

Without Yao, Rox is a lottery team - neither TMAC nor Luther can carry this team. We no longer have a inside scoring option - Bonzi is way overated for his postup play and Juan is a 15 feet jump shooter, as far as Mutumbo it is painful to see him try those super slow motion lay ups. Without an inside scoring option - look around - no team would be anything close to respectable, which is exactly the reason we lost today and will be losing a lot of games until Yao comes back.

 

Rockets had a hard time against Atlanta in the past even with Yao... Maybe it's just Al Harrington, maybe he's the Anti-Rocket.

 

A few point bout game:

-Wow, playcalling was terrible as usual, but we can expect this from a dumb coach like JVG

-Tmac started good, but played absolutely horrible. His TO's were awful. He keeps losing the ball on his handle. I don't remember Tmac ever being so careless with the ball. He did get fouled on one occasion in the 4th, but he took a number of bad shots, and could not finiish any of his layups. He seemed like he was afraid to dunk, which is why he was missing. I guess he was not afraid to drive, so I guess he could do more driving. He still has no explosiveness on his drives, which explains the constant screens he needs.
He faded big time in the 4th, 0-8 when we needed him the most. He has got to deliver a good 4th qtr for us this yr, has not done so yet

-Bonzi should have gotten the ball down the stretch. He was delivering, Mac was not.

-REBOUNDS, REBOUNDS, REBOUNDS. Without Yao, it has to be a collective effort to box out and play smarter. Mutombo's reaction is so slow, which is why JVG cannot play him. Deke cannot react quickly to loose balls.

-Shane Battier was getting owned by Harrington in the end, he should have had some help behind him, that was more JVG's fault

-Rafer hit some timely shots, but wow, he really is not the pg for this team, I think we can all agree on that

-Luther Head was pretty bad, one of his worst games. I have no idea what that last shot was, but again that was more JVG

-Chuck Hayes seems a lot less focused than he was at the beginnning of the yr

 

Not many people put formal logic in their daily vocabulary though, except for those who got burnt by LSAT.

 

No Dirk/TD/SD, those teams can still get to the paint/rim in the most part. Without Yao, with TMAC being the TMAC of NOWADAYS, no one on the rox team can do that.

 

You cant be seriousely comparing our depth or the lack of it to those teams?

 

exactly, he is great at JUST doing that, he would be my favorite player if he limits himself to just do that.

now if he jacks up shots in the end of a game with 3 guys on him instead of passing it to a wide-fxxxing-open Battier or taking a timeout, I have the full right to take out all my anger on him and blame him for the game. and, if necessary, ask for trading him

 

These teams have multiple players who can score in the absence of one of their key players. The Rockets have only McGrady, who himself had just returned after missing seven games. Let's try to calm down. It was one game. There will be others.

 

Normally we don't need to spell it out "formally" on a forum like this, but posts by guys like blazer_ben are so atrocious it's becoming necessary.

 

Thats why you need a life. if thats how you get you're rocks off, fine. i pitty you.

 

Chuck Hayes looked pretty damn bad.

having not seen any earlier games this season, I expected a lot more of him. He just didnt even look like it.

I forgot he was out there most of the time - then he'd remind me by getting a rebound and stepping out of court, or just committing a dumb over the back foul.

 

Did someone just compare the Rockets' "depth" to that of Dallas?

LMAO! Good stuff!

 

geez everybody calm down...we could have won this game handily without the TOs. we will be fine.

 

This game pissed me off. TMAC played well in 1st half, but he almost disappeared in 2nd half. Tracy plays like an old Yaoming, who could only play good bball in half time.

 

This pacer team was playing without Oneal and they are pretty bad without Oneal, probably one of the worst in the league. They played slow tempo too. We still couldnt get it done. They went inside to get points and we turned over by driving(Tmac's handle is always suspicious, and I think this serperates him from Kobe). That's the value of post play. Without a post presesnce it's hard to win games unless you have a guy named Nash on your team to set things up.

 

I agree 100000%, u are right, that was exactly my point

he is a good catch-and-shoot role player, his role is to just stand behind the 3 point line and wait for a pass.


now tell me, who the hell asked him to do too much? I know I didn't, because I know he sucks when he tries to be more than he really is. now if it's JVG who asked him to jack up a shot at the end of the game with 3 players on him, Luther is not to be blamed and JVG is to get his A$$ fired, now if nobody asked him to do that, and he did, he should go, no doubt about it.

he should either go, or he should be taught not to do something stupid like that and stick to his role, which is, shooting wide-open threes.

if Luther understands his role, I would be happy to have him on the team and he would one of my favorite players, now if he doesn't understand his role and tries to do so much (which is what I saw today and for the past 7-8 games), he has no excuse, he should go somewhere else or get benched. I am sure Novak would be happy to get in and he fully understands his "catch and shoot only" role.