ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Raptors 11/16/2003

That's the dumbest comment I'v ever heard. Give the credit when credit is due!!!

 

Obviously nobody expects Cato to have a dominating offensive game. If you watched the game you'd have seen that Cato was exactly where he was supposed to be. Cato was supposed to double team Carter. That was the gameplan outlined and Cato followed it. He'd been doing that the whole game. Besides if you had a choice of having Carter shoot the 3 when the game was on the line or Bosh, any sane person would try and arrange it so that Bosh shoots it. Cato did that, the problem was the Rockets defense didn't rotate over to cover Bosh.

I know you have a history of not sticking around for discussions you start or take part in, so I don't expect a reply. But the fact is you are wrong about the defensive assignments. Cato was huge off the boards and keeping balls alive, he made a couple of big blocks, and did a good job tonight.

 

yeah, that's pretty bush, IMO. Particularly when you consider A) Bosh hit several 3's in college and during the workouts for various teams pre-draft. B) He recieved the ball, squared up, and released with perfect form and conviction Cc) the play was designed to go to him for a 3 if the rotation came off of him, D) he was brought in to replace Davis on this play specifically because he can hot the three, and E) They also ran a play at the end of regulation in Portland which called for him to take the three...but he passed out to Murray, who missed the game winning shot.

Beyond being pretty sour grapes and classless to the man who beat you, this kind of shows Steve's desire to always take the " We deserved to win, just got unlucky" angle, as he often does...

 

http://www.nba.com/games/20031116/HOUTOR/recap.html

Francis missed shots at the end of the fourth quarter and overtime and was upstaged by Bosh.

"He was lucky," Francis said of Bosh's long-range basket. "He just threw it up and hoped it went in."

****************
I can't believe that Francis said that.....on second thought, I can believe it. His shots were more controlled than those Buzzer beaters that Steve hurled up! And Bosh's shots went in!
Grow up Steve!

 

The comment by Francis is poor sportsmanship. He ought to just take the loss like a man, especially considering his play during the game.

Maybe he was in such a bad mood that this petty sore loser aspect came out. Whatever the reason there is excuse for that kind of talk.

I will say that it's VERY UNLIKE Steve's normal comments. Usually Steve is the first guy to accept responsibility when the team loses, and not blame anyone else, or in this case 'bad luck'. Hopefully I don't hear this kind of thing again for Steve or I will lose some respect.

 

Well one positive aspect is that this game is on the road. Had this loss been at home, the team would be able to go their separate ways to clubs and bars and not worry about their serious OT panic job. But since they are on the road, they will have to fly with JVG, ride the bus to the hotel with JVG, and stay in the hotel with JVG, so they probably will hear a lot from him during that quality time together (at least I hope). The good teams come together on the road, so hopefully with a lot of prodding from JVG, our team can build some character and sense of urgency.

 

I meant to say that this is an absolutely excellent theory, and one I had never considred, that I recall. Seriously perceptive.

 

You won't. As relentless and fearless as you're in defending SF, you've been fair and tried your hardest to be objective.

That said, if only the guy whom you've been defending had a fraction of your reasonableness and smartness.

 

I have notice that too but not just with Stevie but most All star players does that. So the theory is pretty much isn't a theory but the darn truth among stars.

 

It's ok to be upset about a loss, it's borderline dementia to overreact like some of y'all.

Today's tough loss aside, anyone who is not pleased with the transformation and progress this team has made is not paying attention.

I see nothing but silver lining when I consider that:
1) Adrian Griffin and Jeff Piatkowski have not played this year,
2) Mo Taylor was playing well before his suspension,
3) Cato is playing beyond anyone's expectations,
4) the team is playing strangulating "eastern conference" style, slow down defense, with "western conference" talent, a style that alllowed JVG's NY Knicks to give our first championship team fits.
5) and Eddie Griffin may yet get his act together.

One positive about this game? Reading through this thread helped me identify about 10 more knee-jerkers for my ignore list.

Go Rockets!

 

Darn that I didn't editing button doesn't work. What I want to say also is that Stats is damn important to most All Stars players out there. I mean we all base players on their stats and when we want to chose them in our fantasy basketball pool or to chose who to vote for All star game, we all check who's on top of the food change.

I dont have to be a basketball players to know what it's like. I mean these guys are being paid millions to play and their faces are on tv and advertisement. Stats help put them up there totally. It's competition among these all stars and winning become secondary to some and what's more important to them is that better stats making them look good among people.

 

The Rockets have yet to be beaten by their opponents this season.

They only beated themselves up 3 times.

 

I blame the loss on Jeff Van Gundy and his lunacy of double teaming Vince Carter at the end of the game.

He was shooting horribly...and Yao is NOT quick enough to handle both sides of the lane.

Play Vince one on one, and if he hits a 3 so be it...but don't give a complimentary player like Bosh a WIDE open look.

That is just stupid.

Also, the Rocks in OT went completely away from the team oriented Yao run offense, and thus they looked horrible.....

This team still has a lot of growing up to do, but if they play tough defense they will be in more than they will be out.

DD

 

Well the other teams might be saying the same thing.

 

Dude, down to the last seconds, you don't want to give up any defensive gap, not single inch. Anytime you doubleteam a guy, in this case, an ice cold guy, you allow the other person open completely. That was a pretty bad gamble. Yeah, I think you might wanna say the same thing as Stevie, that Bosh's scoring was just "lucky".

 

I think people are overlooking one simple thing about arter and doubling him tonight; that WAS the reason he was struggling. When he had the opportunity to stay on the perimeter, or those few plays where the double came slow, he got off good shots or got to the line. He's a carrer 25+ ppg player when healthy...

And the doubles the Rox threw at hime were no worse than what the Lakers did, or the Blazers, etc...

 

I wouldn;t think so. I trust JVG and he did pretty much the right thing of double teaming VC. Trust me, VC can light it up if given one on one against anyone on the ROX. I think we could've lost long time ago if VC was left along. I mean we still lost to them when VC was shooting horrendously. I think teh offense was completely some of the players fault for not playing it smart and all JVG can do is ask for them to do as he said. Sadly it seems they didnt follow his advice.

 

You gotta be kidding? I hoping u were be SARCASTIC.

 

You NEVER double at the top on a contested 3 pointer....NEVER.....

Cat was there, and Vince would have shot a contested 3 pointer, heck it was backfiring from the 6 minute mark in the fourth quarter till the end of the game.

How do you think Bosh got all those points? He was left all alone on the weak side, and he smartly took advantage.

If the Rocks wanted to have more people on Carter they should have zoned.

Never double the ball at the 3 point line when you are up 3...heck...they could have fouled him on the floor and he would have only gotten 2 free throws.....

Rudy would have....

DD

 

As MacBeth said Carter was at least partially cold because of the Rockets defense. The Rockets should have rotated over to Bosh. My point was that it wasn't Cato's assignment to be on Bosh for that 3pter. The gamble was one that JVG had instituted for the whole game. It wasn't one that Cato just decided to do at the last minute. Remember the argument started when you claimed that Cato was doing poorly and used Bosh's shot as an example.

I've also criticized Stevie for making the comment about Bosh. I wouldn't say it was lucky. I would say that Bosh was clutch today.