ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Spurs 11/17/2005

Someone go ahead and add me to the "Start Head" bandwagon please.

 

It is clear that in the 2nd half JVG didn't try hard to run plays for Yao. He rarely touched the ball. WTF? The guy scored almost half of the points in the 1st half, only got to be ignored for the rest of game?

Our guards are all streaky shooters. They can knock down shots when things are going our way, but they cannot buy a basket when things are not our way. This got to change otherwise we won't be contender.

 

I haven't seen them knock down a dang'ol shot even WHEN things have gone the Rox way (if that's ever happened) this year.

 

They weren't fronting Yao like other teams. As soon as Yao caught the ball on the block, they sent a guard over to double. Are you proposing that Yao shouldn't pass in that situation? The spurs were rotating very well, so we weren't getting good looks after Yao passed it out.

 

What did I say it would take to win again?

Yeah, we didn't do that.

Yeah, we didn't do that either.

Yao did well in the first half. Didn't touch the ball after that. Everyone else gets an F in this respect. We just suck.

 

The Rockets guards seem to have a lot of trouble penatrating with Yao
around the paint area. Why not have Yao run pick'n rolls with the guards around the free throw area. There would more points in paint by Yao and the guards. Yao could get free anytime. Im just sick of watching the guards jack up low percentage shots.

 

I was at Nets game and I know when things are going our way.

Remember last year, we blew out Suns in the 4th of a game, everyone was shooting light out. Remember game 6 against Mavs? Everyone was shooting light out in the 4th.

 

Yao could get 16 shots off in the first half though.

 

It's the same issue from last season. No consistent threat outside of Yao and T-Mac.

 

on top of that, yao was left out of the offensive planning at the second half. he had 18 pts in the first, but how many touches in the second?

as good as tmac is you can't expect 13 pts in 35 seconds happens every single time we play the spurs. otherwise it won't be called miracle any more. (i was praying for tmac to make it, again, last night and he almost did) they should have got yao involved more on the offensive end in the 3rd and at least early 4th q.

 

This is all JVG's fault. I really want to fire Gundy, but who is better and available out there?

 

Head, Swift deserve to be in the starting lineup.

T-Mac has to realize that he must do it together with Yao, not only by himself. Last night, they let Yao be a marathon player in the second half.

 

we could have gotten phil

 

Indeed, he got tired of scoring, only 1 point in the second half.

 

Unfortunatley yes. We had the opprtunity this summer to grab Phil. PJ is an arrogant sonofbitch. But atlleast he is one with 9 rings. He has a history of taking pairs of superstars on the verge of greatness to the next level. Yao and Tmac fit the billing.

Instead Les gave JVG an extension over the summer.

 

All I can say is that, after watching the game in person last night, the Rockets never looked crisp until the end ... when they were toast.

 

They didn't really double Yao on the blocks the first half. They made an adjustment to do so in the second half. And Yao usually made the right decision in kicking it out. (or maybe not, i think passing it to anybody other than TMac or Head now might be considered a mistake).

Yao's lack of FGs in the 2nd half was mainly due to two things: 1) TMac had it going and we ran probably 80% of our plays through him and 2) We didn't really try to get him the ball.

 

Does TD in this pic strike you as T-Wolves' Kandi Man (minus the sideburn)?

 

Don't worry, if we keep losing JVG will quit....

 

I know there are lots of great basketball minds here on this board. Please correct me if I am wrong. Our guards can't keep pace with any other guards, and Yao can't out run other guards. Why no zone defense? At least mix it up a little bit. Yao has much more experience in zone defense, where he can direct defensive settings, instead of running after guards and leave the middle open. I know he has to show in PnRs, but why not play our strength - a 7'6 guy in the middle, and avoid our weakness - old and slow guards? I don't get it. I love JVG, but this season, I really start to question his ability to adjust.

On the second thought, why are our players so tight, especially the guards? I guess they are afraid to make mistakes, like turnovers. But if you are not allowed to risk a little bit, you can't surprise anyone in this league. Spurs doesn't like double team, and NVE was taken out of the game right after he accidentally doubled Swift. They just front Yao with Nestrovic (? can never get his name right), why not lobbing Yao the ball? So many times there are so many rooms. To fight fronting, it's easy to say that Yao should win position. Because once a guy is fronting you, he's in front of you, even if you win the position against him, you are still far away from the basket, you have to figth harder to move closer, how much time would it take to get the whole thing done? Just lob the damn ball, or play some high-low, which I haven't see at all this season. The ball needs to be moving, so everyone can have a chance to get an easy basket, and opponents have to respect all the variations.

Why are they so afraid of turnovers? It's not like they have less. If the ball is not moving, all your turnovers are forced ones, and you are at the passive site, because it's hard for you to find your uncovered teammate. But once the ball is moving, you get lots of benefit, although there are turnovers, they are all active ones, which were caused by yourself. Parker had 6 turnovers last night, nobody is criticizing him. He's even worse when he first started, but Pop stayed with him, and now he plays with such a confidence and poise. If you don't allow your players to make mistakes, they will never get better.

As bad as the Rockets played last night, they still had a decent chance to get back. The turning point was that phantom call on Yao. TD stepped on Wesley's foot and slipped, good for him that he didn't injure himself, but a shooting foul? WTF was that?! Besides, I gave TMac props to play, and a great second half, but JVG really should mix things up a little bit, instead of always going to one guy. Well, what can I say, they are still gelling, hopefully faster.