ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 3/20/2005

Sorry, I am a little overreactive. Just not in a good mood due to this disappointing loss.
I will stop. Have a good night.

 

tigermission1, I disagree. We've seen Yao play with consistent energy for longer stretches than tonight and Yao didn't look winded in the least. I just think whatever's taken hold of the team tonight was contagious and spread to Yao as well. Throughout the whole game I kept on getting the feeling that they were playing in Denver instead of Minny cuz the whole team looked out of breath. Anyways, wasn't Yao trying to get out of going back to China this summer for some stupid national competition or something? Hopefully he can work with Falsone all summer and develop more upper body strength, more stamina. Also, working on a more solid jump hook wouldn't hurt. Personally, I'm not gonna write Yao off due to stamina yet. Historically, around this time of Year, Yao starts putting up a bunch of 10-12 point games cuz of fatigue so I'm satisfied with his development thus far given the limited time he's been alloted to work on his game.

 

A stupid guy needing breast feed said 20 days ago he would never reply to my post. So who's this stupid guy eating his words?

 

his stamina will never improve much because of his size. but you make a good point regarding him staying here for a summer i believe that is his only chance of improving and adding to his game, strength, and overall acceptance of his roll.

 

That AND our bench production versus theirs.

It is just one of those nights. I really think this team plays purely off emotion and they are the type of team that feeds off challenging circumstances. I think this team has games won or lost BEFORE they ever step foot on the court: they are either feisty and know they are really up against a tough, tough challenge (like in the road trip, playing against the best teams in the league), or they feel like they are OK and don't need to play their absolute best to beat teams below them in the standings.

I think that is why with a team like the Rockets I much rather play top teams in the league than bottom ones, because the guys seem to be more prepared for that.

It is all about the attitude

 

Posters like you are the worst this board has to offer. We love Yao here. McGrady loves Yao, Van Gundy loves Yao, Sura loves Yao, James loves Yao -- the whole team does and 99% of the board does too. What we hate is YOF's stinking up the board. You know nothing about basketball. Yao knows plenty about it. He's happier than hell to be on this team and we're happier than hell to have him. He will be here a long time. Watch a game or two before you post this stupid crap.

 

One thing I am not happy with is: Yao is doubled or trippled most of time and TMAC doubled fairly amount of time. I didn't see a lot of open-shots. I think our lovely ball-movement is gone, at least for last 7 Qts!

 

translation please.

 

You are right. We don't have mental-toughness right now. TMAC should step up!! coz he is the leader of this team!!!!!!!

 

Well, some happy news at least...

MATT BULLARD SURVIVED IN DREAMJOB!

 

More good news. Memphis lost. Sacramento should lose too.

 

Yea, that's what I added the edit. I spoke too soon and, again, I apologize.

 

this is getting to beyond pathetic.

 

I don't know, but based on the next couple of games, I will come to a conclusion if T-Mac's enormous minutes are killing his energy right now, if you think Yao is fatigued at 30 minutes a game (and I do think he is), then T-Mac is dying out there with 43 min a night. His elevation is CLEARLY not the same, his shot is more flat than usual, and he seems to be having a hard time beating his defenders off the dribble. Of course, add on that the fact that T-Mac is nursing a bunch of different nagging injuries, and you have a formula for failure if you are the Rockets (because let's face it, this team pretty much wins when T-Mac is best player on the court, loses otherwise)

If this is true, then the last 4-5 games of the year, JVG might have to swallow a tough pill and rest Yao and T-Mac those games to have them more fresh for the playoffs. Of course, this is problematic now since we have to win more games and put more distance between us and the teams behind us in the standings in order to make this option even feasible. Just look at the Spurs and how they have been able to rest not just Duncan, but Genobili and Parker for multiple games, they keep rotating them to give them more rest and keep them fresh for the playoffs. Popovich has repeatedly said that his primary concern for his team and players is "health". But of course, the irony is if Duncan doesn't come back fro this injury today, then their wonderful season is ruined (I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy).

 

at least the standing in terms of playoff positioning havent changed after todays loss since both memphis and sacramento both lost. but still a missed opportunity to tie sacramento again and putting more space between us and memphis

the boys better bring it tuesday against the heat

 

Bottom Line:
Tmac needs to know when to drive to the hoop more when his jumper is off. That's why I think Kobe has the edge on him now. Tmac looked like Vince Carter out there tonight.

Sam Cassell's buzzer beater at the half reminded me of the Sam of old.

 

yea, now he is just an old Sam.

 

To be fair, some of the passes to Yao could not have been caught by anyone. Quite often, Yao would be shoved in the back, hard, by a Minnesota player just as the ball arrived. It's not easy to hang onto the ball in that situation. I have no idea why those shoves are not fouls.

 

He has tried to drive inside more, but that ONLY lead to more turnovers and seem to negatively affect him throughout the game, probably because all the banging inside takes a lot out of him.

Not everyone is built for banging inside, and T-Mac is not one of them, especially when he is already nursing his own injuries. I am not sure I want him to start banging inside now, because if it breaks his body down, then we are screwed for the playoffs.

So keep that in mind.

As for the Kobe reference, I watch tons of Lakers games, and I can assure you that Kobe jacks up even worse shots than T-Mac, and before the latest bad stretch of shooting, Kobe was shooting slightly worse than T-Mac.

The best guards in successfully using their bodies to drive inside the lane are Wade and Lebron, because they have a lot strength in their bodies and that helps them big time in absorbing the contact.

 

those shoves are fouls, but just arent called

it happens a lot with yao than most centers/pfs i've seen he gets a lot of pushes in the lower back by the defender and not much is called