ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 3/7/2006

Exactly, KG who?

I say those lamenting about KG's misfortune need to start their own threads in the NBA Dish forum and stop spoiling a feel-good victory of the Rockets.

 

That was a huge win. We really needed this one. This was the first time this season that I felt the Rockets were really determined to come out with a victory. I mean how many times have we seen this season where they play tough the entire game and just lose it the end, especially without McGrady. But now is the time and tommorrow nights game, while it is not do or die, will show us a lot about the heart of this team.

 

Indiana, New Jersey, and at least 1 of the 3 San Antonio - Dallas games are must wins. I would LOVE for the Rockets to go 4 out of 5 in the next 5.

Go NOK, MIN, MIL, and OF COURSE HOU.

 

Damn, you are so close

 

Seriously if we lost the game I would travel to Houston and kill Luther tonight. 2 wide open layups and he 1)made a stupid alleyoop to stro and 2)waiting for a foul AND then miss 2 FTs. I just dont think our team is smart enough to play with elite team. It seems like luther, stro, Alston, Wes and Yao making mental errors all the time. You just dont feel comfortable with the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. Actually I only feel comfortable when the ball is in T-mac's hand.

 

I'd take KG over McGrady - at least he shows up.

 

I remember it was almost a tie last time a "Yao for KG'(50% No, 50% Yes) poll came up. I'd like to see how the mood has changed after this game and the recent surge of Yao.

I predict 80% No, 20% Yes.

Would be a very interesting poll.

 

"What's up? But, will somebody get these hoes up off of me???"

 

WNBA has a twin.

 

Hats off to the Rockets tonight! My wife was giving me the evil-eye toward the end as I was yelling at Luther for missing his free-throws! I thought we were trying to give the game away.

Big win for the Rockets. On the road and against a comparable opponent with their full strength while we were minus TMAC.

Yao is definitely making alot of noise and showing us that he's capable of carrying the team. Very impressive! He's dispelling the we can't win without TMAC belief.

 

You gotta be kidding me...

 

I didn't expect 30 and 13 from Yao without T-Mac especially with early foul trouble. His confidence is much higher and that is a huge gain for us.
I'm very pleased with Yao tonight. Stro and Skip gave him good support and we fought back from being behind to win which was very encouraging.

 

Yao's errors might not be 100% mental as some of them might be his physical problems (stamina, quickness). He cant get into foul trouble when T-mac is out of the game. We got lucky tonight as T-wolves sucked and our guards hit some outside shots. Otherwise there's no way we could win.

Funny that I think we're lucky when our guards hit outside shots.

 

Wow whatever you've been smokin', pass me some of that!!!

 

Garnett is a great player... but he DID NOT have a great game simply because his team NEEDED OFFENSE in the 4th quarter, and he didn't give it to them

 

What's our record since Yao has been back from injury?

We're a good team guys, comfortably a playoff team when at full strength, just not a championship-caliber team as of yet, the right role players would fix that in a hurry.

As for tonight's game, I thought we played horribly enough to lost 90% of the time, but I thought the turning point was Stro's play late in the game that just turned the momentum around and Yao took off from there to do the rest.

As for KG, he's certainly a great talent and a very consistent stats guy, but he's just not a huge 'impact' player and has never been one. It took Cassell and Spree (two fiery 'closer' type players) to get him over the hump, because both guys (Sam especially) are impact players that help you win games.

The one thing I have always had a problem with KG about is his playing style. A guy that big and that lengthy (a 7'3" guy or so if you take his long arms and his athleticism into consideration) should not be merely a jump-shooter. KG is too much of a jump-shooter as a big man, in a sense a better defensive-version of Dirk Nowitzki, except his offense/shooting isn't as good as Dirk, but he's obviously a more rounded player than Dirk is.

Call me old school or old-fashioned, but I am a firm believer than a dominant big man MUST post it up and dominate in the paint area in order to be most effective. It's ok to mix in a few jumpers here and there, but you must be willing and able to do the physical stuff inside like a traditional big man would. When KG settles for jumper after jumper (which he's prone to do), it hurts his team in the long-run, because there is no dependable inside go-to-guy, no dependable inside force, and that means one thing: inconsistency.

So not a bashing of KG at all, because I like the guy and his hard-working 'soldiering on' attitude (although he's showing signs of giving up this season, and understandbly so). All I am saying is: He's a big man who should play inside more to affect the game more, or team inconsistencies will be forever his fate.

In a way, KG should play more like Hakeem did, more like Duncan now does: mix it up a bit but make a concerted effort to dominate inside more.

Big men stabilize teams and give them a consistent identity. That's why big men like Yao are invaluable, guys like Shaq even late into their careers are invaluable, guys like Duncan are worth their weight in gold.

The road to a championship is paved with a dominant inside presence

 

Yeah, me too, seeing as T-Mac is as healthy as KG.

Oh BTW, is KG not the leader of his team? Well he couldn't get them a bucket in the 4th, that's great leadership IMO.

At least T-Mac takes over in the 4th.

But whatever, I feel sorry for KG, not for his pay cut, but for the fact this is the team he has to play on night in and night out.

 

So we can see how important our guards hit 3s. If they shot like before, no chance to win this one even twolv play such crap. oh man if Tmac can play healthy and yao play like this and our guards can hit open 3s( just OPEN 3s) we are unstoppable.

When our dream could come true?

Fire Gundy!

 

Rockets are 13-4 since Yao's return ..... Yao avg. 26.8 pts 14.3 reb in last 8 games