But i read somewhere that because of our inconsistent outside shooting, halfcourt play won't be as effective. Looks like a true delimma.
Slowing down is the key. When you play sports, with enough endurance, keep tempo up makes players more energetic and focused and that's Suns' strength. Fast runners are not used to slow tempo and tended to be lost. So even they could finish a shot within 2 secs, we have to use as much time as possible to make them slow physically and mently. Then they would have no chance. If we play same fast tempo with Suns as we have been doing to other teams in the past games although with success, we would be in trouble.
A lot of the ideas in this thread are good ones. We'll have to see them in action and hope they work. Even if we lose (which we won't, of course, go Rockets!) this better be a close, hard-fought, high-intensity, to-the-last-second basketball game, god damnit!
I'm still not optimistic about this game, I still think the Suns are going to have tons of open shots and easy baskets, and Yao will have a hard time impacting the game on either side of the ball, sucks.
Is it just me, are do the Suns have a disproportionate number of good shooters who they just keep running in and out? And the Rockets don't. Am I the only one who holds their breath anytime anyone not named Ming or McGrady shoots? And sometimes when they shoot. Baskets score points and the Rockets go through periods in every game where they can't find it. I am for driving to the rack, again and again. And if they are going to swarm Ming then why not drive in, pull up, and hit an eight footer? If they come out, dish to Ming. The Suns are beatable, but the Rockets can not let them have uncontested shots because they will make them.
The key to win the game depends on JVG. He need figure out how to match the game plan from Sun, I do not know if he can do it.
Yao Ming has had two career night in a roll. I predict he will have another career night (a good one) against suns. I don't think Suns will allow him to score above 40 pts. So I would say Yao has a career night in assists, or at least a season-high pts.
When we have the break we must run it to get easy baskets. We can't just walk the ball up court 100% of the time or we will lose, guaranteed. Then everybody will say our offense is stagnant. A key reason our offense has improved recently is we get more fast break layups and wide open shots. Now, when we don't have the break, we must take our time and make them play defense. Did you see the games we won in Phoenix last year, especially the game we destroyed them in the last 15-16 minutes of the game? We didn't win by walking the ball upcourt. We won by getting back on defense shredding them on offense. The Suns can be had. They aren't 54-0, they're 37-17. You are giving them way too much respect.
someone please get back on D. I'd appreciate it if we saw no 1-on-0 fast breaks that aren't straight steals off the guy bringing the ball up. (i.e. just don't wanna see marion streak and beat everyone down for no reason)
jvg isn't going to make the same mistakes of not calling timeouts early in the 1st and subbing in jon barry. the rest is up to the players to get it done.
Don't know if everyone knows this already but Kurt Thomas in injured -out 6-8 weeks... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2345143
Well that is one less guy they have to stick behind/in front/on top of even Yao. I don't feel sorry for them at all.
Yao will have to keep his game elevated. If they put Marion on Tmac, Tmac will have trouble getting his shots.
I'm of a mind to actually let Yao come off the bench for this one. We all know the game plan is to run, run, run so Yao can't hang. How about start Swift at C and let Yao come in after the Suns have had 6 or so minutes of sprints?
Is Swift back for this game? I havent heard anything but that would be some great news. I would put Swift on SMarion or Diaw. J
Why are you guys all hyped up and blow this thread to page 6 before game even start? We all know how that turns out everytime ClutchCity gets to excited. On the other hand, we actually have less positive predictions this time, so I'll keep up my hope.
