oh baby the faith is there. we just have to realize in order to beat utah we will have to win very ugly. the defensive bullying that utah accomplishes has an effect on our shooting. and that is typical. we are going to have to work real hard to make our shots. you say theres no reason to think its going to continue. well, the last 3 games have given reason to say it will continue. and its not on the rockets, its because of the style of play of the jazz. the rockets will still pull off the series, it wont be pretty but they should get the job done.
Without pulling an Alex Baldwin, I'm afraid this game might be more telling than a single game aberration. If an opposing team defends T-Mc and Yao like the Jazz, this may well happen again. The reason is because we rely on spot-up shooters who cannot, or will not, take it to the rack. Beyond T-Mc and possibly Kirk Snyder, our athleticism factor is zilch. Thank goodness Battier is smart because he is not a superior NBA-level athlete (I say that because every one who plays professional sports is "an athlete" unlike most of us couch potatoes.) We do have JL3 and V-Span, but they will never play in the playoffs under JVG. I'm a noisy Rockets fan even if just for my television. However, it breaks my heart to see how tentative they play because they know that, if they make one tiny mistake that is not within the Van Gundy system, JVG will yank them faster than a woman with a moustache hair.
This is the time we should listen to these so called experts say, after all, they cann't be all wrong.
I'm not even going to bother reading the rest of the board today, but I just have to make this point: Every Team in the Western Conference has lost a game So don't start screaming that the team, yao, mcgrady, jvg, the role players, that everyone sucks, just because we had a crappy game and lost. Dallas had a crappy game and lost. Phoenix had a crappy game and lost. San Antonio had a crappy game and lost. It happens. So get over it.
I don't mind the Rockets having the occasional crappy game in the playoffs. I just wish that when it happened, it would be a run-of-the-mill crappy game and not "arguably the worst playoff performance ever". I know it's just 1 in the loss column, but damn it's embarrassing.
This is the feel good tread of the year to me. I refuse to read or look negative posts. This is the funnest time of year. And bless god, I will enjoy it!
Why should we? All of them say we'll lose to Dallas. Many of us started with high expectations, but that loss is making some feel like we have some 1st round monkey on our backs. We can still make the Conference finals and beyond, and prove the experts wrong.
Agreed, It was very uplifting to see all of them saying we'll take it to 7 with the Mavs...Hopefully we'll make things interesting and get that sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet upset in Game 7 in Dallas... Still Bleeding Red...(Rockets Red, not regular blood red)
It's not that surprising. Our series is the most physically grinding defense intensive series in the playoffs. With, both teams shooting a low FG%, a BAD FG% would understandably be around 30% or so.
That's ironic that you say that in a game against the Jazz. Jerry Sloan and the Jazz hold the record for worst scoring performance in NBA playoff HISTORY, when they scored only 54 pts on 30% shooting. They have had it for several years now. They hold the record for fewest points in a 1st quarter in a different playoff game. They hold the record for fewest points in a 2nd quarter in yet a different playoff game. Not sure about the 3rd or 4th quarter though.
How did we perform so well all season, even w/ injuries? Who had the top Lenovo? It's not telling, other than we still don't have the consistent fire in our bellies or enough play-off experience for some of the team... both of which can be overcome quickly.
What on God's green earth is a Lenovo? I'm just a Rocket's fan ... not a theorist or a moneyballer. That is not to say that we non-theorists are unobservant or unrealistic. However, here are some comments from someone who does pay attention to the x's and o's. "Sloan made some nifty adjustments. They were mostly single covering Yao, occasionally sending the closest defender and always playing the passing lanes because you know that (drum roll, please) excluding McGrady the Rockets perimeter shooters stay in one pre-defined spot and can’t/won’t penetrate. They are rotating single cover defenders on McGrady with an emphasis on Kirilenko. They are hard trapping all McGrady-Yao PnR’s because…!!!!!!!...McGrady can’t effectively get around two defenders and Yao is too slow to make the roll effectively. The doubler is usually taller than McGrady. From a basketball standpoint rather than a Rocket one, it was beautiful. The emphasis and height advantage on McGrady’s right hand also eliminated the “I’m in the gym alone” shots for Lucky Hayes. I’m sure Van Gundy’s (tactical) response will be to the effect that Yao and McGrady need to score 60+!" Having been in the news business for a long time has it's advantages. I still correspond with a number of friends who happen to be sports writers.
