According to Bill Simmons, a Page 2 guy, Rockets stand the second to worst chance in the playoffs (other than the Grizz vs. Suns) And they will be destroyed by the Mavs... Houston (voted off by Dallas, 4-1) Ever since Juwan Howard went down -- and the beginning of that sentence alone is enough to raise a red flag -- the Rockets have been playing without any power forwards who could even be considered "crappy." So here's my question: Who the hell is guarding Dirk Nowitzki in this series? Clarence Weatherspoon? Ryan Bowen? Vin Baker? Dikembe Mutombo? Scott Padgett? Yao? Roger Clemens? There's a good chance that Dirk could break MJ's scoring record for a five-game series, especially since we just named a German pope who will be rooting for him. And what happens when the Mavs play Nowitzki and the Completely & Totally Rejuvenated Keith Van Horn at the same time? Who does Yao plan on guarding? (Note: I actually think the Mavs are going to KILL the Rockets, save for the one game when T-Mac drops in the neighborhood of 55 to 58 points on them.) OUCH WHAT AN INSULT!
Before the game, Bill Simmons can say anything or kill anyone he want. After the game, it's another story, eveyone can kill Bill Simmons.
I really think Scott Padgett can atleast slow Nowitski down a little. He's got the energy and hustle to do it. We could also go small and put T-Mac on him, so the two would have to work on defense too. That's what I'd go with.
There are just too many factors in this series to be able to predict an outcome. It's hard for me to believe JVG hasn't come up with something against Dirk.
Considering they are playing a seven-game series, I would say there is a *zero* chance of that happening.
The same can be said with the guarding T-Mac and our offense in general. Rockets were during the regular season the second best team in points allowed at 91/game (Detroit was #1) So obviously Van Gundy knows how to make his team play defense, can the same be said for an inexperienced coach like Avery Johnson whose team is used to losing games 120-110 because they can score at will but cant do much else on the other end of the floor. And remember...defense wins championships (just ask the Pistons from a year ago, when everyone thought they were doomed cause noone believed they could contain Kobe AND Shaq) and it is playoff time...
I love Bill Simmons. I think he's one of the best sports writers out there. But as you read his columns, you need to keep one thing in mind: "The lesson, as always, I'm an idiot" He's a pop-culture writer - not a sports expert. He's been wrong about so many things (check out his original article about Yao and his subsequent apology) - that to take him seriously about any NBA analysis would be dumb. Just read him, wait for the Rocky/Karate Kid/Real World/Hoosiers references and laugh along.
Let's keep in mind that Bill Simmons was one of those idoits who said Yao would be a bust, besides checkout his initials - BS, enough said!
I am getting tired of this "Juwan's injure will kill Rox" thing. A healty Juawan would help for sure, but since Juwan went down, we are 13-6. It seems to those guys that during that in that 13 wins, our opponents didn't play their PFs, or if Juwan played, we would've gone 19-0. On top of that, since when Juwan became a defensive stopper? let alone stop Dirk. The bottom line is w/ or w/o Juan, we are a great team and will get the job done.
Juwan's impact is not on the defensive end. His impact is on offense. Dirk dropped 53 on Juwan and Taylor so anybody who thinks that his presence will hurt us defensively is nuts. Would we be better off having him? Of course We would have another weapon offensively. These are the cards we are dealt and I think T-Mac's and Yao's greatness will lift our role players and make them play better. I guarantee you Dirk will be suffocated and be calling for his momma. Rockets will do us proud.
I'd like to see how long Dirk could guard Yao. Yao will give up a few open looks from the perimeter, but he would put Dirk in foul trouble in 2-3 possessions. If they double and triple team Yao, we will burn them with wide open 3's.
I wouldn't put too much stock in The Sports Guy's predictions. He puts himself out on the limb all the time, and continually has to backtrack past statements. I mean this is the guy that flip-flopped on how he felt about Stephon Marbury 4 times in the last 4 years (First he thought he would do well for the Suns when he was first traded, and then when J-Kidd took the Nets to the Finals, he felt the Nets completely stole Kidd and that Marbury was trash, and then when Marbury played well in that first round series against the Spurs a few years back he jumped back on the bandwagon, and then when the Suns couldn't buy a win and they shipped Stephon out to NY, Simmons thought he was trash again).
