I do think it's time for Scola to start. He's been playing better and more consistently for a few weeks now. And I think Brooks should be our fourth quarter guy. I couldn't figure out why Adelman decided to go with Rafer/Luther at the end of the game, when Brooks was making things happen. In the final 6 minutes, after Brooks and Wells got subbed out for Alston and Battier, Yao was the only Rocket player who scored. So much for sharing the ball and improved "ball movement".
Hayes needs to come off the bench and seem a dramatic reduction in his mins. Scola should start and Landry should get more of Chuck's playing time. There's a chance Hayes might not be resigned next year. As far as Battier, he's on the decline. What are you going to do other than admit that the Rockets got screwed in trading away Rudy Gay for him.
I just love threads that start out by calling people "haters"......I like hayes and battier, and appreciate their tough play on the defensive end, but both are still a liability on the offensive end of the floor.....neither can create their own shot, and when battier isn't hitting the open 3 he's just like another chuck hayes....you can't win that way.
Randolph is averaging 16.6 and 10 boards. Not as good as he use to be but still an effective player. If it makes you feel better, how bout I mention Chuck holding Bosh in check a week or so ago.
I think a lot of the Battier hatred stems from the price we gave to acquire him, namely, Rudy Gay. I never quite understand why you would hate the guy for something he had no control over. You may hate Morey, CD, or JVG for the trade (depending on who you think was responsible for it). But why has Battier done to deserve dissing like he's got here? BTW, I suspect that a lot of the Rafer hatred had something to do with trading away Mike James, whom many thought would have pushed us pass the first round. The irony is that we got James back, but he sucks and Rafer's playing well.
He signed a three year contract before this year... regardless of whether or not he makes the team unless he's traded they owe him money.
In my opinion, we win this game if Hayes takes half of Scola's minutes. New Orleans took advantage of Scola's relative weakness on defense and went at him early and often. West was scoring on both of them, but all Chuck gave up were contested jumpers. The odds of West staying hot on those is slim. Scola was giving up lay-ups and easier shots, and he lost West a couple of times and let him have a put-back. Besides that, he looked completely lost on rotations. When Chris Paul got switched onto Chuck, he backed it out and set up again. When he got switched onto Scola, he went to the rim. And it's not like Scola was all that good offensively. He had 6 points in 29 minutes. I know someone is going to run to the boxscore and say that Scola was +5 while Hayes was -4, but remember that Scola got almost all the time with West and Paul out. Battier wasn't especially useful in this game. He did a great job on Peja, but when he got put on Bowen, even I was calling to pull him out and put Bonzi in.
Yeah, but he still does stupid things sometimes. Its not his fault, I just think he needs a little more time in the NBA getting use to things before he starts. He might be a really good player in a few years.
I wouldnt be calling anyone's thread horrible, when you just put out that garbage thread about multidimensional vs one dimensional players in Adelman vs. JVGs systems that had no analysis and made no sense. As for Hayes and Battier only scoring 4 points in this game, Scola and Bonzi, the two players Im assuming you think should be starting got a total of 12 points. Its not like they were burning it up on the offensive or defensive end. Battier only scored 2 points but thats all he held Peja too as well, so to make it seem like he didnt help out in this game was wrong.
I dont mind Battier stain. I appreciate him, but i do mind Hayes starting. I say start Landry adn use Hayes as energy/scoring off tha bench. I really having tha extra spark to come off tha bench so i dont scola coming off it with brooks. But Hayes inst tha answer
The Battier and Hayes effect was evident in the Hornets game to those who looked closely. Battier its simple - he wont get his, and the guy he's guarding wont get his, either. Battier's D eats up the wussy Pejas of the league. He's an equalizer in that effect. When Hayes goes out the game and Scola or Landry come in, the defense gets noticeably more porous in the paint area. Landry has an athletic NBA body, but it doesn't do much effective defending. Nowhere close to Hayes' level. Battier and Hayes bring guys down to their level consistently. Thing is they don't raise UP or BEYOND the opponents level enough. And they don't have the MENTALITY to do it, which might be the key thing. So its still "on ME-Mac" and Yao and everyone else to stay better than their counterpart. Which $20 million a year is supposed to give you but its not as consistent as you'd like... There's a difference between active involvement in the offense even if you dont shoot, and "Get that ball away from me, Big Yao's in the middle, pass it over there. What are you THINKING even passing ME the ball?". Which we have too many guys like that...still. I don't care if the defense took away your best option, Yao Ming should NOT relied upon for a 3 point shot the end of the game.
First off, I do not hate Battier or Hayes, I do not want them traded, waived, etc. I will say that when we made the trade, I kept hearing about his amazing defense and he would shut down other teams top options and such. Thing is that while Battier does play very good defense, he is not a true man-defense shut down defender. He is a very good man-defender, an amazing help defender, and an amazing zone defender. When you have a starter on a championship team who is there for his defense, you generally think of players like Tayshaun Prince, Ron Artest, Bruce Bowen, Josh Howard, Dennis Rodman, Ben Wallace, Marcus Camby, etc. they will take people completely out of their offensive game plan. Battier does not really do this. I am not saying he is not a good defensive player. I'm saying he is not a great defensive player. Yes he held Peja to 0 of 5. Big deal one game, and Peja is a Jump shooter, stick him like glue stick your hand in his face and your good. And a few games ago he stopped Caron Butler who is mainly a jump shooter right now. Opposingly, P. Pierce had his way with him in the Boston game posting him up. Again those are single game match ups. But if you watch Battier over the past season and half, he is generally the help defender, often the double team player, he comes off his man a lot. Maybe it is the defense that we utilize, I'm not sure but overall his defense was not what was expected. It also does not help that a great majority of the star players who go off on us are PG, quick SG or PF, none of which he can truly guard and shut down, which then exploits other players who are not great defenders, like Alston. The main problem I have with both of them starting is this: On a championship team, you can have two players who are strong defenders, pick up the rebounds, do the dirty work, and all BUT you have to have other players who can make up for that on the offensive end by being aggressive, scoring in bunches, and dominating the opponents on offense. We have a center who, while one of the best in the league, still has trouble dominating in the clutch especially against playoff teams (whether because of his fault, the rim's fault, his teammates not being able to throw an entry pass, or the ref's fault), a wing superstar who forgets to go to the basket and has to use a pick a roll to beat someone off the dribble (I'm saying has to because I rarely see T-mac just beat someone off the dribble anymore other than on a fast break) and a number of players who can shoot sometimes, can finish sometimes, and can once a blue moon take someone off the dribble. In that situation it is a handicap to have starters who are basically a 3-pt shooter (and occasionally does a post up) and a PF who can only score on good assists or put backs. Are the good players? Yes. Can they play a lot of minutes? Yes. Do they do things to win games most of the time? Yes. But given our team and how they have played for most of the season (inconsistent for both these two and most of the team), I am not too sure we can truly compete starting both of them. Now having said that, who do start instead of either of them is another issue...
