I just watched Pacers the game on tape and absolutely loved the way the Rox played, especially the way they passed the ball and looked for each other for the easy hoops. Some of the plays were just sweet, such as: - Yao's behind the head pass to Francis for the layup, so smooth - Mooch's alley-oop to Francis, who went waaaaaay up there - Griffin's long outlet touchdown pass to Francis for the easy deuce But what I loved the most, and what I found the most encouraging about the future is actually the passes that didn't quite connect, mostly because the receiver wasn't quite expecting the pass, such as: 1) 1st quarter, Yao got the ball just outside the key and made a quick bounce pass to Griffin cutting through the lane which went out of bounds because Griff spaced out (he probably thought Yao was gonna shoot and was going for the off board) 2) Yao was working the pick and roll with Francis, and guess what? Francis actually bounce-passed it back to the picker this time, except that the anticipation was just a little off by Yao. That could've been an uncontested slam, and it left me salivating at how well this play can work in the future. It'll be like Stockton and Malone. 3) Again, Yao amazes us and fools everyone, probably including his teammates as well in the end of the 4th, as he jumped into the air to receive an inbound from Rice from the corner. Seeing how the entire Pacer defense is collapsing on him, Yao flips the ball right back to Rice, who was wide wide open at the baseline. Rice had more than enough space to go in for a monster slam, but Rice didn't anticipate the pass and fumbled the ball a bit, which left enough time for a Pacer to come back and foul him. What a bunch of highlights those could've been and I am eagerly waiting for the day when these plays are completed with consistency. That would be the day that marks the complete transformation of the Rockets from a dull, isolation, dribble-dribble-dribble offense, to a new dynamic, motion offense where everyone is willing to make the extra pass and find the open man. What an achievement that would be! But I guess it does take some time for a player's frame of mind to change, since they've been so used to standing around and falling asleep while somebody dribbles, crossovers, double-crossovers and dribbles some more before throwing up a prayer in the midst of 3 opposing players. So please, calling all Rockets. Keep your heads up, eyes wide open, and look for the rock!!! 'Cause it just may be coming back at you sooner than you think for the easy hoop. In the meantime, I'm just salivating for the day when some of these great passes, especially from Yao and Francis, start to connect, which'll no doubt help us win a few more games and give us some lasting memories along the way as well. On a separate note, boy, do I feel bad for Kenny now that he has to watch AI dribble around the court in circles before racking up another TO or missed FG. I swear that kind of selfish play screws up the team game because not only do players become more selfish trying to get their shots, but they also aren't paying attention when a pass is actually coming their way. So please please please, my dear Rockets, do not go back to these bad, bad, old habits again now that we have a gem of a passing center.
Welcome to the board. I know what you mean.I was getting just as excited over some of the passes that didn't connect.My wife was looking at me like I was crazy or something The future does indeed look bright
In Rice's defense, that fourth quarter pass wasn't perfectly on the mark. It was a great idea by Yao though, and although Rice didn't make the FG, the play was ultimately a success.
Excellent first post. I agree. I am finding it extremely satisfying to watch this team develop. The growing pains can be tough and there will still be setbacks. If we can jettison the knee jerk reactions to isolated bad games we all could enjoy witnessing the germination of something big. If you can not see through the individual bad games and occassional lapses in judgment to see that this team is going to be special, then you are not paying attention. My mantra remains, "no one will want a piece of this team come playoffs."
Yes, we'll definitely be a team to be reckoned with come playoff time. I really think that Yao and Francis are starting to develop a chemistry with each other. They were looking for each other often throughout the game. There was another play where Yao missed a turnaround and got the offensive board. Every Pacer expected a 2nd chance shot from Yao so they swarmed him, but he dished it off to a wide-open Francis 10 feet down the baseline. Swish!!! Yao is drawing so many defenders that there'll be plenty of open looks for Francis and others. And vice versa as well when Francis is hot. Last time I checked, he's still shooting well over 40% from downtown. They just gotta go to the open man when the opposition double-teams. I just can't wait until we play the Lakers. We tend to play our best against the best on national TV and the Yao vs Shaq matchup will be delicious indeed. Hopefully, we'll be giving it to them with our own version of Showtime by then.
Couldn't agree more. After watching this game down the last few minutes, I was prepared to be happy even if we lost. This is not the time to play it safe. This is the time to try a bunch of new plays and passes and see what we can do. Consistency of execution will come in time.
