... in reponse to rough play and biased officiating. The rockets don't respond physically when teams get rough and the refs put away the whistles. After Marion hit Wesley with that elbow to the face on his moving screen, Wesley looked back at him and had some words, and backed it up the rest of the game by shooting lights out. Where was the rest of the team backing up their teammate? Yao, Bowen, Mutumbo, some big on this team should have knocked Marion out at the first opportunity. Get an intentional foul or whatever, but let him know that he can't do that without repurcussions. It'd also make the refs call things because they want to keep the game in hand. This happened in the last SA game too (4th qtr). How many times does Yao have to get tripped or pushed down before he throws some elbows? Jeff Van Gundy can scream at a ref and get a T, but that doesn't change much. If you want the refs to call a fair game, commit some flagrants and force them to call things. I don't know the stats for flagrants, I bet the rockets are at the bottom of the league.
the quality of threads in the past few days have been lacking 'Lets get back at Toolbert' 'My Theory on Jon Barry's recalled 3' 'IMO, Rockets need to commit flagrant fouls' come on!
Hey I don't mean those flagrants where you can seriously injure someone. Like hard fouls when the player is in the air (temple). I mean run a pick and roll with whoever marion is guarding and just do the same thing that he did.
It's not like Marion extended his elbow into Wesley's face. He turned into him while setting a pick. Didn't even stick his arm out. Nothing out of the ordinary, though it could have been called a foul. Secondly, if you are playing against a quick finesse team like the Suns, the last thing you want to do is cause the refs to call the game more tightly. Nash gets calls just by falling down as it is, and Amare goes to the line every other time his shot gets blocked. Being a solid defensive team, it favors us if the game is more physical.
I don't know about flagrants, but I've been saying for months now that Yao needs to commit some hard fouls. He needs to awaken the refs' senses to all the (illegal) abuse he takes from defenders down low. He needs to treat the refs like the little 2yr old dog b****es they are and point their noses right into the doodoo they are paid to be sniffing for in games. The obvious pavlovic response by said refs to Yao's hard fouls would then be to start calling the game much closer in the paint - which can only help Yao either start getting good looks without defenders trying to take him down, or put him on the freethrow line 10-15 times a game.
That Marion elbow to Wesley is not intentional. It's kind of like Deke's elbow to Lebron's face. I think having the refs call the game tight might get Yao to line more and force the suns to play careful D on Yao which means more freedom inside and make us harder to beat. I wish Yao could throw some elbows in the motion of protecting the ball like Deke did, if people are coming at you with dirty plays, like grabbing your jersey, push you with two hands on the waist, hammering your dunk and hit nothing but your hand, scratching and hitting you across the face, intentionally drive into your body, wrap both arms on you, and wrestle and throws you out of the way, You got to retaliate and do something about it. Maybe Yao won't do it, somebody should definitely send a message for Yao. That's why I love Francis for elbowing Amare Stoudamire last season.
I remembered Juwan Howard gave a hard foul to an in the air Derek Anderson and separate his shoulder. Definitely should set hard pick to send a message.
Here's a true event that happened a while back in a training camp practice for another team between a clear cut starter and a scrub player brought in for competition. The scrub played the starter hard, diving for the ball, doing little things to piss the starter off. When the starter tried to dunk, the scrub followed behind and sort of undercut/tried to block the shot. Basically not allowing easy buckets even when he's clearly beat. The starter was pissed so he stole the ball, had a clear path to the basket. He saw the scrub player racing in for the block/foul behind him. The starter slows down, jumps when the scrub is behind him, throws his elbow out and breaks the scrub's face. The scrub is out for surgery, doesn't make the team, and never made it in the NBA (probably wouldn't have made it anyway). Would you all consider this a dirty play from the starter, or just competitive response to let people know that he's not to be messed with? And what do you think of this starter?
I think the scrub got what he deserved with the undercutting crap. They are the main reason why some players don't like driving to the basket as much because they are scared some idiot is going to accidentally ruin their career.
Perhaps sbyang needs to step up to the plate. What are you doing to prevent the rough play? Have you once waited outside the opposing team's dressing room and cracked a player in the knee with a pipe? Sent a dirty/threatening letter to one of the opposing team player's loved one? Cut off your testicles and sacrificed them to some random god who may or may not have the power to effect the outcomes of basketball games? Come on, man. Sacrifice for your team.
You can't just flagrant foul people but I totally agree we need to do something about this sometimes horrible ridiculous officiating. And we need to show that you can't do that..like dirty fouls whatnot..enforcer..or we can keep playing and beat the classless teams anyways
The Rockets won two championships with being a dirty team. They actually helped opposing players off the floor several times during both of the championshp series. Pat Riley fined his players for doing that, but they lost the series against us. The Rockets now, like the Rockets then, need to just let their play do the talking for them. They don't need to worry about flagrant fouls, or trying to hurt anyone. As for the scenario you mentioned, I think KG is big baby for doing that. If he can't take it, then quit the game.
If we do end up playing the Sonics, their dirty play might actually be a good thing. Dirty players seem to light a fire under Yao. I don't know if you'll noticed, but after Yao got hit hard the second or third time, he started playing really hard. He was clearing rebounds like nobody's business and going straight at the rack. I really think playing dirty is going to backfire in the playoffs.
There seems to be a misunderstanding here between sending a message and being dirty. Bruce Bowen is the dirtiest player in the game, he undercuts, karate kicks, headbutts, goes below the belt. You know how many flagrant fouls he has this year, zero. The championship rockets weren't dirty, but if Nesterovich and Ginobili were pushing Hakeem down to the floor every couple of trips, you think dream would have sent a couple of elbows flying around to clear space? Nah it wasn't KG, probably happened when KG was in grade school, now this guy was a true superstar.
