I think I must have turned my TV upside down cause it looked like Wlat was playing some CREDIBLE defense out there. He won't be the DPOY but . . . he is emerging from the Bullard School of defense beyond the Larry Bird school and trying to get by the Barkley School. [GRIN] But I must give him Credit. . . . He is improving IMO Rocket River
Is this sarcasm? I'll believe it when I see it even though he does get a good block every now and then.
Do you guys remember before the season began that Williams stated that he was going to concentrate on D much more this yr.... well, I don't quite think it is working just yet !
Wiz...CREDIBLE D?.......... oh man....ouch....I just bit my tongue... RR, cut down on the beer intake before games.
He gets a couple of fouls and we are calling that D So if he gets fouled out we can label him a defensive Wiz [This message has been edited by SmeggySmeg (edited February 16, 2000).]
Just from my humble observation: The Wizard has been playing some unexpected defense. Unexpected ... I mean he played little D when he was in Portland, but now he is playing D, no matter how bad it would be. I admit that he's not playing the kind of D the Rockets need from a SF, but he's playing D. So let's give the Wizard some credit he deserves.
Walt has a problem in that no matter how much he tries to play defense, he is just not quick enough laterally to keep anyone from going around him. I would agree, however, that the effort has been there as of late.
Rocketability and Ottomaton That is exactly what I meant. He actually seems to be trying more. Doing what he can do. When you see Walt you have to think of 2 things: Blood and turnips. and get what you can get. Rocket River
I don't see how Walt's defense is killing the Rockets. He generally stays in front of his man, has a hand up on the shot, and when he does get beat, fouls the player to protect the big men. If you concentrate on any of the players, you'll see lapses in defense and occassions when they get beat. Are you saying no one goes by Steve or Cuttino? Please. And these are two of the quickest players on the team. In what games has Walt's D hurt us? Against which players? Grant Hill, Steve Smith or Rasheed Wallace? Before Hakeem's injury, he got torched by the no-name guy in Orlando: Achebe, Acheme, whatever his name was. Gary Payton lit up Francis. So what? Walt's problem is his tendency to reach and hack and get in foul trouble. His defense isn't hurting us from the bench. Hakeem had the same problem for years with picking up cheap fouls. So if we replace Walt, we go from giving up 100 PPG to 90? What's with this town and piling on one player? It's Maloney, then it's Drew, then it's Walt. When Walt's gone it'll be someone else. Hell, I'm suprised Derek Bell doesn't have something to do with the Rockets defense. OK, my rant is over. Face it, I'm a fan. I'd prefer to accent the positives. I like what Walt brings to the table. I enjoy his 3pt range. I like his smooth finger-rolls. I like the way he drives to the bucket and rolls in his layup in super-slow motion. I like the way he busts out with a dunk when you least expect it. I'm a fan. Sue me.
