1. That's the first time we played Yao-centric basketball. - So much so that when Yao left the game we had no idea what to do. This is exactly what we've been hoping for. It was actually a good sign that we were clueless. All teams that are Center-centric deal with that exact issue. Just ask the Lakers. This is what you have been asking for. It's what JVG has been asking us to do. It was a thing of beauty in my opinion. - When Yao did leave the game we still went to the post game with Mo Taylor for the most part. We kept the same philosophy thruout most of the game. Very exciting. - There were only brief moments of chaos when Yao went out. Those moments cost us. No Doubt. But we played a great game. Ask the Lakers if they go through periods of chaos when Shaq goes. Uh huh. We saw it last night. Exactly. 2. Steve played within himself. He was passing. He was taking open shots for the most part. I mean, other than that stretch when Yao was forgotten, it was a great game by Steve. He got the ball to the big men almost all night. 3. We played the Lakers at near full strength and had them by the throat. That's kinda good don't you think. For such a young team. As Bill Walton said, the Lakers were going to win, and it makes sense. They kept the game close. They have Kobe and shaq. They are champions multiples times over. They had the edge. Not us. But we fought to the end. 4. Mark Jackson came in and played great. Last we forget the Moochie era. I mean, in general, the rockets finally played the way we have been asking them to. And it was against a team expected to win the title. a team that has won the title. Even withouth Malone and Grant we all know the Lakers are still championship material. and we fought them to the end. You can't win them all. But what you saw was exactly what we've been preaching. We held the same philosophy for nearly 95% of the game. We just had about 7 minutes of chaos that cost us. But Now JVG can show them what to do. Because we finally arrived at that point.
I see what you're sayng, but to me the biggest difference between last night's game and the last Lakers/Houston game was last time we stayed witht the Yao-centric plan, even when it had bumps, and even when we were ahead by a fair margin. Last night we used both excuses to go away from it, and it cost us the game.
thing is we only seem to play real good yao-centric ball aganist the lakers. Other times...well you all know.
True...but the consistency was not there. They went away from Yao for about 6 minutes in the 4th quarter and the Lakers stormed back. If they STICK to what works they win going away. My question is how many times do our guards need to see having it as YAO dominant is in the teams best interest before they consistently do it? It is maddenning to watch stretches where the wheels come off simply because they stopped doing what works. The Hakeem teams were mundanly dedicated to being consistent and for the most part they won......this team can be the same, but they HAVE to stick to the game plan. DD
I honestly don't think it's the guards that go away from the Yaocentric offense. Watch one of the last plays of the game last night when we had the ball out of a timeout. Yao never steps foot below the free throw line. This is not the guards fault, IMO. JVG called this play out of the timeout.
Man, That is NOT what I have been hoping/asking for at least. I hope JVG design several special plays for small lineup and Rox could play solid&smartly even without Yao standing on the court. Regarding Lakers, yeah, they are 3 along champions Lakers, but fail to be 4 ones. Why? They too reckon on Shaq excessively to be at a loss when Shaq went out.
The reason that we lost last night was because we let the Lakers bench beat our bench, and also Cato was horrific from the floor. In the second game against the lakers, their bench could not buy one single basket. Yao was playing even better than his last outing against Shaq. He shot better (62% last night vs. 48%), and had only 2 TO last night vs. 5TO when we played the Lakers in February.
I guarantee you Phil and Shaq were happy in the 4th when the offense went to perimeter as opposed to Yao on the block iso'd against Shaq. That's a clear sign that our offensive mind-set still needs a lot of improving - when you play into the hands of the opponent The problem is that Francis is just NOT a floor general, which is what we desperately need, a guy that will orchestrate the offense and FIND a way to get Yao the ball when he's got it rolling, even if it doesn't come from him directly...here's a hint to Stevie, "when Yao's got post position on the right block, don't pass it to the left wing." Francis was at least better than his usual self, however. IMO, Pike has been a suprisingly poor post passer, given his billing as the ideal complement to Yao. That last J was just sick (and not in a good way)...off balanced turn around from 20 ft when you have Yao in good position and on a roll?!?
Cato was the starting 4 for the Rockets. The Lakers won last night because their role players (Rush, Walton, Fisher) knocked down big jumpers, 3s in the 4th quarter. And our guards went on a bricking stretch that allowed Lakers to take the lead. But even if the refs had not made a few of their horrible calls at the end of the game, the Rocs would have won.
I think we would have won last nights game if mobley would have had a better game. The last game against the lakers he took kobe to the hole every time he got the ball. I know kobe was just coming back but he could have taken it to him again. Cat needs to drive more and quit shooting so many damn 3s!
Actually, the article on the Chron this morning quoted Phil Jackson saying that their game plan was to double team Yao. Phil said the double team just was too slow to be effective.
Please explain, why the Rockets can ONLY get up for the Lakers? Why does Francis play like he is "born again" against them, and "lost" most of the other games. Why does Ming look like the second coming of Wilt against Shaq and then get brutalized by no name journeymen centers? There is something wrong with this picture. If you can do it, you can do it! I know the Rockets thrive against man to man defenses but, the Lakers play some zone too. It appears that this team has a serious motivation problem. You simply can't take games off in the NBA. The Wolves are up, then the Mavs, then..... It is time for Francis and Ming to "step up" their games EVERY night.
I thought so too. But see his reply. He really meant Cato. Anyway, I think Mobley not being able to hit shots is one reason why we lost. I think I saw some stats pointing out something like when Mobley and Yao both shoot well, we usually win.
But Yao started from outside on offense since the 1st quarter. Review the tape, he was not always at the post when things went well. The problem was that our guards stop going to Yao for a while at the 4th, not the whole quarter but for a few minutes. The team collaps right there. If you review the tape, the Rockets could not score a single point when Yao sit. That's why JVG had to bring Yao back at the end of every quarter. He was supposed to sit until the next quarter! Once Yao was on the court, everybody except Mobley would hit their jumpers. But the lose was not on Mobley, he had an off night and we led most of the games. Going away from the game plan was what cost us the game.
