Wow, w/o T-Mac playing, this team is running like chickens with their heads cut off. Yao can't take over in a game, no aggressiveness, and getting overpowered by everyone in the paint. This has happened in both the NOK and ORL games.... Who is going to step up?
I totally disagree with yao's agressiveness. He looks much more agressive this year and aside from a few occasions, hasn't hesitated to take shots. Hes just not shooting well right now. The whole team isn't. We'll be ok.
He's getting muscled out of his post every single time he tries to set. He is getting outrebounded by PFs and SFs. Defense has stepped up, but offense is still not there. Whenever T-Mac's in the game, it gives him more single coverage to work with. Now that T-Mac's not there, teams have an easier time defending Yao. Yao hasn't stepped up to be the main scorer on this team. Whose it going to be? DA? Alston? Barry? Who?
Yao will be OK. He probably won't have a "breakout year" like so many think, but he'll be OK. It's our overall offensive chemistry that is dysfunctional. A lot of it is mental because we are missing so many makeable shots. It's disappointing the other players are shrinking in Tracy's absence instead of stepping up.
More than anyone Yao needs Tmac....he needs him to take the focus off of Yao... Every team that comes in here, knows that the Rockets are Yao and a bunch of role players....so you stop Yao....and you stop the Rockets. With TMac, all of that changes, you can not just stop one, because the other could beat you. It is not on Yao....it is simply misfortunate that Tmac sprained his back...long season....and Tmac will be back. DD
Yao is often surronded by 2-3 opponents under the basket. As long as our peremeter shots don't fall, nothing is gonna change. We need firepower. I was surprised that JVG didn't put Howard back in during the last few minutes when we couldn't buy a bucket.
Now when Yao has the ball underneath with 2 or 3 guys on him, usually he either tries to go up and gets muscled over or try to find the open man. Now that's usually hard when their all over him blocking out daylight.
An astute observation DaD but I think that this team will need more than 2 guys to score if they are to seriously contend. Specifically, they need to get consistent points from the guard and forward positions. It was true last year and it is true now and it will continue to be true until the Rockets finally do something about it.
this team can win without t-mac. yao won't miss that many easy shots every night. i liked the starting line up tonight, but why not bring in head instead of wesley. wesley can't shoot. i'd like to see how head and alston play together. at least that squad would hustle.
Wesley's minutes need to be given to Head or better yet, dare I say it bring in Sprewell to fill in while T-Mac is out.
It's all Yao's fault. Do not laugh. I really mean it. He is mentally too fragile. He has not been agressive ever since the fight. But he would not confess it. He settled to be a low post jump shooter.
Barry is shooting well. I wish they would feed the ball into his hands more instead of him having to create like he did tonight. He is money from THREE land. I wish they would penetrate and dish, like Head did with the pass to JB.
