Before the game, I asked the question, "Is this the game where the wheels fall off?" I fear it may be.
So we're going to recreate the Pacers here? Yao - Smits Artest - Artest Jackson - Jackson Alston - Tinsley Head - Reggie Miller Barry - Chilcut Landry - ADavis Deke - DDavis Scola - Croshere
Philly was the hungrier, more aggressive team. THey've been on a roll after starting the season badly. They got all the calls because they were attacking the basket every chance they got. THe Rockets, as usual, were laid back, but also had major chemistry problems, rotational ??'s, and overall conditioning/health issues (Battier, slow, Artest, ankle obviously still bad, TMac, weak, Yao, no himself). Adelman is too laid back - kind of takes a 'sit back and see what happens' approach to coaching. We need a firey vocal leader who is aggressive, since Yao, Tmac, and Rick are mellower than anyone would like.
That seems to be the case. Wafer made quite a few clutch shots in the fourth quarters when Tracy and Ron did not play.
This one's on Adelman, as is the Knicks game. He said he drew up the play to get the ball in McGrady's hands, set the pick with Yao, and have McGrady go at it. That's his play? With 5 seconds left, use a pick with a center? You're not outrunning anyone in 2 seconds, which is what you have left after setting the pick and needing to get the shot off. That you do with 10 seconds left, not 5. Adelman didn't think it through. Also, he and the players did a bad job of keeping up the momentum. I understand you want to kill the clock a bit with a lead and take your time on plays, so the 4th quarter we moved slower. However, the way we played, it was like we didn't want to score, and Adelman didn't put the bread and butter of the game (McGrady) in until we had already lost the lead with 6 minutes left. Fairly, McGrady didn't do anything when he did get in, either. That last play should have been designed for Yao (who had scored the last two buckets), or for a better shot that didn't rely on picking on to SAMUEL DALEMBERT, one of the best shot-blockers in the league.
Can't jut blame Rafer. I like Yao that 4th qt. run by Philly had a lot to do with Yao struggling to grab rebounds, or when he did one time he passed it right to Thaddeus Young.
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Man I am depressed. I have tried to not be short-sighted but I think the time has come to move Tmac, either out of town or to the bench. I told myself the "big 3" (if you still want to call them that) have just all got on the floor together again and it will take a few games, but I am done with that. I do not see Tmac getting any better. Especially since he declared himself fully back and we better get ready. He just sucks the life out of our team. The time has come. We have enough talent to win without him. Addition by subtraction.
Igoudala was Battier's man, but it was transition so it looked like T-mac and Battier got confused and both decided to pick up Willie Green. Miscommunication, unfortunate for the big Man.
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If McGrady's left knee was strong, he could have driven right and pulled up for an open 18 footer at the top of the key. From that replay, it looks to me like he didn't have that in him. So he drifted left, but without an available seam to get penetration. He should have showed just a little more patience, gone right, and if can't get separation dump it into Yao in the lane. It's always easy to nitpick a play after the fact.
