Rosen: Rockets' Two Stars Seem In Different Orbits

People who are slamming the author fail to appreciate his pointing out "the good". The message he tries to send to JVG is:

"If the Rox can turn 'the bad' and 'the ugly" into 'the good', the Rox can be an elite team."

In the article, the wording may be a little too harsh, but the facts are there. It is time for the team to make another big stride.

 

Well, he picked a game where TMac played arguably his worst game this season to make his point.

And this is the same guy who wrote a long analysis showing us how Shaq dominated Yao in their previous meeting when Yao outplayed Shaq, right?

 

the author has some very good points.

 

I have seen that play several times in the last 5 games.

 

If we faced Seattle now, we wouldn't be "hard-pressed to advance." We'd light them up and spank them like unruly children. The other stuff is at least thought-provoking.

 

I second everything Nikestrand said. This is a counteranalysis that, IMHO, defeats Rosen's analysis of the Lakers game.

Excellent job Nikestrand! One of the best posts I have read in a while...

--Tiger

 

I always love these kind of paragraphs, they can be construed to lean one way or another, depending on what you want to convey and how you want to write your article... easily the facts can be re-spun into positive...

Other than a couple things Rosen mentioned, it does seem true that Yao and McGrady aren't gelling as well... which again, can be construed as a bad or good thing, depending on your persepective.

Personally, I believe it to be a good thing. Right now- Sura, Wesley, and Jon Barry act as bridges between the two stars, but as they continue to both play their games, things will mesh.

I remember earlier in the season, T-Mac said that he came in and deferred too much to Yao, but is now just playing his game... something I believe we are all happy to see. And I don't think it's affected Yao negtively... it gives Yao the chance to improve without the all the attention focused on him. So McGrady gets his, Yao can improve slowly (as he seems to be most comfortable with), and we continue winning.

There's two ways to look at it, Rosen just decided to take a more negative outlook. We should just look at the facts he presented and spin them in the way we want, as he did.

Stuart

 

OMG, does Rosen post here? Just switch McGrady's name with Sura...can we get Kelly Dwyer to find out?

 

This same analysis could be made for Shaq and Kobe when they won championships to gether.

As far as looking at one game it could be made for alot of teams.

And he is missing the focus of the offense. The offense is not about just Yao and TMac it is getting the good look and making the correct pass and the extra pass that gets a wide open shot.

I have been frustrated at times earlier seeing Sura, Barry, Howard and Wesley take shots that I thought TMac and Yao should be taking.

Now I realize that the offense is designed to get the best of both worlds- PnR with Tmac and Yao, Tmac iso, Yao post up and open shots around the perimeter.

Mix in the Howard top of the key jumper and the Sura penatration, add the occasional fast break and you have our whole scheme.

Our offensive chemistry was there for spurts against the Lakers. But we were draggin on the defensive end. If we had hit a better % of open looks we would have had 20+ lead for most the game.

Everything he said was pretty accurate but it is a small slice of what we try to accomplish on offense.

This offense is not built around the inside out game it is built around getting mismatches and open looks.

Think about it and you will see TMac and Yao's roles a little bit different then he is assuming they should be.

 

Funny that he paints the Grizzlies, a team that won 50 games last year and has all the same players back, as an 'upstart team'. Meanwhile, we have 2 players back from last year and are considered a disappointment for having exactly the same record.

 

i think the article was harsh but i do think he has some good points. the chemistry between yao and t-mac is not there at this point. i think that they can get there, but right now it really isn't there for the most part. i also know the exact play he's talking about when t-mac took a three instead of passing to Yao who was in great position to score with his man sealed off. i also understand that things like that happen.

our team is playing better, but the yao-tmac combo/chemistry can be much better. i hope we just need more time because i think their games compliment each other well.

 

Well, the team has only won 22 out of their last 32. I don't know about you, but I'm furious with T-Mac and Yao's lack of progress as a tandem.

 

I agree what he said is all bullsh*t
ADAI, current NBA TV watcher, author of 100 messages on ClutchFan.net,
next one being Fire JVG

 

Tmac should be the first option at this moment, no doubt about it. But I also agree Rockets should run more plays for Yao to mix it up, not always a screen setter and decoy, especially when Yao has his legs.

 

cannt say it better.

 

After Rockets secures its playoff spot, I am sure JVG will practice more plays involving Yao more, which is more important in half court offence in Playoff series. Right, enjoy the games and Yao will improve slowly but steadily for sure.

 

This article hits the nail right on the head. It is absolutly eshasperating watching two talented ballers like Yao and McGrady play. Even whey they win, they do it out of pure talent.

I think that is why the entire league is so critical of the Rockets. Here you have the tallest Center (player) in the league with extraordinary skills; and on the perimiter you have one of the tallest shooting guards (although he is playing SF right now) with a knack for scoring that only the great ones have.

Howerver, give credit to Van Gundy for making the right moves so that this team is at least winning as it tries to figure it out. But, Van Gundy still hasn't meshed the talents of Yao and McGrady together. It' still a work in progress.

Let's just remember it took Kobe and Shaq 3 years (I think) to figure it out. And although Kobe was at a younger age than McGrady, Shaq had already been to the finals with Orlando.

 

T-Mac needs to learn his role on this team!!!