Excellent point. I hope to see us do exactly that tonight. Great writing, Will. The comment about McGrady is gold.
Aren't you all overlooking that Sloan's Way is 1-4 against the Monocle in lifetime playoff series matchups? Isn't that correct? I love how so many of you have jumped overboard after game 1 and a lot of confident TV talking heads talking about the Rockets having no chance. If I'm reading the Sloan-Monocle playoff matchups correctly, it's 1991, 1992, 1999, 2002, and 2003. Monocle was 4-1 against Sloan in those series; if anyone knows how to counter Sloan's Way, we have the right coach for the Rockets right now. In 2002, it was a firstround series, with Sac having homecourt. The Monocle dropped a home game (game 2) but they went to Utah and won games 3 & 4. I know we have different personnel, but I don't really understand who the "tough guys" were on those Sacramento teams either. Vlade? Webber? Doug Christie? Peja? I mean, yikes. The Rox look a lot tougher to me. Don't give up hope yet. I'm serious.
Again, like BucMan said, for you to win against Sloan's teams, you have to be significantly better than his from a talent perspective. And it doesn't hurt to be as mentally tough or tougher than his teams as well which is what Jordan, Olajuwon, Duncan, et. were.
this series is certainly far from over. but the main difference b/w the kings and this current rockets team is talent level.
Monocle, lol. Good points, B-Bob, although I think all of those Kings players you mentioned with the exception of Peja could create their own shot and Peja at his prime was a lights-out shooter when you could screen for him. Outside of McGrady, we don't have anyone who can create their own shot. I know this to be true because McGrady, himself, said it.
yes btw: none of this Sloan would make any difference whatsoever without Brewer's and Kirilenko's ability to matchup well with TMac...like Bowen. Their length is what is causing this Utah mismatch more than Sloan's system...just like Marion and Bowen give Tmac fits. Allow me to take you back to the Drexler vs Hornachek era. Drexler destroyed Hornachek. He was the key to us dominating Utah more than Hakeem. The "Sloan System" could hinder Hakeem, but Hornackek simply couldn't stay on the court with Drexler, so he had to sit and Sloan lost a lot of offense with that. Not until Byron Russell arrived was Sloan able to defend the rockets without any glaring holes to exploit. imo, you can't beat the Rockets without a strong man matchup on TMac, especially when Yao returns. The system isn't enough without the primary defender having the talent to bother Tmac.
How many of those monocle led teams were worse or barely as good as those Jazz teams?? When was the last time the Jazz lost a series to a 5 seed or worse?? This system the Jazz play just doesnt lose to an inferior and (most of the time)equal team. Which will more often than not get you into the play-offs and perhaps to the 2nd or 3rd round. But unless the Jazz is clearly the best team, they won't win it all.
^ I can name lots of teams that haven't been upset by lower seeds in a long time. What does that prove? Not that much, IMO.
I think you guys are blowing this out of proportion. If we get rebounds in game 7 last year, the Rockets win. If Bobby Jackson shoots 9-15, rather than 3-15, we win game one. Of course the Jazz are physical, but so are the Rockets. The idea that the Rockets are some kind of finesse, or mentally weak team is just silly. I invite you to, you know, actually *watch* the team sometime. If the Rockets aren't as physical as the Jazz it's not a question of the mentality of McGrady, or Yao, (or whatever projection you have of them) it's a function of having an undersized team compared to them. Compare the rosters. Asking McGrady to go Hanson brothers against the Jazz is unnecessary. They need to hit shots and get rebounds and loose balls. Like always.
BMoney has a point. We are undersized moreso than we are a finesse team. Sure, we can all agree that Utah are the thugs of the league, but Denver, LA, NO and Dallas are more finesse than we are, and Pho was pre-trade. Are problem right now isn't about being a finesse team; it's about Utah having a good defender on TMac at all times; it's about Utah's ability to pull Deke away from the basket (rendering him useless), and us then being undersized at PF and C. It's a bad matchup in simple terms of talent...not system. Come on. We are talking about Rick Adelman here. Adelman will win a battle of systems, but that's not what this series is about.
The people wanting retaliation or to "take a guy" out are doing exactly what Sloan wants you to do - stop focusing on your game and take it personal. Nothing gets him going more than seeing your team frustrated and agitated. The key is to MATCH the physicality and mental toughness and at times overmatch it. While still remembering there's BASKETBALL to be played. Van Gundy's comment about knife fighters into a knife fight is correct. But if you're in a mixed martial arts match, dont go bringing in guns like a wuss, train and counter the style.
Tend to agree. It came off kinda forced and methodical but when Yao said he'd try to be the leader of this team he sincerely meant it. The game at New Orleans during the streak comes to mind (the one where Rafer got into it with Chandler). Hornets came out in a Jazz-type way, all thugged up and trying to be tough against the Rockets. But the Rockets went in there to take care of business and execute THEIR way, and ended up whooping their tails. Yeah they had Yao, a healthy McGrady and Landry playing out of this world but it was gratifying the way they showed them what real toughness and focus is about.
The team with homecourt won all the time in the Adelman/Sloan matchups. It depends on who wants it more and who can play their best with high stakes on the line.
How bad was it last game? I was at an exam so I missed Game 1 Was it like last year where the Jazz basically punched Yao's lower back every possession and shoved and handchecked McGrady without getting called for fouls?
but this rockets team went against historical stats in recent years. 2-0 up against the mavs coming home, game 7 w/ hca vs the jazz. and we all know that it depends on who wants it more, but how to execute your own game is the key (which takes the expertise of an nba coaching staff to answer). maybe, just maybe, we lost game 1 and hca for the moment is the reversal of what we did in previous years which might be actually a good thing? heck, i'm predicting - rockets win 4 in a row and close the series out 4-1!
pretty much. for the most part of the game anyway. but what you expect? it's jerry sloan and his jass team...
The only "underdog" team to take homecourt from the Jazz was the 95 Rockets. And an extra few seconds on the last possession still didnt help. In the last 10 years: Have the Spurs lost a series with home court? Lakers?? Kings?? Suns?? Pistons?? Mavericks and Rockets did it last year. Point is, there is one team conspicuosuly missing here.
Playing physical is a natural when you have a team made up of Broozer, Harpring, Okur, Kirilenko, Milsap Williams. The Jazz have good size and I don't think its an accident, they draft size and physicality.
