If you let any offensive minded post player receive the ball down low, he'll back his man down and score if he's got a hook. Tell me how is a guy supposed to defend the hook shot??? Kareem's sky hook wasn't called the indefensible shot for nothing. This doesn't have anything to do with Landry's defense. If they played team defense, then Smith doesn't receive the ball down low in the first place. Remember Barkley? He routinely backed guys down with his big rear end and then threw up a shot close to the bucket to score. If you want to defend Smith, then someone has to come in and take a swipe at the ball when Landry is behind him. How many of you have played basketball one on one while someone dribbled the ball while backing into you. How do you defend that? Draw a charge and flop?
Ok that being said, I have no qualms about being realistic about Landry. He'll continue to come off the bench in limited if any minutes to take time away from Hayes or Battier. As Bullard said, putting Scola and Landry in with Yao gives another offensive component to the Rockets that Hayes cannot provide. However, he also said it would depend on matchups. If you play a team with a weak PF or SF, then Landry can light them up. If you play a team with a really tough PF like Boozer or Duncan, then maybe Hayes is your guy. So it'll depend on the teams we play but from last nights performance, Landry's play puts pressure on the coaching staff to find a way to give him more minutes.
How is that the worst argument? Chuck hayes is not a offensive power forward, he is undersized eventhough he is a hustler and does lots of positive things that don't show on the stat line we got help in Scola and Landry so lets use it. What's up?
I'm referring to this statment. You could say we haven't gotten out of the first round yet with Alston, Tmac, Battier at the 1, 2, and 3 spot so that means they are a liability as well. As for Boozer, Yao is on Boozer, not Hayes. If you notice, Okur, who Hayes often guards, plays very very poorly against the Rockets. Also, you will notice that whenever Hayes does go against Boozer (and Juwan on Okur) Boozer makes considerably less shots. Yao is not quick enough to close space between him and Boozer and has to let Boozer shoot. Hayes on the other hand is quick enough in case Boozer wants to drive. Actually Hayes matches up really well against Boozer and the "muscle" type of power forwards.
I would also like to add that it wasn't our starters that prevented us from advancing. It was our horrible bench. Apparently you missed the game where the Rockets bench scored 0 points. Luther Head and Juwan Howard vastly underperformed during the playoffs. You could also say that Hayes help win 2 of those games against Utah.
I'd have to agree with the person who wrote about it all depending on matchups. If we are playing a team with a superstar power forward, chuck hayes is our best bet. To see him play d against bosh was inspiring. He is definitely the best defender we have against pf's. Landry is no doubt a better scorer, but I'm not sure we'd need his scoring and take the punishment from the boozers scoring on us as much. I really don't know enough to say that Landry is a terrible post defender but I know Chuck is an awesome one. We could always use his scoring but Chuck brings us some really good d that is something we can depend on. Now I haven't really seen Landry play much d (play much for that period) and I missed last night's game, but we'll see. We can always use people to score the ball, but we have a lot of capable players of doing so. Off topic, but do you guys think that if Yao matched up with Okur and Hayes on Boozer that we'd have gotten out of the first round? I've always wondered this but I don't know. Just curious to see what you guys think.
Fans only see numbers. Coaches see impact. That's why Chuck is still starting. Chuck is light years ahead of Landry at this moment. With Yao and Tmac on the court, we have enough fire power. Chuck Hayes covers up a lot of their defensive weakness. Landry, even Scola, can't do that right now.
I'm not trying to be irrational. But it's a matter of fact that Scola and Landry are going to get so much better. Just seeing where Chuck fits in all this.
Yes, I can refute that. Incidentally, my non-response was dictated by company for the two football playoff games -- that was more important than trading shots with someone who watches the game with his eyes wide shut. Look at how other teams beat up our first string (with only Yao consistently scoring points). Then the faster second string replaces Hayes and Battier and they get us back in the game. Hayes and Battier come back in and, bam, we lose our lead or go back in the tank. Now, its almost time for the game and the two more playoff games.
Did you notice anything, Mr. Foo82? David West has been murdering Hayes, but as soon as the second team arrives, the Rockets take off. Shane so far has an accidental two. Did you see the steal Scola had on West? Ahhhrrrrgg. I'm going back to the game.
