I don't get it either. The Rockets will finally get that first round monkey off their back. The core is still playing at a high level. Our young players like Brooks and Lowry will have valuable experience. With or without McGrady, the Rockets should have more scoring punch. If the Blazers stand pat, they are still the same team- Roy and Aldridge and not much from its role players.
What a ****ing moron. Really we already did you ****ing idiot. Please get these b**** off the computer
To say you appreciate the young Blazers team, or that you like their play, and will follow them in the future in completely perfect thing to say, but to start a thread that they're better....right after we go up 3-1....
Some of you guys are really not looking at the game... The first game was a blow out, which I figured it would be. I knew Portland would come out and look like a deer in head lights. From that point on they have actually out played the Rockets. The only reason they have lost the last 2 games is due to INEXPERIENCE. The last 8 to 5 minutes they lost the game due to inexpierence of not being in the right place, throwing balls away, taking quick shots and rushing instead of being in control. So I understand what the OP is saying and he's right the Rockets must win this next game, the last thing you want to do is let this team figure out how to win in the closing minutes.
I agree on your first point. Too much outside shooting definitely makes it tougher to grab offensive boards (but doesn't have anything to do with their weakness on the defensive glass, which was glaring last night). On the "fortuitous bounces" ... sometimes, I think, you make your own luck. I saw Kyle Lowry and Carl Landry (and earlier, Battier and Scola) grab offensive boards last night because they wanted it more than the Blazers did. There's an attitude to rebounding, a fearlessness, a desperation, a determination. Those guys had it last night, and it was awesome to watch.
Most teams have much more success when they front Yao and send a couple of helpers on him. Pryz and Oden would get abused otherwise.
Talent is subjective. I don't say one team is better than another based on something subjective. However, Houston leads Portland 3-1 in a best-of-7 series. That's objective. I'm much happier using something objective to determine which team is better. Thus, I'd say Houston is the better team. Will Portland be better than us next year? Maybe. However, at this time next year, I don't expect to have a $23 million hole in our line-up.
op is delusional if you think roy is even close to wade; he's not even equal to paul...heck even d-will.
OMR, you've been around here a long time and I respect your view, but I am really really amazed at what I'm reading. Yes, people are talking about Perkins. FYI, there are other series going on right now too. Perkins is playing great in the playoffs. 13 points, 9 boards, 63% shooting, 2.25 blocks. In 35 minutes a game he is scoring and blocking more than Pryz and Oden are combined in their combined 41 minutes...and he's almost rebounding as much. The reason you're getting such pushback on this topic is because you're dead wrong. Moving on to your random insertion of the Blazers vs. Lakers, as if that has absolutely ANYTHING to do with the ridiculous argument you're trying to make (seriously, how does talking about the Lakers have anything to do with Blazers vs. Rockets?). So, now we are using head to head to compare two teams. The Blazers beat the Lakers the last two times they played (both at home, they got their butts kicked by the Lakers conversely when playing in LA) so that means they should be better than the Rockets, who lost to the Lakers? Right, um, except you conveniently forgot that the Rockets are up 3-1 in this series, and 5-2 on the season, and 9-2 over the last two seasons. I should just stop responding in this thread it makes so little sense, but for some reason I just can't!
I respect your answer. And I will admit I haven't watched all of the centers in the league. But I watched quite a bit of games against many of these centers vs yao and Yao just seems to have an easier time against all. He has spanked Perkins in the past and most of the rest on the list. But don't go by me. Mark jackson said Oden has the potential to be a top five all time center. And Van Gundy after watching 2 series of plays agreed that Oden was much better than he Anticipated.
Uh, Portland was favored by nearly everyone. I agree with OMR for the most part. I don't get why everyone is acting so offended by the thread. He's actually complimenting the Rockets. Portland has the best player on the court by a good margin and tons of depth. I thought the game was lost last night and the series as well when the Rockets went down 6 in the 4th. Without an amazing comeback the Rockets very well could have been looking at another first round exit in a few days. If one of those Battier 3s had rimmed out I think that probably would have happened. I'm not sure people are understanding how hard it is to win one game in Portland, much less two. What this series has shown me is that the West isn't going to be up for grabs for a long time, possibly as soon as next year.
Here are the gameflows from Games 2, 3, and 4 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 I don't think showing Game 1 is necessary. I'm sure the statistic is out there somewhere, but I don't have the time or energy to do it. So, just by eye-ing the Game Flows, what seems pretty obvious to me is that the Rockets have had the lead in Games 2-4 for a majority of the time. Game 2 was back and forth all game with the Blazers winning, and the Blazers likely being in the lead for the better part, but not overwhelmingly...just guessing, I'd say the Blazers were in the lead for 60% of the 48 minutes. Game 3 is pretty obvious...the Blazers had a brief lead in the first few minutes and then the Rockets led the entirety of the rest of the Game. say the Blazers led for 4 minutes, the Rockets for 44 (92% of the Game). Game 4 is a little more back and forth, but the Rockets still led the majority of the Game...I'd say 75% of the minutes...again, just guessing. So, what games are you watching exactly? Even taking Game 1 out of the equation, the Blazers are just not beating us, they are rarely ever even winning during a particular game. If you took the 144 minutes of Game 2-4 and randomly picked a game and time, I'd say there's likely a 70%+ chance that the Rockets were winning at the time. Seriously. you people are crazy.
i don't know if they are better than us. But they definetely have more physical talent than us. Roy is better than artest and outlaw and alridge are more physically gifted than battier and scola. oden is strong and athletic and fernandez is a better shooter than wafer. landry and lowry are better than their counterparts(Frye?, rodriquez). The only reason we are up 3-1 is we have won through smarts, hustle, and hard work while their losses can be atrributed due to inexprience. they could have easily won the last two game. but inexprience during key times cost them the game.
Your argument was that Pryzbilla and Oden are top 10 centers. Which has little to do with how they play against Yao....or how Yao plays against Perkins. It's how all centers play against all other centers and the league. In which case, as many have pointed out to you, both during the regular season, and in the playoffs, you're wrong. But let's not also forget that Yao is quietly (well, game 1 not so quietly) actually having a very efficient series. 58% shooting, 96% from the line, 10.5 boards, 16 points, 1.5 blocks. His turnovers are down to 1.5 per game, which is fantastic. Pryzbilla and Oden have done only 1 thing well in the entire series...front Yao and make it difficult for him to get the ball. Which is as much about the Blazers scheme as anything, really. But when Yao does get the ball, the Blazers centers are crumbling. When it comes to rebounding, they're underpeforming. Offensively, they are as inept as everyone expected. Neither one of them are top 10 centers at this point in time. As for JVG and Marc Jackson, I agree with them...Oden does have a ton of potential. For his sake, I hope he realizes it.
WOW... My thoughts exactly. And that is why I feel this team needs to play on tuesday like there is no tomorrow. A loss gives Portland hope and confidence. I know that statement i a no brainer but my point is I am a bit afraid of this Portland team. I believe they are capable of beating us 3 games in a row if we give them a break. But I have faith in this Rocket team and they wil come out and play their hearts on tuesday and take care of business
With all due respect to Mark Jackson, it should plain for anyone to see that Oden nothing but a project at this point. He plays defense with his hands and is clueless on offense. He doesn't have anything resembling a go-to move in the post, and seems to have little natural instinct for the game. Anyway, I disagree with the originial premise of this thread. The best playmaker for the Rockets is nattily attired on the bench and in spite of that the Rockets are up 3-1. If you add a playmaker to this team and replay the series again next year, I would expect the same result as this year.
