Tonight the Rockets had no answer for the Mav's three point clinic. I think Glen Rice could've provided somewhat of an answer to that. Also, everytime Yao passed out of the double team to the open man, whether it was Mochie or Eddie or even Posey, they acted like they were scared to shoot. The Rockets had no one that could knock down the open jumper tonight. And I'm also wondering why Rice wasnt activated from the injured list since he was cleared by doctors and claimed to be 100%. Just my thoughts, thats all.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but what logic would dictate that a player shooting 40.4% (35% from the arc) would be of much help after coming of the IR? Especially one that would have to guard Finley? Or at minimum a much faster Raja Bell?
He couldnt have done any worse than anybody else out there tonight. Especially after the way Cuttino got torched.
Well, I'll have to grant you one thing. Rice wouldn't have fouled Finley on missed 3pters...he isn't fast enough to rotate there in time to foul!
That second three point attempt Finley got fouled on was a bad call. Mobley never touched him. The first one was questionable too.
I think the problem is spacing and balance. With a player like Rice, he's a shooter and he doesn't dribble much. He likes to stay at the 3 pt line, his defender needs to honor him and can't collaspe on Yao so easily. With Mobley, Francis and Posey together, they are all slashing and driving types. None of them can be considered pure shooters. And Mobley and Francis dribble all the time. Most of the time the spacing is not right with them all together. That makes the opposing defenders to double Yao more easily and reduces a lot of room and time for Yao to operate inside. If not Rice, we still badly need a pure 3 pt shooter who doesn't create his own shots off the dribble. Posey, Mobley and Francis all drive too much. All three together is a bad mix.
Let me get this straight...we have sunk to such depths and been so humiliated that we think Glen Rice is the Savior??!! All the spacing in the world won't make up for punishment the Mavs would inflict with Rice guarding Finley. Finley would go off for 45+.
I'm not saying that Rice would've saved the day, but the rockets had absolutely no response to the Mav's 3 point fun fest. Nobody could hit a thing. They looked like deer in headlights.
Yes, I think Rice would have made a difference. We don't really have any perimeter shooters other than Rice. When Yao got the ball tonight, Mavs did not hesitate to double team him because they had very little to worry about from outside. But on the defensive end, Rice is a sitting duck. We need to retool this team ASAP.
JamesC - The answer was defensive rotation. Observe that the Mavs shot on the perimeter and virtually uncontested. This is clearly a defensive rotation problem caused by somebody doubling the wrong man. On the best best day he has had since he left LA, Rice hasn't produced like Finley did tonight. Perhaps I'm in a minority here but the answer wasn't more spot up shooting - it was correct defensive rotations. And that ain't Glen Rice!
I respect your opinion but we still needed to put the ball in the basket, and that wasn't happening. That zone drove the rockets crazy.
JamesC - Would it surprise you to know that the Rocks outscored the Mavs 46-22 in the paint? Or that the Mavs shot 32 3pters to the Rockets 9? Rice's arm will fall off before he can make up that difference. I guess we'll agree to disagree...for me the answer to beating the Mavs is defense and penetrate the zone and dish to Yao (as oppossed to trying to score over 2 or 3 defenders).
Like I said I'm not saying that Rice would've ridden in on his white horse to save the day and deliver us from evil , but we could've used his veteran influence when the team panicked and lost it completely. I mean the rockets bent over and just took it from the Mavs. (pardon my expression) I'm just a frustrated fan thats venting.
I think Rice would of really help cause if I remember correctly one of the Mavs players said that Don Nelson game plan after the first half was to make the Rockets beat them by shooting the ball. So maybe Rice would have been some sort of help. Just my 2 cents.
