This reminds me of the Phi Slamma Jamma practices. Guy V. Lewis would encourage superintense, physical practices. No fouls were ever called. If anyone complained to the coaches, Lewis would say, "We better let this young lady have a seat! She can't play ball." Hakeem wrote in his book that every player on the team got into at least one fistfight with every other player on the team during practice. They weren't playing out there. But when they played the actual games, the game would be a total cakewalk compared to practice. They started to win every game. And nothing builds chemistry like 30 slam dunks a game and a stack of Ws.
Have you not watched Scola play in the first two preseason games? He's like Battier on roids. He can post, he can pass, he can rebound, he can run and finish on the break, he can even defend pretty well, and yes he's smart like Battier. The only thing Battier has shown he can do better is shoot threes. I know this is just preseason but Scola is your starting PF and he's going to be a good one I hope for a long time in the NBA.
Mixed emotions about this. I love the competitive fire but when fists are thrown I can't support it. I am a very emotional guy in all the sports I play but I never wont to hit the guy I am going against, especially since they will be playing on our team. If it is just verbal arguments than go all at it. This might be the year the Rockets set a franchise record in T's, least players stand points don't know much about Adelman deals with refs. But we will find out probably in the first week when he coaches a guy like Yao vs refs.
Yes, but on the court not in the locker room. I am hopeful that the chemistry works out, but there are at least 10-12 SOLID NBA rotation guys on this team, and that is hard to navigate, IMO. DD
They are on the court. This isn't two guys fighting in the locker room. This is a group of players fighting it out in a simulated game situation and getting emotionally invested in improving and trying to show that they deserve to be getting their opportunity on the court.
I think it's a combination of a lot of things. There is the intensity from so many guys being there and many of them trying to make the team, you don't usually have that many guys that will be cut. They also are scrimmaging more than some of them are used too instead of drills like they had with Van Gundy. They also haven't played a game in awhile, so for guys that are used to games every other night to wait a week is tough. I think once the roster is set and the season begins, you won't hear about this stuff as much.
actually fist fights? i dont know about that because this is tracy saying that right? he tends to exaggerate a bit. Its probably really heated verbal jawing and some bumping and pushing. if someone threw a punch and connected it would have been known by the media. but i am happy to hear that the practices are intense. that sort of competitive fire is exactly what this team needs, if the players want to just beat their own teammates during a scrimmage imagine when they are all on the same side against the actual opponent. that sort of fire breeds on a team...there is no way if you are a professional player do you not get swept up into it. you see someone dive for a loose ball cuz they want it more than anyone else you will start doing the same. soon all that will matter is winning the game. both tracy and yao while competitive and want to win aren't very demonstrative about it (tracy at times looks to coast a lot too...see road games vs jazz) this sort of thing is just the boost in the arm the team needs. similar to when sura came back and the trades for james and barry were made a few seasons ago it went from a walk in the park type team to a team that wouldn't back down..despite not having as much talent. all i have to say is let the season begin!
If you really think this I recommend that you have your eyes tested! Battier is a role defensive player who is good at shooting the spot up open threes. Scola is a player on both ends of the court and is great at drives to the basket. Battier is a Small Forward and Scola is a Power Forward. Different positions different abilities. Hayes is also a role player who's abilities only warrent him a supporting position at best. Scola is the MVP of the FIBA Americas Championship and considered the best player in Europe.
MJ (no, not our mj but the 'real' MJ) punched Steve Kerr out in a practice...and, oh yeah, later in the year hit him with a pass to win a p/o game (the last game?). Practice intensity breeds on court chemistry. This is still TMac/Yao's team, and even mj and Stevie know this as fact.
Remember last year when JVG told Juwan that he wasn't going to play anymore? Juwan basically said "OK". When he got back on the court again, he started rebounding like a madman. People accused him of "stealing" Yao's rebounds. Losing his spot forced him to step up his game. Maybe it can work for this group of guys too.
I think it's great the guys are being intense. Everybody should be hungry, whether they're trying to make the roster, or to actually do something meaningful in the playoffs this year.
Lineup should be: Yao Scola Shane Tmac Rafer 3 or 4 mins before 1st quarter end: Scola Hayes Shane Tmac Rafer 1min before 1st quarter end: Yao Hayes Bonzi Francis Rafer 2mins into the 2nd quarter: Yao Hayes Bonzi Francis James
