First off, 3 games (against some crappy teams) without Yao isn't enough time to determine how well this team plays without Yao. Wait until this team is sufficienly scouted by other teams to see how well they do. Do you guys who think this team is better without yao seriously think a team with no post presence can do any real damage in the playoffs?
I stopped reading your post right there. JVG interview recap Do you honest believe that you know NBA basketball more than JVG? Who are you anyway?
I agree. But I felt this way when he went down, it isn't about how we have played the past 3 games. It is about the dynamic of the team with him out. We have athletic players who can run and gun with a smaller lineup. I don't see how you say that we don't have a post presence. Scola and Landry do pretty well down there and Deke does his part. The suns got pretty far last year & were a few plays away from beating the spurs and winning the championship without a true presence. And I don't exactly consider Tim Duncan a center. He's a strong PF. I may be delusional but I don't see whay everyone things you need a dominant true center to win in today's NBA. I don't believe that.
JVG also put in a fatigued Yao at the end of Game 7 against Utah & we couldn't get a defensive rebound to save our life/season. JVG also never got this team out of the first round of the playoffs. Based on my observations, with Yao out, the lane appears to be more "open". I don't care what JVG says, I'm basing this on what I have observed so far during these 3 games & when he was out last year.
since we won 12 straight before yao got hurt i fail to see how winning 3 in a row against teams we should beat at home, proves your right. i think we're clearly a good team with some nice working parts which is why we can have success without yao, but to say we're better off now takes some serious form of crack.
Very mature. I knew I'd get attacked for making an observation and posting my views. I never attacked Yao. Grow up and tell me why I'm wrong instead of attacking my opinion. After 3 games so far, my observations have been pretty accurate. Still a long ways to go, I know. But the Nuggets aren't exactly scrubs & the other scrub team we beat by 20 just beat New Orleans today.
Say whatever to please yourself. I would believe a NBA coach who has taken his team to the finals said rather than an internet John Doe like you. One again, who are you?
Well, that's a good point, but to me, it isn't about winning and losing. It is about the dynamic of the team, the energy of the team and the way things appear to be more open inside. I don't want to say, "we won 3 without yao so we are better". No. It isn't that simple. I'm saying the team, with the type of athletic players we have looks better. We can run now, our defense appears stronger, turnovers are down. Not all about wins and losses.
Wow, this thread didn't take very long to start, did it? Man do we have a problem with our superstars. T-Mac trade threads were in full-swing back when we went on that mini-streak with him out. And now this.
we have looked just as good if not better in the 3 games prior to yao being out. I mean, six blow outs in a row. How can you say these 3 blow outs look better then the other 3? Yao doesn't clog up the lane because he moves around and it's just camping out. He's the center of the offense because he's the most effective scorer. He creates openings for others. The ball movement has been good but not as good as when yao is there in my opinion. Anyway, there's no way you are going to convince anyone we're better without Yao - and really what you are seeing is the effect of Adelman's system finally kicking in.
Our guys are playing with heart, hassle and great chemistry so right now the effect of Yao's absence is less apparent. I certainly don't ever want to see the streak ends just so Yao's value to the team can be proven. But even if we kept on winning it does not mean that we are better off without Yao. We are a good team without Yao, but we will be a GREAT team with him in the line up. Right now the other teams are still adjusting to a Yao-less Rockets team, whereas their old game plan was to stop Yao. It will get harder as time goes by. I believe that we are still capable of winning more, however. SS999
Why does it matter who I am? I'm just like you. I'm a Rockets fan who posts on this bbs. I know quite a bit about the game, I played in HS & college and I watch every Rockets game that comes on. Never said I know more than JVG, you brought that up. I'm just a fan, brah. Just because you don't agree with my observations, you feel the need to ask who I am? How does that work exactly and why is it relevant?
This team isn't better off without Yao. Period. The defense is possibly better with Deke, but we were still the second best defense in the league in Yao's 50+ games. So how much better could we be on the defensive end. As for offense, the reason why the team started taking off was because we started moving the ball around. When Yao would get doubled or zoned, the ball would move around to the open man to attack from the weak-side (Previously, whenever Yao was denied the ball, the offense would usually bog down. Not anymore). The team is using the same principles of ball movement and team play that started this winning streak in the first place. Any further success is a tribute to the team and the coaching staff, which only would have been enhanced if we had the luxury of strong low-post scorer. With or without Yao, this team is something special. But there's no doubt in my mind, that we're better with him. In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the ride and see just how far this team can go.
ROFL, do you honestly think that I give a rat ass about who you really are? I asked that question to make a point that I would believe what JVG said rather than an internet John Doe 1000 out of 1000 times. JVG >>>>>> you.
In a board with knowledgeable and dedicated fans, sometimes I gotta question the sanity or vanity of the members here. We lost a 20-10 player who is a dominant threat inside. We lost a 20-10 player who is a dominant threat inside. Barring an exponential increase from Carl Landry, we're a donut team, and if there is any time to make such a thread like this, it would be a winning streak against the bigs late March.
I'm pretty sure that JVG guy had more basketball knowledge in his pinky finger than all the rest of us combined. He did what he did with the limitations he had. JVG with this years team would be better than last years. How that stacks up in the current west standings is of course debatable. But the point still stands, I'm pretty sure I'd take his word over yours. This team, in this offense, has more movement and more opportunities for everyone. Yao does not clog up the paint. The team is not better without Yao. Weren't we the best team since the new year with Yao Ming in the line up? I think if it only took these last three games to get you to make such a post (even if you had made these observations before hand), then you are way jumping the gun. We are BETTER with Yao. Are we still capable without him? Yes. Why? Because of the system and because of the better overall play of our other guys (as compared to last year). We would have won these last three with or without Yao, most people saw that. The problem is, as everyone keeps pointing out, against tougher defensive teams we will struggle much harder without Yao's presence. But all this is moot, since you obviously disagree and any attempt to point out the above results in your counter-argument of "i seen it for myself, i is right, JVG lost, and i is therefore more righter."
I will agree with you only if we make the second round this season. Even then, it will be kind of hard to agree that we're better without Yao, but you have to look at the facts at that point. That said, wait until we play some elite teams with low-post presence before making such a comment. I think Yao is a very important part of the team. I mean, he practically WAS the team. Now other guys have to step up but losing Yao is huge... I think we will make the playoffs, but I can only hope we make the second round. By the way, I still think you are wrong, but... ...is a good point.
