That was T-Mac's screw up. Artest doesn't switch unless there's a screen. There wasn't. T-Mac let his man go anyway.
DD shows more intelligence than a player that supposedly has one of the highest basketball IQs. Um, TMac, if Artest switches, doesn't it leave a man open? You, TMac, need to guard *somebody* if Yao is on the inbounder. Doh!
There was a screen, granted it was a weak one but Battier wouldve switched on that play, Artest hesitated when Tmac said to switch. They will get it together
sigh.... DD.... with .8 seconds on the clock and the guy recieving the ball 30 feet from the basket. Closest man switches over to challenge ball as Ron rightly does. There is no time for anything else. Again, the defense was drawn up to have Yao prevent any entry close passes. This loss would look a lot worse if we lost on a 6ft jump shot or a lob dunk rather than a 30ft jumper that occurred b/c of questionable time keeping.
Alright everyone, it is nobody's fault. The loss goes to the team. Games aren't won on the final possession it doesn't take a rocket science to know that. Yes, it hurts that we lost on a Buzzer Beater, but we could have prevented that If we rebounded and some of our players play slightly better. The loss goes to the team and we have to move on.
Against the clock with the game on the line, also knowing that they're only gonna be open for 0.8 (0.9) secs? No way in hell they hit in the 20's
I think we're talking under 10% chance. His feet weren't completely set as he had just turned around from when he caught the ball. He's only a 33% 3 point shooter to begin with, and those are probably all set, relatively wide open shots. Take him 5 more feet out, turn him around.. no way he makes the same shot at the same clip. And look at how he shot it too, it was with much more arch than normal, almost like he was hoisting up a hail mary.
We are talking about the last play, last second play. How do we avoid such ugly loss next time. Clearly, Tmac was thinking tht W was in his pocket already the way he was guarding Roy.
That's all I was trying to say. People are acting as if T Mac missed his assignment and it led to an EASY basket. The loss had very little if anything at all to do with the missed assignment and everything to do with a player making a very difficult shot.
If that was the case he wouldn't have run out to him. It was simply a miscommunication. T mac was at fault, yes, but it wasn't due to overconfidence.
There is virtually nothing you can do. The only thing you CAN do is make it harder for them to get the basket. They are going to get the shot off and there is really nothing you can do about PREVENTING them from shooting once they get the ball save from blocking it (which is rare) and fouling (which is stupid). This hindsight game is rediculous. If you told me we were up by 1 with .8 seconds to go in overtime and their star player just got the ball open with his back to the basket 27 feet away, my first thought isn't "you mean he's open?". It probably more like "we forced them to take an awkward shot that far away? Good defense guys!".
I know Hollinger or Feigen said "Rockets out thought themselves" with Ron/TMac expecting a pick on TMac, but this is just a case of 2 players new to each other. In the future they will have worked out "if they pick doesn't come, stick with your man". How'd you like TMac's face when they called that timeout after he started advancing the ball & Ron's like "it's ok man, I got this, we're cool right? RIGHT?" & pats him on the back. I knew right away with about 10ec what TMac was going to do: LONG JUMPER. I specifically asked him not to. We need him going to the basket, creating plays for others. And Ron is another ball stopper. We need that ball moving around!
People are being harsh on artest. that last play was tmacs fault. even if artest was supposed to set a pick, there is noway tmac should have been so slow off the mark. he gave a roy a big headstart. it was not rons fault.
There was no screen. Artest wasn't supposed to switch. T-Mac called the audible too late. Artest didn't have time to get free. T-Mac saw this and started running but it was too late. T-Mac should have started running sooner, but that leaves no one to guard the paint. If Outlaw breaks towards the basket that's an easy dunk for the game. 1 more second before Roy runs and that play never happens. Had the Rockets known no screen was coming they could have anticipated the play better. Great play by the Blazers. Great shot by Roy. I still think we messed that play up, but not as bad. In basketball, you play the percentages. I think there's no way Roy can make that shot anymore than 20 times out of a 100 with .8 seconds left and the game on the line. It's still better than Outlaw getting a lob dunk or free layup. But still. We really messed that play up.
Everyone needs to calm down. No one expected the Blazers would try to overcome a 1 point deficit by going for a 30 foot three pointer with 0.8 seconds left. RA anticipated a pass into post or a screen series on the weak side for a quick shot. RA did the right thing to put Yao on the inbounder to disrupt his vision so he couldnt see where ppl were getting free in the post or on the wing. It would be even harder to get the pass around Yao even if he were to see where his man was getting free. There was confusion on the Rocket's part because McMillan used an inbounds play thats normal for 6 seconds on the clock, not 0.8. It was already too late when TMac found there was NO ONE cutting to the weak side and he tried to recover on Roy and the rest is history. Its just an unbelievable shot that you really can't defend.
This is basketball 101 here. T-Mac missed his defensive assignment. That's all there is to it. Artest doesn't switch unless there's a screen. No screen, no switch. Regardless of whether or not the ball goes in, regardless of whether or not the Rockets win, it was still a screw up. People who are trying to make excuses are missing the point. That last screw up was the symptom of a deeper problem--the Rockets defense only comes in spurts now.
That will improve once shane comes back to a degree. there is noway shane would have reacted that slow off the mark if he was guarding roy. agreed that tmac was at fault and not artest. people are being to harsh on ron.
