He was suppose to be the catalyst for the playoffs against Aldridge. Game 1 comes around, we didn't use him much, but he ended up playing a lot of garbage time. Game 2, he was rarely used. Scola and Landry didn't do anything to stop him. Whenever Hayes was on Aldridge, he couldn't do squat. He's the defensive stopper we need on Aldridge. I know he's an offensive liability, but we seem to do fine whenever we had him in the lineup.
Because he is, more often than not, WEAK. Bad position on defense most of the time. Poor paint-prescence ('fouling' doesn't count). And yea, you said it...no offense.
If the refs are going to call the game this tight, his brand of defense isn't nearly as effective. He did make a couple nice high post passes, though.
He is an offensive liability, he can't even hit a lay-up with a man somewhat close to him. His D is good but man he has no offense at all.
Tonight, I did not like Chuck in there at all. He's usually a good defender but tonights game he just looked lost and completely ineffective, I wouldnt say Aldridge couldnt do squat when Chuck was on him because I remember a stretch when he just tore him and everyone else up with a whole arsenal of moves. The one thing that worried about the Blazers was their length and ability to attack the rim. With Mutumbo going down we are wafer thin in the height/shot blocking department, and unless Hayes can play with someone like Yao or Mutumbo to disguise his heighth then I dont think he can be too effective in this series
He's the only big who's able to consistently make a back door pass from the high post. So saying he has "no offense" is inaccurate. Chuck made one defensive stop late in the 3rd quarter, but beyond that I didn't see him have much impact on the defensive end. No Dikembe = No Inside Presence when Yao is sitting. This is just very, very frustrating. The Rockets can't catch a friggin' break with the injuries.
Chuck Hayes was out of position so much because he was forced to guard Greg Oden most of the time... and he did a pretty damn good job of that too.
Worst post of the year. Bad position on defense most of the time? That is beyond stupid. I'm not calling you stupid but that statement was stupid.
With Scola now having to pick up the slack for Mutombo's absence, you can expect Hayes to play more, which is a good thing. Can't wait to see him expose Aldridge as the soft jump-shooter that he is.
Chuck Hayes is the defensive answer to LaMarcus Aldridge? Pass some of that my way. Aldridge is smart enough not to bang in the low box with a low-center of gravity defender. He'll face the basket, step back a few feet and rise up for an easy shot. Hayes might be OK against Pryzbilla but it stops there. Gawd, I miss Deke already.
Then who do you suggest? Scola? He stepped it up in Game 1, where was he last night? Landry? Didn't show up last night. No more Mutombo.....hey, how about Cook! Hayes can afford to come out of the paint and take on Aldridge if he's floating for a 15 foot jumper. GIVE ME SOMEBODY!
Hayes is easily our best big at face up defense. A lot of posters think that because Chuck is short, he can't play against longer offensive players. But away from the basket, length is less important than having good feet and having the proper technique to close out effectively and get a hand in the shooter's face. Landry hasn't learned how to close out away from the basket, and Scola is slow changing directions north-south. The only time I can recall Aldridge actually attempting to face up Chuck and take him one on one, Chuck was able to force him to mishandle it. It happened with about 1 minute left in the 3rd. Fernandez picked up the loose ball, ran a Pick and ROll and got baseline, but Chuck stayed with him and forced him to throw it away. For whatever reason, before that point Adelman had Scola or Landry guarding Aldridge and Chuck on Pryzbilla. And on the previous several possessions, Aldridge had been killing them. Chuck switches over on the final couple defensive possessions, and the Rockets get two stops (and end up tying the game at the end of the period). Next games, you can bet that if Chuck is on the floor, and Pryzbilla/Aldridge are on the floor, than Chuck will be guarding Aldridge every time. That's an obvious adjustment the Rockets will make. The tough matchup will be when Oden and Aldridge are on the floor, and Yao is resting. You'd like Chuck to be guarding both of them, but that's not possible.
