[Game 42] Rockets @ Seattle

[nyk_buc]

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I don't think Durant will be able to finish at the rim like T-mac, but he's going to be very good.

durant is not going to be close to tmac. he's going to be purely a scorer. he doesn't show ANY signs of being a playmaker or an all-around player like tmac is. sure nobody is going to expect him to avg 4-5 assists, but he doesn't show any signs.

but he'll be a pretty good scorer though. he's not tmac in any sense outside of similar physical appaerance.

PS - tmac, go work on your damn fts. it's getting on my nerve.

[BaYBaller]

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A rich mans Mcgrady? Is he going to have a 35/8/8/2/2 season or something?

IMO Durant is way too skinny to be compared to Mcgrady - he doesn't have close to the athletic ability Mcgrady had coming into the league. He doesn't drive nor handle the ball as well - he's just lankier.

Dude listen to yourself. T-Mac is heralded for his handles at 6-8, and Durant is 6-10. A 6-10 player with handles that can shoot lights out and looks like he has a crazy work ethic and passion for the game?

He's a poor man's T-mac now because he's a rookie and 19 yrs old. He'll be a rich man's T-Mac later.

[MaxRider]

expect another losing streak coming up
we lost the type of momentum we had when we have the 5 games winning streak without T-Mac
there were not much ball movement in the last 2 games (didn't watch the one against Spurs)
role players relied on T-Mac and Yao to do all their stuff
we are back to where we're having the 6 games losing streak
we are winning against Seattle because they are bad team

[RaoulDuke79]

expect another losing streak coming up
we lost the type of momentum we had when we have the 5 games winning streak without T-Mac
there were not much ball movement in the last 2 games (didn't watch the one against Spurs)
role players relied on T-Mac and Yao to do all their stuff
we are back to where we're having the 6 games losing streak
we are winning against Seattle because they are bad team

So the solution is obvious: Trade T-Mac.

I guess.

[MaxRider]

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So the solution is obvious: Trade T-Mac.

I guess.

the solution is trade our role players
our role players just expect Yao/T-Mac to carrying them to victory
we can't have players just stand there watching Yao/T-Mac to do all the things
Hayes and Battier are great but they are allowing team to doubling team Yao/T-Mac

[BaYBaller]

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the solution is trade our role players
our role players just expect Yao/T-Mac to carrying them to victory
we can't have players just stand there watching Yao/T-Mac to do all the things
Hayes and Battier are great but they are allowing team to doubling team Yao/T-Mac

After watching the past few games with T-Mac back I think part of the problem is that T-Mac is eating minutes almost entirely from Head and Brooks who were the biggest offensive threats when T-Mac was out. It's tough though because Head and Brooks are such defensive liabilities.

The SEA announcers were ripping into Head because he's listed at 6-3 but he's probably barely over 6. Head needs to become a scoring PG ala Jason Terry if he wants to get solid minutes because there's too many teams that can abuse him at the SG spot. He's shown he can hit the jumper off the dribble and screens. He also needs to learn a lesson or 2 on defense from Alston.

Brooks was great at pushing tempo during our win streak, but he needs to learn how to finish around the rim better, in particular using angles off the glass. Otherwise I don't see how he'll ever be more than a bit player.

[dunleavyjr]

Biggest mistake of the game:

Rockets went small early in the 4th quarter. They put the 6'2" Luther Head, a known weak defender, on the hot shooting 6'7" Wally Szcebiak. Rockets deficit extended to 13 points.

The word "ABUSE" was written all over Luther

[Baller 24]

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the solution is trade our role players
our role players just expect Yao/T-Mac to carrying them to victory
we can't have players just stand there watching Yao/T-Mac to do all the things
Hayes and Battier are great but they are allowing team to doubling team Yao/T-Mac

If Battier isn't going to be benched. then please bench Hayes, at least Scola is willing to score, Id even start Landry.

[Amel]

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the solution is trade our role players
our role players just expect Yao/T-Mac to carrying them to victory
we can't have players just stand there watching Yao/T-Mac to do all the things
Hayes and Battier are great but they are allowing team to doubling team Yao/T-Mac

I wouldnt say they expect, I would say they dont know...my guess is with time they will get into it, but last night we did not move the ball and thats a fact

[wiff]

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On a side note did you guys see Durant after that game. Looked like he was about to cry he wanted to win so bad. The whole bench practically got up to console him. Felt sorry for him but he's going to be so good in a couple of years. A poor man's T-Mac now, a rich man's T-Mac later.

I'd like to chime in on this. First off I don't want to take anything away from TMAC because he is an amazing player. I watched him in person drop 41 points on the Sonics when he was in Orlando and it didn't even look like he broke a sweat.

So I am in no way raining on TMAC parade. But to the guys who don't think Durant is going to be as good as TMAC, I don't know what games you have been watching of the Sonics?

As a Sonics fan I have watched all but four games this season and yes it has been incredibly painful.

So first off.

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A rich mans Mcgrady? Is he going to have a 35/8/8/2/2 season or something?

IMO Durant is way too skinny to be compared to Mcgrady - he doesn't have close to the athletic ability Mcgrady had coming into the league. He doesn't drive nor handle the ball as well - he's just lankier.

I can agree that TMAC has better hops.

Durant has a 33.5 vertical leap. And just shy of a 7'5" wing span.

No it's not 39" or 40" but the guy can still get up.

Having hops is great but if you can't shoot what's the point? Just ask Stromile Swift or Tyrus Thomas.

I remember a guy named Larry Bird who couldn't rise but he had a pretty solid Hall of Fame career.

Sure hops help but you don't have to have surreal hops to be effective in the league.

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durant is not going to be close to tmac. he's going to be purely a scorer. he doesn't show ANY signs of being a playmaker or an all-around player like tmac is. sure nobody is going to expect him to avg 4-5 assists, but he doesn't show any signs.

but he'll be a pretty good scorer though. he's not tmac in any sense outside of similar physical appaerance.

Can I ask a question? How many Seattle games have you watched this year?

Durant is very capable of dropping five asts a game. In fact Durant has mentioned this in an interview before. He was asked what part of his game most people don't know about. "I can really pass the ball" he said and when he was in Texas his role on the team was shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.

If you have watched more than three Seattle games you can see that Durant is a very deft passer. Now when they Sonics give the kid some help maybe they can convert some of them.

Make no mistakes about it, as of today he is not TMAC. Heck TMAC wasn't TMAC 40+ games into his NBA career.

But TMAC wasn't close to Durant his first two seasons into the league. Durant is about 6 months older than TMCA was at this point in his rookie career.

So let's skip to TMAC's third year so you it's easier to compare them because they are getting similar minutes.

TMAC year three. Age 20/21
15.4pts 6.3rpg 3.3asts 1.1stls 1.9blk

Durant Rookie year age 19
19.4pts 4.2rpg 2.1asts 0.8stls 1.1blk

Durant has a feirce work ethic. Now I won't bring up the TMAC"S Orlando situation.

He eventually will move to the forward position so I expect his rebounding number to go up. Call me a homer but I just don't see how you wouldn't think Durant is going to be as good as TMAC especially after he hits the gym and puts on some muscle.

So I don't think it is a stretch at all to think Durant might improve over the next say 6 or 7 years to the tune of 30pts, 8rebs, 5dimes, 2stls, 2blks.

Once he moves to SF his FG% should go up considerably that should add 6 points right there.

[Alex_De_Large]

scola start, then who get points from the bench? he is a perfect sixth man.

[MaxRider]

Durant is going to be a fine player
he's tall and long
he can shoot it over anyone who's guarding him
unless you plan to put a 7' PF/C on him
cause there's not that many SF/SG is longer than him

[MaxRider]

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I wouldnt say they expect, I would say they dont know...my guess is with time they will get into it, but last night we did not move the ball and thats a fact

the reason i pointed out because they played like this back in December
we moved the ball better in early January
now we are back to where we where

[Baller 24]

Durant is going to be a fine player
he's tall and long
he can shoot it over anyone who's guarding him
unless you plan to put a 7' PF/C on him
cause there's not that many SF/SG is longer than him

Yeah, I agree I think we will be a great player in the future. In his prime can see him at LEAST averaging 27pts, 4ast, 7 reb, 1.5 stl....shouldn't really be a problem, because he looks like a natural scorer. But its going to take time for him to develop, but I think he will develop very fast.

[King Roosk]

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Yeah, I agree I think we will be a great player in the future. In his prime can see him at LEAST averaging 27pts, 4ast, 7 reb, 1.5 stl....shouldn't really be a problem, because he looks like a natural scorer. But its going to take time for him to develop, but I think he will develop very fast.

Statement 1: It's going to take time for him to develop.

Statement 2: I think he will develop very fast.

Which one?

[moofs]

the solution is trade our role players
our role players just expect Yao/T-Mac to carrying them to victory
we can't have players just stand there watching Yao/T-Mac to do all the things
Hayes and Battier are great but they are allowing team to doubling team Yao/T-Mac

Battier SHOULDN'T be doing that though. That Hayes does have that effect is why I'm starting to wonder if he won't be replaced by Landry sometime this year or next.

[xcomputerman]

It's funny hearing people complain about the offense after they just scored 109 points on 47% shooting and 28 assists.

Hilarious.

[BaYBaller]

It's funny hearing people complain about the offense after they just scored 109 points on 47% shooting and 28 assists.

Hilarious.

Because people who made those complaints actually watched the game. SEA is horrible defensively (teams avg'ed 106 during their losing streak) and it took a scorching hot T-Mac in the 2nd half to get the numbers we did. T-Mac's not going to go 13-23 every night.

[King Roosk]

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Battier SHOULDN'T be doing that though. That Hayes does have that effect is why I'm starting to wonder if he won't be replaced by Landry sometime this year or next.

Agreed.

I used to want to keep Scola on the bench so that we had some firepower from the PF position off the bench, but I think Scola should supplant Hayes in the starting lineup with Landry and Hayes splitting the bench time.

[King Roosk]

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Because people who made those complaints actually watched the game. SEA is horrible defensively (teams avg'ed 106 during their losing streak) and it took a scorching hot T-Mac in the 2nd half to get the numbers we did. T-Mac's not going to go 13-23 every night.

We ran into problems offensively at points in the night, but the main problem was our defense. We constantly gave the Sonics open jumpers, and Wally Szczerbiak absolutely abused anybody under 6'5 that we stuck on him.