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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12370

I know its from hoopscrap but they wrote a good article for once.

Believing In Aaron Brooks

By: Wendell Maxey Last Updated: 4/22/09 10:18 AM ET | 624 times read



Adjust font size:Aaron Brooks knows what he is talking about.
Prior to the start of Game 1 between Houston and Portland, photocopies of a story that ran in the Oregonian by Joe Freeman days earlier rested on the Blazers locker room chairs for the team to eat up.

Only the first two paragraphs of the story were featured on the sheet, complete with a quote from the diminutive Rockets point guard.

"I think we played pretty good against the Trail Blazers," Brooks said, back after Houston put the hurt on Portland in early April. "In a first-round matchup, this might be our most favorable one, honestly."

The Blazers didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to read it. And after the Rockets rolled the Blazers in Game 1 in Portland, the entire locker room didn't want to have to re-live it or admit that maybe Brooks' prediction was right on the money.

"I got off to a good rhythm," said Brooks after Game 1, in which he finished with 27 points including 5 three-pointers.

"I don't know," Brooks quipped when asked why he typically plays well against Portland.

"I haven't tried to figure it out. I know the fans are booing me, and I know they don't dislike me or hate me. I know they just have to – because they are Blazers fans. I hope I didn't lose any friends out there. I love the city of Portland, but my home is in Houston now."

Game 2 didn't go as well for Houston as Brooks would have hoped. Despite having another stellar game – 23 points, and going 4-5 from beyond the arc – Brooks and the Rockets couldn't prevent Portland from evening d the series at 1-1.

Yet after dropping Game 2, and everything Houston has been through this season – losing Tracy McGrady and finishing as a fifth seed instead of a second seed in the playoffs – here Brooks stands essentially helping boost Houston upon his 6-foot frame.

Once a back-up to the since traded Rafer Alston, the Rockets are now his team. Who would have thought that from a guy who was barely drafted (26th overall by Houston in 2007) in the first round?

Now here he stands in his second postseason and manning up. Big-time. Huge.
"He's a young player and he has so much talent. Any time a guy has talent and works hard, you are happy for him," said Shane Battier.

"He's taken some heat because this is his team, because the ball is in his court so to speak. When he plays well, we play well."

When asked if this was the best he's seen Brooks play, Ron Artest didn't hesitate.

"No," Artest shot back.

"I know that he plays like that. He was just focused. When he's focused, that's how he plays. When he's wide open, he's knocking down shots. That's nothing new. When you got Yao, you've got to pay attention to him. When you've got me out there, you've got to pay attention. You've got to pay attention to everybody, so it's like pick your poison."

Don't think for a second Portland won't be keeping their eyes on Brooks down in Houston for Games 3 and 4.

They know if he keeps on keeping on, it could spell doom for the Blazers postseason run.

And Brooks certainly will have something to say about that before all is said and done.

mod pls suspend him for posting from hoopsworld

Ok, I understand why hoopsworld isn't allowed, they make up rumors and what not, but this is an article on a player/game...whats wrong with it?

im not happy he didnt do more... he is the quarterback for the team... the guy with the ball...

stockmarketgod wrote:im not happy he didnt do more... he is the quarterback for the team... the guy with the ball...

Omg...


...

...

26 ppg 6asg.

on 65+% shooting.

You want AB to do more but you certainly don't have a problem with Yao, Artest< scola or anyone else not doing more. I think it is just a genuine and sharpe detest for Brooks. If you actually read the article you would understand why its such a big deal for a 27th pick to be doing all this after starting only 40 games and playing in his 2nd season.

The way he played last night down the stretch doesn't bode well for him. Its one thing to be big in a blowout...its much different in a close game as a PG where you have to get your team a good shot. He didn't do a good job last night.

The jury is still out on this kid. But he is the key to this series.

He had a really bad turnover, but redeemed himself with several big shots down the stretch. I'll take my chances with the guy shooting 65%. He's a star in the making.

T-Wack wrote:He had a really bad turnover, but redeemed himself with several big shots down the stretch. I'll take my chances with the guy shooting 65%. He's a star in the making.

When he made those shots it was a 9 point lead with a little under a min to go. So they aren't big shots...they are 'just chuck it up and see what happens shots. There was no pressure on those shots...the game was more or less over. He just made Portland make FTs to hold onto an already sizable lead for that part of the game.

It still gave us a chance. And at the end of a game, in their house, it's all we can really ask for. Especially after that brutal spanking we gave in game 1. He kept the pressure on, and showed that if they want to beat us, even at home, they're going to have to bust their asses.

It at the very least showed some fight.

T-Wack wrote:It still gave us a chance. And at the end of a game, in their house, it's all we can really ask for. Especially after that brutal spanking we gave in game 1. He kept the pressure on, and showed that if they want to beat us, even at home, they're going to have to bust their asses.

It at the very least showed some fight.

I'll give you this...if he can carry that shooting over to game 3 then we'll be OK. I do like what I have seen from him in terms of scoring in both games. We just can't have those turnovers down the stretch like that. That one turnover took it from a two possession game to 3 possession game with about a minute left. Very hard to come back from that. He has to do a better job of getting the rest of this team into position on offense b/c nobody else can. Its his job...he didn't do it well last night. I hope he can do it in game 3.

We need a Bigger PG to play next to Brooks, so he can play the Iverson role.

As I have stated before, the undersized PG is the way of the future, it wasn't that long ago, that the PF position was usually just a slightly shorter centre, a bruiser that "enforced" in games, (Charles Oakley type players) now look, PF's camp out on the perimeter, or at least have 20 - 25 foot range, and can usually handle the ball fairly well. In the early to Mid 90's if you said this is what the PF position was going to be, people would laugh at you.

Aaron Brooks, just needs the one thing that only time in this league grants. Experience. Until that happens, he will make mistakes, and he will struggle with his consistencey. A guy named Tony Parker had the same problem when he first started playing NBA basketball. He is now arguably, (Besides Chris Paul) the best PG in the Western Conference.

IF AB isn't being aggressive throughout the whole game on scoring....

He is useless, I say that with my head down because we have seen several times throughout the 2nd half, where AB would have these horrible T/O when the game was 5 point difference under 5 minutes.

You can score 40 points but if you can't handle the pressure at the end. To me that is useless, especially if you are handling the ball. The point of the game is to win and AB isn't very good at winning games at the end, sure he made some big baskets, but he has more TO at the end of the game, than big shots.

Just look at last game.

1 turnover was a lazy ass pass to Scola, which resulted in a easy 2 point dunk. 91-90 to 93-90
1 Turnover was dribbling in between 2 Portland defenders, falling flat on his face and losing the ball. 96-90 to 98-90.

Both of them under 5 minutes in the 4th with a close game.

You can't have that, if he didn't have those 2 TO, the outcome would be very different or at least potentially different. Its the same **** we complain about Yao about his TO, but AB is different because he is holding the ball longer and he is the one driving the offense. He needs to make sure the ball either goes into the hoop or goes to someone for a good shot.

And.....................................he really needs to stop fking passing it to Artest all the time, especially when the fool is taking 8 3 pointers in a game and only making 1. But I guess that's how AB gets his assists.

AB still hasn't recognize the strengths of each player. He constantly avoids Scola at the mid-range game, I would take 10 mid-range jumpers from Scola vs 10 3 point attempts from Artest.

He has no clue how to use Landry and worst of all he is undersized to pass it to Yao (especially his stupid low bounce passes).

He really needs to score from 1-4 quarter to be effective. That doesn't mean I count his garbage time minute scoring, like last night.

It's tough to expect a sophomore point guard to start and finish strong. The competition in the playoffs is at a whole different level from that of the regular season, and for the most part, Brooks has been impressive. I don't think you can't really blame him for the loss considering there are other factors that caused us the game. It's all part of the learning experience, although it's a costly one.

But smapor makes a good point about the high pick and roll with Scola. Scola has been severely underutilized and Brooks needs to find a way to get him involved, especially if Yao is neutralized by his fouls. This applies to Ron as well, who's been horrible distributing the ball.

T-Mac United wrote:It's tough to expect a sophomore point guard to start and finish strong. The competition in the playoffs is at a whole different level from that of the regular season, and for the most part, Brooks has been impressive. I don't think you can't really blame him for the loss considering there are other factors that caused us the game. It's all part of the learning experience, although it's a costly one.

But smapor makes a good point about the high pick and roll with Scola. Scola has been severely underutilized and Brooks needs to find a way to get him involved, especially if Yao is neutralized by his fouls. This applies to Ron as well, who's been horrible distributing the ball.

I know AB is a sophomore but man he needs to slow it down in the 4th in a tight game. I just hope he learns.

I know we may lose the 1st round, so I really have no expectations for this team. I am not going to be pissed at anybody, not going to say crap that Yao didn't get out of the 1st round, nothing.

I think if we get a healthy T-mac back (big if) or we get a big time player to fill T-macs slot, Rockets are going to look good for the next 3-4 years.

Look at Boston, it only took 1 year to turn it around and win a championship. Rockets may not have a dynasty but they can always win 1 big one.

Last few years, I realize despite T-mac and Yao, we had bad rosters, bad break (dallas series with the refs, and bad matchups (Jazz)

AB still has time and I hope he pulls it through and I also hope T-mac comes back healthy and with a chip on his shoulder and pray we have no injuries next year (especially with Yao). I want to see a healthy Rockets team in the playoffs.

Hoopsworld is junk really. Not only is the information there suspect the writing is substandard.

But I think you guys are being too hard on Brooks. He had a couple of bad TOs, but overall he played a great game. He repeatedly broke down POR's defense and found the open man. Most of those 3's by Artest were wide open spot up 3's. He didn't hit them but you take that shot everytime you get it as he's shooting like 40% from 3 this season. Brooks is absolutely going to be the key this series if they continue to front Yao as he can burn Blake off the dribble at will.

And yes PGs is very much the position of the future - Stern is making it so from all the rule changes throughout the years.

sook wrote:

stockmarketgod wrote:im not happy he didnt do more... he is the quarterback for the team... the guy with the ball...

Omg...


...

...

26 ppg 6asg.

on 65+% shooting.

You want AB to do more but you certainly don't have a problem with Yao, Artest< scola or anyone else not doing more. I think it is just a genuine and sharpe detest for Brooks. If you actually read the article you would understand why its such a big deal for a 27th pick to be doing all this after starting only 40 games and playing in his 2nd season.

yes OMG...

you remind me of the Yao only fans, who were happy Yao in his first 2 years in the playoffs, when he was shooting like over 60% on 6 of 8 shooting. but Yao played great!!!!

ya but we lost, and you could have done more

bottom line is this if you are not going to get your bigs invovled... Okay Yao was being a vag with the fronting, but then what is the excuse with Scola

sure lets pass the ball to the bal hog Artest who was on a 2 for 12 shooting night after the 1st Quarter

and then you need to reconize the ball should go either to the #1 option, or the guy with the hot hand maybe the guy shooting 65%!!!!!!!!!

(okay the #1 option is being a vag.... hmmmm who has the hot hand.... o wait thats me....)


AB had 26 points, was that a great game yes, but then Roy had 42 and we lost the game

is it fair? to compare?

no,

but

if I do not see turn over after turn over after turn over trying to force feed the big stiff,

or Scola on the block

then it tells me...the guy with the ball in his hands wants to be "the man" thats fine, but you do what ever it takes to win.

its the playoffs

win or go home....

stockmarketgod wrote:

sook wrote:

stockmarketgod wrote:im not happy he didnt do more... he is the quarterback for the team... the guy with the ball...

Omg...


...

...

26 ppg 6asg.

on 65+% shooting.

You want AB to do more but you certainly don't have a problem with Yao, Artest< scola or anyone else not doing more. I think it is just a genuine and sharpe detest for Brooks. If you actually read the article you would understand why its such a big deal for a 27th pick to be doing all this after starting only 40 games and playing in his 2nd season.

yes OMG...

you remind me of the Yao only fans, who were happy Yao in his first 2 years in the playoffs, when he was shooting like over 60% on 6 of 8 shooting. but Yao played great!!!!

ya but we lost, and you could have done more

bottom line is this if you are not going to get your bigs invovled... Okay Yao was being a vag with the fronting, but then what is the excuse with Scola

sure lets pass the ball to the bal hog Artest who was on a 2 for 12 shooting night after the 1st Quarter

and then you need to reconize the ball should go either to the #1 option, or the guy with the hot hand maybe the guy shooting 65%!!!!!!!!!

(okay the #1 option is being a vag.... hmmmm who has the hot hand.... o wait thats me....)


AB had 26 points, was that a great game yes, but then Roy had 42 and we lost the game

is it fair? to compare?

no,

but

if I do not see turn over after turn over after turn over trying to force feed the big stiff,

or Scola on the block

then it tells me...the guy with the ball in his hands wants to be "the man" thats fine,

its the playoffs

win or go home....

you do what ever it takes to win. be it 20 shots in the first quarter, or drive after drive after drive to the basket.

Quoting yourself is cool..

Guy986 wrote:Quoting yourself is cool..

Ya Rly.