Knicks @ Rockets Game Thread

[Crackfool]

On the other hand, maybe T-Mac's injury was good for the team. It forced other players to step up, and when McGrady comes back, he knows he won't have to handle the ball the entire time. With everyone else playing better, McGrady won't be pressured as much to do everything.

[jzmagik]

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Nah, shouldn't be too much a problem IMO, he's a pretty willing passer when teammates are hitting shots. This is like the situation last year when we did so well without Yao, and there were some questions about how it'd be when he came back. I'd predict he'd be fine, but never know.

It's hard to say how our offense will go once he returns, right now our pgs are initiating ball movement and theres great rotation and cuts. But Tmac does dominate the ball and will make plays for him and his teammates... just not within the princeton offense, which scares me.

[HTown_TMac]

I missed the WHOLE second half and Aaron Brooks scored 14 points wow he's a beast.. Hopefully he keeps this up and develops really good and I also like the Brooks Alston Wells Lineup

[Transistor]

never saw the game...just reading the boxscore...good showing from Yao and Aaron Brooks....all I can say is wow

[BaYBaller]

I forgot to write that.

I don't like 24 3-pt attempts also.

And I hate Battier... :/

Yeah me neither. If we were still running JVG's offense we probably would've lost this game with its reliance on the 3-pt shot. If Brooks continues to improve looks like Head will be shipped out and Battier is a likely candidate too. We need an athlethic SF badly. (*cough* Rudy Gay *cough* )

[Iggyemu]

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It's hard to say how our offense will go once he returns, right now our pgs are initiating ball movement and theres great rotation and cuts. But Tmac does dominate the ball and will make plays for him and his teammates... just not within the princeton offense, which scares me.

As long as McGrady is willing and we have heard nothing to the contrary...then its on the coach to figure out how to put him in this offense. IMO he is to the starting lineup what Bonzi is to the bench. Give him wing iso's and let him go to work but don't over do it. Mix it in with basket cuts.

The thing for McGrady is buying into the pushing the ball type of style. A lot of times when he gets it...as our best open court player he doesn't push it the way he should. He has to leak out...get 1 on 2 opportunities and attack the basket and either draw a foul or get an easy two. Similar to the way LeBron does, Kobe does. Too many times McGrady gets it and slows it down when he should push and thats the main part of what he has to change when he comes back.

[jzmagik]

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As long as McGrady is willing and we have heard nothing to the contrary...then its on the coach to figure out how to put him in this offense. IMO he is to the starting lineup what Bonzi is to the bench. Give him wing iso's and let him go to work but don't over do it. Mix it in with basket cuts.

The thing for McGrady is buying into the pushing the ball type of style. A lot of times when he gets it...as our best open court player he doesn't push it the way he should. He has to leak out...get 1 on 2 opportunities and attack the basket and either draw a foul or get an easy two. Similar to the way LeBron does, Kobe does. Too many times McGrady gets it and slows it down when he should push and thats the main part of what he has to change when he comes back.

I agree, he's gotta push the ball a little better for fast break oppurtunities. He's also gotta work on cutting to the basket when he doesn't have the ball. Our guards have started to pick up on the cutting, hopefully Tmac will follow.

[BaYBaller]

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As long as McGrady is willing and we have heard nothing to the contrary...then its on the coach to figure out how to put him in this offense. IMO he is to the starting lineup what Bonzi is to the bench. Give him wing iso's and let him go to work but don't over do it. Mix it in with basket cuts.

The thing for McGrady is buying into the pushing the ball type of style. A lot of times when he gets it...as our best open court player he doesn't push it the way he should. He has to leak out...get 1 on 2 opportunities and attack the basket and either draw a foul or get an easy two. Similar to the way LeBron does, Kobe does. Too many times McGrady gets it and slows it down when he should push and thats the main part of what he has to change when he comes back.

Honestly I don't see this happening with T-Mac. He's never really been that type of player and I'd be surprised if he can change his game so late in his career.

I do however see the possibility of him being an off-rebounder that does the initial lead pass to start the break when the guards leak out. That is very much in his skillset with him being an excellent rebounder and passer for his position.

[MaxRider]

I missed the WHOLE second half and Aaron Brooks scored 14 points wow he's a beast.. Hopefully he keeps this up and develops really good and I also like the Brooks Alston Wells Lineup

he and Alston kept us in the game in the 4th

[dunleavyjr]

The one thing we didn't do well at all tonight was rebound. That was a piss poor rebounding performance. It was funny..they would just put two guys on Yao to keep him away and no other Rocket could get in there and get the board. It was the only way the Knicks stayed in the game and its what they are gonna do to us in NY from the get go to try and beat us then.

Good point, Iggy. Too many 2nd chance points were given up to the Knicks.

[Yao21]

I was really impressed by Yao's passing today. He stayed strong with the ball when he was double teamed and made great passes to his teammates who were either wide open or making cuts to the basket.

[dontel]

A. brooks = prime earl boykins?

[grond]

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Good point, Iggy. Too many 2nd chance points were given up to the Knicks.

The Randolph v Hayes matchup was particularly one-sided in the 4th. At this stage Adelman prefers Scola on the bench down the stretch ... but for how long I wonder? Offensively, he's the better option. And I don't think the gap in defense is all that wide. Certainly against strength guys like Zach, Scola presents a bigger body to box them out. He commits tic-tac fouls with his hands is the only problem. But Hayes is prone to fouls as well, though he seems to have a better handle on it this season.

Anyone notice how of his turn around shots Yao can hit the baseline TA pretty accurately, but not the huge fadeaways towards the top of the key? The excessive mvmt throws off the length of his shot (d'uh). Someone get on the horn and tell him never to take that shot again. It never goes in.

Good game Rockets. Once Brooks gets a better feel for defense he's going to be a terror. You can see him starting to pick it up already.

[nyk_buc]

even if tmac comes back and plays within the offense, we still won't be championship caliber b/c our starting lineup has too many offensive liabilities.

the reason sometimes the bench plays better than the starters b/c all our bench players can score (brooks, head, scola, bonzi).

however, with hayes and battier in the lineup (and alston's inconsistent shooting--though he's shooting well now), it's hard for the team to run the offense when nobody cares for the other 3 players, esp. hayes and battier. that's why we don't explode out of the gate offensively b/c of this very reason.

therefore, i hope adelman will EVENTUALLY change the starting lineup. i think hayes can fit in with the 2nd group just fine b/c all the other 4 guys can score (and usually tmac or yao will always be on the floor).

with scola inserted into the starting lineup, teams WILL pay if they double our stars, unlike with hayes. plus, scola has a nose for the ball even more than hayes.

defensively, hayes is much better than him. but scola can and will learn.

[grond]

Anyone here make it to the game yesterday? Knicks board is reporting chants of 'Fire Isiah' at Toyota cntr after the final whistle.