game Thread Rockets against Memphis

[TMU]

Given the horrible defensive display by the rockets, wonder why Adelman didnot try to play Chuck Hayes to protect the paint better? Chuck has 0 playing time in this game.

Interesting observation. Landry was getting burned by Warrick, am I correct?

[TMACFORMVP]

Yeah, while Chuck may not be an enforcer in the paint, he's a terrific team and man defender. He'd have been a better option than Artest tonight, not only defensively, but offensively too, lol.

[Teckon]

Yeah, while Chuck may not be an enforcer in the paint, he's a terrific team and man defender. He'd have been a better option than Artest tonight, not only defensively, but offensively too, lol.

For this game, I have to agree with you. How bad can chuck be comparing to 1-10. Chuck's usual 0-2 is still better.

[Guy986]

Its a back to back against a young athletic team. I'll cut the Rockets some slack. We tend to struggle against teams like Philly and Memphis. Its ok, atleast we won't see them in the playoffs.

On a side note, Artest has got to be the most inconsistent offensive player ever. I'm sick of his fade away shot off the dribble. Its ugly....

[TMACFORMVP]

For this game, I have to agree with you. How bad can chuck be comparing to 1-10. Chuck's usual 0-2 is still better.

Yeah, at least the 0-2 would have been in the flow of the offense.

[YaoZaii]

1-10 and 0-2

8 shots could have been given to Yao and gang... maybe we could have won! lol.

[Iggyemu]

Didn't watch but from what I could tell our starters played well enough to win. Our bench just didn't show up led by Artest. To be quite honest...the only way were gonna beat them was to out score them. They are too athletic for us to match up with. We may have someone like Battier who can guard Gay...but nobody can guard Mayo. Thats just more speed than we have. Most good teams in the NBA can't match up with the Grizzles...so a lot of the times they just outscore em. The Lakers, Hornets etc. Just outscore them b/c you can't stop them and they can't stop you but you probably have more offensive weapons.

Tonight it seems like if our bench had shown up we would have been fine. This goes back to a measure of consistency. And we have a very short amount.

[grond]

To give them credit, the Grizz were ridiculously hot tonight. Plus, Gasol/Darko gave Yao a bit of trouble. Some of the time I thought they, especially Darko, got away with blatant pushes, but nothing new there. And Mayo is awesome.

Good stuff by Yao coming down the stretch. Almost brought us all the way back.

Agree Hayes in spots to defense Warrick would have been a good move.

That lineup at the start of the 4th hurt (Artest + bench). When Artest is playing with Mac/Yao, it's kinda ok, because mostly he shoots with his feet set and, best of all, doesn't handle the ball much. But with the bench he seems to feel he has a free reign to get the ball and do whatever-the-hell he likes with it. Adelman has to reign him in and get that particular unit (which I guess is our default start-of-4th-qtr lineup while Mac/Yao rest) to play to some sort of damn system.

[tha_rock220]

To be quite honest...the only way were gonna beat them was to out score them.

I'm not gonna lie to you Iggy. I have no idea what this means beyond what it says.

This game is a prime example of the stupidity of hiring Adelman. The Rockets aren't trying to stop anybody. They got burned on that screen and roll with Conley and Warrick several times, and not an adjustment to be made. Yao is no longer interested in showing on screens which JVG made him do. Tracy McGrady looks like a damn matador. All Ron Artest does is gamble by letting guys go by and trying to give them a reach-around. It's total friggin garbitch.

Then at the end of the game, instead of going back to Yao we settle for a Brent Barry three. WHAT!!!! The guy hasn't played in three damn games Ric and you give him the green light to shoot!?!?!? They cut the game to 4, decided they had it won(while they were behind no less), went back to playing like they did in the 3rd, and they lost the game by nine.

This team has absolutely no flow in their offense. McGrady, Yao, and Artest take turns making a go with the ball with Ron getting the least chances. So he reminds me of the fat kid in full court games. If gets the rebound or a steal he takes off to the other end. It doesn't matter if it's a 1 on 2 break and the logical thing is to slow it down, he's gonna try that damn layup.

So now they're on pace for 50 wins and a date with SA or LA in the 1st round. Yeah, that'll end T-Mac and Yao's playoff problems.

[Iggyemu]

To be quite honest...the only way were gonna beat them was to out score them.

I'm not gonna lie to you Iggy. I have no idea what this means beyond what it says.

HAHA. When I wrote I didn't think of it in that way if you know what I mean. I just meant that they'll score 100 points and we'll have to score 101. In other words it was gonna be high scoring game...we weren't gonna be able to stop them. We would just have to out score them in a high scoring game which is something we aren't capable of doing it would seem. I dunno if that makes sense.

[hackle]

adelman is taking the risk for experimenting... good coaches always experiment in the regular season, when knowing play off is secured.
our problem is that our experiments dont amount to nothing yet, and we cant say we can secure any play off spot....
it's all injuries man... last season it was Yao, this season it's everybody. as a coach you cant do a lot with this constantly changing roster. adelman just get caught in back luck

[moofs]

This team has absolutely no flow in their offense. McGrady, Yao, and Artest take turns making a go with the ball with Ron getting the least chances. So he reminds me of the fat kid in full court games. If gets the rebound or a steal he takes off to the other end. It doesn't matter if it's a 1 on 2 break and the logical thing is to slow it down, he's gonna try that damn layup.

That was all obvious to happen before the season even started, and was one of the big reasons I didn't like the trade, but no disappointment there. It's the lack of defense that has killed me. I knew Artest wasn't a team defender, but thought his defense would complement Battier's very nicely. So natch, when his 1v1 defense sucks all year, I'm left scratching my head. While I don't know the definitive solution, I'd still like to see him gone so our offensive flow can be restored, at the least, since he doesn't help on defense.

This game is a prime example of the stupidity of hiring Adelman. The Rockets aren't trying to stop anybody. They got burned on that screen and roll with Conley and Warrick several times, and not an adjustment to be made. Yao is no longer interested in showing on screens which JVG made him do. Tracy McGrady looks like a damn matador. All Ron Artest does is gamble by letting guys go by and trying to give them a reach-around. It's total friggin garbitch.

On the bright side at least we know Artest's nickname will never be Gomer Pyle.

[Baller 24]

Ridiculous, simply amazing. Play such a great game two nights ago, and then we blow it here. Hey, at least everyone other than Artest played well, I agree with anyone that said Yao needs MORE shots. We need to give him like 15-17 shots AT LEAST, I don't understand why Artest jacks up 3 pointers when the shot realistically looks idiotic.

[moofs]

As far as last night's game though, yao had to leave the game clutching his stomach, artest is playing hurt and stupid, tmac is still not 85% (new resolution: I'm never calling McGrady "100%" again. From now on, his new 100% is 85%. Potentially 90% if he's feeling rather spry sometime. {his "110%"}), battier's still slow, and they match up with us really well. I'm all for Chuck Hayes instead of Artest, too. What bit we lose defensively (guarding 2's/3's) we gain offensively. (yes, I said it.)