Don't Look Now but Rockets are on Fire

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

And given Pop's proficiency in making JVG and the Rockettes' D look good, this bothers me.

Discuss.

[GoSpurs21]

I agree. At this point these guys are our (the Spurs) biggest problem in the west. Mainly cause we havent beaten them this year. And now they look like they are starting to gell.

[Jdspur20]

once we come back from the all-star break having a week off, look for us to take the rockets over, book it(not that i'm saying the rockets aren't playing well). we just happend to have 2 bad nights against them and they think they won the title.

[Solid D]

They've been good for a while, now. The trade coinciding with Sura returning to full health and the team becoming acclimated to the defensive system is all kicking in.

The Spurs catch the Rockets on a 2nd game of a back to back (for the Rockets). The Spurs should be fresh, rested but maybe rusty. It's at SBC Center.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Here's what concerns me about Houston:

* We haven't shown any ability to slow down TMac

* Sura's damn near averaging a triple double again (like he did for the last month and a half last year)

* Pop seems to have this self-fulfilling prophecy with the Rockets. Every time it comes time to play them, Pop gets in his holy defensive mindset, shucks the motion offense, and goes heavy on Tim in the post, which plays right into HTown's defense.

The first two wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for our staff's stubborness concerning the third.

[T Park]

Yeah if only we had a coach.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tpark, do you even watch games?

We've coached our offense right into Jeff's defense in both games this year.

Damn dude, Pop is doing a good job with the team. It'd be nice for once if you acknowledged his shortcomings.

Fuck.

[T Park]

lmao.


Too easy.

[LakerGod]

once we come back from the all-star break having a week off, look for us to take the rockets over, book it(not that i'm saying the rockets aren't playing well). we just happend to have 2 bad nights against them and they think they won the title.
More like 2 CHOKING nights I would say...

[T Park]

I agree 100% Aggie,

I just wanted to keep things real.


We cant get along all the time bro.


I mean, youd start to like me, then, hell the forum doesn't need that.

[T Park]

I agree, I wish the Spurs would run some motion to mix it up with the Rockets, it seems, that the Spurs games against them though have come on back to backs and pop or the staff didnt want to press the team too much.


Some back cuts to the basket against the Rockets would be good.

But they look tough right now wiht Sura, Barry, McGrady, Yao, and Wesley playin well.

[LakerGod]

The Rox own the spursies this year and will win the third game as well.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

LakerGod,

Don't you have a sub. 500 team's lotto draft to get ready for? Go away.

[LakerGod]

LakerGod,

Don't you have a sub. 500 team's lotto draft to get ready for? Go away.
wah, waaaahhh waah :lol

[GoSpurs21]

just ignore the trolls and keep the discussion on reality and the trolls will go away. After all responding to the trolls is the only feedback they get from humanity. If you simply ignore them they wither and die just like the shit the spawn out of.

The childish laker trolls simply have nothing else in their lives to justify their meaningless existance so please stop feeding the SHIT.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Oh okay Tpark, screw you then in that case. :lol

[ZStomp]

Sure the Rockets have beaten the Spurs this year. They still don't worry me. In a 7 game series...I don't think there is anyone in the league that could beat the Spurs.

[GrandeDavid]

Just ignore LakerIdiot, as I am about to do. Let me find the filter.

Anyway, the Rockets are the biggest threat to the Spurs in the West, no question about it. Come playoff time their defense will be almost as tough as the Spurs', then you've got the McGrady variable and the inevitable scar of a 13 point rally in 35 seconds hanging in there. I'd honestly take the Spurs, but a series against the Rockets would not be anything quick and easy. 6 or 7 games, I'd say.

[Jdspur20]

More like 2 CHOKING nights I would say...

yeah, and the lakers haven't done any of that in the last 4 months

[totalspurshomer]

Just some stuff I picked up from watching alot of their games,articles,etc, about their turnaround this season:

1. They started out 6-11, with TMac "overly" trying to fit in.

2. Then Sura comes back from back surgery, so he tries to find his place.

3. They trade for Barry, then for Wesley. At that point, everything looks in disarray. People are really questioning the reasoning of trading Jackson and Nachbar for Wesley??? :wtf

4. Somewhere in this mess, JVG sits down with TMac and says something like, "hey I love that you're trying to fit iin, dedicating yourself to defense as well as offense, etc.....that's great, we want that, but we also need the dominant TMac." TMac takes over, makes things much easier for Yao, Sura and the cast find their place, and JVG sarcastically admits that offense can be good, too. :lol

5. TMac has become a fulltime 3. Wesley has found his shot, while playing relentless D at the 2, and everyone's saying, "aha, that's why swapped out Wesley and Jackson." Barry, and now Padgett, provide hustle and 3's. Deke is still Deke in reduced minutes, but who out there has a better backup center? Howard all of a sudden is averaging almost double digit rebounding with about half of those on the offensive end, to go with his offense.

6. Since the Wesley trade, they are 19-6. They've won 16 out of their last 20, 12 of the last 14, and the last 8 in a row. They've won close ones, blowouts, they've lost large leads and come back to win, they've won without TMac, they've won on last second shots by non-TMac,Yao players. They finish with 25-30 assists pretty regularly now.

Bottom line, regardless of who they've beaten or not beaten, they're getting their stuff together, learning from their mistakes(JVG wouldn't fail to point out those, of course), and making things very interesting as the season goes on. Their depth could be better and Sura's knee could be very key down the stretch, but things are looking pretty good right now. With an almost total team turnover, anything they do this season would be gravy. It's a team still in personnel transition mode this next offseason. BTW, for all the Yao bashers, here's a link to an interesting read. It's written by a local writer of course, but he still makes some valid points:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3042418

[Jimcs50]

8 straight and 16 of last 20....and the Spurs can not beat them.....If SA matches up with them in playoffs, it will be curtains for the men in black...their end of season, they're finished, kaput, dead meat ......

[totalspurshomer]

8 straight and 16 of last 20....and the Spurs can not beat them.....If SA matches up with them in playoffs, it will be curtains for the men in black...their end of season, they're finished, kaput, dead meat ......
:lol :lol :lol
not quite!

[Jimcs50]

:lol :lol :lol
not quite!


Well, we have 2 more games against them. so if the Spurs do not win em both, they will not have confidence against this surging Rockets team come May.

[Rummpd]

Uh that is rediculous. Memphis had a better record vs. Spurs last year and we kicked their tail. Spurs healthy they crush Houston.

Playoffs a whole nother story and McGrady has not exactly been a living legend as a winner and Rasho plays Yao as well as anyone.

They have had a nice streak but come on they are not a top 3 threat to the Spurs in west at all.

[totalspurshomer]

Hey, my money, my house, my kids are still bet on the certainty of the Spurs winning the title this year. (OK, maybe I've taken the kids off the block :lol )

The point is only that these are not the Francis/Mobley Rockets of recent memory that we could count on for brain farts and false bravado. And this is not the MeMac that is so easy to dismiss as a selfish player. All I'm saying is they've turned the corner and coming back to respectability. We can't just laugh them off anymore.

[Jimcs50]

Uh that is rediculous. Memphis had a better record vs. Spurs last year and we kicked their tail. Spurs healthy they crush Houston.

Playoffs a whole nother story and McGrady has not exactly been a living legend as a winner and Rasho plays Yao as well as anyone.

They have had a nice streak but come on they are not a top 3 threat to the Spurs in west at all.


This Rocket team is built for the playoffs. They are the only team that has made the Spurs look to try to play up tempo, and not be dragged down into ugly ball, that Houston always make SA play.....I mean, I have fallen asleep every time SA plays Houston...it is horrible bball to have to watch. The Spurs have scored a total of 147 points in TWO games against Houston......that is UGLY.

[Rummpd]

Will see how they are built for the playoffs.

I am predicting a quick first round out for that team as 6th seed; probably go against Sonics = adios rockettes.

[T Park]

fallen asleep??


Some fuckin Spurs fan.


shit.

[Jimcs50]

fallen asleep??


Some fuckin Spurs fan.


shit.


I was speaking metaphorically. :rolleyes

[Jimcs50]

And another thing...David Stern has bent over backwards to keep this kind of crap out of the game. The ratings were plummeting because of this boooooring bball. Stern changed the rules many times to try to get some excitement back into the NBA....do you like this shit that SA and Houston play?????

[Jimcs50]

I mean 147 total points for SA??? Comon, that is HORRIBLE basketball....anyway you look at it....just HORRIBLE.

[T Park]

Its defense.

Dont like it? Dont watch.


The last game between Houston and SA was oK with me.

Two great defensive teams facin off, thats all.

[Jimcs50]

Its defense.

Dont like it? Dont watch.


The last game between Houston and SA was oK with me.

Two great defensive teams facin off, thats all.
IT WAS NOT DEFENSE, IT WAS horrible horrible SHOOTING AND horrible horrible passing.

The Spurs shot 35% from the floor, shot 63% from the FT line and had 13 TOs....it was awful just awful......UGLY.

These two team set basketball back 100 yrs when they play each other.

David Stern cringes at the thought of these two teams meeting in the playoffs.

[exstatic]

How many regular season games did SA take from Houston back in 93-94? All of them, I think. ;) They then proceeded to punk our asses when it counted, because they were champions, and we weren't. TMac is not a champion, and probably never will be.

All playoff series are 7 games now. The Spurs will beat any WC team in a 7 game series. Make your Finals plans now, and beat the rush.

Charles Oakley said it best:
"In the playoffs, the lights get brighter, and the rims get smaller"

Add to that "TMac's ass puckers tighter". This guy wanted to fucking quit/retire on his team last year when they started slowly. Turn up the pressure, and he folds like a cheap card table.

[T Park]

94 95 ex, but we got your point. Great post bro.

[Jimcs50]

Add to that "TMac's ass puckers tighter". This guy wanted to fucking quit/retire on his team last year when they started slowly. Turn up the pressure, and he folds like a cheap card table.

13 pts in 37 secs...yeah, he folded. :rolleyes

When has he had a good team to play with in the post season?

I would trade any Spur not named TD for him right now, and so would you.

And I love Manu too, but damn, at least I admit TMac is a top 5-6 player in this league.