Genuine question for my Rockets fans.

[sook]

As i have been scrolling through multiple rocket's forums through the course of the day I have come accross many apalling and classless remarks made by those among us.

This concerns Aaron Brooks. A 2nd year PG taken with the 26th pick that has started 41 games. First I think it is necessary to post his statistics so far over the 2 games.

26ppg
6APG
69% from 3
65% from the field.


I have been very impressed by this guy, normally we expect our young players to disappear with all the pressure (Head) but he took his game up several notches. All this being said, as i was reading some comments i could not believe it. I read things like:


FK you brooks why can't you be more aggressive!


Brooks too much scoring PG not good for Yao or Rockets

Why are you hitting those 3s now? Couldn't you do it earlier?


I hope that little rat falls and breaks his leg

Now, has everybody forgotten about the rest of the team...especially Yao? Not just that, its BROOK'S FAULY Yao doesn't get enough touches :lol. If Yao wants the ball, he needs to seal off his man and demand it. Have people forgotten about Artest and Scola? Why criticize our Best player the last two games? He had a TO in a critical point of Yesterday's game but isn't he entitled to make mistakes that seemingly all young guard's make? He was handed the reigns of this team mid season and asked to lead. I don't understand all the Yao adulation when he is expected to be the leader yet, never takes the burden of the blame.

It is apparent that Brooks has become the new scapegoat since Tmac went out and it needs to stop. Win or lose this series, i have been very impressed with out PG.

[Spursfan092120]

As i have been scrolling through multiple rocket's forums through the course of the day I have come accross many apalling and classless remarks made by those among us.

This concerns Aaron Brooks. A 2nd year PG taken with the 26th pick that has started 41 games. First I think it is necessary to post his statistics so far over the 2 games.

26ppg
6APG
69% from 3
65% from the field.


I have been very impressed by this guy, normally we expect our young players to disappear with all the pressure (Head) but he took his game up several notches. All this being said, as i was reading some comments i could not believe it. I read things like:








Now, has everybody forgotten about the rest of the team...especially Yao? Not just that, its BROOK'S FAULY Yao doesn't get enough touches :lol. If Yao wants the ball, he needs to seal off his man and demand it. Have people forgotten about Artest and Scola? Why criticize our Best player the last two games? He had a TO in a critical point of Yesterday's game but isn't he entitled to make mistakes that seemingly all young guard's make? He was handed the reigns of this team mid season and asked to lead. I don't understand all the Yao adulation when he is expected to be the leader yet, never takes the burden of the blame.

It is apparent that Brooks has become the new scapegoat since Tmac went out and it needs to stop. Win or lose this series, i have been very impressed with out PG.
Not a Rockets fan, and take it for what it's worth to you, but I agree with you, sook. Brooks has been great for the Rockets as of late. Artest and Scola have been all but absent for the playoffs so far.

[sook]

Not a Rockets fan, and take it for what it's worth to you, but I agree with you, sook. Brooks has been great for the Rockets as of late. Artest and Scola have been all but absent for the playoffs so far.

Thanks for voicing your opinion, i guess i shoudn't have limited the scope of the question to just rockets fans. I agree with you. Artest needs to play his ROLE and realize he isn't Kobe and Scola needs to paly his game. No midrange jumpers all the time. He is the best finisher on the team, he needs to play deeper and show some better defense on LMA, who went off for 28 points which is inexcusable.

But most of all...YAO STOP BEING A PUSS!!

[Bob Lanier]

Brooks cost the Rockets the game last night with his ballhogging and refusing to pass. You expect that from Artest, but that makes it even more vital that your point guard run the offense rather than dribbling around and chucking up shots - and that means getting the ball to your big men and moving without it.

Good shooter, awful point guard.

[sook]

Brooks cost the Rockets the game last night.

He was also the only reason they were in it. See...i don't understand that type of logic

He was 9-12 fgs
4-5 from 3
5 assists. (decent)


He actually scored 11 points in the last 30 seconds of the game. So please elaboratae....how was it his fault? I presume you are talking about that late TO, and he deserves to at least learn from his mistakes.

So like i said in my original post, Missed FTs, Yao, Scola aren't to blame?

Brooks cost them the match. Isee.

[sook]

Brooks cost the Rockets the game last night with his ballhogging and refusing to pass. You expect that from Artest, but that makes it even more vital that your point guard run the offense rather than dribbling around and chucking up shots - and that means getting the ball to your big men and moving without it.

Good shooter, awful point guard.

Look dude, here is the problem. Was there any problem of him doing that in game 1? No. Its the front.

Yao gets fronted so he is useless.

Option 1: Pass to Artest

Option 2: battier, won't ever shoot it

Option 3: Scola who cleans up the mess, not the person whose hands you want the ball in.


If you're 9/12 from the field and 4/5 from 3 and you keep shooting. Why is that a problem considering your C (best player) is nonexistant?

[Bob Lanier]

He actually scored 11 points in the last 30 seconds of the game.
At which point the Rockets had already lost because of the style of game the Rockets were playing.


I presume you are talking about that late TO
No. Don't care about that.

Luis Scola missed a bunch of free throws but overall played quite well. But how many times did he touch the ball in the high post?

Yao Ming is unguardable by any Blazer player but several times went for five to ten minute stretches in which he did not even touch the ball. That is inexcusable, and the blame for it falls entirely on the Houston players who were calling plays and taking shots - Brooks and Artest. Yao was fronted, and the Rockets guards refused to give up the ball for a quick skip pass to get him the ball. Yao was doubled, and the Rockets guards refused to create shots for the open shooters, instead chucking up their own shots from the top of the arc or driving into heavy traffic. Yao was played one-on-one, and the Rockets guard refused to give him the ball anyway.

The Houston Rockets are the better team in this series. They have the better defense (by a lot), the best player (by a little), and are Portland's match at shooting. The only way the Rockets can lose the series is by losing discipline offensively, going away from inside-out basketball and allowing Portland to get stops which fuel quick isos from Roy and Aldridge before Houston's defense is set up. And the only way the Rockets can go away from inside-out basketball is for their starting backcourt to take six times more shots than the best offensive center on the planet.

The Rockets played impatient and dumb basketball, and that starts and ends with their point guard Brooks. That he almost won the game single-handedly in the last three minutes of the game does not redeem the previous forty-five minutes in which he dug that hole to begin with, again almost single-handedly.

Brooks is a quality shooter, but he knows less about playing point guard in the NBA unselfishly than does Rafer Alston.

If Houston expects to win the next two games, playing Lowry or Brent Barry at the point more is a key adjustment.

[Bob Lanier]

Yao gets fronted so he is useless.You keep repeating this bullshit like it's true.

[robbie380]

At which point the Rockets had already lost because of the style of game the Rockets were playing.


No. Don't care about that.

Luis Scola missed a bunch of free throws but overall played quite well. But how many times did he touch the ball in the high post?

Yao Ming is unguardable by any Blazer player but several times went for five to ten minute stretches in which he did not even touch the ball. That is inexcusable, and the blame for it falls entirely on the Houston players who were calling plays and taking shots - Brooks and Artest. Yao was fronted, and the Rockets guards refused to give up the ball for a quick skip pass to get him the ball. Yao was doubled, and the Rockets guards refused to create shots for the open shooters, instead chucking up their own shots from the top of the arc or driving into heavy traffic. Yao was played one-on-one, and the Rockets guard refused to give him the ball anyway.

The Houston Rockets are the better team in this series. They have the better defense (by a lot), the best player (by a little), and are Portland's match at shooting. The only way the Rockets can lose the series is by losing discipline offensively, going away from inside-out basketball and allowing Portland to get stops which fuel quick isos from Roy and Aldridge before Houston's defense is set up. And the only way the Rockets can go away from inside-out basketball is for their starting backcourt to take six times more shots than the best offensive center on the planet.

The Rockets played impatient and dumb basketball, and that starts and ends with their point guard Brooks. That he almost won the game single-handedly in the last three minutes of the game does not redeem the previous forty-five minutes in which he dug that hole to begin with, again almost single-handedly.

Brooks is a quality shooter, but he knows less about playing point guard in the NBA unselfishly than does Rafer Alston.

If Houston expects to win the next two games, playing Lowry or Brent Barry at the point more is a key adjustment.

i agree 100%. if there was a way to put lowry's coolness into brooks then he could be a bad ass point guard...but...he doesn't have that at this point. he runs around like a chicken with his head cut off and doesn't run the offense. his problem is that he will run around the court for 15 seconds but not really be setting up a play. hell i remember one play last game where yao got the ball on the weak side post and then kicked out to brooks for the re-post and brooks didn't even look to dump it back to yao. it wasn't because he was being selfish but more because it seemed like he didn't know what to do and wasn't ready to execute.

brooks has a lot of growing up to do. the game just hasn't slowed down for him yet and i hope it does because the guy seems like he could be a very talented player.

[robbie380]

If Yao wants the ball, he needs to seal off his man and demand it.

how many bs offensive fouls does yao get when he gets aggressive and tries to do this? anytime yao puts an elbow up to seal off then he gets called for a foul since his elbows are so high on anyone else and he hits them in the neck or face. yes yao isn't mobile and this is the main cause of his inabilty to combat fronting but you can't ignore the fact that he gets fucked on the offensive foul calls.

[robbie380]

and 1 more thing about the game....if the rockets had been force feeding the ball to yao, even at the expense of a few turnovers, then i'm pretty sure the game changes completely because we likely foul out priscilla as well as oden and maybe even aldridge.

[Lars]

You keep repeating this bullshit like it's true.

It is absolutely 100% true. Yao cannot defeat a fronting defense. He is completely and totally worthless when a defender learns how to front correctly.

Ignorant Rocket fans keep spewing this same bullshit as well. Waah wahh, how come Yao only has 3 shots? Brooks never passes. Artest keeps taking bad shots. I literally smash my dick with a hammer when I watch our offense try and get Yao the ball for 21 sec and then Brooks or Artest have to try and salvage the play with a forced shot. Like clockwork I read people complain about how the coach sucks or these players are ball hogs.

Yao cannot move laterally at all, not one bit. If a rebound falls anywhere near him and he can't reach out and snag it, he will lose it, because he can't fucking move at all.

Rewatch games one and two and you will see a huge difference in the way Yao is defended.

[Roxsfan]

I love brooks.

[Bob Lanier]

It is absolutely 100% true. Yao cannot defeat a fronting defense. He is completely and totally worthless when a defender learns how to front correctly.
Lars on the Blazers: "Brandon Roy cannot defeat a face-guarding defense. He is completely and totally worthless when a defender learns how to deny the ball correctly."

Yes, if Roy stayed in one place juking and rolling, no screens were set to free him, and the man holding the ball stood in one region of the floor not allowing another player to try a pass from a different angle, he'd be one piss-poor shooting guard. Battier could hold him to zero points every single night.

Basketball is a very simple game if you can count with all the fingers on your hand.

[Lars]

Lars on the Blazers: "Brandon Roy cannot defeat a face-guarding defense. He is completely and totally worthless when a defender learns how to deny the ball correctly."

Yes, if Roy stayed in one place juking and rolling, no screens were set to free him, and the man holding the ball stood in one region of the floor not allowing another player to try a pass from a different angle, he'd be one piss-poor shooting guard. Battier could hold him to zero points every single night.

Basketball is a very simple game if you can count with all the fingers on your hand.

Son don't be retarded. Roy learned how to walk, Yao never did.

[Indazone]

Thanks for voicing your opinion, i guess i shoudn't have limited the scope of the question to just rockets fans. I agree with you. Artest needs to play his ROLE and realize he isn't Kobe and Scola needs to paly his game. No midrange jumpers all the time. He is the best finisher on the team, he needs to play deeper and show some better defense on LMA, who went off for 28 points which is inexcusable.

But most of all...YAO STOP BEING A PUSS!!

You're a bona fide Yao hater so I don't take much of what you say about him seriously. If a team takes away a player as an option, then your other players need to step up. Aaron was too tentative in the beginning. Artest shot up multiple shots and missed. Scola didn't score the way that he can and the ball was not distributed as it should have been. Only analysis that makes sense is Adlemans and I'll take his opinion seriously. Not some fan who's kneejerk opinion is to throw our best player under the bus.

[timvp]

As i have been scrolling through multiple rocket's forums through the course of the day I have come accross many apalling and classless remarks made by those among us.Did you look to make sure that the sky is still blue?

[Indazone]

If the Rockets were smart they would play the high low post game that Duncan and Robinson used to play with Yao and Scola. Aside from that Brooks can create his own shot but he needs to get the big men the ball too like a real point guard. Artest is just a chucker. He's good when his shot is falling but his shot is only falling when he gets set. He thinks he can shoot on the move which he clearly cannot.

[Allanon]

I have been very impressed by this guy, normally we expect our young players to disappear with all the pressure (Head) but he took his game up several notches.

I agree, Brooks has been one of the highlights of this series. Sure he made mistakes but that's to be expected from a young guard. I do think he needs to get the ball more to Yao this next game. And knowing what a smart player he is, he will.

Come to think of it, Brooks has been one of the best young players in the Playoffs so far.

I think he's far exceeded expectations in these Playoffs and gets a free pass for a couple of mistakes.

And he's destroying the Portland PG's too.

[sook]

It is absolutely 100% true. Yao cannot defeat a fronting defense. He is completely and totally worthless when a defender learns how to front correctly.

Ignorant Rocket fans keep spewing this same bullshit as well. Waah wahh, how come Yao only has 3 shots? Brooks never passes. Artest keeps taking bad shots. I literally smash my dick with a hammer when I watch our offense try and get Yao the ball for 21 sec and then Brooks or Artest have to try and salvage the play with a forced shot. Like clockwork I read people complain about how the coach sucks or these players are ball hogs.

Yao cannot move laterally at all, not one bit. If a rebound falls anywhere near him and he can't reach out and snag it, he will lose it, because he can't fucking move at all.

Rewatch games one and two and you will see a huge difference in the way Yao is defended.

EXACTLY.

Bob Lanier. Yao is WAY TOO slow laterally to get the ball. So basically ever guard we have had sucks at getting Yao the ball?


There is a reason our offense COLLAPSES when he gets fronted. I have been watching fronting for 4 seasons , yes teams fronted him back then too but not nearly as much.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I don't understand why Rockets fans would complain about this guy.....would they prefer a Rafer Alston return? Doubt it.

[Bob Lanier]

Yao is WAY TOO slow laterally to get the ball.
This is a nonsense sentence, either word salad from a brain-damaged person or jargon spouting from a child trying to fool adults into believing he's knowledgeable.

Ball movement is faster than player movement. Movement off ball is more efficient at creating openings than isolated grappling. If you don't understand how passing makes basketball easier, then you do not understand basketball at all - something I'm having increasingly little trouble believing.

So basically ever guard we have had sucks at getting Yao the ball?
Except for McGrady, Sura, and to a very small extent Alston, yes. Your front office has a history of hiring dumb, marginally capable players, much like Golden State, the Clippers, New York, and Utah.

If the Rockets played Brent Barry (if Brent Barry is capable of playing anymore) you'd see what I mean.

[Bob Lanier]

would they prefer a Rafer Alston return?
Being beaten with rattan canes is preferable to being beaten with a steel chain.

[Lars]

I would take more creedance in your arguements if you gave specific examples or suggestions as opposed to this theoretical fundamentals babble. Brent Barry was used a lot in the begining, but was innefective.

[sook]

Look Lanier, what you're saying is purely hypothetical. When you think about it it doesn't sound to difficult too battle the front, the problem is, there are too many variables involved. What makes you think that if Rick Adelman and JVG couldn't find a solution you can? Here is the fundamental problem. In Yao's ideal system, its him a bunch of role players. He can kick it out of the double and hit the open man for the 3 or jumper. The fact is, when this happens WE DON'T. That is the two edged sword, the role players are rendered confused. Please don't tell me you know more about it by watching a couple of playoff games than me when I have analyzed this problem for more than 3 seasons. When Mcgrady was here, he was that guy that could make the front pay. The thing is, we weren't that great of a team because the two couldn't complement each other two well. Actually, even Mcgrady, IMO the 2nd best passing wing last year when he was with us, couldn't at times either. Ironically we were playing sac. and I will never forget that game. Brad Miller is one of the adept few that could hurt Yao so bad on the offensive end. Artest would D mcgrady up and Yao being fronted spelled our doom.

All in all, it may sound like icecream and fudge to you as you try to lecture us, but please stop because you are depicting yourself only to be an ameture and asking for your conjectures to get little credence.

Oh and for your notion of AB being worse at it then Rafer. I don't even know what to say. teams would make us pay so much more as they would literally leave rafer open every time and help on Yao. Fuck that guy.

[NBA Junkie]

I didn't see the game the other night, but in close games I have a real problem with Ron Artest getting the ball since all he loves doing is forcing up ill-advised three point shots. The type of shots that rarely fall and usually prevent the Rockets from winning the close ones.

I'll take Brooks over Alston any day of the week.

[Indazone]

Do you even listen to the post game interviews? This is not Yao's fault. It's the fact that Brooks dribbles through and around traffic and then jacks up a shot through the trees. Often times he will miss. Dont even get me started on Artest and his 3 point shooting wanna be Reggie Miller shots. The team doesn't move the ball to the weakside when Yao is being fronted. There is a gap behind Yao when he's being fronted so run Yao up to the high post and throw the ball down to Scola down low. Simple. Either that or swing the ball to the weakside for an easy three pointer or drive into the lane and catch the cutter moving in behind Yao.

This has nothing to do with Yao. It is about the rest of the Rockets being morons.

[Bob Lanier]

Please don't tell me you know more about it by watching a couple of playoff games than me when I have analyzed this problem for more than 3 seasons.
When you reach a flawed conclusion, I tend to question your analysis.

Either that or your conclusion isn't flawed, in which case you should get yourself to an NBA coaching position pronto, as you've developed a revolutionary new form of defense which has never been seen before in basketball history.

[dougp]

Brooks is the future of the Rockets, and Adelmann needs to be fired for not using Yao more. I simply don't understand why he is not the main stay of the team. Such a waste of a player, I don't see how Yao wouldn't step up if Adelmann was asking.

Plain and simple, the Rocket's need AJ, or at least a coach who is willing to run this team properly. Someone who recognizes what they have, and is willing to use them. A strong scoring point guard, a high BB IQ & skilled center and a defensive minded, but streaky small forward. The Rocket's are one Manu-esque player away from the Finals.

[Lars]

This has nothing to do with Yao. It is about the rest of the Rockets being morons.

It has everything to do with Yao. EVERYTHING.

[sook]

When you reach a flawed conclusion, I tend to question your analysis.

Either that or your conclusion isn't flawed, in which case you should get yourself to an NBA coaching position pronto, as you've developed a revolutionary new form of defense which has never been seen before in basketball history.

Ok, how about this, instead of trodding aroudn the question with your antagonistic approach, watch the next rockets game. You may be able to add to your already small sample size to draw inadequate conclusions from..

[sook]

Do you even listen to the post game interviews? This is not Yao's fault. It's the fact that Brooks dribbles through and around traffic and then jacks up a shot through the trees. Often times he will miss. Dont even get me started on Artest and his 3 point shooting wanna be Reggie Miller shots. The team doesn't move the ball to the weakside when Yao is being fronted. There is a gap behind Yao when he's being fronted so run Yao up to the high post and throw the ball down to Scola down low. Simple. Either that or swing the ball to the weakside for an easy three pointer or drive into the lane and catch the cutter moving in behind Yao.

This has nothing to do with Yao. It is about the rest of the Rockets being morons.

This has nothing to do with Yao? Last I checked they weren't fronting Scola or anyone else :lol.

Is this a premature sign of already vindicating Yao if we lose again?

He has gotten away every time so far, and just when I thought he couldn't dodge the blame it seems Rockets fans continue to lather themselves in the denial and hand pick Scapegoats like Aaron Brooks.

[DAF86]

Brooks is the future of the Rockets, and Adelmann needs to be fired for not using Yao more. I simply don't understand why he is not the main stay of the team. Such a waste of a player, I don't see how Yao wouldn't step up if Adelmann was asking.

Plain and simple, the Rocket's need AJ, or at least a coach who is willing to run this team properly. Someone who recognizes what they have, and is willing to use them. A strong scoring point guard, a high BB IQ & skilled center and a defensive minded, but streaky small forward. The Rocket's are one Manu-esque player away from the Finals.

Manu would definitely make sure that Yao gets the ball.

[dougp]

Manu would definitely make sure that Yao gets the ball.

I was implying they need someone who can will the game their way, and who has the drive and competitiveness.

[DAF86]

I was implying they need someone who can will the game their way, and who has the drive and competitiveness.

I know, but I wanted to add my two cents regarding this issue. And one of the problems I see is that Rockets guards aren't good at getting the ball to their big men, Manu would adress that issue (besides the things you said).

[Indazone]

This has nothing to do with Yao? Last I checked they weren't fronting Scola or anyone else :lol.

Is this a premature sign of already vindicating Yao if we lose again?

He has gotten away every time so far, and just when I thought he couldn't dodge the blame it seems Rockets fans continue to lather themselves in the denial and hand pick Scapegoats like Aaron Brooks.

Scola doesn't get fronted because he doesn't warp the floor like Yao does. Yao is so dominant when he's defensed normally, that the only way teams can defend him is to keep the ball out of his hands. Rudy T would have solved the fronting defenses by isoing the guard and Yao while everyone would be on the weakside. Then it would be either a simple lob over the fronting defender and and easy bucket or a pick and roll big man play for an easy bucket. But this is not how Adleman coaches the game so instead, you have to devise other ways of getting the ball. Brooks has stunk it up at times this year and I thought he should be pulled but he has his A game out for the playoffs so he gets a pass even though he's made some boneheaded mistakes.

[Indazone]

Lets compare today's Rockets with the Rik Smits/Reggie Miller Pacers

Pacers 1997-98

Travis Best
Reggie Miller
Rik Smits
Dale Davis
Antonio Davis
Derrick Mckey
Chris Mullin
Jalen Rose
Mark Jackson

Rockets 2008-2009

Aaron Brooks - Probably better than Best
Ron Artest - Thinks he's Reggie but he's not
Yao Ming - Better than Rik Smits
Shane Battier - Could be Derrick Mckey
Luis Scola - Dale Davis on rebounding
Carl Landry - Antonio Davis - similar
Kyle Lowry - Our Mark Jackson?
Chuck Hayes - uhhh...Mullin?
Von Wafer - Jalen Rose?

The 2009 Rockets are young compared to that veteran Pacers team. The one glaring difference is that we don't have anyone that compares to Reggie Miller. I mean we did when we had T-Mac but he's gone. Reggie vs T-Mac no contest in the mental toughness category. We have Artest who thinks he's Miller. If T-Mac were playing at full capacity, then he could be compared to Reggie Miller and then the Rockets would have been able to do a lot more things to win. But it was not meant to be. T-Mac has left the area.

[DAF86]

Lets compare today's Rockets with the Rik Smits/Reggie Miller Pacers

Pacers 1997-98

Travis Best
Reggie Miller
Rik Smits
Dale Davis
Antonio Davis
Derrick Mckey
Chris Mullin
Jalen Rose
Mark Jackson

Rockets 2008-2009

Aaron Brooks - Probably better than Best
Ron Artest - Thinks he's Reggie but he's not
Yao Ming - Better than Rik Smits
Shane Battier - Could be Derrick Mckey
Luis Scola - Dale Davis on rebounding
Carl Landry - Antonio Davis - similar
Kyle Lowry - Our Mark Jackson?
Chuck Hayes - uhhh...Mullin?
Von Wafer - Jalen Rose?

The 2009 Rockets are young compared to that veteran Pacers team. The one glaring difference is that we don't have anyone that compares to Reggie Miller. I mean we did when we had T-Mac but he's gone. Reggie vs T-Mac no contest in the mental toughness category. We have Artest who thinks he's Miller. If T-Mac were playing at full capacity, then he could be compared to Reggie Miller and then the Rockets would have been able to do a lot more things to win. But it was not meant to be. T-Mac has left the area.

First of all. Why did you make this comparisson? and second WTF Hayes and Mullin?

[Indazone]

lol the only reason I make this comparison is that the Pacers have a guy in the middle a lot like Yao and still managed to win.

[Lars]

Lets compare today's Rockets with the Rik Smits/Reggie Miller Pacers

Pacers 1997-98

Travis Best
Reggie Miller
Rik Smits
Dale Davis
Antonio Davis
Derrick Mckey
Chris Mullin
Jalen Rose
Mark Jackson

Rockets 2008-2009

Aaron Brooks - Probably better than Best
Ron Artest - Thinks he's Reggie but he's not
Yao Ming - Better than Rik Smits
Shane Battier - Could be Derrick Mckey
Luis Scola - Dale Davis on rebounding
Carl Landry - Antonio Davis - similar
Kyle Lowry - Our Mark Jackson?
Chuck Hayes - uhhh...Mullin?
Von Wafer - Jalen Rose?

The 2009 Rockets are young compared to that veteran Pacers team. The one glaring difference is that we don't have anyone that compares to Reggie Miller. I mean we did when we had T-Mac but he's gone. Reggie vs T-Mac no contest in the mental toughness category. We have Artest who thinks he's Miller. If T-Mac were playing at full capacity, then he could be compared to Reggie Miller and then the Rockets would have been able to do a lot more things to win. But it was not meant to be. T-Mac has left the area.

This has got to be the most irrelevant post I have ever seen.

[Indazone]

This has got to be the most irrelevant post I have ever seen.

It's not irrelevant if you think about it. Pacers front line was very good as is the Rockets front line. Louis Scola, Landry and Yao compare very well with Dale Davis, Antonio Davis, and Smits. The guards for the Pacers were Travis Best, Jalen Rose and Reggie Miller while the Houston Guards are Aaron Brooks, Ron Artest and Von Wafer.

I'm going to go as far as to say that the current Rockets front line is better than that Pacers front line. Brooks is better than Best but nobody on our current Rockets team is better than Reggie Miller except for T-Mac and he's injured. Jalen Rose could flat out light it up and was the 2nd leading scorer to Reggie Miller. I suppose you could say that the tandem of Rose and Miller would be our Artest and T-Mac.

Right there, is the difference maker, we are sorely missing T-Mac. T-Mac was our Reggie Miller.

Don't get me wrong, we are doing a fairly good job of letting Von Wafer, Brooks, Artest and Battier step it up and take up a lot of the scoring slack but we really really really need a healthy T-Mac. A healthy TMac keeps defenses honest. Fronting defenses on Yao really wouldn't matter as much because honestly as Yao causes the floor to warp around him because so much of the defense is focused on him so too is are opposing defenses focused on T-Mac when he's on the floor. I just don't think we have enough firepower on the floor right now.

[angrydude]

you're making too much of it.

They barely lost game 2 in a place hardly anyone has won this year.

The Rockets will win both games in Houston and the series will be as good as over.