Genuine question for my Rockets fans.

[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 .

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 compe iveness.

[DAF86]

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

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 .

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.