Rockets pounding Suns

[DaDakota]

Actually in the second half, the Rockets kept running the T-Mac/Deke high pick and roll over and over. Shaq would not come out to help and chose to stay back in the paint, and Deke was setting some really amazing screens so T-Mac had a wide open 18 footer every time (and knocked them down rather easily). At one point Grant Hill started flopping on the pick to get the attention of the refs but they didn't buy it.

You know what you are correct, I rewatched the game today and in the 2nd half they ran it a lot...where Tmac just shot the 18 footer over Shaq....

I stand corrected.

DD

[Tmac&Luther]

HOU has no shot of going anywhere in the playoffs. They will never beat the Jazz, HCA or not. They just aren't that good.

The whole thing with Yao being out is a Catch-22. I don't think that when Yao returns they will morph into this juggernaut team, I think they'll end up staying right where they are at. They can't play small ball with Yao, which is obviously what is working for them right now.

You are a moron.......You do realize Houston has been able to run and go small with a 40 something yo Mutombo.

Your right though, it's a great thing the Lakers traded away Kareem........no way in , they would ever been able to move up and down the court and be "SHOWTIME", with Kareem on that team.

When Yao returns, Houston is going to be a legit contender to win the championship, they'll have a serious front court.

Landry 2.0, Scola 2.0, and Yao Ming...........as well as a nice bench stacked with scoring, defense, rebounding, and depth at every position (especially if Mutombo returns).

They also have expiring contracts that can be dealt at the trade deadline to add another major piece without disturbing any of the major pieces or top role players.

Daryl Morey has done a fantastic job with this team. He took over a team that outside of McGrady and Yao, didn't have much talent or a bench, was extremely limited with the cap, and still found a way to land a serious impact player through a trade (Scola) for a can of beans...........and arguably (considering the positioning they had in the draft) had the best draft in the entire league with the drafting of Aaron Brooks (kid is going to be a player in the future.....he has skills) and Carl Landry (dude was the steal of the draft and if teams knew then what they know now, he'd be a top 10 lottery pick........he's going to be a force very shortly in this league.....Carl Landry Highlights )

Anyways to get back on point, DazedAndConfused is really "dazed and confused" and extremely high if he thinks that.....
A.) a team that hasn't even fully learned their new coach's system yet.

B.) is going to get their best player back.

and

C.) has three very talented rookies who are only going to improve,

isn't going to impove next year and is just going to stay where they're at.

[DazedAndConfused]

The Rockets are in the same situation PHX was in years ago. PHX lost Amare and ended up getting all the way to the WCF. When Amare came back everyone thought PHX wouldn't lose a game, but the reality is they didn't even get as far as they did the prior season in the playoffs. Players like Boris Diaw who had to step up in his absence went back down to earth. I suspect a similar thing will happen to the Rockets when Yao gets back.

For all the improvements your team has made the stars that lead it are what really matters in the post season. T-Mac and Yao have a history of never collectively stepping up and I honestly don't expect that to change this late in the game. The fact that they are ridiculously injury prone doesn't help. So no Rocket fans, your team isn't and never will be a contender so long as your being led by T-Mac and Yao.

[Tmac&Luther]

The Rockets are in the same situation PHX was in years ago. PHX lost Amare and ended up getting all the way to the WCF. When Amare came back everyone thought PHX wouldn't lose a game, but the reality is they didn't even get as far as they did the prior season in the playoffs. Players like Boris Diaw who had to step up in his absence went back down to earth. I suspect a similar thing will happen to the Rockets when Yao gets back.

For all the improvements your team has made the stars that lead it are what really matters in the post season. T-Mac and Yao have a history of never collectively stepping up and I honestly don't expect that to change this late in the game. The fact that they are ridiculously injury prone doesn't help. So no Rocket fans, your team isn't and never will be a contender so long as your being led by T-Mac and Yao.

WRONG......Tmac and Yao both show up in the playoffs (especially Tmac, pull up the #s) buddy, up until this point it's been the rest of the team that didn't get off the bus. (as in last year where outside of Tmac and Yao.....only two other Rockets bothered scoring and we got ZERO bench points)

and only a idiot would compare this situation to what happened in PHX, first of all PHX ran into the Spurs last year and many people outside of Spur fans feel they got jobbed in that series.......having said that Yao and Amare are completely different players. When you get back one of the leagues most dominant POST players who commands a double team on almost every offensive possession.............it's going to help your team.

Also you really need to get off of the "lead by T-mac and Yao" bit, this is a team effort, it's no longer the Tmac and Yao show.......it's the Houston Rockets show. Adelman's offense is a ball movement based offense and it isn't predicated on a two man ISO show.

P.S.

what the has Kobe done in the playoffs since Shaq left L.A., maybe you should worry about your own team....... if my team was dropping games to the Grizzlies and Bobcats at home in the midst of a playoff race, I'd be a little worried about that.

[GuerillaBlack]

The Rockets are in the same situation PHX was in years ago. PHX lost Amare and ended up getting all the way to the WCF. When Amare came back everyone thought PHX wouldn't lose a game, but the reality is they didn't even get as far as they did the prior season in the playoffs. Players like Boris Diaw who had to step up in his absence went back down to earth. I suspect a similar thing will happen to the Rockets when Yao gets back.

For all the improvements your team has made the stars that lead it are what really matters in the post season. T-Mac and Yao have a history of never collectively stepping up and I honestly don't expect that to change this late in the game. The fact that they are ridiculously injury prone doesn't help. So no Rocket fans, your team isn't and never will be a contender so long as your being led by T-Mac and Yao.

You are obviously forgetting that those rookies have been playing the same. With Yao and without Yao, their statlines have not changed much.

[DazedAndConfused]

Kobe hasn't done anything since Shaq has left, but he also didn't have anybody to help him. T-Mac has had the best center in the league by his side for the last 3 years and still hasn't gotten out of the 1st round. When Kobe had the best center in the league by his side he won 3 straight championships.

So no, I don't worry about the Lakers precisely because they are led by Kobe Bryant. And for the record, Phil Jackson owns Adelman.

[Tmac&Luther]

Kobe hasn't done anything since Shaq has left, but he also didn't have anybody to help him. T-Mac has had the best center in the league by his side for the last 3 years and still hasn't gotten out of the 1st round. When Kobe had the best center in the league by his side he won 3 straight championships.

So no, I don't worry about the Lakers precisely because they are led by Kobe Bryant. And for the record, Phil Jackson owns Adelman.

Yeah, nice try, but that's not going to work.

Last year was the first playoff year where Yao was considered the "best center in the league"............and he was coming off a severe knee injury and wasn't his dominant self.

Kobe wouldn't have done sh!t against Utah last year, because outside of Yao there was no offense.......oh my bad, the great offense of Chuck Hayes would've put him over the top.

[DazedAndConfused]

Kobe >>> T-Mac. They aren't even on the same level.

Kobe Bryant + Yao Ming would have gotten past the 1st round. Kobe Bryant and Kwame Brown were one Tim Thomas 3pt shot away from getting past the Suns in '06.

[Nasir_Jones]

T-Mac and Yao have a history of never collectively stepping up and I honestly don't expect that to change this late in the game.

Yao may have had his fair share of struggles thus far in the playoffs... but Tracy's playoff numbers are fantastic... it is certainly NOT Mac's fault that the Rockets haven't advanced yet.

[Tmac&Luther]

Kobe >>> T-Mac. They aren't even on the same level.

Kobe Bryant + Yao Ming would have gotten past the 1st round. Kobe Bryant and Kwame Brown were one Tim Thomas 3pt shot away from getting past the Suns in '06.

hey dumbass, nobody said Tmac is on Kobe's level, but that's not a knock against Tmac, because there is only one other player on his level and he plays in the east. Having said that......Playoff Tmac has been on the same level as Kobe (can't wait for you to say he hasn't). Tmac has been fantastic in the playoffs.........his team's have not.

Kobe + Yao coming off a injury doesn't = a victory over the Jazz....so log off and take another hit off your bong.

[DazedAndConfused]

We're sort of off topic here and discussing something that is completely hypothetical. The bottomline is the Rockets aren't going anywhere in the playoffs this year. Doesn't matter what seed they are, they may survive the 1st round but they are fodder for whoever they play next. I think they used up all the magic during the regular season and when teams ratchet it up another notch for the playoffs the Rockets won't be able to match them.

[TampaDude]

The Rockets are just shooting some hoops, hitting the shot they are supposed to hit and winning the games they are NOT supposed to win, no surprise here

Yup...the Rockets were just shooting some shots...

[icem]

Kobe hasn't done anything since Shaq has left, but he also didn't have anybody to help him. T-Mac has had the best center in the league by his side for the last 3 years and still hasn't gotten out of the 1st round. When Kobe had the best center in the league by his side he won 3 straight championships.

So no, I don't worry about the Lakers precisely because they are led by Kobe Bryant. And for the record, Phil Jackson owns Adelman.

are you seriously comparing shaq in his prime to yao ming ??? yao ming has never been, and will never be that dominant, that is a FACT. he does not have the explosiveness to ever dominate like shaq. not only that, look at the other starters he has had around him, rafer alston and chuck hayes ?? no team is going anywhere with those two as starters, period.

kobe is better than t-mac, but yao is nowhere near a prime shaq on either end of the floor, even to this day he doesnt have as good of a presence as shaq even though he is old and past his prime....

[DaDakota]

not only that, look at the other starters he has had around him, rafer alston and chuck hayes ?? no team is going anywhere with those two as starters, period.
...

I know you probably forgot, but Hayes is not even 2nd string anymore, he is third behind Scola (the starter) and Landry the backup.

I also don't like Alston...but come on now....that comment was so last year.



DD

[DazedAndConfused]

Yao Ming is light years ahead of any player Kobe has had to play with the last 3 years.

Kwame Brown
Smush Parker
Luke Walton
Chucky Atkins

I can go on and on here, but my point is if you replaced T-Mac with Kobe last year the Rockets would have gotten out of the 1st round. Kobe straight owns UTAH.

[mojorizen7]

Attention Houston believers: Smallball sucks and it doesn't work the deeper you go into the playoffs.
Any knowledgable Suns fan can attest to this.

[DazedAndConfused]

Attention Houston believers: Smallball sucks and it doesn't work the deeper you go into the playoffs.
Any knowledgable Suns fan can attest to this.

But but....the Rockets play DEFENSE!!!!!!!

It's ok Rocket fans will find out the hard way in the playoffs.

[GaryJohnston]

Yao Ming is light years ahead of any player Kobe has had to play with the last 3 years.

Kwame Brown
Smush Parker
Luke Walton
Chucky Atkins

I can go on and on here, but my point is if you replaced T-Mac with Kobe last year the Rockets would have gotten out of the 1st round. Kobe straight owns UTAH.

Don't think so dude. Thats a Utah team that made the WCF.

[mojorizen7]

But but....the Rockets play DEFENSE!!!!!!!

It's ok Rocket fans will find out the hard way in the playoffs.

This is true but they'll also find that when being forced to defend in the half-court that they'll be crying...."YAO! YAO! Wherout thou Yao?! We need a rebOUnd!"

[DaDakota]

Attention Houston believers: Smallball sucks and it doesn't work the deeper you go into the playoffs.
Any knowledgable Suns fan can attest to this.

Our 2nd unit is small ball....our first unit is not.

PG - 6'3"
SG - 6'8"
SF - 6'8"
PF - 6'9"
C - 7'1"

How is that small again? Oh, I know...it isn't.

DD