DISQUS

johnl · 1 year ago

YEAH!! next five games for them should be quite easy.....

Jimbu · 1 year ago

Are you sure?! No game is easy! No team is easy! When you think it's easy - that's the beginning of "hard."

YaoMania · 1 year ago

I thought it would be a difficult game, but when the second quarter ended, I found I made a mistake. The last quarter was trash time at all. Keep up good work, Rockets!

Vince · 1 year ago

Pheww... these comment boards sure have quieted down with "trade McGrady, trade T-Mac" rants the last month. I knew Rockets just needed some time to get rolling in this new system. Glad to see the Rockets are back in the woods of the playoff race and not being ridiculed constantly for bad games.

John, what team would you prefer the Rockets to play in the 1st round since there are many possibilities with so many West teams with close records? What would be the most suitable ("favorable") match-up for the Rockets to play besides the Suns now that Shaq is there.

I'm afraid of all the matchups right now. The Suns, Lakers, and Jazz really scare me for obvious reasons. Golden State has always scared me, but they aren't playing all that well right now (lost last night, not beating anyone convincingly), but I think they will pull it together since they're so talented. San Antonio is always tough, especially after adding Kurt Thomas. Dallas is always tough, but I think their trading of a big man like Diop is going to be favorable for the Rockets' front line, and I'm glad Devin Harris' speed is no longer there to give our point guards fits. So right now I would say Dallas, especially since the Rockets are familiar with them and might want revenge after losing that playoff series 3 years ago, but that could change as other teams suffer injuries or start losing chemistry, which we all know can be fleeting. -- John

Allen · 1 year ago

Well, it was always going to take some amount of time for the Rox to settle in with a new coach and new philosophy. People in my opinion simply underestimate the magnitude of changing coaches in basketball, especially coaches who are seriously at opposite ends of the spectrum.

I disagree with most that the "whole" reason we are killing it now is bc of Adelman playing Scola and Landry and Brooks. For one, Scola's play has been good, and so has Landry's, but Brooks has been wildly inconsistent, and in all honesty, most of the nights our pf's combine for less than 20 pts and 20 boards. Not understating their contribution, but i think it is pretty ridiculous for anyone to say that this whole learning experience and adjustment period has been the result of Adelman not playing Scola or Landry from the get go. That is simply a "hindsight is 20/20" argument. I can still remember Scola not knowing where the hell he was supposed to be earlier in the season.

The real difference to me is the play of the collective whole. Not only has Tmac's game started to fit in, but Yao is a rock, Alston is running the show perfectly, getting huge numbers of assists when compared to turnovers, and playing quality defense (even if he is still shooting poorly). Not to mention that Battier is playing a more well rounded game.

The best part about this streak is the high number of assists that the team is getting. We have been over 20 assists for most of the winning streak, which really speaks to team chemistry.

I am going to miss Bonzi, but it didn't really make sense to have him on a team where you have two minute heavy guys in Mac and Battier at his proper positions. That is why he was traded plain and simple. He isn't as good as Mac, and didn't bring everything to the table that Battier does.

That all said, GO ROX!!!!!!!!!!!

GameNight · 1 year ago

Great work again, John. I was waiting for your analysis last night after reading those on chron and nba.com and feeing not satisfied It just feels incomplete without reading your insightful and unique comments after watching each Rockets' game.
Rockets will get out of the first round the playoffs!!

Thanks for the compliment. Before I started this site 5 1/2 years ago, I felt the exact same thing you mentioned: that despite all the stuff that is written about games in papers and discussed on talk radio, I felt there were more insights that were going untold. It's hard work to find and elaborate on those nuggets, but when I receive compliments like yours, it makes it all worth it. -- John

BOBBYNYC · 1 year ago

This is amazing! I give a big up to the GM Morey and a lotta ups to Adleman. He is giving these players a lotta confidence. No more constant nagging and negative remarks like their ex coaches. Another shout out to whomever is coaching Yao the basics this year! He is playing with a lot of confidence now. Last but not least, I give TMAC credit with buying into the system regardless of the constant trade rumors. This is getting a little interesting now....

richard · 1 year ago

let's go rox, let's go rox, i am enjoying more and more of rox's game nowaday. i was ＯＮＬＹ a yao ming's fan for the past couple of years and now i am a yao ming and rox fan.......YEAＨ．．．．．

Second round of playoffs, watch out...HERE　ＣＯＭＥ　ｔｈｅ　ＲＯＸ．．．

Brian · 1 year ago

go rockets!!!

Luckyme · 1 year ago

Woa!! What a convincing and dominating game played by the Rockets. This was a superb team effort. Tmac and Yao were unstoppable; if they continue to play like this, especially the former-- we have hope, we have great hope!

Jay · 1 year ago

It is rare that both Tmac and Yao scored more than 50% of their shots. When it happened, the team usually won. I still have my doubt about Tmac's fragile body(and sometimes his mind), although the Rockets are getting better and seem to start to gel. We will where they stand after March in which they face a few elite teams. I can't wait to see them playing against NO, the Suns, the Spurs, the Lakers, the Celts, and the Mavs. Until then, I don't raise my expectation.

Joe · 1 year ago

As much as I love the Rockets and Yao's recent success, I still have to be extremely conservative in my exhilaration. Just seems like yet another enormous build up till the inevitable disappointment. Especially this year with the West as tough as its ever been, it's difficult to muster any sort of sincere optimism. (and I'm normally a glass is half full kind of guy!) But when the boy cries wolf a 3'rd and 4'th and ....etc.. time.

Very good analysis! been reading for a while now.

AirChina23 · 1 year ago

If Tracy can keep this up, I think John should start calling him T-Mac again. Well, of course, after the Rockets achieve huge success in the post season. March is key, if we can keep winning majority of our games in March and April, we will have the momentum built up for playoffs. Bill Walton said the Rockets are one of the six teams that can win it all, and I agree with him.

AR · 1 year ago

I agree that it may be too much optimism from the winning streak. Fundamentally the Rockets have the same old bunch as the season started except for the growth of Scola and Landry. Only when Rockets are pitted against top teams like Lakers, Utah, and Suns and Spurs can we know whether the optimism holds or not.

Main concerns:

Who will be Yao's backup when he is tired in the series? Mutumbo is not going to last. He is getting leaner and leaner for playing exceeding amount of time consecutively.

Can Rockets with Yao match up with Lakers's twin-towers: Gausol and Byrum? NO.
Can Rockets with Yao match up with Kurt Thomas and Tim Duncan? NO.
Can Rockets match up with Suns' Amare Stoudmaire and Shaq?
Can you convince me Rockets is better than Boozer's Jazz?

Who is going to be T-Mac's backup? We used to have Bonzi, now nobody.

Alston is Alston, could it be a flash in a pan in light of his inconsistency and match up problems with PGs like Deron Williams, Nash or Manu?

Can T-Mac match up with Kobe?

Scola is okay. Landry can be getting into Rookie wall at some point, who come to rescue?

Yes, Rockets is going to make the playoff if the momentum stays, but it is less likely to make it to second-round.

Do you agree, John?

Those were alot of questions. There are always going to be questions for any team entering the playoffs regarding player matchups. Regardless of individual matchups, I think basketball success still boils down to playing as a team. Just look at history. Remember 1994-95 when the Rockets were the 6th seed in the West. No one gave them a chance, but they did it. Look at two seasons ago. No one gave the Miami Heat a chance against Dallas because of the Mavericks' 'superior' talent, but they still beat them. If the Rockets continue getting better, they can win it just like anyone else. -- John

AR · 1 year ago

A Red Flag, really.

When I was talking about the concern on Yao's backup, I need some evidence and perspectives to support.

How many games did Mutombo actually play during the winning streak or for all games when Yao was healthy?
And how many minutes?

It seems to me Yao as well as T-Mac got overdrawn and it is going to be bad for the last stretch of the regular and the games get tougher.

Even when Yao caught a flu or a stomach, the whole game looked different and difficult.

John, I like you optimism. But you need to make the case the current Rockets is just as talented as Mavericks two season ago. Nobody dares to equate present Rockets to the 06 Mavericks but you.

But for now, let's just enjoy the games.

AR

What are you talking about? I never compared them to the Mavericks two seasons ago. I compare the Rockets more to the underdog 2006 Heat or the 94-95 Rockets (6th seed). -- John

AR · 1 year ago

Forgive my mistaking Mavericks for Heat in previous comment.

But are these talent equations holding, though doing math looks oversimplified?

Yao/Mutumble =Shaq/Alonzo Mourning
T-Mac = Wade
Alston/Brooks/Bobby J = Jason Williams/Gary Payton/Jason Kapono
Scola/Landry/Hayes/Battier = James Posey/ Antoine Walker/Udonis Haslem/Derek Anderson

You are assuming impact players: Yao+T-mac = Shaq+Wade.

Yes, there is some overhype on chemistry.

AR

RP · 1 year ago

Personally, I tyhink Mutombo can hold his own.
He's still blocking shots, he's still wagging his finger.
Yao cna play, so can Dikembe.

He may not be around fro more then 3 years but even at his age he is a defensive powerhouse, we really need that now that the playoffs aer approaching.

Personaly I think he's one of the best semi-old players out there.

What do you think John.

Absolutely! -- John