<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Go ahead and take that attitude into the series, and then watch Shane Battier shut down your wings. What McGrady is to Houston's offense, Battier is to their defense. </div> You're right, Battier isn't a bad player at all but like run bjm just said, he can't shut down the 4 other wings in the lineup. Especially while running the ball down their throats. Defensively no team can SHUT down the warriors. The thing I'm concerned with is the warriors defense. Utah is a solid defensive team but there were some games where that Bench gave Houston absolutely NOTHING. Literally. We're not the defensive team the jazz are so Houston's bench will give them something but if the burden is solely on T-Mac and Yao's shoulders...warriors win the series. Especially if we control the tempo and force Yao to adjust to an uptempo game. I feel MUCH better about a Houston matchup. The Jazz can pound the ball down our throats and have a variety of post up options. We have no answer for Carlos Boozer, dude kills us everytime.
Agree with you Upside, Houston doesn't have enough scoring to beat us, especially if we control the tempo. If they go on a cold streak for a few minutes we can bury them. A few things that scare me about Utah compared to the Rockets: - The Jazz can play Boozer, Millsap, or Okur at C with AK or Harpring at the 4 and match up with us well while being able to pound the ball inside and dominate the boards. We just have no answer for guys like Boozer and Millsap who are monsters inside and can easily play C against us and dominate the glass and score a lot (in Boozer's case). Houston on the other hand basically just has Yao and Motumbo who are easier to run out of the gym and can't keep up with us. Harrington did great on Yao last game as well while we have no answer for Boozer, Millsap, Okur, etc. Barnes and Pietrus can handle Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes just fine at the 4/5 spot. - Utah scores with great ball movement, lots of cuts to the hoop, and great playmaking by Deron Williams and post play with Boozer. I think we're much better off going against 2 superstars with no one else in the supporting cast (as far as scoring goes anyway). Houston had one game this series where they only had 4 players score for the whole game and they've been struggling to score 80 pts when they're not on their homecourt. The Jazz on the other hand just play so well as a team they'll find the open man and kill us every time. I'd much rather go against the superstars and see if they can outscore our entire team. - Jazz are nearly impossible to beat on their home floor. We won't have homecourt advantage so we need to win at least one game on the opponents' floor. The Jazz just get all the calls in Utah, their shots go in, the crowd is tough to deal with and its just not a place where GS has played well historically.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Warriors can negate Yao, rest of their starting line-up is mediocre, and their bench sucks.</div> not so sure that they can totally take Yao out the game...I believe he avg. 33 ppg against the warriors this season, and Phoenix (who is similar) had trouble with Yao in one of the last games of the reg. season, because the rockets actually took time to get the ball into him.....I think it would be a great series, but I don't think the warriors would pounce all over us like they did to the mavs, because A. we play much better defense B. we have guys who can get in the paint and score (tmac and yao) C. we slow it down a lot more than the mavs D. i'm not sure how davis's knees will hold up
I agree with THE DREAM that it's unlikely the Warriors will be able to totally shut down Yao. Maybe for a game, but not for a whole series. But let's say Yao gets his 33 points. The thing is, there's just no way Yao can run up and down the floor with the Warriors. That's not something he can magically "work on" for this series, he just doesn't have that kind of speed and endurance. The Warriors will basically have a 5 on 4 opportunity every time they get the ball. If they are smart and push the ball relentlessly every time, that's going to lead to some easy baskets (although they really have to be aware of Yao cherrypicking on the other end in that case). If T-Mac or Battier have amazing shooting series, then it's going to be tough. If they are average, I like the Warriors chances. Yao alone can only hurt them so much, and his negatives (speed, endurance) will somewhat cancel out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If T-Mac or Battier have amazing shooting series, then it's going to be tough. If they are average, I like the Warriors chances</div> I agree with this.....
<div class="quote_poster">THE DREAM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">not so sure that they can totally take Yao out the game...I believe he avg. 33 ppg against the warriors this season, and Phoenix (who is similar) had trouble with Yao in one of the last games of the reg. season, because the rockets actually took time to get the ball into him... A. we play much better defense B. we have guys who can get in the paint and score (tmac and yao) C. we slow it down a lot more than the mavs D. i'm not sure how davis's knees will hold up</div> Well that's the point, if Harrington starts at Center and hangs on the perimeter, Yao had to go out to guard him and the middle opens up for Baron, Jax, and JRich. Yao's an awesome center but if Golden State goes small and runs the floor, Yao's presence on the defensive end isn't apparent. I'm an advocate for playing zone against Houston.
Does the team activate POB for the next round (to help against Boozer, Okur, Yao, Howard)? Perhaps Foyle will need to step it up (the Warriors remaining secret weapon - well along with Azubuike, POB, and Powell). Shaine Battier is a tough player that the Warriors may have to face. I think he usually does pretty well against the Warriors. Over the past few years the Houston/Golden State games have been nail-biters including heroic shots from Moochie Norris, Mobley(I think), and Baron Davis this season for the Warriors. By the way what ever happened to Bonzi Wells? I think Bonzi Wells has had some big games vs. the Warriors in the past (though not necessarly against this roster). The Utah/Golden State games I think have been blow-outs for one team or the other. Either way the second round should be another couple of weeks of good/fun basketball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm an advocate for playing zone against Houston.</div> Warriors could get torched by Luther Head though. Alston is not a bad 3pt shooter either, and Battier can be streaky.
Golden State should pray that Houston wins, cause Utah will play physical and slow them down, but Houston will pose less problems than Dallas. Yao will get pickpocketed by all of those guys. GS will play a game of "who's next to steal from Yao" with Monta, Barnes, JRich and Baron all taking the ball from him.
I watched my first Jazz vs Rockets playoff game last night on replay. Definitely, would want the Rox more than the Jazz even though the Rox are a lot bigger than us. Remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Besides, Jazz have the big PG to match up with Bodyguard and Okur (Wow, wish AB could shoot like him) and Boozer can give us fits with his strength, peskiness and inside/outside scoring. AK-47 is playing better now, but don't think he's the difference maker. AB can match up favorably with the overpaid and injury prone.
<div class="quote_poster">Gohn Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Warriors could get torched by Luther Head though. Alston is not a bad 3pt shooter either, and Battier can be streaky.</div> You're right, it's risky. For me, I'd take the risk right now. 1. Baron's still gimpy. 2. GOTTA LIMIT YAO. 3. Higher percentage chance of hitting threes for Houston if they get penetration and Yao finding shooters rather than moving the ball on the perimeter. 4. Saves their legs to run the floor and shoot three's. It'll be interesting to see what Nelson goes with but my money is on a zone.
<div class="quote_poster">THE DREAM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">not so sure that they can totally take Yao out the game...I believe he avg. 33 ppg against the warriors this season, and Phoenix (who is similar) had trouble with Yao in one of the last games of the reg. season, because the rockets actually took time to get the ball into him.....I think it would be a great series, but I don't think the warriors would pounce all over us like they did to the mavs, because A. we play much better defense B. we have guys who can get in the paint and score (tmac and yao) C. we slow it down a lot more than the mavs D. i'm not sure how davis's knees will hold up</div> Yao averaged 24.6 ppg against the Warriors. He averaged 32.5 in the first two games but that was back when we had Murphy and Dunleavy. When Harrington played him he only had 9 points on 4 FGAs in 41 minutes. I don't think we can totally take him out of the game but we can bother him a lot and make him pass and he could have stamina issues with all of the running and hes coming off a seven game series.
I definitely won't say that our offense is unstoppable. After all, Spurs completely killed us even when things are going very well. And, I am not terribly optimistic with our offense against either Utah or Houston. We were able to get by because Davis, Jackson, Richardson and Barnes contributed well against mediocre Dallas defense. But, both Utah and Houston have better defense than Dallas, and once they disrupt our rhythm, I don't know what will happen to this offense. And if Monta, Harrington, and Pietrus keep playing like how they played in Dallas series, we may be in big trouble. Then, there is Davis and his hammy...
Right now at the half Utah is winning by ten points, fifty-three to forty-three. Man TMac has trouble getting out of the first round alone. But the game isn't over yet. Let's go TMac!!! :yes:
Yao is running the floor faster than I would have thought, and I have no doubt he would totally dominate the Warriors on the boards. I'm not so sure I want to play the Rockets either, hmm. Although Yao is running, he does look a little tired, so I still think he lacks the endurance to do it for a whole game.
Jesus christ what the hell is wrong with the Rockets??? Why didn't they foul? Sorry T-Mac, guess you got to try again next year.
IMO Warriors would have had an easier time with the Rockets, just match-up wise, if they could defend Yao by fronting like they did during the regular season. But who wants it easy? This is the playoffs... bring on the Jazz!!!
They really imploded in the final few minutes, Yao lost two big rebounds to Boozer that he had the inside track on, Rox took too long to take their final shot, then failed to foul. Damn. Well, should be interesting. I have to be honest, this could be an ugly series for the Warriors, I'm very very nervous about it. But what the hell, as they say we're playing with house money from here out anyway.
Those Rockets need to take Basketball 101. I can't believe they didn't foul... I wonder if JVG told them to try to get a steal and not foul? But whatever...
