Official Game Thread: Detroit Pistons (6-7) vs. Houston Rockets (6-9)

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">I was wrong. Yao had another bad game, particularly on the defensive end. Yeah, he scored 19 points against single-coverage defense, but how many offensive rebounds did he allow his man to get? In 40 minutes, Yao had only TWO defensive rebounds. And in 29 minutes, Mo Taylor had ZERO rebounds. It's bad enough that we're allowing so many second chance points, to compound the problem we turned the ball over 19 times.

Overall, Detroit got off 81 shot attempts versus only 65 for us.

Van Gundy needs to make changes, not simply with who he plays on the court but also with the offensive and defensive strategies we're using. We got killed time and time again on the high screen and roll throughout the game, and I'm convinced that Yao needs to stop stepping out and just stay with his man. McDyess scored 12 points in like 6 minutes continously by exploiting that play. It was embarassing.

I also think JVG should play Weatherspoon instead of Padgett in the next game. We're the worst rebounding team in the league, and we have to address that problem. And bench Tyronne Lue, for pete's sake. Every time he was in the game, their lead got bigger and bigger. He's not helping our offense, and he's a huge liability on defense. He just gets abused by other team's point guards. Hell, I'd rather have T-Mac at point guard than Tyronne Lue.</div>

You guys should think it this way long time ago. Yao is tall but he is slow, if he leaves the paint and try to catch up someone Ward or Lue or Taylor should guard, there is no way he can make it. Meanwhile, he will miss the guy he should guard and lose the defence rebound. JVG should just ask him to stay in the paint, just guard the guy he should guard and control the defensive rebound. Look at what Shaq did, when did you see him come out of the paint to the three point line to double-team someone?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting JuLiO-R-:</div><div class="quote_post">
In my opinion, either Van Gundy changes or the rockets change him for someone else because this is very frustrating.</div>

I think Van Gundy is starting to realize that his coaching style isn't working for this bunch. The way he coaches defense, we need quick and energetic players on the court with good lateral movement. We simply don't have the right personnel for that. I would be unfortunate if we have to start from scratch, but maybe something drastic like that needs to happen for us to get out of our funk.

In the beginning of the season, I thought we played with much more confidence and exhuberance than what we're seeing right now. I sense there's a lot of negative energy in the locker-room, and its spilling over on the basketball court. Of course, when you lose 4 straight games, that's going to happen.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hdchy:</div><div class="quote_post">You guys should think it this way long time ago. Yao is tall but he is slow, if he leaves the paint and try to catch up someone Ward or Lue or Taylor should guard, there is no way he can make it. Meanwhile, he will miss the guy he should guard and lose the defence rebound. JVG should just ask him to stay in the paint, just guard the guy he should guard and control the defensive rebound. Look at what Shaq did, when did you see him come out of the paint to the three point line to double-team someone?</div>

Everyone always criticized Shaq for doing that. But guess what, his teams still won games!

I just don't think its very smart to do with this team. First of all, Yao is slow-footed and he isn't very effective defending on the perimeter anyways. Secondly, our forwards are below-average rebounders. I think teams are exploiting that play over and over again, and it's one of the major reasons why we give up so many offensive boards. If you're going to use Yao that way, you need other guys who are athletic and quick and can slide in and grab the defensive boards or block shots. We don't have that, so we should just try something else.

 

Houston, we have a problem. A very big one.

I seen last night and the team looked horrible. The coach looked like he was ready to re-sign and T-Mac looks like he is going to start pointing fingers any minute now.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Need4Sheed:</div><div class="quote_post">Houston, we have a problem. A very big one.

I seen last night and the team looked horrible. The coach looked like he was ready to re-sign and T-Mac looks like he is going to start pointing fingers any minute now.</div>
Talking about resigning, I wouldn't put it past Van Gundy to do that. He's done it previously in New York, but with this team he shouldn't give up this early. Rethink his style and help the team regroup, that's what's important right now. Van Gundy won't be doing us any favors if he resigns in the middle of the season and we're left to learn a whole new system under a new coach.

 

Looking from the stat it seems that Tmac had a good game. He led his team in five category.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Einitials:</div><div class="quote_post">Looking from the stat it seems that Tmac had a good game. He led his team in five category.</div>
So? Stats don't tell the story. T-Mac never took over when it was clear that we needed him to, and taking only 12 shots on a night he was going 50% from the field? If I were, I'd take advantage of the hot night and take about 20 shots. In this game, T-Mac purely didn't assert himself at crucial times, and thus, the team was forced to put the burden on Yao and Jackson, who clearly couldn't take it.

And also, another stat that stands out was 15 fouls on Detroit. No Piston was in serious foul trouble at any time. What does that tell us? No one is attacking the rim and drawing fouls.

 

I didn't catch the full game, but have noticed (even in the earlier games this season) that T-Mac was harped on so much for being a great passer and looking to the focal point in Yao, that he doesn't play anywhere near like he did in Orlando. He's seeing that it's hard to be the "best supporting" player and not the man who is constantly double-teamed. I was the one that asked if Yao was to be as dominant as the media projected him to be in the future (Ming Dynasty), and still wonder if he should be the focal point. Do you find that the "inside-out" game can be beneficial with your current cast? Do you really believe the Lue is so horrible?

 

Give the Pistons some credit. We came in there, in the same situation as ya'll, in a slump, and when we needed the victory we got it the way we won the championship, defending, rebounding, passing, huslting, and just basically outplaying our opponent. And we got this win without BigBen, so that says alot about our team. As far as the Rockets, if ya'll can stop turning the ball over, and start rebounding(last in the league), ya'll maybe able to win some games. Every team category was basically even, except we forced 20 turnovers and got 29 points off them, we only had 8.

 

So now who's PF that should get the boot in our team? Juwan Howard or Maurice Taylor? I used to think Juwan Howard but last night Maurice Taylor played 29 mins. NOT ONE SINGLE REBOUND. A PF WITH NO REBOUNDS IN 29 MINS OF PLAY!

Taylor needs to be shipped, or put back to the bench. He's only instant offense and nothing else. I don' think he can last long in a game.

And the Pistons....yeah they were in a slump, but not as bad as the Rockets. Pistons had their defense down, executed the offense perfectly and so on. Plus their whole team can rebound so yeah...

On another note, how many possesions did we have people?

65...enough said.