Houston, We Have A Problem

Or could the fallen Great Wall be a blessing in disguise?

Devastating news out of Houston tonight (Saturday, May 9th) as Yao Ming will be out for the remainder of the playoffs with a hairline fracture in his left foot.

This is obviously painful for not only Yao but Rocket nation as well. The fans and the players really thought Houston could compete with the Lakers and even possibly beat them. Now it looks like a rather bleak proposition, but I wouldn’t rule Houston out just yet.

Of course Houston is a better team with Yao playing 30+ minutes a game, that’s not the issue.

Transition Game?

Houston is a consistently half court team with a good, well rounded offense geared towards working it inside-out. Now that Yao is absent the offense is much more perimeter based other than the sprinkling of scoring Scola and Landry will have from time to time in the paint. The Rockets can exploit LA a little more in transition now and not feel too bad about it because Yao is, well, no longer there to slow it down. With Scola, Landry, and now forced into duty Brian Cook, the Rockets bigs can get up and down the court in a more fast break type of style if Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry get the freedom to push the ball at their discretion.  With Artest, Battier and Wafer on the wings, the Rockets do have some worthy scoring options. This could force the Lakers to make somewhat of a key decision in terms of who to play at the point guard spot. It’s apparent that Derek Fisher cannot stay with Brooks and that Jordan Farmar can, however, Derek Fisher has been the staple in the Lakers lineup and isn’t likely to sit the bench for too long. Farmar did prove in Game 3 that he is capable of producing but when push comes to shove I think Phil would rather see Fisher on the court more for if nothing else his leadership skills and intangibles. Thus, the Rockets could have an advantage by pushing the ball whenever possible.  Obviously Brooks will need to have a repeat of Game 1.  In Game 3 he missed a lot of open shots.

Lackluster Lakers?

This goes without saying, the Lakers are awfully athletic at every position as well, and it’s not like the Lakers do not know how to defend a fast break style of offense, but I have to wonder if it could take LA by surprise. Of course the Rockets will still have to make their fair share of baskets, which will be more difficult without Yao keeping the defense honest in the half court. All I know is that Adelman is probably going to open it up, go super small, and let loose guys like Brooks, Wafer, Scola, and Landry to try and be competent offensive sidekicks to Artest (this is an issue in its own right, Artest as the #1 option, oh boy). And I know the Rockets are mature and well coached enough to come out and play hard like they always do, making this a very winnable game seeing as the Lakers, for a lack of a better term, are soft—maybe not cutthroat enough to see this as a viable challenge—thus allowing Houston to steal a win.

Ron Ron must have a huge Game 4 for the Rockets to have a chance (Image:Newscom)

Insanity At Its Finest

You know, with the abundance of open shots Von Wafer missed in game 3, I’m willing to predict if he gets the same looks in Game 4 he will knock them down en route to a big game. He’s capable.

Depending on Von Wafer as an integral part of the scoring attack? Have I gone mad?

Oh yeah, almost forgot, there’s this thing called interior defense and Houston just got a whole lot worse  at it with this Yao guy no longer available.

I can see Gasol licking his chops right now. Odom too. Even softy Andrew Bynum is licking his chops, although I bet he doesn’t last long if the Rockets fast break.

Guess Houston is going to have to score well over 100 to pull out Game 4.

It’s going to be one helluva problem.