Interesting quotes from last nights Jazz vs. Rockets game

[King Baller]

Rick Adelman:

"Just a very poor defensive effort," said Houston coach Rick Adelman. "I think they just took it to us. We weren't mentally tough enough to guard their cuts. They got it going."

Kevin Martin speaking of Deron Williams:

"He came out really looking to attack," Houston guard Kevin Martin said of Williams. "I was like 'you're feeling it tonight, huh' and he was like, 'you know, I just had a bad game last night,' and great players in this league, that's what they do."

Carlos Boozer speaking of Deron Willaims:

"Last night he didn't play his best game," said Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who had 18 points and eight rebounds. "Tonight he came back strong and started cooking. They didn't have a guy that could stay in front of him. He just kept taking it to them. When he can get by you, he's dangerous."

My conclusion from Kevin and Carlos's comments is that the Kings played good defense vs. the Jazz Friday night. Tyreke Evans did a great job guarding Deron Williams.

I will leave you to draw your own conclusion on Rick Adelman's "mentally tough" comment.

KB

PS The Jazz rolled to a 133 - 110 victory. Williams scored 35 points in 32 minutes! See the details here:
http://www.nba.com/games/20100227/HOUUTA/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0020900876

 

[Kingsguy881]

Evans was frustrating the crap outta Williams. You could tell because even when Williams tried to get it going against Reke he was making himself even more frustrated by his futile attempts to take Reke to the hoop. Interesting though, he kinda looked tentative going against Reke and even seemed to be pissed at himself that he couldn't take 'this stupid rookie'.

 

[gmcfly]

Speaking of the Rockets awful defense last night, you can start with Martin. He led the team in scoring with 33 points, yet he was minus 22. That's hard to do. Typical Kmart game. He gets his points, but he gives up a lot more. The Rockets will end up regretting this trade.

 

[steelevt]

defensively, they were without ariza and shane battier, and aaron brooks is alot smaller than evans so hes definitely gonna have a harder time on williams who is a strong pg. so deron williams, angry that his team lost to one of the worst teams in the league, took advantage and went crazy on them on their home court.

 

[pshn80]

Evans was frustrating the crap outta Williams. You could tell because even when Williams tried to get it going against Reke he was making himself even more frustrated by his futile attempts to take Reke to the hoop. Interesting though, he kinda looked tentative going against Reke and even seemed to be pissed at himself that he couldn't take 'this stupid rookie'.

He did look frustrated and he played that way. Tyreke was great defending him and scoring on him. However, I'd don't think Tyreke was a "stupid rookie" in Williams' mind. He had already had a taste and had been impressed.

 

[Bricklayer]

The worst case scenario for the Rockets was that Kevin either infested them with the softness disease, or Kevin for Landry was a tipping point trade where the tough/scrappy mentality that has had them hanging tough this season got overwhelmed by too many soft players. And Martin/Brooks together as a backcourt...defensively, toughness wise...just horrible. You get a physical guard like a Deron or a Wade or a Kobe or whoever (including a Tyreke) and goodnight.

We'll have to see. Still early. But the way it works, the only way Kevin works to help any team win, is Kevin changes, not the winning team he arrives at changes. They have to keep their identity, and Kevin has to bend toward it. If they lose their identity and bend toward Kevin that's just all flash no substance lottery time. They need Kevin's scoring to take a step forward. But if they end up losing everything else in the process, it will be just like Sacramento all over again. I feel sorry for them in a way. Feel like we have repeatedly slipped them mickeys over the last few years. I'll take my Landry, Casspi, Greene any day of the week.

 

[FaStRmAn]

This is a very interesting comment by the Rockets and Adelman. Rick KNEW what he was getting in Kevin Martin, so he has no excuses. He KNEW that the Rockets defense would suffer with Martin in the lineup and then subtract Landry too? It might be enough to keep the Rockets out of the playoffs this year. I am sure if they had Yao, Martin's defensive lapses would be less detrimental to the team. BUT they don't have Yao, and they DO need Martin to stay in front of his man. That is just never going to happen. Martin is a scorer. He is not a defensive stopper at ALL. None of this should come as a surprise to Rick Adelman, who coached Martin for several years. WHY they made this trade is beyond me. Without Yao or a similar defensive presence to deter guards driving right past Martin to the goal, their defense will suffer greatly. Martin could score 43 and they could still lose. I think this trade could get Adelman and the Houston GM fired in the end.

 

[Tetsujin]

This is a very interesting comment by the Rockets and Adelman. Rick KNEW what he was getting in Kevin Martin, so he has no excuses. He KNEW that the Rockets defense would suffer with Martin in the lineup and then subtract Landry too? It might be enough to keep the Rockets out of the playoffs this year. I am sure if they had Yao, Martin's defensive lapses would be less detrimental to the team. BUT they don't have Yao, and they DO need Martin to stay in front of his man. That is just never going to happen. Martin is a scorer. He is not a defensive stopper at ALL. None of this should come as a surprise to Rick Adelman, who coached Martin for several years. WHY they made this trade is beyond me. Without Yao or a similar defensive presence to deter guards driving right past Martin to the goal, their defense will suffer greatly. Martin could score 43 and they could still lose. I think this trade could get Adelman and the Houston GM fired in the end.

The thing is that when Rick was coaching the Kings, Kevin was still at least trying to play defense. Now, on the otherhand, he is 99% focused on offense only.

 

[Bricklayer]

The thing is that when Rick was coaching the Kings, Kevin was still at least trying to play defense. Now, on the otherhand, he is 99% focused on offense only.

They are going to be dependent on Battier/Ariza picking up the slack. When both those guys are out, and Lowry too...just all their toughness was gone.

Still need everybody healthy to see which side wins out + whether it works, and of course some of the thought had to be when Yao comes back, having the big perimeter scorer would be the perfect complement.

 

[supamari0]

The thing is that when Rick was coaching the Kings, Kevin was still at least trying to play defense. Now, on the otherhand, he is 99% focused on offense only.

Are you kidding? Last season all you heard was how that Rockets team shattered the myth that Adelman couldnt coach defense. Now you have a team full of injuries that lost one if its few front court players and all of a sudden Adelman forgot how to coach defense.

He's doing just fine, give him a team at full strength and then judge.

 

[kingzfan]

The thing is that when Rick was coaching the Kings, Kevin was still at least trying to play defense. Now, on the otherhand, he is 99% focused on offense only.

If you have been watching any rockets games since Kevin has been traded you would know he is making an effort now to defend better..He will never be artest or even close..but he is better then he was...Plus Houston has players to make up for what Kevin does'nt do...He fits in much better there

 

[steelevt]

Are you kidding? Last season all you heard was how that Rockets team shattered the myth that Adelman couldnt coach defense. Now you have a team full of injuries that lost one if its few front court players and all of a sudden Adelman forgot how to coach defense.

He's doing just fine, give him a team at full strength and then judge.

you mean be patient and give the team time to get healthy and gel before you judge? have you not been on this forum the last few months. i dunno if kingsfans have the ability to do that. maybe some people dont want to see the rockets succeed to prove their point in it was the right decision to trade him. i would prefer both teams to do well since im a kings fan and like many parts of the rockets (adelman and yao). kevin has been getting better i think over in houston, and it will still take time since more players are injured but they did well last night against another team with injured players.