Kleeman's Last Word

Bill Walton amazes with his numbing stupidity...

Three things heard from tonight's Rockets/Nuggets telecast on ESPN.
"Phoenix is going to win the championship this year."
--see below post for a full rebuttal.

"I'm looking at the Rockets defense right now with my own two eyes and I don't see this team in the same class as Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and Utah. I would take Phoenix's defense over the Rockets anyday."
I respect Bill as a hall of famer and an intelligent commentator, but this sequence of obsenities (obscene because they're stupid) really threw me for a loop. If Walton was really watching the Houston defense he would have noticed it limiting Denver to an average of 34 percent shooting, mostly well-contested outside jumpshots and four quarters of less than 25 points. The Rockets are nearing more than 50 quarters of allowing less than 20 points to an opponent. If that's not the best defense in the NBA, then I ought to banish myself from basketball for the rest of my life. I obviously don't understand the game, Bill.
And excuse me Luke's father, but the Rockets have beaten three of the aforementioned teams by at least 20 points. Only one of those wins came with both Yao and T-Mac on the court. Phoenix only beat Houston because they were allowed to play run-and-gun for four quarters. I'm still waiting for Phoenix to beat Houston this season in a defensive-centric game.

"How many points do the Rockets average per game--(Jon Barry chimes in) uh, 94--Yeah, see the Rockets play a lower scoring style of game. I just don't see it happening for this Houston team."
Bill, the Rockets scoring average has nothing to do with the style of game they play. The Rockets are only averaging about 94 points per game becuase they have struggled all season long to put the ball in the basket. In many games the Rockets have won they shot in the low 40s. That this team has achieved more than 10 blowouts shooting such a low percentage should say something about their defense.
The Van Gundy approach to winning ball games is similar to the Pops approach. Hold teams to a low shooting percentage, contest every shot, keep them out of the paint and on the other end, move the ball around and look for wide open, high-percentage shots. The Rockets could easily be scoring more than 100 points per game if they could string together a few more baskets.
Of course, then again Bill, maybe I'm a complete idiot and don't know a thing about basketball.

posted by Robert Kleeman @ 11:12 PM