Bobcats let Rockets escape

11/12/2007

Well, the Bobcats have won a game the numbers said they should not have (against the Heat, when the Cats posted a negative adjusted +/- for the game)...and now they have lost one they should have won: They outplayed the Rockets to the tune of 0.92 ppp to 0.915 ppp. Not much - but something.
A couple of thoughts (I have run the numbers, but am just now watching the game - thank you, DVR):
1. Houston is still slow. This was a slow paced game, as both teams were below 92 possessions for the game. 92 was the Bobcats average last year (and about the league average) - but the Rockets were at 91 last year with Van Gundy, and were not much different yesterday, with Rick Adelman at the helm. So, if you want a high scoring game, do not expect Houston to be part of it, despite the pre-season hype about Adelman revving up the Houston offense.
2. Speaking of that Houston offense - the Bobcats shut it down yesterday. As previously mentioned, the Bobcats allowed only 0.915 ppp yestereday, their best effort of the season. How did they do it? Holding the opposition to a low field goal % and forcing 19 turnovers is a good start.
3. Yao Ming's big day...not so much. Yes, Yao did manage to drop 34 points on only 15 field goal attempts. Yes, managing to shoot 13 of 15 from the floor is very impressive. But, did it matter? No: The Houston offense was actually more effective without Yao on the floor - 0.90 ppp with him, 1.14 ppp without him. Why? Turnovers were a big part of it - he committed 6, and the Rockets turned the ball over on 25% of their possessions while Yao was on the court. However, they did not turn the ball over even once in the 14 possessions the Great Wall of China was on the bench.
4. The Queen City Hoops Greatest Lineup Ever goes to... Emeka, Gerald, Jason, Matt, and Raymond. Nothing spectacular - a +0.03 adjusted +/-, but this group played the most together on the night for the team (13 minutes and 22 seconds), and did a solid job - playing the Rockets to a draw. And they did it the way we are used to seeing the Bobcats play: They took care of the ball and forced turnovers, at a +5 on turnover margin. Most surprising numbers on this group? They shot 32% from the floor, allowed the Rockets to shoot 57%, and still managed to battle them to a tie.
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