Game 6 Grades

Here is the second edition of post-game grades for the Rockets.

Aaron Brooks A : He was great as a scorer once again, and I feel like he has really responded well to the playoffs and Yao's injury specifically. This would be an A+, but he did have 4 turnovers. I feel like our turnovers have been a crucial aspect of each game, and no one has picked up on it yet. Overall, this was a spectacular game for Brooks.

Shane Battier B+ : Yeah, he was only 2-8, but any offense you get from him is acceptable. The important thing was his defense on Kobe (11-27). At the same time however, Kobe got to the line 10 times and has gotten in the paint more consistently in the past few games. Instead of settling for contested jumpers, he has started taking it to the hole where he is effective. Shane has done a good job, but we need him to show up big on sunday.

Ron Artest C: 3 turnovers and only 6-17 from the field (does he take 17 shots every game? I feel like he does). Ron was not that good but will need to be if we want to win this game 7.

Luis Scola A+ : He was phenomenal. I have been hard on him all series because the Lakers' length has bothered him and he has played bad, but last night he played like Round 1 Scola. If he plays well again on Sunday, we will win this series. Again, we will win this series.

Chuck Hayes A : He shot 100% (ok only 1-1), and stayed out of foul trouble. It is hard to see his value to this team in the box score, but you can see his effect in the final score. We lost Game 5 when he was in foul trouble and Cook played. We dominated Games 4 and 6 when he was on the court. An added bonus of his play is that we don't have to see Cook disgrace the game of basketball.

Carl Landry A+ : Another great performance for Landry. He was slamming down dunks and finishing all around the basket. He has been an integral part of our success this series. Just like Chuckwagon, he shot 100% (however, this was on 6 shots), and combined with Scola to score 39 points from the power forward position.

Kyle Lowry C+ : I think this is Adelman's fault, not Lowry's. He cannot play well with Aaron Brooks. They don't complement each other well, and the offense comes to a screeching halt when they play together. Alone, they are effective, but together, they suck.

Von Wafer A : His exile continues. Von did all he could during his brief 5 minutes of playing time, hitting a three and a mid-range jumper. If Adelman continues to let his grudge against Wafer get in the way of playing him, he will leave as a free agent. On a night when Shane and Ron's shots were off, we needed his sweet stroke. We got lucky that Carl, Luis, and Aaron played so well.

Rick Adelman A- : Aside from the two point guard scheme and not playing Von Wafer, I think Adelman coached well last night. He is a calming influence on the team.