Hakeem shot 39.4%.

[nuraman00]

Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how Hakeem Olajuwon shot 39.4% against the Jazz in the 1998 series?

That is amazing!

1998 NBA Western Conference First Round - Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz | Basketball-Reference.com

I didn't know the Jazz limited one of the greatest of all time to such a paltry shooting percentage.

To compare, Hakeem shot 59% in the 1997 series against the Jazz, and 57% in the 1995 series, and 44% in the 1994 series.

What did the Jazz do that was so effective in 1998?

 

[MHSL82]

Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how Hakeem Olajuwon shot 39.4% against the Jazz in the 1998 series?

That is amazing!

1998 NBA Western Conference First Round - Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz | Basketball-Reference.com

I didn't know the Jazz limited one of the greatest of all time to such a paltry shooting percentage.

To compare, Hakeem shot 59% in the 1997 series against the Jazz, and 57% in the 1995 series, and 44% in the 1994 series.

What did the Jazz do that was so effective in 1998?

Ostertag grew an extra 5 inches that series before shrinking before the Finals (or are you talking about the year after the last Finals?). He still couldn't make a shot, but made it a little harder for them to shoot.

 

[nuraman00]

No, 1998. I linked to the series.

Ostertag only played 25.6 minutes per game in that series. So did Greg Foster and Antione Carr also do a great job?

 

[nuraman00]

Any other explanation, other than Ostertag growing 5 inches between years?

 

[MHSL82]

Any other explanation, other than Ostertag growing 5 inches between years?

I have no idea. I was too young there and I'm not that good of a basketball analyst. I just know that Sloan is a great coach and he had adjusted. People can also have bad series. I haven't looked at the game to game stats and whether one game dragged down the percentage from a reasonably low to exceptionally low percentage.

 

[nuraman00]

Thanks. It looks like he shot below 43% in 4 of the 5 games.

His worst 2 games were the Houston home games, in terms of FG%. He did get to the free throw line more, though.

Hakeem Olajuwon 1997-98 Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[nuraman00]

and I'm not that good of a basketball analyst.

False. I like you as a basketball analyst.

I agree though that it was a long time ago. I thought about games differently back then, as compared to the early 2000s and onward.