Do I love Rudy's fire. Yes. But I am seriously calling his coaching out. As I posed in another forum what did S. Anderson do not to play in the second quarter? After 3 quarters there were two Rox who were hitting shots, and were playing really well. SA and Francis. Collectively the two of them got a total of 2 shots off in the final period. As people like Mobley, Bullard, and Drew were laying eggs on the front of the rim, why cant Rudy find ways to get these guys more time, and more shots? These guys were hot coming out of the 3rd quarter, and they can only get 2 shots in the 4th quarter between them? Bullard has no right shooting anything that isn't a set 3 point shot. Period. I realize that Cato is struggling a bit, but cmon. It was Duncan and Robinson. And Cato didn't do to badly considering how long of stretches he sat on the bench. Freethrow shooting and Turnovers are a serious problem. Its not an isolated case here folks. Eventually the coach has to take the heat for these. Are the Rox on pace to break the record for Turnovers per game? There was no reason to watch Mobley shoot egg after egg at the end of the game, when Francis and Anderson were shooting so much better. This game was the Rox to win. Frustrating is not the word to describe it.
sigh. I hear where you are coming from. I would like Shandon Anderson to play the whole game just about every game. The missed free throws - no excuse - basically could have caused us to lose the game. The turnovers in the 4th cost the game but I credit San Antonio's defense more than anything else. They have four ex-Rockets for one thing that know our system, they clamped down on D in the 4th although we had control the whole game. That defense of San Antonio may have been the reason Stevie didn't get more shots - he would be the player they would want to stop and make someone else hit the shot. Maybe Shandon too I'm not sure. Anyway, as far as free throws, I think the player should take responsibility for missing them. Should Jackson be fired cus Shaq can't hit a free throw? Great game, Rockets! We are definitely learning and played great!
LEARNING !!! What Rockets team are you watching? I see the same mistakes now that we have displayed all year. We just don't have it between the ears. "Mama always says, stupid is as stupid does" The Rockets have very little Basketball IQ. I am still waiting on the first CLUTCH play of the year. Right now everyone wants to do the FANCY, but has no clue how to win. Mental toughness is a trait that these Rockets have absolutely NONE of.... DaDakota
Let me make a point clear. I think the Rox played well enough to win this game. But I do believe that Rudy didn't take advantage of who was the hot hand. Even if the Spurs are doing things to clog up Francis and Anderson its Rudy's job to find ways to get his hot players the ball with a clear look. Not just dump it down low and hope for a double, or not just a clear out, iso. Thats junior varsity stuff. Your right that players do have the responsibility to hit FT's. And no Phil doesnt have to take heat for Shaq's FT's. Most of the Rox players are better FT shooters than what they have been displaying over the last few years. Its not like the rim moves or changes height. Its just like Murphy put it. Its a matter of comfort. If you practice it every day to the point its second nature, your not going to be able not to hit 80-90 percent of them, as he put it.
one thing I noticed tonight to correct your huge frustration tonight: Francis is hitting the bottom of the net on every freethrow. I think the man wake-up and realized at 73% he's looking at being the worst FT shooting PG. There is a certain arc and sound to a FT that is the makings of 80%+ which he didn't have before. Bullard's starting role got to his head on that pass to no one underneath. Ooh that was miserable wasn't it!
Rudy coaches well through the 3rd. But 4th quarter he doesnt know how to coach worth ****. Yeah we missed stupid free throws. But Kenny Thomas shouldnt of been on the floor, A ROOKIE against Duncan. I dont think so. And why werent we triple or doubling duncan like they did early. I dont know why either. Shandon Anderson , Why was he on the bench in the 4th? No excuses ., He was hot , and rudy simply benched him. Walt Williams has been playing bad lately but come on , give the guy a break, let him get his shot back, NOT PUT him on the bench. Drew should of the skills he always he had. SUCKING. He played ok a little some plays but overall sucked again. VETERAN . VETERAN. This would of helped. We are a young team. We need to get some older guys to help this team. Also, I dont understand is this .. Why was the ball going to mobleys hand and kenny thomas when the end was coming. Francis has to be the guy to go to no matter what. DAMN HE PLAYED GOOD. Mobley - Getting me really mad the way he is playing. Plays to much and i think he is taking andersons time away. He tries to be tooooo fancy and always carrys the ball. Come on if you want to be fancy , LEARN FROM FRANCIS. NOW THAT IS SOME NICE **** HE DOES. Hamilton played well tonight. Cato should of got more time, His defense was EXCELLENT.
Well said DS99. I've been more frustrated with Rudy's substitutions this year than all the other problems combined. The team (coach and players) can collectively take the blame for the majority of the problems, but substitutions are the coach's and only the coach's responsibility. I has a direct bearing on flow of the game and more importantly, Ws and Ls.
I think we were lucky to even be in the game in the first place. As Sean Elliott shrewdly pointed out (repeatedly), the Rockets have zero execution on the offensive end, showing no semblance of an offensive plan whatsoever. They play what my high school coach used to call "hully gully". It's like every time down the floor, it's up to the individual player to decide what he wants to do with the ball. That might work with a team of vets who are familiar with each other, but that's far from where we're at right now. I could even tolerate this lackluster execution (I hesitate to call it lack of execution, because it doesn't even look like there's a plan to execute) if we really got after it on defense, but sadly that's not the case.
Well I hate to sound like a broken reacord here but we have no anchor to steady us during those 4th quarter crunch times, at least until Hakeem comes back, and even then what the hell is the offense gonna look like, I think we need to give this team some patience, which I am sure many of us dont have to give right now. Rudy wasnt ready for this just as we werent, although, he is the coach and thus must be able to work on the fly, injuries are part of basketball, so Rudy must take part of the blame for not having plays and an offense setup for A) when Hakeem and Charles arent in the game, and B) should those guys go down. Yes I can already here you saying who plans for that and no one does that, but with a team with only two strong veterns like that, why wouldnt you. I just think we gotta give these guys some time, they all can play, but Rudy has got to give guys like Anderson a chance in the 4th to show they can carry the team a little bit. Rudy is a good coach, but all great coaches seem to have great players, once they no longer have those great players, they are good coaches again. I say give Rudy and the team a chance and some time. I dont think we should jump ship on these guys after only a week
sean elliot said it best. in fact, i think he was directly placing the rox woes on rudy. yes, injuries are a tragic thing, but our 2 stars have been injury prone for years now. the rox did not run 1 set play in the 4th quarter tonight. not one well executed play. in fact, there were very few "plays" which were executed all night. i said it b4, i'll say it again: rudy is the worse X/O coach in the league. he's a gr8 player's coach, no doubt. however, tell me how you can't get francis open for more looks in the 4th quarter. pitiful! we run freakin plays for mobley and thomas instead ??!!!! great fu**in' job with the play calling. would it have been asking to much to run cat or even anderson at the pg and running francis off some picks ala reggie miller or any other hot shooter in the 4th quarter? nah. not rudy. rudy is so fuc*in predictable it's silly. never once was elliot worried about the outcome of this game. and ya know what? neither was i. cuase i knew that once the spurs made an adjustment to the rockets 1on1 game and started doubling the perimeter players, we would crumble. yes, the guys are young, but they need some sort of structure. something more than just streetball. you guys that are calling for hakeem to return aren't really calling for hakeem, you're calling for some offensive rhythm. i'd welcome it, too. i just happen to think it's more rudy's responsibility to design an offense around his players than it is hak's responsibility (or ability) to carry the rox on his tired, aching back. that said, rudy cannot be held responsible for the missed free throws. the players just have to knock them down. i wish the glorified "tell the truth snaggletooth" calvin murphy would stop saying ridiculous, embarassing lines on the mic and start helping our guys end these embarassing trips to the free thow line. the few guys that do have decent form lose their concentration (francis, mobley). rudy can't be blamed for that one. that's gut-check time. lastly, FRANCIS IS THE BOMB! call him the saint, mj2, or whatever, but may end up being the most "talented" rocket in history.
francis3, good post, agreed with everything you said mobley still seems to be making "rookie" mistakes. i think he gets too excited out there and makes dumb plays which cost us the game. Also, he really doesn't like to pass much. If you dont have a good shot, DONT TAKE IT.PASS THE BALL AROUND! kenny thomas really is a blessing. So far he has exceeded my expectations. But on the floor during crunch time? HECK NO! This is who i want to see when the game is on the line: Francis Bullard (need him for the offense, and if he could get the weak side help when people drive on him, he won't be a defensive liability) Shandon (need his defense AND offense) Rogers(has been our most consistent rebounder) Cato(especially if its someone like Duncan were playing against, hes more athletic than 2Sandwiches so he can keep up with him) and guys...free throws DO count! ------------------ "You know, it's interesting....." -Calvin Murphy
Why did Rudy T. sit Francis on the bench for a little over five minutes at the begining of the fourth quarter? Wasn't Francis taking over the game at the end of the third quarter, If I saw what I think I saw he was taking complete control of the game, and then what does Rudy do? He sits Francis on the bench for no apparent reason, I mean Francis couldn't of been tired cause he was jumping up and down on the bench cheering on his teamates. Did Rudy take Francis out just for the sake of putting Drew in or what? Good God, Terry porter's almost 40yrs old and he played the whole second half, So did Duncan and Robinson, and why does Rudy T. bench Shandon Anderson for the whole fourth quarter, for Matt Bullard.
