Go to Dwight early in the game, early in the quarter, early in the shot clock

Yeah, this is called covering your bases, so you can later say "See, I called the game when it all clicked." Or something like that.

My exercise revealed Concerted Commitment has been going on since you first started looking for it Nov 29th, basically something JBB has been implementing for awhile. We were just inconsistent, and going to Howard early and often was not always a winning strategy during your Gap Period, so naturally we are getting better and hopefully more consistent.

But go ahead and say yesterday was the first time you saw a difference, we all understand why you need to be right all the time, despite saying this on Nov 29th

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=10156843&postcount=5

Harden has made a concerted effort to get the ball to Dwight the last couple games. I can tell the difference.
-- Nov 29th, basketballholic​

 

last nights victory proves my theories about the rockets are true

 

Good post


T_Man

 

Did not happen this game at all what title says, so we Lost

 

Did just about everything you said, Dwight was still a total f**k up

 

Dwight a has been, he came to h-town because he was gonna get paid, simple as peanut butter and jelly. Now that the rockets see this jam all messy in there face they wonder why laker just said no. lol

 

Been doing it since a few games after JBB took over, and basketballholic even confirmed it in the Nov 27th and 29th game.

In the Post McHale era:

Both Dwight in the low post and our freaking defense is too inconsistent for us to win consistently. And good NBA defenses are clogging our PnRs. Because of that, people forget the losses, and just think none of them had low-post plays or PnRs for Dwight. They all did! Just like this one.

Do we miss Dwight on Pin-downs? Sure, yeah. Did Dwight go 0-5 on Pin-Downs in the recent LAL and CHA games? Yes. What was the count today?\

If people would just stop trying to weave a narrative and just watch what JBB is slowly implementing, they'd see simplistic solutions like the OP are just that, simplistic solutions. NBA Defenses will stop them. JBB is doing several more complex things, all to get his two Leaders better looks.


bottomline: People only remember the wins for preaching about what we should do, and only remember the losses for preaching about what we shouldn't do. That's a fact for how people build narratives when they are so eager convince people, which is weird to begin with, just to look smart ... and basketballholic is a prime example -- plain as day.

 

Rofl what about the playoffs when they play hard in early quarters or around the time the NBA rolls into playoff action?

 

So weird. Our answer is to trade for a backup center? I'm willing to bet getting another backup 5 is the last thing most people on this BBS would vote for. And I'll bet the house that Morey does not do that.

I dare you to start a poll. LOLs

 

We are 0-15 when we get outscored. We are 15-0 when we score more than the other team.
That says it all - we need to score more.

 

The Rockets issue IS defense and protecting the ball.

I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

The Rockets are built to force turnovers and turn them into easy points in transition. Harden is good at it, Lawson historically is, that is why Brewer is on the Rockets.

Forcing turnovers, defensive rebounds and suppressing scoring all lead to the Rockets getting better shots and avoiding bailout shots.

I will say this too, that is also how you beat teams like the Warriors. You get out in transition and stiffen the defense and limit second chances.

That is what I mean when I say "execution", and the Rockets are not executing and that is what teams like the Spurs and Warriors do.

It is also why I kind of chuckle at people that say Thibs is a bad offensive coach.

 

If the Rockets executed better they could probably survive without a second rim protector, assuming that Howard plays 35 minutes a night in the playoffs.

Having said that, people need to realize just how important Dwight is to the Rockets on the defensive end. The Rockets are a lottery team without him long term. He is the equivalent to Harden, but on the defensive end. There is a wide open lane in the middle of the Rockets defense without Howard.

Capela is a nice young player, he was a very good draft pick and has value. However he is not ever going to be Dwight defensively, he isn't an anchor like that. He can alter shots but not like Dwight. There are only a handful of guys that complete shut down the paint.

 

Fully agree...defense is the fixable key to everything, not the minutia of Howard's offense, which always gets better looks when we play better defense, and we do the OP topic anyways, especially in the playoffs. I feel like I'm in a thread about defense now vs about Howard's offense.

But I wouldn't use up trade assets on yet another backup 5 to get a poor-man's Howard. Defense should be fixable enough (like last year, even when Dwight was out and Capela wasn't even playing yet), to focus your trades on more pressing needs ... like shooting and a Lawson replacement if he doesn't turn it around. You know, like things Morey is talking about.

 

Dwight was most definitely a problem. His defense was god awful.

 

So you're asking that we go to one of our most inefficient plays as our bread and butter play? No thanks

 

Go to any Rocket in the last 3 seconds of the shot clock once Harden decides he doesn't see any shot he likes.