Why is it that when the team loses a couple games with its best player on the bench, there begins a stream of reasons for why the team is struggling: Yao sucks. Wesley sucks. JVG is terrible. CD made dumb moves. We're not aggressive. Our offense isn't any good. Has anyone ever stopped to think that NOTHING can be traced to a single problem and, therefore, the problems must be cumulitive? It's like a doctor making a diagnosis after asking your symptoms but never bothering to do any tests. The loss of T-Mac is significant. It is the single biggest reason we have lost the last two games. But, it isn't the only issue. The team is shooting poorly. Our spacing is bad. We allow too much defensive penetration. We don't rebound well. The newer players are still learning their roles on the floor and are caught out of place often. Our main offensive weapon (Yao) is being triple teamed because no one can make a shot. We don't force turnovers. Our substitution patterns are still in flux because it is early. We make too many turnovers. Those are just some of the factors contributing to our problems. There are others as well, but it isn't worth going into everything because you guys seem hell bent on believing that one thing will solve all our problems. The reality is that all these problems existed with T-Mac on the floor. He's just so good that we can overcome many of those problems against below average teams like the Hornets and Magic. Without him on the floor, those weaknesses are magnified. There isn't any one solution. Trades, scheme changes, lineup changes...none of these will ultimately fix the problem. Hard work and time are the only things we need at this point...and our best player back on the floor.
I think our main problems so far have been not being able to hit the outside shot which in turn makes it difficult to get Yao the ball in the post. I don't think we'll continue to shoot that poorly and once they start falling, it's going to open up the inside for Yao. I am also concerned about our lack of offensive rebounding. Too many times last night there were four Magic around the ball after a miss without a Rocket to be seen. I think the one solution is time. There were some major changes to this team in the offseason. Like you said, we have guys who are still trying to figure out their roles and JVG is still trying to figure them out as well. Good thing this is an 82-game season, which it seems many people have forgotten.
The wise one can't hold silence anymore People just chill out, a little bit faith in the team we like isn't too much to ask. Give them time to gell, and address those problems and adjust to the fact that TMac will be out for a while. Those are professionals and verterans, and I trust JVG.
You know, Defense is a good thing, but it is not the only thing. JVG apparently thinks everyone on the team needs to be a good defensive player in order to get time. Lot's of teams have a 'lights out' shooter just for games like last night, where no one is hitting. The Rox are not a team of good shooting players so sometimes they should have a pure shooter that can come in and fire them up. DW used to do it, and James also. MJ is gone and DW hasn't got going yet, if he does at all again. IMO, Luther should get some time at the SG. He can shoot and is fearless.
I agree, somewhat ! But, if the team was hitting it's open shots, none of this would matter. Alston is getting people WIDE open looks, and they are simply missing them. Yao is struggling (and that is a rarity), and the guards can not hit a jumper to save their lives. This team can not shoot the ball.......yet... DD
Went to the game last night and before the game even started, during warmups, Yao looked like crap out there. He looked VERY tired, like he just woke up from hibernation or something. He missed a ton of warmup shots and it took him awhile to get his freethrow shooting going when he practiced them. Lethargic and bored pretty much sums up our team in general last night with rare moments of excitement. Did they simply not feel like playing or something? Who knows. It's probably just a once in awhile thing, but extremely disappointing when it's the first game you go to.
I personally think this is an opportunity for the team to learn. With T-Mac compensating for so much in the game, this teams needs to get off their butts and compensate for him now.
I agree with your whole post, Jeff, but I think this is the main reason we're 1-2 right now. I mean besides T-Mac. If we hit a few open shots down the stretch Saturday night and 1 or 2 last night, we're 3-0 right now and everything is fine.
but teams like San Antonio, Detroit, and Miami don't have those problems when the best player is lost. Of course a team like San Antonio isn't a contender without Duncan but they aren't losing to no win teams either. If this team can't win with Tracy on the floor through the regular season that's a problem no matter how you spin it. Especially with its supposed talent.
I noticed that too. His shot kept rimming out during warm-ups, when I saw that I knew he wasn't going to have a good shooting night.
Missing open shots? REALLY?? I think this has been and issue going on 7 yrs now when they hit open shots we win when they don't we loose for going on 7 yrs now . .I been saying we need consistant shooters Rocket River
I agree that the way we lost the last two games is worrisome. Nevertheless, what can one expect if there is no consistency in the rotation. Due to T-Mac's injury we have used two different starting lineups in the past two games. That HAS to have an effect. Plus, it doesn't help when the guards can't make open shots created by the jam-packing of the paint. Our woes are a consequence of others. It is never one thing.
On a brighter note, Swift seemed to improve from his previous outings. Although called for goal tending, his first block was terriffic. His second block looked like he was 1 foot above the rim.
I totally agree Jeff. The Magic just laid back on Yao and no one was able to step up and start nailing shots. Juwon hit a few midrange jumpers, but none of our guards could do anything. Without T-Mac in the game, we don't have a guard that can create penetration or scoring opportunities on his own. We spend most of the shot clock running around the three point line off picks and screens that don't produce much and then have to force a shot.
I agree but I would be a lot more worried if this happened in February instead of Novemeber. We have a lot of new players who haven't had time to gel yet. This would be a factor even if T-Mac were healthy. T-Mac being out just makes it worse.
We have only played 3 games this season. We still got 79 to go. Now isn't the time to panic. Unless you're into that sort of thing.
Teams like San Antonio and Detroit have been together longer than we have. Miami did well when Shaq went down but that was after a whole season of play together. The boys need to learn to play nice together. I just hope all the bandwagoners are gone when they finally do.
Good points Jeff. I also think that in general, the city of Houston is obsessed with the center position because of Dream. And if we lose and Yao didn't play well, then everyone loses hope or thinks we can't go all the way. All we were missing was TMAC and if he's in there, no way he lets those games slip away at the end and we'd easily be undefeated.
