The Rockets are a much better team. One thing we have been talking about all year is where is this team's identity. I think they have finally figured out that our identity is in our guards scoring and everyone else supporting that. It is a perimeter league these days, and you have to be a threat to score the ball from there to open up space in the paint for others to operate. These last 4 games or so, the team has started to bomb from the outside, the 3pt shots are more confident and they are going down, and wallah, the team is winning. I know Yao is about to come back, but this can not change, the team needs to continue to be an outside-in team, that is where the strength is, a team that can shoot the 3ball, and open up the paint for the big fellas. Say it with me folks....OUTSIDE IN...... It can work, let's hope the identity stays the same going forward. DD
Funny, but that is not at all it....I am just happy that they are now hitting some of those wide open 3pters that were clanking earlier in the year. You could see that those shots were open and they were good shots, they were just missing them. We have been losing because other teams have been making their shots in crucial times and our guys have been missing theirs. Not last night, and not lately, they are knocking them down, and at the end of the day, it is a make or miss league. Glad we are finally MAKING....well...everyone except CBud...maybe his turn is tonight. DD
Loved to AB/Cousins comment, Rashmon, but as I missed last nite's game the question from reading the box was - did anyone anywhere play any D? Our guys can flat out nail the 3 when the D is and F, not so much when the D is up in their faces. The outside-in works with the inside threat, not without it. Yao, come back, big guy, you are sorely (sic) missed!
Yes, we do need rim protection, and no, our defense is not good, but you can still win if you keep up the pressure in scoring the ball. The object is to outscore the opponent, right...well the only way that happens is if you make those shots...heheh.... The team is getting good looks, and knocking them down, look at Kyle's assist numbers lately.....assists are only counted if the ball goes in.... Thus I like the "True assist" as a stat better, which is a good pass which sets up a good shot, make or miss. Either way, it is nice to see the team hitting their shots.....let's hope they keep it up tonight in Chicago.... DD
The Lakers are an outside in team, or one that initiates most of their offense on the perimeter.... It is not about outside in or inside out, it is about getting good looks and consistently knocking them down. This team has several good 3pt shooters. Martin Lee Bud Brooks Battier And they have not been hitting their shots, now they are and wallah...wins....funny how that works. DD
didn't this thread have the same issue as Carl Herrera's thread http://bbs.clutchfans.com/showthread.php?t=196931 ? of course, aside of the jokes that CH always attempt..
Sure, when my score is higher than your score I win. The age-old argument is how best to effect that. 127 is a fun way to get there. 85, if the other guy is 79, is still a W which is fun, but not so much (unless in June, of course). I was asking if anyone on either team D'd up. Assists are almost as silly a stat as steals (as bad defenders usually get the most steals...huh???). What becomes of Lee when AB returns? Or is Chase on the pine?
Agreed. In today's game, you need a strong post presence. Kobe needed Shaq and Gasol to win his 5. Even he couldn't do it alone. Consistent shooters also needed to be counted on to hit the open shot. Point guards who are winning championships these days are creating for others, getting everyone involved on the offensive end, and hitting the open jumpers when the opportunity arises. They usually aren't the first option on offense to score. Just need a pg to play in the system and get the offense set up while not turning the ball over trying to do too much. But success in the playoffs stems from a strong post presence first and foremost.
They run their entire offense through the post! Either Pau, Kobe, Bynum or Odom posts up and makes a play on the vast majority of their possessions. Because of this, they get better shots.
How often will we see the team hitting 3s at 60%? If we hit 40%, we had lost the game. Certainly, the game plan would change accordingly if those 3s weren't falling, but just because we hit at a high percentage doesn't justify not playing defense. We've lost many games not because of our offense, but our defense.
Actually, I think agree that the perimeter players need to score more for us to win. But that's different from being outside-in. I've noticed that we've played better with Scola scoring around 14-15 ppg rather than 22ppg. I think it's still better to go inside-out, but instead of Scola looking to get his shot, the offense works better with him backing people down and passing the ball out when they double.
No, the PGs that are winning championships are scoring PGs like Fisher, and Parker. Rondo has one championship and even though people think he is not a good shooter, he has an excellent career FG% of like 48%. No, it stems from balance, and getting open looks at important times. I am not saying that we ignore the post, just that we have finally found an identity and it is in our guards, and not in our forwards or bigs. The bigs are more of a support player, of course you still go into the post, but a lot of that is to get a wide open look at the 3 ball, or elbow jumper. I guess, what I am trying to say, and maybe doing it badly is that our best chance at winning is for our guards to score the ball, and hit open 3s..... That has been the case all year, when we hit our 3s, we win. We can always improve our defense, and that is primarily where Yao can help a lot.... DD
We also need perimeter defense and crisp ball movement from our perimeter players. We've been getting that and scoring from the perimeter lately, and we've started to win games. Just scoring from the outside is not going to cut it, even if we have that "guy" in the middle to back them up. Lowry has been giving us all that. Smith? He's a stop-gap until another perimeter player who actually scores, knows the offense, and moves well without the ball returns, AB. He's the perfect 6th man off the bench for the Rockets. I've been open minded about the AB versus KL kerfluffle, but the last several games have definitely caused me to lean towards Lowry as the starter and AB as 6th man. Brooks is just a perfect fit in that role, IMO. Adelman, however, won't replace a starter because of the play of his backup during an injury, and hesitates when the backup is out playing the starter. At least in my opinion (see Rafer). That could mean Morey might take the decision out of Adelman's hands by moving AB, which would be a bummer. The bummerness depending on who we get, of course, but I really like Brooks, especially as the 6th man. It'll be interesting seeing this play out. AB should be back soon, I hope. Meanwhile, Lowry has started playing like a madman and we're winning games. What to do?
It is sad when you can't have a quality basketball discussion anymore when folks read too much into old arguments. Sigh. DD
