Live by the 3, die by the 3. http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/633/scouts-takes-dwights-start-in-houston Lock if posted.
"Just look at how many fouls they draw in a a game. Last time I looked at the stats, it was 28 a game, with the next closest team at 23. It's right there in black and white. They are attacking. They are shooting a 3 or taking it to the rim and there's no in-between. "
And on the pick and roll. Seems to me like the Harden/Howard pick and roll results in more mid-range jumpers for Harden than I anticipated. He's doing a decent job hitting them though.
I'll live with an elbow jumper all day...Harden lives at the free throw line so he should hit that mid range J at a high clip
Harden needs to get his #### together, but I'm seriously digging what Morey has put together. The Rockets are an easy team to watch and an easy team to root for. The key is to not allow SA to pull away, while waiting for the inevitable trades that are simmering. Still think they are a top four seed. I'd be shocked if they fell below that for any reason other than injury.
I don't think the idea is to never shoot midrange Js, just not to shoot too many of them. Sometimes the midrange J is your best opportunity-- if a defender runs you off the 3 point line, you drive past him but the paint is clogged and no teammate is open and the clock is running down, an open 17 footer isn't a bad choice. It is also helpful to shoot those sometimes in order to keep the other team guessing and open up other options-- if a guy never ever shoots midrange shots, why would you ever bite on a pump fake from a guy at that range? However, taking these shots means you probably shoots them close to the rate that the Rockets shoot them. It definitely doesn't mean you shoot midrange Js at near the volume that Rudy Gay & co. shoot them in Toronto or Doug Collins' Sixers shot them last year.
The approach that the Rockets take from the GM down is different than any other in the league. The Rockets do not rest of conventional approaches, they test and re-test. Zach Lowe put it well the other day, the Rockets are weird. The parts (players) are weird, the offensive philosophy and even the relationship between players and coaches. The question is, will it work?
The Rockets have athletic players. For athletic players, it only takes 3 steps to get from the 3-point line to the rim. If you are at midrange, then it's only 1 or 2 steps to the rim. The key for success is to know your own game. If the elbow shot is a real hot spot for you, then go ahead and take it if necessary. However, no matter how hot you are at the elbow shot, odds are that you are hotter at the rim.
Shooting mid-range is fine when you are open. Looking for the mid-range shot isn't good. And don't shoot it too much.
pretty interesting read! It seems other teams don't have a clear clue to prepare game against us. Although occasionally same thing can apply to us. Rockets have no clue to prepare game against other teams either... Let it flow and go with the trend. Guess the Coaching group borrowed some Eastern Asian philosophy...
Harden has been getting good looks coming off the screen, and it seems like he is at his best when he utilizes the mid-range jumper as well.
The Rockets don't need the mid-range shot so much as floaters/runners near the basket. They space the floor so well that everyone can get close to the basket. But depending on the defense, it may not be feasible to actually get under the rim. Just some reliable shot from 5~10 feet away.
Houston is a hard team to watch from 5 minutes to 2 minutes at the end of the game. It takes 30 minutes to play 3 minutes of the clock because of hack a whoever. No margin is safe in this time period no matter how well the team played as a whole.
The mid range jumper of the pick and roll is an excellent weapon since it puts Howard in a great rebounding position.
The mid-ranged shot is situational. Harden taking a 9 foot wide open mid-ranged shot is completely different from Jones or Garcia or Casspi taking the same shot. Harden has to take those shots to keep the opponents from completely backing off to stop the drive to the rim. It is just good smart basketball.
QFT. In between Dwight, Tjones, Parsons and Bev, we have a good mix of solid offensive rebounders and hustle guys. Give them the opportunity to get the ball off the miss and watch us rack up 2nd chance pts.
According to Morey, 3s allow for more offensive rebounds. The Rockets also lead the league in offensive rebounds, so this seems to be true in practice as it is according to Morey's theory.
