uhhh at this level no it is not. That is only at AAU level. It falls on the players. Other players have to get themselves open by moving, setting screens for each other, and cutting. This team has to do that in transition before the defense gets set. Lets face it and be real, Harden is about the only player that can break the defense down off the dribble and create. Lin needs a screen. Parsons, Asik, and Patterson are not those type players. I dont get why people keep trying to call out flaws and say "if we do this or do that we would be winning and be a contender". This team currently constructed would be lucky to be a .500 team in the west. THAT IS A FACT. Dont let the 5 game win streak fool you.
Harden's lack of efficiency recently really hasn't been due to taking bad shots, he was in a slump and missing easy shots and easy finishes around the rim.
it means exactly that. give anybody in the nba an open look and they will score more often then not. the key is getting that open look... if you mean dribbling into 3 defenders and scoring then yes only harden can do that, but that doesnt mean you should be doing this to begin with. the original point is that it's the coaches job to design plays where anybody, even "scrubs", can have a chance to score. really? individual talent only goes so far in a TEAM sport...
I don't like PPat ranting out in the media, instead of keeping it behind closed door. Moreover, PPat did really poorly in the rebounding department, and he was even more laughable at screen settings. That being said, there is some truth to his rant, and obviously there is some chemistry issue in the locker room. Rockets is not a talented team, except for Harden. We were so concerned about the offense before season start, but we, at least I, was completely blown away when the team scored 120 points easily on any team. Why? The offense was fluid, and most of the shots were in rhythm. That's how we got all the role players to contribute. Harden is very gifted, even during the losing streak, facing tougher defense, he could still get his points. But everyone else's output has been way down. Asik used to get double-double quite frequently, and now his scoring has been down dramatically. Lin's been hovering around single digits and double digits. We can't get wins like that. I am pretty sure Harden doesn't like this either - scoring is much harder for him now. Remember in the game against Knicks, that Knicks commentators said something like Harden scored 25 points without sweating? That was how easy for everyone to score when offensive flow was there. Coaches always talk about rewarding big guys, and management courses always tell you how participation leads to responsibility and contribution. Ben Wallace plays harder on defense when he gets easy dunks in offense, especially when he runs with you. We need to get the whole team involved. It's easy to say that players need to move. There needs to some set plays and directions. Because if you are focusing on ISOs, depending on individuals to create own shots, you really don't know where to move, coz you could totally block those ISOs, or in best case scenarios, you move in vain. PPat may not be the right person to complain, and he should have kept the complaints within the team, but Rockets needs to change the way they are playing.
lol u guys say hes a scrub but that dont mean what he said was wrong. more team ball mchale plz... stop this iso ****
One of the problems is with Harden bringing the ball up. When he initiates the offense from beyond halfcourt, it leads to sloppy ball screens or off-kilter iso plays. Lin needs to be the one bringing the ball up to the key or left wing, and if he passes to Harden, he needs to hit him with the ball in a spot where the triple threat is effective (on the 3-point line, or at the elbow). That way, Harden doesn't have to put the ball on the floor until the screen is set. If defenses cheat and jump the screen before the dribble starts, the screener can quickly slip and make a move at the basket, and if the defenders are patient, the pick and roll can be initiated and a play can be created. If Harden doesn't want to or can't make the play, he can give it back to Lin for a different screen play (again, without putting the ball on the floor), or look for a cutter.
Isos happen when your teammates are incapable of being effective on offense. Patterson should ask the coach to bench him if he really wants to help.
You don't know what you are talking about. Not every player in the NBA can shoot. There is a reason Asik doesn't jack up 3's or Lin doesn't post up. There is a reasons some NBA players shoot 50% from the line. Not all skill sets are equal. The point is that the Rockets system requires 4-5 players on the floor that can pass, cut to the basket and hit 3. Right now they are not hitting their 3's and when you try to force penetration in a clogged paint you end up with turnovers. So the Rockets can change their system or accept them for what they are, an incomplete product. I don't see anything keeping Lin or Parsons from shooting more other at times struggling.
Good post. i also don't think this is what the coaches are looking for. in fact, mchale has stressed over and over again how the ball is sticky and needs to move a lot more. i'm sure he tells the players this too in practices. so... are the players (mainly, harden) not listening to mchale? not buying in? or simply the players know what needs to be done on in theory but not in practice? maybe harden doesn't see a better shot anywhere else because no one else is moving? to be fair, i watched specifically for this last night and in the first three quarters, harden would usually look for someone else coming off of a screen and pass the ball (lin did that quite a bit last night). the problem is, there is no secondary cuts and screens off ball so now you're stuck again. moving and cutting and screening off ball is what this system looks like in half court but the players don't look like they know where to go and who to screen for. thus at the end of shot clocks, our best option is unfortunately a harden iso.
I think this is the problem. He has taken a LOT of attempted shots possibly at the expense of other teammates making shots had the ball not been sticky in his hands. All those times he attempts to 'get his' could have been made shots by teammates and not simply attempts be him. When they speak of low confidence I do not think they mean individual confidence but confidence in their teammates is low. When he tries to carry the team he is leaving them out and whether he wants to or not he has to let them participate, encourage them to participate. A single player is not going to win games let alone get to playoffs. This team could get to playoffs if everyone is involved, appreciated and the trust and confidence will flow again. They watched tape today of the December team. When they were working well together and winning. hopefully this will remind them all that they are capable if they work as a team.
To the guys talking trash about PPat on the 1st page, he's simply speaking out, something nobody on the Rox does. And he's right. WAYYY too much hero ball is going on right now, and we need to do what we did when we had that 5 game winning streak. Share the damn ball.
nobody is talking about centers shooting 3s. you know what i mean, stop trying to get away from the point. they need to change their system or get players that actually fit in their system. the coaches are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. and instead of changing anything, they seem to try different hammers and expect something different
I didnt take it as calling Hardin out. He said he was the best player on the team hands down. Mcfail is not making adjustments to teams packing the paint. He isnt creative enough so he calls iso and hopes that Hardin can mask his incompetence.
