I dont think our coaching staff has the ability to out-coach other playoff teams. Come playoffs, coaching is crucial.
what's hurt us more than anything is that opposing teams are taller than this kid. I bet with the right coach we'd be undefeated against ten-year olds. :grin::grin: <object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/T9Iw07qt6qM?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/T9Iw07qt6qM?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
I'm staying with Injuries & Familiarity. Injuries is an obvious possible choice. Familiarity: well, dropping a big like Howard into the middle of the lineup has to make a huge splash with rippling effects, some good some bad.
Things like inconsistency and inability to "get up" for games against lesser opponents are traditionally thrown at the feet of coaches in sports.
Free throws have hurt this season, but everyone knew about Howard's main weakness so the Rockets trailing their opponents by 5.5% in the free throw department should not come as a surprise to anyone. Fans have bitc*ed about his FT% for his entire career and it has done no good. So I am not going to complain. Asik's absence has certainly hurt a lot. Because there is absolutely no evidence to the contrary at this point, I am going to believe the organization and just hope that Asik gets better soon. The other injuries have also hurt immensely. The starting line up can hold its own because the Rockets are a deep team. But with Lin and Brewer now starting and Asik still not playing, the bench strength has dwindled to almost nothing. That right now is a killer. Blocking out on the defensive boards is also a problem. Playing with an elite shot blocker needs a different blocking out strategy than playing with a paint protector like Asik. The Rockets are out OREB by 1.69 per game. I assume that the team is working on the problem. Turnovers have hurt, but given the teams turn over issues from last season while adding a turn over prone center everyone should have known that they would be a huge issue this season. But the Rockets are only averaging 3 more turn overs per game than their opponents. The Rockets are currently averaging 0.1 PPP than their opponents (0.97 versus 0.87). This is about the fourth best in the NBA. 0.97 PPP is second best in the league and holding the opponents to 0.87 PPP is seventh best in the league. Having three new players in the starting lineup has certainly hurt the team chemistry. You can see it in the blown defense against the Lakers on their last second winning shot in their first match up of the season, though it does seem to be improving. This certainly will work itself out. Despite all of the problems the Rockets are currently only six games behind the best record in the NBA. I guess we all should be thankful for that 0.632 win percentage.
Turnover in the late games. Rockets tried to feed Dwight Howard in the post late in the game as their set plays and temp control methods. Good concept, but a lot of them resulted in turnovers either by guards forced the ball in or Howard got stripped or walked as the result of double/triple team. They got practice this a lot more. Asik debacle - dead wood on the bench is cancer especially if he is higher pay. Poor boxing out for defense rebound in critical time. I have seen TJ fight rebound with DH many times, in stead of have one box out and the other secure the ball. Got to be a coaching issue.
the Asik situation ... if he plays we have the best backup C of the league & rim protection all 48mins, if he's traded we get needed depth. as long as he is sidelined this is a problem
Why was Lin not a poll option to balance out the coaching choice? Injuries have been pretty bad. Losing Beverley and Asik has hurt defense tremendously. Losing Beverley hurt offense as well, despite what some might think, both with the starters and by removing Lin from the bench where he did some real good. Losing Parsons cost us a few games that I truly believe would have been easy wins had he played.
What about the youthful teams that are winning and also the youthful ones that are winning without superstars. Not only that but those same teams have injuries also and some have been together for a short period also.
