???? Rockets are kicking butt when Ariza and Harden play out of position minus the fourth quarter last night. The bigger problem by far is when everyone is playing in position. Rockets are getting slaughtered by about 25 points per 48 min when everyone is playing in position. Sending out a PF to play PF is like throwing gasoline on what little kindling of defense Rockets have and lighting a match. Maybe, we shouldn't consider it playing out of position if it works better...
So you're saying putting Ariza on sf's instead of pf's, and bringing back our best of defender is actually going to hurt our defense, and then you back it up by saying we're worse when everyone is playing in position, even though our starting PF has yet to play this year? ????????
I don't think that's what he's saying at all. He didn't mention playing Dwight, our best defensive player. We can play small with Dwight in the lineup, and we should. I think what he is saying is that Ariza at PF and Harden at SF is working for the minutes they're playing there. But once we bring in a center, be it Dwight or Capella, and bring in TJones at PF, with Ariza at the 3 and Harden at the 2, we're getting crushed. The eye test tells me that last night we were playing well with our starting guys together, including Thornton. Subbing Capella in for Dwight was working too. It wasn't until TJones was in at PF that the Nets went on a run. And then in the 4th quarter, when we had our starters back in their "off positions", Harden forgot how to shoot straight. Because of the hole we dug ourselves into with a traditional lineup, having Harden's shot fail was too much to overcome. Again, that's just the impression I had while I was watching last night's game. This isn't an attack on TJones. I think it's more an observation that we MUST have 3 point shooters to open the floor for us to be successful. And right now, a small ball lineup is the best way of achieving that.
Small Ball means fast, quick, everyone scrambling to cover another. I think this small ball is more like street ball. One player have the ball, the other watch, and when the other team have the ball, day dream about something.
DMo has not played yet. My comments were not meant to include what a healthy DMo could do. Here are some facts on play so far: If Ariza is playing SF and a "PF" is playing PF, Jones or Harrell are playing PF. Rockets defense gives up fewer points per possession with Ariza at PF than with Jones by a little. Rockets defense gives up fewer points per possession with Ariza at PF than with Harrell by a lot. Rockets offense scores about 20 percent more per possession with Ariza at the 4 than Jones so far this season. Rockets offense scores a little more per possession with Ariza at the 4 than Harrell so far this season. Just the facts, Rockets defense has been at its best this season with Ariza at the 4. That isn't to say it has been good. It has been that it has been better than when either Jones or Harrell has been at the 4. I'm not saying things won't change. Just to this point, if the Rockets play with Jones or Harrell at the 4...it has been worse for Rockets on a per possession basis than when Ariza has been "out of position". Same could be said for Harden as when he's been playing SF according to BR, it has been in one of the two lineups that have actually worked most of the time this season...Lawson-Thornton-Harden-Ariza-Howard and Lawson-Thornton-Harden-Ariza-Capela. What I say may sound crazy, but..... Not one lineup with Jones or Harrell that has played more than 5 minutes this season has a positive +/-.
I know what you are saying. I was just responding to the OP about playing out of positions. Small ball by definition is having guys playing out of their traditional position. The problem is not that they are playing out of position. The problem is how the small ball tactic is used without backfiring on us.
Guys..small ball in general means better and faster offence. You give up some defence to be quicker than your opponent and be able to score more and run faster. It doesnt' mean scrambling in defence. Due to a lot of teams doing it and due to lack of skills from most of the centers in the league it is a feasible strategy without giving up so much defence right now in the modern NBA of today. If there is a skilled big then he takes advantage of small ball with bullyball. Going to the post and physically abusing the smaller player who guards him and either scoring at will or demanding double teams meaning it leads to open shots from the other players of his team. And he also punishes small ball by offensive and defensive rebounding which leads to second chances. But because there aren't many bigs anymore who have the fundamental skills neccessary or the frame of mind or the green light from their coach or whatever to abuse their smaller opponent small ball is so widely used. Neither Harden or Beverley should have any problem playing one position up since they should be able to guard sfs and sgs.Brew at pf and at a few match ups Ariza at pf is a problem. But if you think that's the problem with the defence... Small ball wouldn't cause the perimeter players to do all the mistakes they been doing with switching forgetting to provide help defence and ballwatching.
Taking away our best perimeter defender in Ariza and having him play in the post is really hurting the perimeter defense a lot
Yep, and we started 2 bigs (Dwight, D-Mo, Jones, Smith, Dorsey, Black) in every one of our games last year. Even with Dorsey/Black, the fact that we had guys at their natural positions allowed guys to play to their strengths. The small-ball only works in small spurts.
Yes but it is also an excuse. It doesnt hold the other perimeter players and most of all the team accountable. Because there is no communication. Going away from small ball will mean that due to Ariza superb defence some mistakes (not all) will be hidden but the same root of the problem will remain and it will be exposed sooner or later esp in the playoffs. Defence is the job of the team as a whole not one player.
When you play small ball you need everybody to rebound, I see way to many cherry picking... opposing team shoot, half the team is running. Crash the board, box out, get dirty, help your big, but you know that required effort and many Rockets players think they only need to bring effort when playing good competition.
It takes effort but it can work. Hayes was freakin' waived.. meaning he still got paid but his services no longer available. Pretty dumb thing to do since he could still be so useful.
Small ball only works if the offense is clicking. We had serious issues in the 4th quarter generating any offense and got exposed on defense because we couldn't rebound or contain the shooter.
The problem in this is mostly on defense. And on the boards. But offensively, Harden is playing PG 100% of the time. We miss DMo and a competent coach.
