They simply may not have been in good enough shape to run this system. Which is why expect better next year HOWEVER, I am not conceding this year Rocket River
I would like to point out tho we aren't running and gunning. Heck at times James will walk the ball up the court so this schedule has to be the main culprit
I mean...we're 3rd in the league in pace since the New Year averaging 40 3's a night. We're doing plenty of running and gunning. We're only hitting 32% though, and only 11th in the league in offensive rating during that time. With the personnel we have, that's just not good enough.
The league has something against the Rockets. Between playing the brutal schedule and that Tony Brother's dirty call it's time to go on a riot and demand fair and equal treatment. **** the NBA!!!!
We were 6th last year, we're 2 possessions better this year. It's not a drastic change. I do agree tho shooting so many threes has contributed to dead legs.
The team as a whole could really use the rest, but Ariza in particular really looks like he needs some down time. He has played 21 games in a little over a month, and played 37 MPG over that stretch. His 3 ball has been completely MIA over the last 10 games, and he's also a pivotal part of what we do on D, and he's been rather lackluster in that area as well. I think the improvement in overall play should be quick and noticeable the rest of the month, if it's not then changes need to be made at the deadline, because what we've seen over the last month isn't good enough to do anything. And LOL at DD using the Spurs as an example, a team that notoriously gives players random days off to avoid fatigue.
Just for the record, I think the short rotation is a big part of the fatigue and dead legs we've seen on defense and on the 3's during that awful January where the team, not only had 7 b2b games but carried fatigue from a very tight schedule through out the start of the season. You can see that difference in my opinion by the difference in home and away games. At home fatigue is way less meaningful, sleeping in your own bed, and the crowed gives you that extra drive you need. It's part of the grind of the season, and we have to acknowledge that instead of pressing on that panic button when we have bad stretches. Sometimes, schedule does play a big role in wins and loses in the world of the NBA. Having said that, off course there's a need for extra help from the bench, and adjustments by the coaches. At least now, we will have some time to address that.
