[I'm ignorant] Educate me on Silas' offensive system

“I think we get content,” said Jalen Green when asked about the problem. “We have a lot of momentum going into halftime and then we just try to play hero-ball after that. The ball gets sticky and we play a lot of one-on-one and fall away from moving the ball.”

This is a common theme when you ask about Houston’s second half woes.

“In the third quarters it gets just a little stagnant,” said Christian Wood. “We might have a lead one game or it might be neck-and-neck and we start try and go into isolation. I think if we stick to the game plan that we have, move the ball, and everybody touches it from side-to-side, then we’re a hard team to beat.”

It would appear the Rockets have made this a point of emphasis to players during film sessions.

“When the ball’s moving, we’re at our best,” said Kevin Porter Jr. “We know that. We just try and keep the ball moving so it doesn’t get static. Because every time it gets static, that’s when teams go on their little runs. Our energy on offense affects the defense.”

It’s not that the Rockets are completely opposed to isolations, but they prefer to treat it as a last resort as opposed to a go-to possession. If the play breaks down or the shot-clock is running out, of course Houston prefers some shot over nothing. However, the coaching staff would rather stick to their read-and-react offense. Even calling a play is something Houston is reticent to do.

“If we have multiple pick and rolls in a play, then we’re doing pretty good,” said Silas. “Sometimes, we settle. Sometimes, we get to isolations and that sort of thing. Those are habits that we’re slowly but surely trying to break.”

Strangely, the Rockets don’t seem to have these issues in the first half. It’s not like Houston is putting up Warriors-type offensive numbers in the first half, but they’re five points per 100 possessions better in the first half.

“We’re probably just focusing more,” said Porter Jr. “Because we come out very strong and very confident and we just gotta keep that same composure and our game plan when we go into the second half.”

And that’s the answer that kept coming up during Thursday’s practice. In the NBA, focus is a young player’s kryptonite. Their energy waxes and wanes, they make careless mistakes, and they’re impulsive shot takers.

“I’ve been saying it for some time now,” said Jae’Sean Tate. “We got to put a whole 48 [minutes] together. I think we put 30 together, even 35. Those little segments – those five minute drop offs – that’s what costs us games.”

Houston’s growing losing streak does feel like it has a mental impact during games. The second half issues have been apparent as a problem for a few games now and it seems Houston gets nervous in these crucial moments to close a game out. The knowledge that it’s a struggle almost guarantees that it will continue to be a struggle – a self fulfilling prophecy.

“One hundred percent,” said Silas. “The pressure builds and you start getting tight at times. It’s like a baseball player who’s in a slump. If you’ve gone 0-for-7 and you’re up to bat, then you’re probably gripping that bat extra hard.”

“Our belief has to be there,” said the Rockets head coach. “That’s first and foremost. With our group, we have to believe that we can do it. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to happen for us. But without belief, it definitely won’t happen.”

 

In all honesty, he is past his prime. Spurs teams used to be league leaders in free throw percentage.

 

Does this guy realize he is the head coach? He has authority of who plays and what plays are run yet talks about it as if he is a spectator or cheerleader.

 

i heard from an authority figure coaches in nba are disempowered, citing the example of igor kokoskov in phoenix who didnt even have the authority to call players in circle during the practice session and everybody was just working individually with designated coaches...

 

In frequency we are 11th in ISO and 14th in PNR. I think we will continue to mix it up but it doesn’t matter when we have such inexperienced play makers.

 

He has become a little senile a bit

 

Everyone is saying the right things but nobody's here teach them.
I guess they can't, I guess they won't
I guess they front, that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool. They living in a gangstas paradox.

 

I like KPJ but I think the main reason he is failing and will never be great at his role is because of his development.

We need a Mike Dantoni who makes any PG looks good in the league to coach him specifically and part of the reason why Dantoni has been able to develop guards so well in that role is because of his system. Right now we have no offensive system of any kind of because Silas and I think that's heavily detrimental to our young players' development.

 

It's a different philosophy with the Rockets. Here we say:

 

No Nash and Harden made MDA look good not the other way around.

Remember MDA in NY and LA??

 

thank you! but too hard to digest these numbers for me, is there a qualitative summary of it all?

 

Just saw this hilarious tweet by @treyk3



other than being absolutely hilarious, there might actually be some truth to this.

 

Bobcats was one of those newer expansion teams that never got off the ground and had to be revamped into a different brand.