I am going to start with a basic discussion of what the Rockets coaching staff was looking for (and showed) last night and then why Morris played so much. Actually what we saw Wednesday is probably a preview the main offensive set that will be featured this year. Horns featuring both Harden and Lin outside the 3 point line at the elbows. The 3 and 4 both wide on the baseline and Asik posted around the foul line. With both the guards able to shoot the 3 or penetrate, the defense is already back on their heels. While Lin will have the attention of the defense, if Harden gets the ball the 2 guarding Harden has to be supported by a player edging to double team him if he drives. Playing off of Harden is not an option. Then Harden just ball fakes, drives and then hits the open man for an assist. (One of several options for Harden.) The most effective example was when Harden was outside the right elbow and Detroit had four players shading to Hardens side. A quick swing to Lin resulted in a drive from the 3 point line to the basket for a dunk. Of course horns is an offensive set with a variety of options, most fitting McHale's temperament as a coach. By mid-season it should be a thing of beauty. In game one, we just got shown the basics. So what I was getting around to is that having a PF who is also a threat from the 3 point line is a huge advantage in many variations of the horns set. Did you see the amount of space around the basket when the Rockets were properly spaced? I think that was the point of playing Morris at PF. He was enough of a threat to pull his man out to the 3 point line. Jones and DMo would initially not have the respect and the man guarding them would have been sagging off and clogging up the middle, which is not what the coaching staff wanted to see. Both the players and the coaching staff learned much from the Detroit game.
I don't see why Morris would be viewed as a 3-pt threat and Jones wouldn't be. Jones hit a few threes in preseason, and even Motiejunas hit a few threes in summer league.
Agree with everything you said. That is why I feel that if we are going to trade for a PF, that player would need to be able to hit that outside shout.
Nice post. I think you're right. McHale wanted to make it easier for Lin and Harden to run pick and roll and find open driving lanes in their first game without much practice. So, he went with a simple spread offense with a heavy dose of pick and rolls. Having both forwards be 3-point threats was helpful for that.
Because he has been better than other players in training camp. He was rusty no doubt. He hasn't played in weeks, AND he was playing out of position. Stop over analyzing so early Clutchfans...
Mchale mentioned something like... "just because you can hit the 3 every once in a while, does not make you a 3 point shooter". Morris' strength is shooting when he entered the draft. The same cannot be said about Jones.
Whether that was the case of Morris playing or not, I learned something new about plays, good stuff op.
Lineups from last night: http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20121031&game=HOUDET Other than a 2-minute or so stretch beginning with 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter, when Smith played next to Asik, the Rockets always had 4 3-pt shooters on the court (not everyone hit his 3s last night, but they are all decent enough for the other team to at least keep an eye on). In other words, for 46 out of 48 minutes, the Rockets forwards were either Parsons-Morris, Parsons-Delfino or Parsons-Cook.
On the "horns", I thought the wings played in the corners, with the 4 & 5 playing high for picks on each side for the point guard/ball handler. Whatever you call the Rox set the floor was spaced very well.
Jones > Morris @3pt shooting McFail is clueless. You want the 4 to spread the floor for Lin and Harden...who better player to complement them better than Jones?? Seriously! Jones is not a 4 than can't shoot...get a clue dude! Did you even watch the pre-season. Look, the ONLY i see why he starting Morris is because he's a damm veteran player and probably understand the game better as far as defense and sets. But you know what, Jones didn't show me that lack any of this knowledge. And Jones a hell of a player when it comes to attacking the attacking. And makes smart decision. Jones vs Morris is basically no contest in my book.
This although I wouldn't say he was out of position. Contrary to popular opinion, Morris is a decent player.
A Rockets game I saw long ago. Twenty-three or more years ago I was sitting about row 5 behind the bench (corporate beni long gone) when Nelli brought a team into town. Hakeem had fouled out their center and the crowd and I were wild with blood lust. We were going to crush them. Lo' and behold Nelli put in a lineup where everyone on offense behind the three point line. The Dream was just standing below the foul line confused as to what to do. He was shrugging, palms up. Unfortunately the game soon got out of hand. Damnedest thing I have ever seen on an NBA court.
TJ, and also Moti >> MM 3-pt shooting. My theory now is that McHale was trying to make the rookies mad and hungry. Glad that stunt didn't cost us the W.
Morris is not a 3 point threat. If he was viewed as such last night b the Pistons, it was folly on their part. Moreover, you can run the "horns" with a PF that is good at the 15 foot jumper. Do you spread it as much? No. But enough, especially if that PF is much better at being, you know, a PF Finally, his is crazy one game overanalysis. The rockets were down double digits late in the second half, and if not for Delfino showing up would have lost. Lets simplify it wih regards to Morris. He was a -1. Only Douglas and Cook were worse, and I guarantee you if there were rookie options behind those it's that at least showed the potential of a Jones this preseason, we'd all by scratching our heads. I think it's absolutely idiotic to play Morris over Jones. It's one thing to view Morris as a competent stretch 4. Reality is different. I don't need 20+ games of him as a starter to tell you what's obvious. We have better options.
Get real dude. The opponents are ALWAYS going to sag off of a rookie big beyond the arc. And we will know when Jones offers a better chance of winning than Morris. The coaching staff will play him (see Parsons, Chandler). I hate posts like yours. Opinion. Opinion. Insult a member of the Rockets organization. Opinion. Take that weak **** out of here. Nobody cares about your opinion. ps - Learn to spell.
Yao ming has hit a few threes too....Morris can shoot. Jones can hit some shots. There's a difference. If you think Morris can't shoot, then you're not paying attention to everything he's shown and has been said about him. Forget what Jones hit during the preseason. Watch their form. SEVEN REBOUNDS. Y'all people are nuts. If that's an embarrassment, then I can't wait to see what he does once he's had more experience. He's going to average 12 boards a game. Having three point range doesn't make you a shooter. Patterson did the same thing, exact same thing.
Both Jones and DMo have three point range. And they wouldn't have been embarrassed on defense and the boards. McHale needs to go.
Wasn't Jones nursing an ankle injury? Furthermore, I know it's hard for some people on this board to accept but we don't get to see the practices where players are vying for playing time.
