Where are all the people who said Aldridge was not that great? This is why a lot of people wanted Aldridge on this team. Guess they got the gutsy, clutch and hard working duo and we got the soft, mentally weak choke artists.
The only player on this roster that can defend LaMarcus is Asik. Asik should be on Lamarcus every second LaMarcus is in the game. This is the same thing I've said repeatedly.
The only time Dwight should defend LaMarcus is when Asik is out of the game with foul trouble or taking a short 1-2 minute blow. Dwight is the best defensive center in the league because he patrols the paint, not because he's great in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop defense starting at 20 feet from the basket. Because Dwight is not great at that. He can't recover quickly enough. He either gives up the wide open jumper or he contests and he leaves us vulnerable on the boards. It is stupid to have Dwight out there on pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop coverage when he's the best paint defender in the league and we have an outstanding big man pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop defender on this roster named Omer Asik. The answer to defending LaMarcus is to put Asik on him from the get-go and occasionally send help. LaMarcus did get white-hot and he did bang down some ridiculous shots tonight. But overall, he's less than a 45% shooter on all those jumpers outside the paint. You have to play the percentages. What you can't allow LaMarcus to do is waltz into the paint, either on pick-and-rolls or on post-ups. Asik is the only player on this team that can take that away and Asik is the only player on this team that can challenge LaMarcus' jumper and make it difficult for him. You guys saw tonight the TT in action offensively. It didn't hinder the offense anymore than when Jones was in there. And in fact when TT was in there we controlled both the defense and offensive glass. The perimeter guys can basically just throw up junk and let Asik and Dwight go get it. TT is the only big configuration we have that will work over a 7-game series against the big man combination of LaMarcus and Lopez. Jones cannot defend either man. Lopez just walks in and gets the offensive board and put back on Jones. It's ridiculous how many times that happens. And if he doesn't get the board he's got position on Jones making it effectively a man advantage underneath for Portland. Two games in and we ought to know the formula. LaMarcus did go off last night and he sank some jumpers over Asik but Asik kept him out of the paint for the most part when he was on him and Asik made Lamarcus work. Nobody else even slowed him down. It's obvious what needs to happen here. Jones - 24 minutes Asik - 24 minutes LOSS Not nearly enough Asik and still too much Jones.
They tried to hedge every screen, leaving LaMarcus open for the jumpers. That works against everyone else... But that isn't going to stop Portland. Whoever is guarding LaMarcus Aldridge should never leave him. Period. Let other guys beat us.
Asik played him extremely well, he just made shots. He is just insanely hot this series. Most of the shots he made were with a hand in his face. When a player is shooting like this nobody can guard him one on one, its up to the coach to stop him, which certainly doesn't bode well for us.
Yes, double with a small, Lin or Jones since he is fast. Everyone else get ready to rotate. Sit Harden down, he is too fuqin slow.
We have to play TT and let Omer guard LMA. Everyone knows its not an efficient line on offence, but what we have to focus is how to defend now. Omer is the guy who can push LMA out of the paint and if his mid range is like yesterday 3rd quarter, double him. If Omer gets in to foul trouble early D Mo should be the next option, but never Howard because if he gets in to an early foul trouble we are done. Also tell Omer dont show up so often because our team defence definitely sucks and every time he does it we are punished. And when they switch on defence and LMA is on DH, make Howard work hard to defend him. Make him work on both sides of the floor. He is a finesse player and everytime he works hard on defence, his shooting percentage will probably drop....
Just hope to contain him. Denying him the ball completely is the only way to stop him. Our guys were playing great 1-1 D, he's just ridiculous.
As long as he is hitting 18 foot fade away falling down jump shots with a 7 footer in his grill, we have problems. The other problem is, when he does miss our rebounder is 18 feet from the basket.
The TT offensively will be just as effective as the Howard/Jones or Asik/Jones combination at least for this series. Our lack of spacing with Jones in half-court offense has been totally exposed the last 2 games. We are essentially playing 4 on 5 with Jones parking outside and we are for the most part unwilling to throw him the ball when he is being left wide open. There's reasons for that. Might as well put Asik in there and dominate the boards.
I remember sometime ago, maybe last year, we would send Lin to double a big and try to poke the ball away by sneaking up the backside. It worked but would leave an open three if the rotation wasnt fast enough. Why don't we try this again? Lin is the fastest on the team maybe he can get some steals or just be annoying enough.
It's not that simple. Every player is assigned to their man (Lin is on Mo or Lillard usually). He isn't going to cross the court to double off the weak side unless it's part of a specific plan. What we're missing is a coherent doubling strategy, whether that's active doubling off and rotation to cover gaps, or cheating off their man to give LMA less space for post passes and minimize the distance to double. And a doubling strategy requires a couple things... 1) You have one 2) You run it through practice so the EVERYONE knows what they're expected to do 3) You have someone who can spot the errors and call out the players on the floor in game and make appropriate adjustments With Sampson gone, I suspect we're missing all 3 of those ingredients.
Ok, Now I'm pretty sure that some of you really just dont want the games. Who the hell do you think was guarding LMA almost the entire game?.... Jones?... LOL. If that's what you are trying to sell here than I think whatever rep some of you have left around here just sank to an all-time low. Seeing as Howard, and Asik were guarding LMA 90% of the game (maybe even more) than how in the world are the Rockets going to stop him one-on-one ever with the way they are guarding him in the team concept? You could throw Gheorghe Muresan and Shawn Bradley at him, and I'm convinced he's still going to score in this team defensive concept. If he's shooting the ball the way he is against 2 of the best big man defenders in the league then he's just simply not going to be stopped by anyone going one-on-one especially when you have the most incompetent pick and roll coverage I have ever witnessed in professional basketball with some of the worst pick and roll defending guards/wings in the league, with a defense that STILL switches EVERYTHING because its something they tried back in February that worked than for about a month when the memo for coaching professional basketball tells you good defensive teams DON'T SWITCH unless its absolutely necessary. Some of you guys seriously need wake the hell up. Your argument for or against the TT is obsolete. Even if you continue to go TT (The Rockets used that lineup extensively last night and tried to use it in game 1 before Asik got in foul trouble so the TT fans won on that lineup and got your wish) it doesn't change the fact that LMA is still burning the Rockets because of alot of other factors besides JUST Terrence Jones' apparent incompetence to play the game of basketball according to TwintowersaHollic. The TT has been used fairly extensively so far, and is still not working not because Asik and Howard can't play together, but because the Rockets aren't playing their brand of basketball on the offensive end to counter the offensive attack on them, and McHale & the Rockets players are presently incompetent in the way they are trying to (or not trying to) play NBA defense against elite competition.
Your probably right, but it would be irresponsible coaching to just assume its going to happen on his own. I do think that McHale needs to do something to at least try and knock him off his rhythm. As long as he's still getting the ball in rhythm, especially as he keeps on getting wide open due to the Rockets pathetic pick and roll coverage, I don't think you can just assume he's going to snap out of his shooting rhythm. Something's got to give, but you can't just sit back and expect him to cool down on his own. They have to try something to muck up the game a little bit on the defensive end, and they need to get back to playing their brand of basketball on the offensive end.
Here is what I saw from LMA's full highlights vid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpcn-LhkJe0 Make 1) Harden on LMA mismatch, recover switch, Howard gives LMA 4 ft of space, open jump shot, half-hearted contest cause Howard's too far away Make 2) Pick and Roll, Bev kinda just goes under and hangs out. D12 with a hard hedge, LMA wide open to receive the pass. Jumpshot Make 3) Again same play & error as basket 2. But ball goes to Lopez. LMA with rebound & putback Make 4) Pick and Roll yet again. Bev and Jones both unassign themselves from LMA. Wide open jumpshot. He misses Lopez gets rebound and reloads LMA cause still no one wants to go over there and maybe not let him have open jumpshots. Make 5) Lillard screen for LMA. Bev doesn’t help. 4 ft space between Asik & LMA. Open jump shot Make 6) Let LMA catch under rim in favorite spot. 1 on 1 with Howard, step back jumpshot Make 7) Pick and Roll. Bev and Asik double team Lillard and leave LMA wide open for jump shot. Waits for Asik to recover, who gives a half-hearted contest Make 8) Asik fronts LMA, gets ball under basket. Howard with late to nearly no help D. Bucket. Make 9) Asik fronts. LMA & Asik 1 on 1 in his fav spot. Good D, but jumpshot made cause now he's heated up from all the open jumpshots. Make 10) Pick and Roll. LMA rolls, Howard chasing 10 ft behind him cause he left him on the PnR. Jogs in a lay up. Make 11) LMA high pick for Batum who drives. Dish out to LMA who has no one within 8 feet of him. Open jumpshot. Make 12) Pick n Roll. Again no one cares about covering LMA after LMA and Lillard separate. TJ rushes to recover on wide open jump shot. LMA fakes and dribbles by for open jumpshot. Make 13) LMA 1on1 post up TJ. Step back J. Make 14) Lillard drives. Asik helps off LMA. Lillard hits wide open LMA for wide open J Make 15) LMA & Asik 1on1. Jumpshot. Heated up and hitting everything now. No double team. Make 16) LMA & Asik 1on1 again. Again jumpshot. No double team again but 1 defender is better than 0 defender right? Make 17) Pn R, driver dishes back to LMA who then drives uncontested for a dunk in your face Houston. Chandler was supposed to pick him up after PnR, gambles for a cheap steal on the pass back. Make 18) Rebound and put back.
Motiejunas did a great job defending Aldridge earlier this year, and Novitski as well. D-Mo is the Rockets best big-man perimeter defender. We have tried everything else and it has failed. So, why not now try something that has worked before?
