Honestly our defense is horrible. I never would have thought this at the beginning of the season. When I expected a blowout, I expected 100 to 70 not like 130 to 100. This season we are letting our opponents shoot a staggering 48% from the field and 38% from three point land. I expected it to get a little worse, but this is horrible. The one area I did expect them to do worse, they are actually doing better - rebounding. On the other end, did anyone expect us to score 103 points a game? Anyways, not really criticizing, just wish they can keep the defensive intensity. A lot of it seems mental. When their offense isn't flowing, I notice their defense suffers as well. It's like they are scrambling all over the place trying to force the pace faster which then leads into turnovers as well (and points on the opposite end). Hopefully we can get our defensive mindset back.
Most of the time, increase in offense means decrease in defense. Players simply don't have the energy to play both ends better at the same time. The games Kobe scores 40+, 50+, he rests on defense more than the games he score in low 20s. It's the same for Rockets. Even if they play defense with same energy this year, their defense would slip because they don't have Yao or Deke in the middle to stop other team from getting layups. Now they run up and down much faster, they won't have enough energy to play the same defense they used to play. The suns used to run faster than anybody, and their defense becomes worse than almost anybody. On the other hand, if current Rockets team still play the same type of defense, their offense would look much worse. They won't have the energy to run like they are doing now on offense, and their shooting touch would be worse.
Hey, idiot Spurs fan, a tip: If you're going to jump into another team's forum, do it with respect and don't say any crap that exists to do nothing but piss the home base off. Someone like Nuggets4, who posts well, and is a pretty cool guy in general while respecting us to some degree is nice. Some jerkbag who wants to come in here and go "SPURZ ARE T3H COOL LOL." is not. On a more serious note, verse wrote a post detailing on how our defense would suffer without Yao, and it's more or less true. Chuck is a good post defender, but he lacks the height to alter the shots that Yao could. However, there's not much we can do about it now - while I'd like to trade for Camby since he's expiring, I don't think we have anyone besides McGrady that the Clippers want, and I don't want any other of the Clippers (aside from Griffin LOL) that badly enough. So just wait and see for now.
this is what happens when you don't play halfcourt, tries to go small, and run run run. like it or not, we gotta learn to slow it down at times and stay discipline.
Um...don't you think you're a little over reacting? He does make a valid point. It definetly won't be easier against the Spurs.
hey chill i like the rockets but im just responding that its not going to get any easier in the paint without yao there and jefferson,and hill attacking the basket ill be at the game and looking foward to a good game
and parker yoo my bad but i hope rockets do make the playoffs and maybe face the spurs in the playoffs this year but respect the rockets not like the gay a** mavs
Not sure what the OP is smoking. A lot of people figured the defense would be worse. Especially Morey, who pointed out that Yao's absence would be felt on the defensive end more than offense. And we're doing better in rebounding? Are you F-ing serious!? With Yao, we were always among the best rebounding teams in the NBA. Our defensive rebounding rate were usually the best. Now we're just average when it comes to the boards.
anytime you increase your offense by shooting more or more quickly you're also going to give the opposing team an increase in scoring opportunities...that's half of why our defense is worse, the other half is the lack of a legit big man in the middle. i think we're pretty much where we should be..in the middle of things...we're not goo enough to hang with the better defensive teams and our offense, although improved, can't hang with the best offenses....for a whole season i mean, not game to game..
everything posted earlier. fast paced offense with no big man to deter shots is gonna make our defense suffer. 100-70 130-100 same thing. just looks worse on paper. we r pretty much the same team but just had to re-allocate our energy to a run n gun offense. thanks for the normal thread btw. tired of the trade threads.
The problam is lack of size. It starts and end there. You can't run unless you get a rebound. And than we have NO shot blockers inside. Scola, Hayes are all effort guys and they try to take charges. Maybe Landry can block few shots but he really sucks at help defense. And than it is David Andersen.
The problem is lack of centers and PFs that will move their feet and play defense. It doesn't have a lot to do with size. Chuck Hayes proves it every night. He is our best defensive 4/5 and no one else is even on the positive scale defensively. Scola/Landry/Andersen are all sieves on defense. When teams see Chuck Hayes out of the game, they know it is time to take it to the rack....and they do so. That is why Hayes' +/- number look the way they do. And it is why Landry/Scola/Andersen's +/- number look like they do. Those jumpers look grrrrrrrrrreat! But the truth is.......they give it all back on the other end. Andersen couldn't guard me. Scola and Landry are not much better.
LOL. It doesn't have have alot to do with size. LOL. Just for your information Jopa, the rockets lost a 7"6 center and a 7"2 shotblocking and rebounding center. Why did Morey make the 7"0 Gortat his #1 target in the offseason? It has a hell of lot to do with size. Give me a break and Chuck Hayes is not superman.
wait.........so Battier isn't the unreplaceable glue that holds the defense together and has us in the top 5 every year???
The rebounding doesn't equaL to defense. Yao's defense is way undervalued by fans and media. Camby who can rebound and block actually is horrible on helping team defense, but he won DPOY. When he left Denver, denver's defense became immediately better. It's just rediculous. Fans and media are so stupid. And many fans here wanted to get rid of hayes with noting.
