I’m not too worried cus it seems lots of teams are off to a weird start this season. Maybe the short training camp and pre season has to do with some things? Who knows.
The NBA's officiating is trying to make the league seem like there is more competition, when we all know that there are really just a few super teams. So they are officiating the league this way early so that more fans around the country stay engaged. After the All-Star break when teams are fighting for playoff positioning, the officiating will start letting the power teams make their moves going into the playoffs. #SCRIPTED
FYI : The pace after 8 games this year and last year is almost identical (99.83 last year vs. 99.87 this year).
I can think of a few reasons pace has been down . #1 , our shots aren't falling . We aren't exerting any pressure on the other team to take quick shots . When our threes aren't falling , the other team feels like they can just stroll down and work to get THEIR kind of shot . #2 - we just aren't enforcing our will on the game . This is a 2 parter ... First , we don't really know our style yet . Second , we've played Memphis twice and they definitely know who they are ... And have slowed the game down when they wanted to . #3- injuries and short rotation. Guys can't push the pace if they are sucking wind , simple as that . Unlike you , I am worried about the shots , because while there are a good amount of "good" threes ... I also think there are too many 3's for the sake of shooting 3's ... And goin further , guys like Tucker and moute are probably not used to playing in a system where , on fast breaks , they sprint to the corner and not run the lane . I think getting Chris back will fix a lot , but there will still be bumps .
I never believed gsw are as much better than rockets (if any) as they are getting preferable treatments from the refs anyway
Although last year was an outstanding year on Offense it isn't guaranteed to have that repeated again and again.
So far, James Harden is 0-19 when shooting in the paint, but 30-42 when inside the circle. Last season, he made 60 of 175 in the same area, which means he's missing 5 of those 19 shots this season AND forced fouls on an additional 2-3 of those attempts. Harden also has less 3 point attempts on the wing this season. I think the pressure of playing harder defense, and (maybe the fact that he's slightly out of shape) is having an impact on his offensive game too. All-in-all, Harden has changed his game a bit and he'll definitely get better as the season progresses. I'm also willing to bet that our 3 point percentage goes up, and that CP3's return will bring back some semblance of the old Harden we know. But the refs not blowing their whistles on Harden's drives and opponents taking blatant advantage of that, doesn't help our cause. There must be an adjustment if those calls are only made 10% of the time, either by Harden taking better control of the ball when shooting or driving in the paint, or from an offensive strategy standpoint. Our last game against the Sixers, MDA definitely told Mbah a Moute to drive more to force those fouls and he probably got more foul calls than Harden in that game.
it could help, i think Harden will adjust once he realizes refs will not give him freebies... tis could help harden realize his true potential
Rockets not playing up to speed so far As much as Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni preaches playing with pace, the Rockets have not been able to consistently get up to speed in the season's first weeks. D'Antoni said they have played faster than NBA statistics indicate. The league measures pace differently than the Rockets, particularly with the NBA counting possessions after offensive rebounds as one possession. But by the NBA measure, the Rockets rank 20th in pace. Last season, the NBA measure had the Rockets playing at the third-most rapid pace. "We just got to push it," D'Antoni said. "It's not as bad as I thought it was. By our numbers, we're eighth or ninth. I don't know about the league numbers. We just need to be more focused at doing it. We haven't done it. We've been working at it and talking about it, trying to get better. That's the key. We can't do it otherwise." The Rockets are just 23rd in fast break points, though some of their issues on the break are from their overall offensive struggles. The Rockets are second in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage, which should provide opportunities to run. "Rebounding and running is our key," Rockets forward Ryan Anderson said. "Right now, we're still figuring some stuff out. In the halfcourt, we're getting stops. It's a metter of running and filling our spots and spreading the court." Coach blames Rockets' lack of intensity & effort for early-season struggles The Rockets believed they would be one of the NBA's top teams, a member of the exclusive club of worthy contenders. They still do. For now, if confidence has become an assumption, they have found the problem in their sluggish start. Coach Mike D'Antoni called them out Monday for their "soft" play early against the 76ers in what turned into a 115-107 home loss. He said they have lacked "toughness and the grittiness." They could not argue. They might have struck upon what has been lacking as much as their 3-point shooting touch or even guard Chris Paul. "Sometimes, we look down at the other team and think we're going to win," forward P.J. Tucker said. "We're such a good team, we think we're going to just walk in and win a lot. That's not the case in the NBA. Everybody comes out with a game plan and plays hard. For us, if we're going to beat teams, we have to guard." Shooting will improve The Rockets have shot terribly, ranking 28th in 3-point shooting and taking so many, they have missed more 3s than any other team has attempted. But they have too many shooters, even with Paul out, to be concerned with their shooting. They are convinced the shooting will come around, but will have to play with greater intensity even if it does. "I would never put a lot of stock into that. They make them, they don't make or whatever," D'Antoni said. "The defense, the ball movement and running the floor is going to be constant and that requires an effort that I don't think we're there yet. They're things we've got to work on, things we've got to get better. We have to play better, we're not playing well." The Rockets (5-3) are not playing badly as much as they are playing inconsistently. They pulled out last-second wins against the Warriors and 76ers and held on against the Kings, generally lacking the scoring to win more easily. The greater issue has been with a lack of consistent intensity, particularly in Monday's loss to the 76ers and the narrow escape against the Sixers last week. "It's the attitude," forward Luc Mbah a Moute said. "We're not playing with a sense of urgency right now. When we play with a sense of urgency, it's when we get out, we get stops and we come right back. We're kind of coasting a little bit, not coming out with a lot of intensity and making it harder on us." Defensive breakdowns If there was a possibility of taking the Knicks lightly Wednesday, the loss to the 76ers should have taken care of that. The Knicks have done their part, winning their past three games including a victory in Cleveland on Sunday. But as the Rockets attempt to go from a team that relies on 3s to one that can count on its defensive intensity, the goal has been to make that effort reliable. They have had stretches, even in the losses to the 76ers and Grizzlies, in which the defense has shown its potential, relying on extensive switching to keep defenders on shooters and cut off rolls to the basket. But there have been breakdowns, too, with mistakes no longer blamed on the changes in the defense or roster but on lack of intensity. "It's the whole team," Tucker said. "Our communication (defensively) has to quadruple before we can turn the corner and show how good we are. Everybody talks about being championship caliber and us being one of those teams, but we still haven't scratched the surface of how good we can be. It's about us coming together, playing the right way and leaving it all on the floor no matter who we're playing." The intensity was there against the Warriors and when the Rockets mounted comebacks against Philadelphia. On some levels, that has been encouraging. The Rockets were up and down to start last season, when they were short-handed with Pat Beverley out and opened 6-5. But the goal this season was to develop better habits. The uneven intensity shows most defensively, but even on the offensive end, D'Antoni has found it lacking. He also remained convinced the issue is reparable. Games of spurts "It's just like we're playing in spurts," D'Antoni said. "There's just not an overall theme of being gritty and grinding, figuring out ways to win until we get it straight. It goes to the offensive end. We're not moving and cutting and running the floor. The energy is not sustained enough to be good. "We'll point it out and we'll pick it up. There are some things we've got to figure out and make sure we keep our minds straight, keep our heads straight and to hang in there together. We'll figure this out."
if it worked in the regular season, we should now use playoff strategy because...it's the baseball playoffs. Also THIS:
Don't like the admission that they're coasting and playing down to the level of competition. Wrong mentality & we have enough vets to know better.
Yup, confirms the eye test though. We are not playing like contenders and it is a reflection on leadership.
