How do we solve our problems? (aside from trading)

1. 
   
   The team needs to shoot better, no question. However they need to take higher percentage shots. They need to get fast break points, more cutting to the basket for passes and layups and rebounds for put backs. All of these would increase our shooting percentage. If the outside shots arent falling then a generally good offensive SYSTEM will help increase the shooting percentage because of the SYSTEM getting players better shot selection. This is all accomplished by passing and by the passer making good intelligent decisions. This is the problem here. We need to add someone in the backcourt (starter or 1st guard off the bench) that can make these decisions. This would help the team greatly.
   
   
   This goes back to JVG saying we are not reactive fast enough on the offensive end. We are tentative and not confident. Perhaps this will improve as the players get used to JVG's offensive system. Perhaps not. Perhaps if we had a true PG that can break down the defense and run pick and rolls and could pass the ball to open players perhaps we would be more of the initiators instead of the reactors.
   
   
   
   This is very troubling. Asside from getting a real PG I am not sure how we can improve this. It is a two fold thing. 1) we dont get out on the fast break in general, the guards are rebounding instead of our bigs who should be throwing outlet passes to our guards for fast breaks and 2) even if we DO get on a fast break our guards do not know how to run them. 3 on 1 and Francis just runs right into the lone defender. Again the passing is a problem here. Do the players trust their teammates?
   
   I personally believe that Mobley and Francis have more faith that THEY can make the play than their faith in their ability to make the proper pass to a teammate. That is the problem. They may trust their teammates, but might not trust that THEY can make the proper pass to them and thus decide they should bull a head on their own...ususally to disasterous consequences.
   
   
   For as long as I have watched the team it never was good at handling a press. We always looked panicked when someone does that to us. For the life of me I never understood why this was the case yet year after year we always looked panicked. I think the main problem is we always try to DRIBBLE out of the problem when we should be PASSING. The DRIBBLING is just instinct taking over for our guards. This has to change.
   
   
   There has been a lot of inconsistancies with players this year. I am not sure what the answer is on this but the eventual answer will be in this team needing to acquire a "3rd star" player to mesh with Francis and Yao. Hopefully by having a 3rd star player this will lessen the times when our offense goes completely south.
   
   
   Jim has been playing A LOT of minutes. Too many. I think that might be what is causing his play to weaken a bit. JJ is really just a role player and more of a BENCH role player. He is the de facto starting SF on this team because we have no one better. This is a problem.
   
   
   I think Yao is improving, especially rebounding wise. I think it is too early to judge on this one yet. Let's see where we are at the 3/4 mark of the season on this one.

 

Very good questions and some very good answers.

IMO, this might sound simplistic but it actually has a lot of truths:
The answer to 6 of the 7 questions above is to "pass the ball".
If Jeff'd just simply tell our players to make 1 extra pass, most things will fall into place.

 

No doubt. To summerize, pass the ball. Either get the team to buy into that system or get players (trades, FA, draft) that WILL buy into that system.

 

(1) We could kidnap David Stern and force the league to get rid of the salary cap, hold up the Rockets' front office, and demand that they pay a top notch free agent point guard or power forward franchise money.

(2) We could politley ask Francis to renegotiate his ridiculous contract.

(3) Other than that, some people say prayer works.

 

Good thread drox.

I like Deuce's breakdown of all the problems. If I may, I'd like to add:

8. Free throw shooting- Although I do believe that our FT% has been in the top 10 in the NBA, I think the Seattle game showed that, much like the rest of our offense, it is streaky and inconsistent. I believe we ended at 68%, missing 12 or 13 FTs that would have given us the game if we had made about half of them. I thought that Calvin Murphy worked with the players on their FTs and their midrange shots. Or has JVG not allowed Calvin to work with the team? Just a little nitpicky thing I thought I'd throw out there after the Sonics loss...

 

i agree with you about the free throws- the rockets shoot a high percentage in general but tend to choke them at crucial times.

as a team, we seem afraid to fail- we are severely lacking in confidence right now. in the seattle game it looked as if we were hypnotized by the sonics into not being able to score. we need to shake out of it.

 

My answer to question 1:

We need pass more, no doubt, but the problem is that they can't hit open jumper. A lot of times, Franics penetrated and swing the ball to perimeter and they still miss wide open shot. It only proves that a lot of guys in Rox team are mediocre shooters.

Solution: we have to make more cut. Even we move the ball, we spent too much time moving it around the perimeter, they are not great shooters, therefore they have to take shot as close to basket as possible, settle for easy layup. When Yao, Mo T and Cat do the ISO, somebody has to make a cut once a while, instead of everybody just standing around the perimeter and watching.

We need move the ball, but players need move too.

 

I think that Yao is much more consistent and playing better than he did last year. However, since lots of us were wishing that he would have a MVP season this year, he is not living up to our ridiculously high expectations.

Also with Cato at the PF, opposing big forward can easily join their center to double team Yao, which makes him much more difficult to score than the usual one on one coverage.

 

Promote Rudy to offensive coordinator.

Hey, I'm only half-kidding.

 

My answer to question 3 (fastbreak) :

They definitely need to pactise fastbreak more. They are not trusting each other in the fastbreak. They don't even trust themself for making a right pass. So players like SF and Cat always decide to drive the ball to the hole themselves, hoping they can lay it in or draw a foul. At least it won't be a turnover because of passing.

I don't see how you can improve your fastbreak other than by practice. That is a basic basketball skill and shouldn't be a problem for Pro players. I think when they gain confidence about finishing fastbreak in practice, they will be more willing to be trust each other, doing the things they should do.

 

I actually addressed this in another thread, the Rockets are taking way too much time setting up the offense.

If you watch the Kings play, no player holds the ball for more than 3 seconds or dribbles more than 3 times (unless they're taking it in all the way), this keeps the defense in constant motion trying to stay with the ball.

 

The problem with this is, IMO, threefold: 1) Yao is too slow to roll quickly enough to be as effective as Malone; 2) Yao does not seem to set good picks; he sets the pick and rolls before he gets the body on the defender; and 3) our guards are ineffective passers, definitely not in the Stockton mold.

1) is a problem for me, because IIRC, the Stockton-Malone PnR was done out on the high post, with Malone cutting to the basket or setting up for a nice jumpshot. Yao's midrange shot (from about 14-18 ft out) is not quite at the level of Malone's. If he were to take it through the lane, I think that he is too slow and would give defenders ample time to set up for the charge. Of course, modifying the PnR to better fit our team is possible, but I think more than the basic PnR we just need more cutting and screening. The PnR is probably best saved for the Yao-Stevie 3 pt shot play.

2) can be fixed quite easily from watching tape of the Jazz, as can 3). However, I think a better film to watch for the entire team would be tape of the Kings offense, with and without CWebb. Their fluid passing and unselfishness is amazing and graceful, as opposed to our mess of a halfcourt set. The guards should definitely check out Stockton tape, though.

 

Are you kidding? Ewing transformed Kwame Brown into the player he is today. Didn't you notice the monstrous increase in his scoring last year?

 

Well the biggest problem as I see it right now is assists : TOs, Rockets are likely the worst in the league. So that can be limited by better spacing to open up better shots after posting Yao Ming, and also more discipline handling the ball. But... can that be coached at this point?

 

Are you joking?

 

I'm pretty sure she is...

 

Are you sure she's a she? Wasn't there some sort of controversy over that? How did that get resolved?

 

here it goes again..