[ESPN] Rockets and Warriors run historic offenses in wildly different ways

True, every team has basic sets. They also have to get everyone their shots, so they have specific sets to get Steph his looks, Klay his, kd his... I'm just saying with capable players like that they do a lot on their own. They have two of the best shot creators/makers on the floor that teams have to help with so that opens up looks for others. Give kd the ball up top and he can get anywhere he wants to on the floor. Others just have to give him room. I get your point though.

 

they

Moving Screens that is...
They top the league also in favorable Reffing

Rocket River

 

Sure I guess if you do it enough, refs just let you do it.

Just like with superstar guards pushing off or elite defensive teams constantly hand checking.

 

Can you link to these stats? I'm just curious.

Rockets actually do have the occasional neat play. EG with the elevator. The 21 offense they run at times. Not neat I guess, but plays. I mean lots of teams run some of this. It's just weird that they really refuse to actually run them when really needed.

Anyway, the difference between the two teams beyond GSW being deeper in talent on both ends, is defense, of course. Rockets defense has sucked the last month, relatively speaking.

 

Then why does Kerr find a need for all these elaborate sets?

It's because no matter how high the talent level is, if there is no off the ball movement, an offense will eventually stagnate.

It's why we are notorious going both ways, for racking up giant leads....


And losing them. The team can go on extended offensive funks because the best shot the can get is a hands in the face three 3 feet behind the line.

 

What you are saying is just wrong though.
Curry hits amazingly tough shots, so does Thompson. They can run through 2 double screens and still don't get a good look like Anderson or Ego gets after a Harden Iso penetration, or an easy lob to Capela.
GS is unique because their shooters can hit really fast un ballanced shots off screens.
Their system is great to their players, fits perfectly, kinda like our system fits perfectly to our player's talent.
Not saying that we cant improve our offensive movement, but not to try and be GS. I would much rather see those Phoenix big man sets on the elbow. But we need Capela to improve his vision. I already seeing an improvment in his passing skills. If to shooters outside or to slashers in backdoors sets. That is what we should focus on, not all that headless chickens GS running around with no purpose.

 

Part of the reasons the Warriors can run what they do is because of their talent . Defenses have to be aware of 3-4 players are triple threats at all times.

Plus curry and Durant and klay are threats 35 feet from the basket.

 

You know what also keeps defenders honest?

Having to get over a screen.

And in all honesty getting over a screen is much more taxing mentally than jogging along the baseline following an offensive player that is moving just for the sake of moving.

When you make a defender negotiate a screen you force them to make a decision and to think. We have two players who are elite at forcing defenders into bad decisions.




Now it is certainly true that other teams have been switching on the Rockets screens frequently this year, but what does the switch give up? A mismatch benefitting us. For all the complaining about Harden Iso's he's averaging a points per possession number that hasn't been seen in over a decade on them. Why is this?

It's because teams are giving up the switch and he gets to operate against a bad defender. And when they keep giving up the switch over and over then that bad defender becomes even worse since he's tired.

Think this is all BS? Well then go back and watch the Finals from 2016 when LeBron and Kyrie took turns burying Curry on switches and making him even less effective offensively because he had to defend so frequently.

 

Interesting idea, but I'm not completely sold. Ibaka's contract is the same length as Ryno's, but there's an extra $500K+ this year, about $1M next year, and nearly $2M the next -- all guaranteed. There stats this year are nearly identical, with Ibaka getting 3 more PPG and 1 more block.

 

I dont think we can win with 3 injuries

 

Let me state this first and foremost; there is no one in the world that would LOVE to bring in Lebron James to the Rockets. But realistically, what would you see our chances of signing him outright to Houston be? I'd say maybe 15%... 20-30 because of the CP3 factor? Perhaps.

Is that 20-30% worth holding off on improving the current roster for a title run? I say no. What I do know is that Ryan Anderson is not going to be one of the guys helping us get over the hump and into the Finals.

IMO, the risk would be much worth the flexibility of signing Lebron because all in all, if Lebron wants to come to your town there's no doubt that the GM will find a way to make it work. Especially that GM being Morley.

While this is true, when Ibaka is having an off night on the offensive end he can still come through with solid rebounding, blocks, and basically all around defense unlike Ryno. That would be the upside in having a defensive catalyst such as Serge playing the 5 when Capela is resting.

His numbers may be down now but look at the defensive team Toronto has put around him... Demar Derozan (please), Kyle Lowry (meh), Anunoby (rook), and Jonas Valenciunas (um, ok!)... I mean, c'mon!

 

I don't think it's "elaborate sets", I think it's the individual players' talents. Watching that game last night I saw pretty much every player on the court for them have the ability to break their defender down off the dribble and get their shot. We don't have that. So yes, when you rely on two players to do all of the creating, your offense can stagnate from time to time. When you have 5 players that can all get their shots your offense wont stagnate very often.

Down the stretch of the game they got layups while we jacking up contested 3s. We only had CP and Ego who can create on their own shots. Easy to defend that. Who else would you trust with the ball in their hands if CP and Ego were moving off the ball? I know you see Ariza take one of two dribbles then turns his back and looks to pass it back out. Ryno does the same thing. Capela, same thing.. GSt doesn't have to worry about that. They trust Iggy, Draymond, West, hell even McCaw.. That gives you a whole lot of options... That is why I said we NEED a PF or F that can handle the ball and break down his defender off the dribble. Ariza, Anderson, PJ cannot do that so we have to rely on James and CP all the time.