We NEED TMac to DRIVE more. The guy is so talented and can get to the basket, but he is settling for jumpers all game long. Wade was a perfect example of what driving in does for the team. He either gets a layup or draws a foul. There is no doubt in my mind that TMac wouldn't get the calls, he either gets an easy bucket or will draw a foul majority of the time. We feel that the refs aren't giving us enough calls, but the truth is that we aren't doing anything to get those calls. The refs can't call fouls when we are shooting jumpers all night. Yao/TMac should be shooting 15-20 FTs a night, but that is how much we are averaging as a team. Sura did a good job of driving in the 1st half and we were playing better. Teams can defend jump shots easily, just try to get a hand in their face. But when there is penetration, the entire defense has to rotate, they have to react. We are a decent jump shooting team, but when our shots aren't falling, we really don't have a backup plan. TMac is way too talented to shoot jumpers all game long, let him drive in and get some easy buckets or at worst, shoot FTs.
I think thats the one thing that bothers so many Rocket fans about T-mac. It just seems that he settles for too many jumpers sometimes. When Shaq went out in the 4th quarter T-Mac should have started to attack the basket on every position.
I agree, or at least shoot off a pick. I am sick of watching him shooting his fadeaways. Yes, Tmac we know you are athletic...we understand you are like a freak of nature. But please for once use some common sense and stay within yourself so we can finally win some close games. Despite the spetacular performance against SA, that only count as only one win. We can't depend on you to shoot bricks until you get crazy hot for 82 games.
yeah he seriously does take a ton of jumpers. that one time he went in and made a layup..nice one. He could get more calls if he initiated ...attack the basket...
Exactly. if tracy starts taking the rock to the rack More oftn the not, not only will he Score or go to the free throw line, he can also creat for others. but with those jumpers one outcome is possile. clank.
T-Mac driving, as well as the other guards, pulls Yao's man off of him opening him up for dump offs and easy shots. The Rockets prefer to shoot jumpers instead though.
Not just PG, PF too. I have been noticing the same problem we had: although Juwan Howard is having his jumpshot back, he's not doing jack in defense, he allows Yao to pick up too many quick fouls when Yao have to rotate to his man after he got beat. He also does not do a good job boxing out and really going after the rebounds, it seems like Howard is saving his energy for offense 'cause lot of times he's slacked off defensively. The good PGs we have is Andre Barret and Barry in terms of making the right pass at the right time. In terms of pure heart and energy, Sura is phenomenal.
I disagreed with many of you guys. T-Mac is doing exactly what the coach wanted him to do. He's settling into the half court sets we are running. Lots of pick and roll to free him up to get the ball or get a shot off. It's easier if Yao is moved back to midpost and shoot some jumpers to free up the lane a little bit for TMac to penetrate.
I think its in the offense guys. I think its JVG's system. There are no back picks, no players slicing to the hole for a layup, very few drive and dish, very few alley-oops, its just not a motion offense. Its a post it up, then shoot from the outside offense. Sorta like in the Hakeem days. Only, those guys could knock down shots, so, when they drove to the hoop or sliced to the hoop, they got layups. We know, Yao can pass; but he never does because nobody goes to the basket. Wade had no problem getting to the basket today. Is Wade better than McGrady? Heck no. Its the offense. We need to spread it out. Several times Yao was being fronted, so the ball would go up to the top of key, so Yao would turn to get the ball and he would be open, but Howard was trying to post it on the other side and by the time he relized to get out of there and take the defensive man with him (because the defense man was waiting for the lob) Yao was covered so the ball swung back to other side. JVG needs to stop wasting time disguising the post (making Yao 2 - 3 picks, then post up) and just let him run down court and post up. If they front him, let Howard be at the top of the key and throw a shooter on both sides that Yao is posting on and let them try to double. If they do, we have a wide open jumper, fake a drive to hoop, or a lop pass with a guard trying to double; in which case (assuming its a good pass that Howard can throw) Yao can take two steps and dunk or layup. I know its sounds simple to me, probably harder to do. What you guys think?
I hear ya, tim. I hate that the offensive set runs down the shot clock so far that it turns into a forced or rushed shot alot of times. I would love it if they ran slashers off of Yao posting up. We never see that anymore, especially down the baseline. Spacing and outside shooters hitting shots would alow Yao some room to operate, but constant slashers helps as well. What I find funny is that we were running a more up-tempo games and shooting early in the shot clock. The team seemed to have a "if I have a open look I will shoot despite the shot clock" thought, which lead to some high scoring games (ie: 124 pts. against Dallas). Then, poof, they went back to their methodical walk up system again. Even Hubie Brown mentioned that the Rockets didn't take advantage of what could have been 3 on 2 fastbreaks today.
Also, it is harder to penetrate when you are double-teamed ALL the freakin' time, before you even ever get the ball. You don't see Dwayne Wade being doubled, do ya? Single cover T-Mac, and then we will see if he doesn't score 40 every time.
Let's see...look at the last two PG's we played... Mike Bibby. Dwayne Wade. I'd pretty much expect to get outplayed at that position in these games. We have to make up for it other ways, like outplay them with our strenthgs. And yes, T-Mac does need to go the the basket more. But do realize, that he does go plenty now, it's just that he kicks it back out more than he shoots it. You've got to also look at what Rocket River said...T-Mac isn't quite built like Wade. He's much more of a finesse player...I'm not sure I want him to take a beating every night.
I would also like to add - that overall, we can improve at the 1 and 4, but come on - Wesley, Barry, Padge, Howard, and Sura missed some WIDE open shots today. The Heat were all over Yao and Tmac, and the offense was rum correctly... but they got to hit those wide open shots
I agree, if they make OPEN shots, nobody complains about the loss. If they don't, EVERYTHING is magainfied. The difference in the game today was the fact that the Heat MADE open shots. We blew open shots. It is so important that they knock down shots.
