There were some open looks. The guys missed the shots. :/ I was at the game, and can't count the number of times I stood up hoping Wesley's open shots would fall...just to be let down. Bowen had a couple open looks too. So they make those open looks, we win. Matter fact, if they only made 1 or 2, we'd probably win the game. at least that's how I see it. but yes, agreed, JVG not exactly the offensive guru is he?
Thanks Jeff - your comments are spot on. I would add a couple of things - Defense is keeping Rockets in games which is good - not too many taking note of that. On a higher level - a case can be made based on last years results that the new components will take a while to adjust to the Rockets culture (how would your game be affected if you were in a new city with new teamates and had JVG following you up and down the court watching your every move and shouting out orders?) and approach to the game - I am sure that they still feel like they're drinking from a fire hose and that they are thinking more than reacting on the floor - tentative, uncertain play results. But that will go away if the players have character and put forth the effort to learn. One more thing - it's a little early to give up on Wesley - he just needs one break out game to get his confidence back (since he probably doesn't get pep talks from coaches). At least they (coaches) are not bailing on him like many on this board - after 3 games.
First of all, a "couple" of open looks is the whole point of my post. It comes way too infrequently given the fact we have a 7'6" swarmed as I stated earlier. I especially hate it when Yao is swarmed, and we have to force a shot before the 24 sec violation. This happens all too frequently as well. I agree that our shooting percentage is horrendous and that is exacerbating the underlying problem but in the offseason we got our point guard (skip, who I didnt like at first but I am increasingly seeing how in the near future he will be an extremely nice fit), but we didn't get any pure shooters and Wesley has lost his touch. Instead of Bowen, who will "always have a job as long as JVG is coaching", it would have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more beneficial for the team to get a pure shooter. Jeez, any goofy white guy from the CBA even that can nail the open jumper. DA is an "ok" shooter (who btw was a mistake, Mike James spreads floor better, is quicker, and is no more of a black hole then derek anderson). I mean come on, with any center that commands a double team you need shooters that can spread the floor. I hate when ppl say that Yao needs tmac to take the pressure off of him and thats why we struggled last 2 games. What Yao needs is shooters who are evenly spaced on the court and Tmac needs this as well. When they are both present on the court, this deficiency in our team is hidden because we have 2 all-stars that command double teams. That is the fault of JVG's ignorance and lack of understanding how offense works with a big man in the middle. This team is his team, he got who he wanted and I guess he didn't see the need for better shooters. ok ok i'm venting frustration so i'll shut up. one more thing, I love Juwan Howard and I hope he retires a Rocket, but I think Swift should be starting. Let him develop early in the season into the power forward we got him to be. He's not the sharpest tool in the shead, and thus probably going to take awhile to find his proper niche, but the only way to get around that is playing time. In any case, we got him to compliment Yao and they don't play at the same time enough. Let Swift start and by playoff time ppl will start to see why we got him in the first place, i hope.
As JVG said himself, he was the one to blame for the failure of the team. Right now, everyone can see that the Rockets have no offense. Why, because our offense was mainly based on the individual plays of TMac and Yao, when one of those guys out, then we suck. Had we have an offensive system, someone else would have filled TMac's role, may not be as good, but at least can still function within the system. Yes, we are not nearly as good without TMac, but that's not the point. With or without your star player, the Rockets should be able to function as a team, right now, we are playing like a YMCA team with five strangers, no offensive flow. Worse yet, we don't even have the scrappy playing of those YMCA teams. Don't blame the guards who missed the open shots, nor blame inside players for lack of rebounds. When you don't know what you are doing out there, like a headless chichen, that's what we are supposed to get. JVG needs to get his act together, have a system/structure in place, so each player knows his role/responsibility within the system. With or without TMac, the Rockets should have played much better than they have showed so far. The Magic game is just horrible, I have never seen a NBA game as bad as this one. It's still early, with so many new players. We still get time to get the act together. I would be really worried if this is the January.
Oh, I'm sure anyone who watches the rockets can say that the spacing is horrible. I'm not disagreeing with you, except that they did have open looks...unless I misunderstood your post before this one. If so, my fault.
The Rockets will look like a completely different team away from home. I am not worried about them at all. The past few seasons they have shot the ball very poorly at home at the start. It has something to do with the Toyota Center and pressing at home. They always improve the more they play there and the more they get the feel of the arena. The defense is there. That's a good sign. A few more shots here and there that start to go in at home and they will get their confidence back and they will be a very good team.
Yao is far and away from being just a celebrated role player.. if a role player has people triple teaming him while the 4 other starts brick jumpers all game..than maybe.. but I don't see the defense focusing on anyone else right now.. Plus.. part of the problem is that he hasn't been getting the ball in position. I watched the NO game..and he was all over it.. just look at his 7 swatted shots.. who else is even stopping the penetration for him to get 7 shots. blame the defense and the terrible post-entry pass not yao.
Yao gets freakin' mugged in the paint. Guys hanging on him, pulling on his shirt / arms, smacking him in the head, pushing him in the back with TWO hands or TWO arms which is all illegal and no calls. He is getting stronger with each year and more and more tired of the abuse. One of these days he's gonna snap and start b**** slappin' people around......get a T Yao!!!
Front Yao, watch the team crack. I swear, now I know what T-Mac was talking about last year. I remember when Yao went off on Orlando two seasons ago, they never fronted him. Last season in both games Cato played behind Yao the entire games. Last night a smart coach finally made the key adjustment. First Cato and then the jumping out the gym Howard and it made all the difference.
