All signs seem to indicate that rice will be a rocket (maybe) Well, I have been trying to figure out what kind of offense houston will be running (given the new rules and rice playing the sf). As far as I can rem (hakeem days), they ran everything around the center position. It was pretty simple: feed it to hakeem and let him create. The problem I had with that was too many people were just standing around. Yeah, i know the point was for them to stand at the 3 and take the feed and hit it. Still, can't that offense work with people being more active around the basket ? Last year, it revolved on a more up tempo game, but there was too much isolation. It seemed as though the whole backcourt (including the sf) would be standing around. I liked the way horry played sf. he would hit the three, but he drove and was more active towards the basket. Last year, if francis drove to the basket, you would see the backcourt with three players just standing there. atleast one of them should follow if there was a miss (as we know taylor and cato will not get the rebound ) Anyway, my point is that we have 4 players that play away from the basket ( francis,mobley,rice,and taylor). This means the best chance for a rebound is by cato. Plus with the zone, the defenders will be moving (thus giving them a better chance at a rebound). So, this would mean that players will be less likely to drive with the new rules. Now, my question: does anyone know how the offense will go? I mean what changes do you see from last year. I had hoped that the sf position would get us someone that could post-up. This way you have cato in the center and then either taylor or sf right there working the post. All these thoughts are making it more evident how important that center position is going to be , but i have hope confused: ) that cato will not let us down.
I've been watching the rockets the past years and watching the rockets throw it down to hakeem 90% of the time and kicking it out for a three. This worked when Olajuwon was averging 25PPG and he would get doubled or tripled team.With Hakeem gone and left with Cato,there is no way the rockets can win this year with that same offense.I am worried that Rudy has forgotten up-tempo basketball. He should watch lots of video of the Kings last year without Jason "Turnover" Williams,and take a page from there notebook. Not only will the Rockets be better it will draw more Rockets fans.
This thread????? Well, I had been reading all these threads over the few days. The threads have been either about rice or cato (if you include all the people who are still trying to figure out if it's Hill or Hall, that's another few threads). Ofcourse, there is a good chance I could have missed that post. Anyway, my basic concern wasn't if rice or cato are good players/bad players. I wanted to figure out how they fit into our scheme. I guess this can't be really answered until the season starts and we actually get to witness games where the zone is being applied. One thing I fear is the rebounding. In a zone, the defenders have the better position and can easily box out. The way the rockets have been playing, it would seem we would have 1 person trying for the rebound. Even if francis/mobley drive to the lane, i see rice, the other guard standing around, and taylor easily getting boxed out. In this case, 3 out of the 5 defenders already have inside position. This aspect really scares me. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
No, SixthMan.......I wasnt knocking your thread at alll......I really thought I had posted in this thread....maybe I forgot to hit the submit button or something...
With all due respect, I don't think OFFENSE is going to be the problem this year. Rice is a savvy veteran and should blend with the others well. With four players who can both penetrate and hit from the perimeter, it really opens things up for outside shots and for others flashing in the lane. I'll bet our offensive rebounding is better than it has been in years (and it has stunk!). As I recall, Rice has a great array of inside and post up moves. All this will make things easier for EG to learn, and to develop his game. And all Cato (or White etc.) have to do is hang around the basket for easy putbacks, alleyoops etc. Somehow I don't think Rudy and his crew will have any trouble optimizing the talent we have. And as far as running....LOOK OUT! With respect to Rice, I don't know any more medical details than have been bandied around, but my guess is that he will be a Rocket. Maybe Les can extract some "insurance" from the Knicks...depending on advice from his medical consultants. Rice's medical condition should cause him to miss few, if any games, unless he has an ultra-severe case of plantar fasciitis that just hasn't responded to anything (including casting for 6 weeks). As I posted a couple of days ago, this is a common malady for NBA players and most figure out how to get through the season with it. Michael Finley could be a poster child for not only living with it but playing 40+ minutes a game at the highest level. Dallas (Doc)Rocket
Rocketman???? I have no idea where you have been for the last couple of years, but with all due respect, it could NOT have been near a Rocket's basketball game. I can not remember when I burned a newbie last ... probably several years ... but you deserve this ..... I've been watching the rockets the past years and watching the rockets throw it down to hakeem 90% of the time and kicking it out for a three. [/QUOTE] The "throw it into Hakeem" has NOT been a substantial part of the game plan for 2 years. This worked when Olajuwon was averging 25PPG and he would get doubled or tripled team. [/QUOTE] Hakeem has not averaged thos numbers for four years!!!!!! In addition, the fact that Hakeem has missed a considerable amount of playtime while injured or recovering the last two years, means even IF the gameplan was a throw it in and pitch it out he still would not have been a part of the game plan in 30 games a year. With Hakeem gone and left with Cato,there is no way the rockets can win this year with that same offense.I am worried that Rudy has forgotten up-tempo basketball. [/QUOTE] Of course they can not win the same way this year as you noted. Fact is, they have NOT been winning with this strategy for over the two years I just mentioned. 1.And, prior to that the strategy involved a skinny rookie power forward called Charles Barkley. 2.And, before that they had a 2-3 gunner called Drexler dlashing to the weakside. 3. And, .... the post up and pitch it to the trey line .... has been a part of our offense but has not been the backbone of it for a while. 4. And, BTW, Cato is a defensive player(or supposed to be). He has never been a substantial part of our offense, even at the best of times. I am worried that Rudy has forgotten up-tempo basketball. [/QUOTE] Hello? Anyone home? ......... the two dynamic players that have been running the game and scoring the majority of the points for the last two years have been Francis and Mobley. He should watch lots of video of the Kings last year without Jason "Turnover" Williams,and take a page from there notebook. [/QUOTE] Where the hell have you been? The Francis and Mobes show that the Rockets ... with a little late surge by Shandon .... were putting on last year were picked up even by the usually anemic Sports networks. Did you miss it? They were for real! Playing an uptempo game which RT has been doing for a while (see question above ..... ) and has been talking about since Barkley was injured two autumns ago .... Oh, yeah ..... PS: The key to an uptempo game is to maintain ball control while increasing the offensive pressure though speed.. Jason Williams, as I am sure Rudy knows, has no control, the worst shooting percentage of his pro career and sat on the bench for a considerable part of the time last season. Watching him would put Rudy to sleep!!!!!!
This is not necessarily true. In order to box out a post man when Francis/Mobley are driving to the lane, you have to let Francis/Mobley go. You cannot box out *and* cover Francis/Mobley. Don't forget, Francis/Mobley have beaten their man by the time they get to the lane. Also, you are assuming they didn't get a pick (thus have a wide-open roller, sometimes). Getting Francis in the middle of the lane is a big key to our offense. He has three choices in that position: (1) stop and pop, (2) drive to the rim, and (3) dish. Those three options are dependent on what the lane defenders do. #2 generally means they stayed with their man to box him out. That is not always a wise decision.
Oils, While I agree that Rocketman is holding on to an outdated reputation, I'm not sure that the litany of Cuttino's ISOs and Francis' habit of skipping/highstepping instead of pushing it are stellar examples of up-tempo basketball. The Rockets still have improvement to make in this area. But I wouldn't be concerned with Rudy's ability to create an offense suited to his players. He's demonstrated this from Hakeem to the US Team of nobodies to Francis/Mobley and I'm sure to Francis/Mobley/Rice.
Alright okay so I overreacted. I missed "without", I was blinded by the dustfalling off those ancient postulates. Okay, I got too carried away. I guess I shouldn't have been critical. Not like me. Might have been the size 3 typeface. Might have been this week's hurry up and wait ...... Maybe I am just too damn fed up with this summer .... RocketNewbie .... read some more posts. We'll talk again.
jason williams would be the bomb diggity at rucker park. unfortunately, he is in the NBA, not the rucker park entertainment "show". jason williams sucks. but he would be a hell of a globetrotter. j-dudd sucks. j-won't sucks.
JWill would get jacked at the Rucker. Not only would he start crying after getting hacked to death from their normal play, there's 9, 10 yr old kids there w/ the same handles and clowning moves as him - and better jumpshots!!
pippendagimp, oh, i know. i've seen plenty of it. my point was just that j will is a showman first, and a basketball player last. in order to play nba ball for long, he'll need to develop nba skills - as in a jump shot and losing the penchant for unnecessary TO's. as for rucker ballas, most of them can't make it cause they can't hit the ocean from the beach. i've never seen so many 3 pointers hitting the other side of the backboard in my life. that said, they'll clown yo ass like bozo, but if you just back off of them - or bother to call carrying or traveling they suddenly become human again... still, they are a great and entertaining show.
Your point was already sufficiently clear Verse...I'm just rattling you cuz I'm so damn bored to death w/o any bball these days.... You're right on abt the travelling and carrying, too....in pick-up games the guards will be carrying like 3-4 times in a single move and then when a big man shuffles his feet once they'll yell out TRAVELLING BABY, GIMME MY BALL!!!!
The general problem most fans have is that they watch who has the ball and then listen to the commentators for opinion. If you watch different aspects of the games, it changes your opinion of how things happen on the floor.
Just a few comments: *** #15 does make a point, although there isn't a hakeem and hasn't been the real picture in a few years, it does seem like the rockets do revert to the old mentality of trying to start things inside -out. there are plaenty of examples, but one needs to just watch some of last year's games. ***pdg, iwasn't saying you were knocking the thread. I had just wondered if there was another/similar thread. I'm pretty sure we all get tired of the same threads. *** dallas rocket: nice to see another rocket fan in dallas. Do you find yourself getting in arguements with your mavs fans buddies? I don't think we will have a problem with the offense. We can clearly see how much the shooters will affect the game, but I fear the opportunity to get that second/third shot (ie rebounds). Hopefully, i am wrong in my view. *** crispee: I agree to the extent that what you have just said is a real possibility. The thing is you would need big men to set picks. I haven't really seen cato or taylor set picks. The part about francis driving and the three options you gave are truly francis-like, i hope mobley can learn to do the same (it seems for him there is only one option: shoot).
I don't want to start another thread just for this, but there was a newbie the other day telling us that we should have some breaking news today regarding rice and moochie. He stated, "don't ask me how i know, but this will happen thursday". I don't mind people saying what MIGHT happen, but to say you have this major scoop and not come through with it does make us (members and especially the junior members like me ) look bad. From what I have read, there isn't much faith with "scoops" or stories reported by newbies. Now, another false report by another newbie doesn't help. It's not even about trying to get props for scoops or stories, it has more to do with trying to be legit. It has more to do with giving valid info to die-hard rockets fans all around the world. Plus, this site might be the most read for rockets information by anyone and everyone (rockets fans, players, coaches, possible free agents,etc). Oh yeah, shaq is coming to houston in a s/t for kyle hill and his brother kyle hall.
Remember the old days when every play ran through Matt Bullard. Maloney would dump the ball down low, and everyone would watch as Bull would dribble right, spin left, elevate and double clutch into the reverse tomohawk. And as the crowd was jumping around like fools, Bull would steal the inbounds and run out to the three point line and bury the clutch three. It was the classic five point play, over and over and over and over. God I'm going to miss Bullard.
