Perhaps it is to early to start saying something like this, but I feel the Rockets are at a crossroads right now for this season. A crossroads that comes very early in the road, if you will. In the first 3 games, we saw 3 very different Rockets teams. In game 1, we saw a team that had seemed to have an extreme case of opening night jitters. They made about every mistake possible and were lost all night long. In game 2, we saw what the Rockets can be if (almost) everything is clicking. I say almost because we didn't see TMac at 100%. Imagine what the score would have been if he had just made 40% of his shots. In the 3rd game, we saw a team that got in trouble early but still found a way to keep it close the entire game, but fell short at the end. So what conclusions can we draw from these first 3 games? Here's what I've come up with: 1. We need TMac to perform at his par level to be a dominant team. Without him, we are competitive, but not dominant. This is an improvement from last year, when we were hopeless without TMac. 2. Yao alone has the ability to make us very competitive. When Yao is on, there is little other teams can do to stop us. Even without Rafer's offensive performance, we would have easily beaten Dallas. But when Yao is forced to the bench, we have to rely on everyone else to step it up a little bit. 3. We have the potential to create many different effective 5-man units. JVG is still experimenting with the lineup to find the optimal rotation, but it seems that he's able to get some success with almost any rotation he does use. This is a vast improvement over last year when just about any 5-man unit out there would suck it up. Now we have many different pieces to play with - the trouble is just figuring out which ones work best. This is not a bad problem to have. Back to the Rockets being at a crossroads: We had 2 disappointing games to 1 awesome one, but I can envision an incredibly good Rockets team developing. If the team becomes discouraged by their inconsistent performance, then they will continue to bring sub-par performances. But if they realize that they are close to a winning formula, and they work diligently to achieve that formula, we will see a very powerful team. Here's what needs to happen for us to achieve success: 1. TMac needs to diligently work on his shooting. Put in the hours at the gym. Practice running around screens, pushing off bags, and hitting the jumpers. Do what it takes to get the shot back. A good-shooting TMac equals a 3-0 record vs. 1-2. 2. Bonzi needs to continue getting back into shape. He has showed his aggressiveness. He just needs to continue exerting himself. 3. Everyone else, keep doing what you're doing. Battier hitting the open shots instead of passing. Rafer working on his shot. Chuck getting more PT and experience. JVG working with his rotating to find the best fit. Continued focus on defense (particularly perimeter defense!). All of these things are things that can be steadily worked on and don't require a sudden epiphany. If the team continues to work hard, it will be successful.
this team needs another month to gel. we will not have a great record at the end of this month, but that's just how it is with rockets teams. we have a very motivated team, which is awesome. we'll get there, we just have to be patient. we brought in 8 NEW GUYS... what can you expect? I really really love seeing yao tmac bat and bonzi out there... man it made me smile. I'm excited about the team. EDIT: bonzi is a great rebounder.
not to nitpick, but you couldn't put this in any of the other threads? did this REALLY deserve its own thread? i think not. in before the lock. i agree with your observations, btw.
Bonzi definately needs to get back in shape. I really wish he had taken the preseason more seriously. He looks out of sync. He should be fine as the season progresses but I hope he can get back to playoff form soon.
I don't know if you guys know this, but the Rockets were considered underdogs in the Dallas and New Orleans games, and very tiny favorites against the Jazz. They've basically played right on par so far, as they were 'expected' to go 1-2 against 3 tough teams. From what I've seen, a lot of the players are rusty, but their chemistry looks good for a team that added a lot of new pieces. If we have a 5-10 record at the end of the month, then it's time to worry. I'd definitely like to see T-mac feeding Yao in the post as it makes it tougher for Yao to be doubled that way. Also don't forget that Bonzi is out of shape. Once he gets situated he'll be a very key component for this team as he brings a lot to the table offensively.
i think in the two losses they had signs of a good team, the thing that bothered me was it seemed like utah and no/okc could easily hit lay ups and wide open jumpers and the free throw line but once tmac and bonzi find their groove we will be fine,i like this squad,beat the grizz!
I gotta admit, I was one of those many who were freaking out over the Rocket's performance.. but I figured it's better that we make all of the mistakes earlier during the season than later. I just want the Rockets to make sure they're in the playoffs and I think the rest will take care of itself. I'm confident that playoffs are almost guanranteed for this year's squad.
when bonzi gets back into shape he might be able to make-up for what tmac has lost. however, if tmac can get his game back with bonzi we are a real contender.
Good, thoughful post jdrock. I think Luther Head's shot (a continuation from last year) from beyond the arc and his quick hands on defense has been a pleasant surprise and PLEASE DON'T TRADE LUTHER in a package for a 4 Shane Battier's shot from deep in the corner on the baseline is a welcome feature for our 4 (until he switched to the 3 and Hayes has been starting with Snyder rightfully coming off the bench and Tracy going to the 2). I love the variables in terms of all the combinations of players this team can play and it must be a joy to coach such a deep bunch with so many combinations of substitutions. I saw JVG quickly light a spark under the team after the defense and lackluster effort against Utah, which leads me to conclude that defensive lapses and lack of hustle won't last very many quarters let alone games under JVG which is inspiring to watch. Novak must be inserted into the game more period. He's a freaking witch from beyond the arc I saw JVG show flexibility when stating that Bonzi would take a few weeks to get on the court and then change his mind with the belief that he'll get in shape by playing now and making preseason mistakes early in the regular season. Although I think his J needs to be more consistent, the explosiveness to the basket shown be Snyder and the athleticism hasn't been seen since Clyde routinely attacked the rim. I see a lot of offensive rebound improvement with Bonzi in the lineup and better rebounding from the 2 guard with Bonzi and the taller (than Luther) Snyder. I see a rejuvenated Howard now that his minutes are shorter and he's fresher coming off the bench. I never wanted the proposed trade that would have sent Howard and Head to LA for a 4 and a throwin guard. I LOVE this team just as they are and if Sura comes back in December I'll be ecstatic!!! I see tons of potential and LOVE this team just as it is but want Rafer to continue to improve his J but love the way he pushes the ball upcourt with a nice burst of speed and energy. I see a struggling T-Mac being too much of a professional and having too much pride in himself to continue shooting so poorly. He'll get it together and really soon. I see a better conditioned Yao I see crisp ball movement around the perimeter and wide open guys having the ball passed to them which can and will only get better in time and better cohesion. I see a team that is really gonna be entertaining and a really fun season being a Rocket fan if we can stay healthy. I love this team
Consistency will be the key to success....the pieces are there, chemistry is going to take some more time....but if we beat the good teams and lose to the bad, like in the past, I will definitely be dissapointed. Slow start for some good teams so far, not worried yet, but PF position is scaring the hell out of me so far.
I would like to see Novak and Bill get more minutes, the way the game went in the fourth quarter last night, either guy had a chance to alter the course but JVG was not good at gamble obviously. On the other hand, when Novak was on the court, he was not doing what he should do---shooting, could be his hitting into the rookie wall, or just the chemistry.
Too early to tell. Half the roster has changed. Two new starters. Tmac is in an unusual slump. One thing for sure is that if we cannot make up for the weakness in 1, 4, we will be killed most of the times.
We have 8 new players, so it WILL take time to gel. I remember in our second championship year, after we had traded for Clyde, that it took time to develop into a team, and we didn't end up with a very good record. We were consistently inconsistent, but we were gelling. But, by playoff time, we were something to watch. Rudy was quite the master of developing that team. You could see him building them into a championship team all season. I hope JVG will do the same, and not just focus on every game, but develop the team with the end in mind. With this many new players, it will just take time playing together to become a good team, as frustrating as that will be. I expect to see exactly what we've just seen for the next month, maybe until the half, although the Rockets might just rise to the occaision and play big against this next group of top teams. Rafer is a case in point. He is finally getting comfortable with the team, not just the players, but developing his game so that it matches this team, and understanding the approach of the coach. It will take much of the year for players like Snyder, Bonzi and Novak to integrate. I'm not expecting KillBill or JL3 to see much action this year. Actually, since Battier is more of a glue guy, I expect him to integrate quicker. Geez, TMac ... 34%? What happened? And, Battier, how do you let Wells, Padgett and Alston outrebound you? I expected more from Battier than what I've seen so far. He needs to quit passing up the shot and nail those 3s. They are consummate pros. I'm sure they'll both get their games on track. C-26.7/PF 18.4/SF 15.7/SG 19.3/PG 15.8 Who'da thought Tracy would be the weakest scoring position on our team? Yao is kicking ass. 66.7%. We need to have some quote put up on his locker every game how the other team's center thinks he's better than Yao, so he gets up for the game. If Yao becomes consistent, even if TMac doesn't, we'll go a long way. But, imagine if they both stepup ... (grinning) It's very encouraging to see Head coming off the bench and playing so well, and Snyder's athleticism is great to have on the team. He is turning out to be a killer addition for almost nothing. PF still makes me nervous. Hopefully, Battier and Novak will step up and claim the position. What is going on with Howard, anyway? Are we planning on trading him? Why hasn't he played hardly at all? The Red Rowdies. What a difference. Someone should fire the Toyota Center guy who tried to settle everyone down. That really made a difference for our team. Maybe this year, we'll be a stronger home team. That alone could add 5 to 10 wins to our season's total. We've definitely got better pieces around Yao and TMac this year. Let's hope JVG finds a way to make them fit, while we can still get decent playoff position.
Very well said, this is pretty much preseason for the team right now. Hopefully they can tread water while their getting their stuff together.
It boils down to adjustments. Adjusting to new teammates, new basketball, rules enforcements. Sure, the Jazz and Hornets had to make the same adjustments, but that doesn't mean they are a better team than the Rockets because the adjusted faster. Look at the Mavericks - I don't think our demolition of their club indicates much of anything at this point. For Chuck Hayes, it's adjusting to starting. He's committing twice as many personal fouls this year compared to his rookie season. For Spanoulis, it's adjusting to a new league and country. For Wells, it's adjusting to playing versus sitting on the couch. For Novak, it's adjusting to regular season intensity versus preseason. JVG is still searching for which combinations to use in various situations. I'm really impressed with Synder though. He's money anywhere near the basket - a very efficient scorer so far. Yao...it goes without saying. TMac will round into shape, adjust to the ball and learn to trust his body. And, even though it sucks for the Rockets, I personally am very happy about the 4 games in 5 nights. It's been a long offseason and I'll take as many Rocket games as I can get right now.
To me, there is one and only one thing that is critical to this team's success: Yao staying out of foul trouble and taking a lot of shots early in the game. That's it. If Yao stays out of foul trouble and is aggressive offensively early, then we are going to be in most every game and will win half of those games just on Yao being dominant offensively. When you throw in the good perimeter shooting, effective defense, McGrady shooting efficiently, etc. etc. etc., we should be a wrecking crew. But it all starts with Yao getting off early and being able to be on the floor to get off early without the fouls.
I like Rafer's low turnover/assist ratio and how much better he runs the offense than Francis (who I love) did. He IS an improvement at managing the offense over Francis and I don't miss Francis' dumb, out of control turnovers when pushing the ball upcourt and getting caught in mid air with no clue of what to do with the rock unless he dunked it. Whoever posted that Hayes is scary, I can understand that. I wish we had Cato back just to have an extra shot blocker and 6 fouls to give. I think knowing Hayes doesn't have the height of your prototypical PF is slightly disturbing to me but Barkley wasn't that tall, and neither was Wes Unseld but they had skills (rebounding anticipation of where the ball was going to bounce off the rim, positioning, boxing out) that I hope Hayes can come remotely close to. It is early but I like what I see now that the fire has been lit under them to put more effort in their D.
good observations, but I would also include JVG in that mix. His inability to make quick adjustment has sometime caused us the game. Take last night for example. He should be bench Yao after the second foul and not wait until the 3rd. He was playing too much Hayes and not enough for novak. I know he's trying to feel out the team and mix and matches, but at least give the new guys some minutes to proof they also deserved PT. JVG needs to integrat a different game plan for tmac when he is not playing well. I don't see the type of adjustment a great coach would make.
Yeah we lost 2 games, but there's no way I see us losing those 2 if T-Mac was even 75% of himself. I guess it looks pretty good if you put it that way.
