No, if he is wide open I want him to shoot it, UNLESS he has clanked a few in a row, then I want him on the bench with Luther in that position. DD
Agree with most of your analysis. To follow on it seems like the Rox are starting to really depend on the outside shot to win. The Rox formula seems to be have Yao score a bunch inside and then shoot a lot of three pointers. Not a bad strategy as it wasn't that different from what won the 90's Rox 2 championships. The problem I see is that outside shooting is streaky and if our outside shooting goes cold and the other team denies Yao the ball then we got big problems as the other players are having problems creating on O.
Yes, this is exactly the blueprint we used back with Hakeem. And we did have games where the team looked awful when missing 3 point shots.....just as this one...but in a 7 game series, we hit them often enough to win. I would prefer a Kenny Smith shooting the 3pt shots than a Rafer Alston though, if only Luther could dribble better. DD
One thing you were right. Yao's hurt his ankle during the game against Twolves, according to chinese media. Still, for the entire season, Yao should have the highest grade among all Rockets based on performance only. Think it this way: If Deke played starting center and got 15/10/2, you'd give him A+, right? In that sense, Yao should be A+ too for better performance. I would give Chuck the highest grade if based on expectation or based on if a player has maximized his talent.
This is exactly the scenario that other teams are forcing on our offense, and so far Rafer and the Rockets are obliging them. If you're defending the Rockets, of COURSE you want Rafer to jack up three's for the whole game. If I were an opposing coach, that would be my game plan from the start. Which is why, in my opinion, if we're going to persist to run the offense we're running, Head should be in the starting lineup instead of Skip. Obviously Rafer is a much better point guard in the traditional sense, but in THIS OFFENSE, McGrady and Battier have been initiating the offense. If our point guard is going to be a wide open 3 point shooter, then we might as well put a good 3 point shooter in there. Let Rafer run with the second unit.
bingo. the last thing yao needs to do is committ more fouls.... we need him on the court to be successful. he already has a target on his back from an officiating standpoint and doesn't need to add to the ticky-tack fouls he already gets called on. one thing i've noticed is that he seems to have learned how to avoid a lot of the attempted blocked shot fouls he was committing (or getting called for) earlier in his career, which shows a willingness to learn and adapt.
That creates an additional problem IMO. I realize that no team subs 5 in 5 out. But he's going to be spending alot of floor time with players on the downhill...Deke...JHo...or with players that have yet to establish themselves offensively in the Rockets...VSpan...Novak...Wells. If he's inconsistent on the floor with TMac and Yao acting as heat sinks, I'm not sure what would be his level of 2nd unit contribution against younger opponents trying to impress for more PT. Question...does any team pack the paint more than the Rockets? Do opposing players not get to the rim against the Rockets? Does Yao not pick up unneeded fouls because of the opponents penetration? Do opponents not pull up for wide open mid-range J's? So the answer to your question is "yes". Drive. Drive and pull up, drive and finish, drive and get fouled, drive and stop and pop, drive and attack from the weakside, drive and dish. Just do something other than stand there.
LOL - I have high expectations. It is HARD to get an A.....you have to earn that by bringing it every single night, and Chuck does that, and Yao and Battier are close to doing that. DD
Agreed. I think we can do better, a LOT better. Although I am generally happy at 10-5, we should be at least 2 or 3 wins better, IMHO. DD
My First Month Assesment: Yao Ming Grade: A Officially silencing the "complimentary player" snide remarks from the Bill Simmons' and Steve Kerr's of the world, hopefully for good. Still subject to turnovers as defenses become more and more focused on stopping him and he has room to improve all around, but he's leading the team and everything we've been hoping he'd be for years. Tracy McGrady Grade: B- He's driving clutchfans nuts with his passive play, but I am fully convinced that this is his back limiting him. His explosiveness and fluidity have been awol all year, and he has not been able to get around his man with any kind of regularity. Disc issues do not go away. I hope it's not true, but the McGrady of old may not be returning. I'll take safe play over a Larry Johnson surgery any day. Shane Battier Grade: B Leading the team in minutes and has been a major influence on the good team defense, but his offense has not been reliable. His shooting has gone cold for games at a time and his scoring has swung from 2 point showings to 18 explosions. His rebounding has also been unpredictable game to game. Chuck Hayes Grade: A Just a fantastic nose for the ball, especially tenacious on the offensive glass. With the Rockets offense grinding it out, the 2nd chance opportunities he provides (managed 6 in two of our wins) are valuable. The anti-Stromile Swift. Needs to get a little better at making good on point blank lay ups. Rafer Alston Grade D Of the guys seeing at least 20 min of action, Rafer has the dubious mark of worst FG% despite being the team's #3 scorer. Only Yao, Tracy, Luther, and Battier are averaging more total shots than Rafer is averaging in 3pt attempts. His assists are noticeably low (<5) for a PG as well. He's nailed some clutch 3s to redeem himself somewhat, but more effecient play would help keep the team out of jams requiring them. Luther Head Grade: B Hot hot hot shooting to start the season, but little to go along with it. Not part of the ballhawk club, not attempting to grab PG duties with his passing, and getting routinely abused on defense by bigger opponents. As long as the other guys cover his blindspots, he can be a big part of runs, but he's cementing himself as a bench player with his one-dimensional game. V-Span Grade B- Showing some eye-catching flashes that he can be a ballsy player, but also showing signs of nervousness and anxiety with his limited windows to prove himself. Has a shooting dagger that he can sometimes be hesitant to pull out in a league that demands instant decision-making, and a true knack for attacking the rim. Given time and confidence, he could be very big for this team, but I'm not certain JVG will grant it. Dikembe Mutombo Grade: B Clearly at the end of the line, getting less than 10 minutes a game, but embracing his role and still swatting shots and grabbing boards at a generous clip (translated to 35 minutes they would be 13 boards and 2 blocks). His offense is gone, however, and Mutombo would not be able to provide any more than 15-20 minutes a game if Yao were to miss action. Juwan Howard Grade: C- Also at the end of the line and also embracing his role, but this is a tweener that has lost so much quickness that he can no longer get his way against anyone. Open elbow jumpers and a few weakside rebounds are about all he can scrape together. Kirk Synder Grade: B Limited, but nice all-around play that helped him be a nice secondary glue guy. Return figures to be late January. Scott Padgett Grade: C+ Typical Padgett. Steve Novak Grade: INC Not enough minutes for me to comment on. Appears to be able translate his nasty jumper into regular season games. John Lucas III Grade: INC Not enough minutes for me to comment on. Bob Sura Grade : INC I really don't hold out hope that he'll return or contribute. Bonzi Wells Grade: INC We'll see if he comes back this weekend. Jeff Van Gundy Grade B- JVG sticks to his ultimate plan, regardless of how things go in the short term. He won't adjust and change his philosophy to get out of a streak of losses or injuries for fear of allowing guys to get away from the "right way" of playing. With Yao finally able to give him superstar post play and the defense disrupting opponents' play, the missing ingredient is consistent and reliable perimeter support. Few players are able to attack the rim or consistently be a threat from the outside, a key part of JVG's vision. Gundy won't change things up to cater to individual talents which costs us points and some wins, but could lead to a better playoff caliber team if some guys step up and into those roles (Kill Bill?). Evan
Damn, I agree with this. It's why we're missing Snyder so much, more than a lot of us realized, I think. If he saw a sliver of daylight, he was going to the hole, and has the size, strength, quickness, and finishing ability to score. The guy can't get back soon enough, IMO. DD, very nice opening post. I disagree about Kill Bill's ability to finish, however. IMO, he's good at it. His lack of experience and playing time are making him hesitant. Given enough time on the court, I think you'll see him driving to the rack and finishing a lot. Certainly better than Alston and Head.
All I am saying is, instead of a tick-tack foul, go for a hard one. Actually I believe hard fouls will save Yao from silly fouls later on as everybody knows how painful it could be if you are thinking to put Yao into foul trouble. Ask Battier, he had the first hand experience... By the way, nobody showed any mercy against Yao. Hes been slapped in the face, poked in the eyes, pushed to the ground how many times? Come on, do you really think Shaq dominates only by his fat @ss?
sorry buddy rafer needs to be bashed on, he shoots below 40 percent, but he jacks up more shots than our stars sometimes. that should NEVER happen unless he is just on fire! i am sick of rafer and feel we need to try someone else. sure our record looks good but back to back games of sub 40 percent team shooting needs a kick in the a@#, and none of the wins (or very few)have been commanding wins, more like a limp to victory. he has made some big shots but for all the bricks he throws up it dsnt equall out, not to mention how last night after we took a 2 point lead he allowed nash 2 WIDE OPEN 3s that we never recovered from, and several brick down the stretch. HE SUX
Never said he needs to commit MORE fouls, I suggested he go for hard fouls instead of silly tick-tack fouls. He will draw a technical once in a while, but in the long run, the opponent would second-thought before he runs into Yao, which would actually decrease the amount of fouls Yao commit. I bet you small guards would drive to the loop many more times when they are against Yao than against Shaq. And Shaq had put many players sidelined, yet he is still playing. It is not about how many fouls, it is about if you foul, foul smart.
Alston needs a strong blow to the head, not a gentle suggestion, inorder to remind him of his position on the team and what his responsibilities are. Because at present his mind is not that of a playmaker and his court vision is wanting, he looks for his own shot more so than getting the ball to an open shooter.
wow....maybe I need to take another look, because I'm not seeing what some of you are seeing. Taking wide open jumpers is apart of the game plan in Houston or so I thought. Maybe I'm valuing him too highly
Its pretty simple. Yao stays on the court without foul trouble and good stamina....we WIN. If you Yao gets into foul trouble and/or gets tired in the fourth q like last night...we LOSE. I hate to say it but it seems clear that TMac cant close out tough games by himself. His shot selection last night was terrible. Instead of driving to the basket to gain RYTHYM, he tried to shoot himself out of the slump. TMac didnt play like a vet last night but its a long season. We need a in-shape Bonzi to help on nights like last night. When Yao is out of the game, we need a guy that can take it to the rack, rather than just kicking it out to a 3 pt shooter. His lack of professionalism has probably lead to a couple of losses this season.
