in my view, Head is, at best, a spot up shooter. that guy couldn't create his own shot if his life depended on it. that's ok. you need spot-up shooters...in a half court set with a dominant big man down low in the post position. i'm fine with luther in that role. but you gotta find a PG who can knock down open shots too. and you need to keep Yao where he's proven to be most effective...in the low block. and at some point tracy is gonna have to step up and take over a playoff game when it counts most.
and yet instead of just tweaking the roster a little to add a few more scoring threats, you think it's in this team's best interest to add a completely new coaching style/system in addition to the new players we will have to regardless... makes perfect sense, especially when it's put in a historical perspective.
FG% is better than ppg as a measure of defense, since it isn't completely skewed by game pace. But it still doesn't go all the way, since it ignores second chance opportunities (offensive rebounds), the extra points from made 3pt shots, FTs, and turnovers. To account for those things, you should use points per possession (a "possession" being defined as when the ball switches teams, so missing a shot and grabbing the offensive rebound is still the same possession). The Rockets WERE a good defensive team this season, ranking #3 in defensive points per possession (1st for much of the season). They weren't just fooling people by slowing down the pace and superficially keeping the numbers down, as someone suggested earlier. To be a good team you either need to be good on both sides of the court, or you need to be so good at one end that it more than makes up for your deficiencies on the other end. The offensive and defensive ratings for the Final Four this season: Spurs Offense: 4th Defense: 2nd Jazz Offense: 3rd Defense: 19th Pistons Offense: 6th Defense: 6th Cavaliers Offense: 19th Defense: 4th The Spurs and Pistons dominated on both ends, the Cavaliers got by playing tough defense, and the Jazz were great at scoring (although they stepped it up in the playoffs and did a damn job defending the Rockets). The Rockets were 14th offensively and 3rd defensively, so offense was the problem (although I would hate to see it if Adelman or whoever takes over goes to the other extreme and makes this team neglect defense). The 2000-2001 Lakers won the title in a season when they were dominant offensively (2nd), but below average defensively (21st). Looking over a list of past NBA champions, it seems that the majority of them did it on both ends of the court.
I never enjoy watching Rockets losing. No matter how entaining the offense looks, if they lose at the end, I would not be enjoy it. I would would rather to watch a low scoring, all-defense game, as long as they win.
That defense wins championships has been shown the last 3 or 4 years right. Run and gun is only good for the regular season. But it is tru that the rockets could use a 'little' bit more speed.
I dont think winning by four in a seventh game constitutes an easy series win. Why is it when we did well, it was luck, but when they did well it was hustle and determination? Anyone who thinks we wouldnt have beat the Warriors is crazy. They matched up perfect with Dallas cuz the Mavs have no post presence. Boozer ate them up down low and Yao would have done the same.
Oh come on Max !!!! You have been begging for someone to find a team that was great on offense and average on defense, and then when someone finds one, you dismiss it? Check this thread for a good statistical breakdown It still looks to me like Balance wins out over one sided teams. DD
simply, what good is playing defense when you can't score? just like what good is scoring (suns) when you can't play defense? the answer is balance. the team which is most balanced will win the championship.
Even with the skew due to MJ's best years thrown into the mix, defense stills edges out offense. In the last 10 years, more so.
By 4 in the 7th game may not qualify as "easy". But after being down 2-0, the Jazz took 4 of 5 with 3 of the 5 being in TC. That and their obvious aire of confidence throughout those 5 games qualifies as "easy" in my book. Anyone who thinks the Rockets woudn't have struggled mightily against the Warriors is crazy. Just like the multitudes here claiming "sweep" of the Jazz before the playoffs started. The Warriors had the same WC record as the Rockets and (like the Jazz) took the season series from the Rockets 1-2 with 2 of the games at TC. The Rockets only win was in early December when they were hot....and probably less weary from a season of Gundy-ball. And I'll save you the trouble...TMac and Yao played in all three games. In the Rockets only win, Spanoulis, JLIII and Novak were a combined 8-14 with 22 total points. The latter sure as hell wouldn't have happened in ANY playoff game. Your main argument that Yao would have done what Boozer did is flawed. The Jazz got the ball to Boozer because they have a PG who can penetrate and draw a double team. The Rockets only source of dribble penetration is TMac....and the Warriors have even more athletes to throw at him than did Utah. To the point.... In the unlikely prospect that Adelman produces 4 first round exits...I'll at least have enjoyed watching some uptempo ball. As it was, Gundy-ball and Gundy personnel were causing me to seriously consider not renewing after 6 years of NBALP.
This definitely hits the point, but it's more than that. When was the last time a team came out of the blue to win the NBA championship? Heck, teams like the Jazz missing the playoffs one year and making it to the conference finals the following year seems somewhat rare. Maybe Adelman, like JVG, stresses one side of the ball inappropriately more than the other. But maybe he gets them to the next level....who knows. In one sense JVG was successful in that he took the team from lottery to playoffs, but in that he couldn't get out of the first round, he definitely failed. Adelman's job is to win the championship, but get us out of the first round. And his record indicates he should be able to do that. Plus, assuming Yao/T-Mac/Shane/Hayes stay, he'll benefit from 4 above average defensive players who understand how to play both individual and team defense, and what their limitations are.
look at how they played defense in that playoff run!! look at the point totals they held teams to then! they marched through the playoffs. the 2001 Lakers were not an average defensive team. they are not at all the inverse of the pistons, for example. but even beyond that...as meowgi points out...this is about talent. you can only do what you can do with the talent on your team. you choose to believe/hope that VSpan is a "killer." i've seen nothing to suggest that. i don't think you were gonna be a balanced team with this bunch of guys no matter how you spin it. do i want to see the Rockets become a better offensive team? of course i do!! but i'm not willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater. i'm not willing to give up a great defensive system to can a coach when a few roster tweaks, including adding a legit 3rd scoring option, could have taken care of it.
Fair enough, and who said they want a weaker defensive team? Adelman can coach defense, and offense, let's hope the Rockets respond to become better. Truthfully, I am getting tired of arguing with the pro-JVG crowd. I just want the Rockets to win no matter who the coach is......JVG is gone, bring on the next guy...GO ROCKETS ! DD
you're getting tired??? truthfully, i'm not merely a pro-JVG guy. i just don't think adleman is an upgrade. i think at best it's a lateral move...and in my opinion points to how lost management is as to what's needed to "fix" this team. which underscores how lost they've been in that regard for about a decade now. they've humbled a once proud franchise with poor moves. we're now on Yao's 3rd coach. enough already.
I agree with you that it is a lateral move. I am not sold on Adelman one bit. I am willing to wait and see how it turns out though. And I do think management has a handle on what is needed to fix this team, I just think their view and JVG's view were different, and since Les owns the team, his view wins. As for new coaches for Yao......how many coaches did Hakeem go through before he won? DD
