I started this week being (1) convinced that this SF thing would happen; and (2) this was a very, very bad idea. Regarding (1), Morey is savy as hell. He had a feeling that this would happen, yet he plays it as a long shot. It happens, and he looks like he pulled off the impossible. If it doesn't, it was a long shot anyway. In any case, I'm starting to warm to the idea, but not based on any concrete basketball strategy based reason. Rather, I thought of the Dream Team. Before anyone gets crazy and bashes me for equating the 2007-2008 rockets to the Dream Team, that's not what I'm saying at all. Rather, i started thinking about the egos, talent, etc, on this roster and wondering how it would work post SF3 acquistion. I am starting to think that the management of these egos will work ok. Here's why. If you're roster is stacked with legit NBA players -- really, really stacked -- it becomes a club. By that, I mean it can become a club of the (internally percieved) elite. Mike James and Bonzi Wells don't feel like they have to get into a dick measuring contest with each other and the rest of the squad. (Asterisk on this point later). The dream teamers didn't gripe and moan about playing time; they were all great players. It wasn't like they were being asked to defer to crappy plaers. The predisposition to dick measuring contests can give way to the realization: "holy crap, we really have championship calibur talent." We're all good players, let's go win. If we enjoy some sense early success (which might be difficult with the transtion to Adelman and integrating new players), this feeling can become contagious and quell disputes and grumbling that might otherwise occur. From a coaching perspective, I'd like to see Adelman adopt an approach where everyone shares the ball for the first 3 quarters. We'll demolish weaker teams in that time. Against the legit teams, in the 4th quarter, we will go to our bread and butter -- yao and tmac. You might say that's the same formula that's failed the last several years. However, 11 and 1 will be better rested and have better players around them to win down the stretch. if the Francis, James and Wells understand and buy into this heirarchy, I think we'll go far. (Asterisk - I'm worried about Wells and to a lesser degree, James. Wells has a huge financial motivation to be a ball hog. James has always felt he should be paid more, but his MLE contract has some years left).
we're fine just get rid of Rafer. he's trippin right now on KPRC channel 2 talking about "i've been a starter for the past 2 years, AND I DONT EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE"
Adelman is a coach who doesn't yell or scream or beat down his players. The only thing that Adelman will yell at a player for is not moving the basketball. Bobby jackson would get it if he came into the game and didn't move the ball,Bibby would get into a mind state at times and he wouldn't move the ball,he would instead jack up unnecessary three point bombs. Adleman would sit both players and go big with christie running the point. Adelman is like the bill walsh of the NBA in terms of offensive strategy, he is better than Dantoni and don nelson. The key is ball movement and player movement, No standing around and no wasted dribbling. Mobley in Sac would get pulled win he didn't move the basketball and tried to over dribble. The same will be for francis and james if they don't comply. The good thing with this team is up front with yao,battier and scola you have three players who fit the bill perfectly with what adleman wants to do. These three players set screens which is major in adelman's offense. If you don't set screens nobody is open for back door cuts or other good things that produce good looks and easy baskets. These dudes are also instinct ball movers. You don't have to tell any of them to move the basketball. These guy's are the most unselfish of the starting bunch and a a lot of what is going to be done is related to what they do. The hope is that these three up front will rub off on the backcourt players, particularly james and francis
In today's NBA with relaxed Illegal D rules it is befecial to have more offensive talent. With the offensive talent the Rockets have, it will pay off to increase the number of posessions. That does not necessarily mean more running, you can do it in other ways: 1. Get into the offense early. 2. Don't turn it over. 3. Crash the offensive glass. With Steve Francis and Bonzi Wells we have two of the best rebounding guards in the history of NBA, I am not kidding check the numbers. Yao Ming is most effective when he gets into his move quickly, but he can do that only if he is fresh. T-Mac only needs 40 seconds to score 13 points, so I am not worried about him at all. My only concern is with Mike James and Steve Francis running the point whether we will be able to have low TOs and whether we would initiate offense quickly enough. Otherwise everyone will benefit from not having to carry too much of a burden and from spreading the defense. Jeff took pride in that his offense if executed well was highly efficient: dump it to Yao and T-Mac, if there is no help they can score, if the defense colapses find the shooters for an open shot. Where is the faw here? In reality, though, going 100% of the time to Yao and Mac could not work, as they were gasping for air. We needed more offensive weapons, that was evident...
I'm not worried about chemistry. For James, he still has a few years left on his contract and knows this is as much as he'll get paid. Had Francis wanted to play 35 mpg he would've gone to Miami or LA. Bonzi's situation is a little more complicated. But it seems he's finally realized that there's no use crying over the lost 6yr/$36 mil contract he passed up. For Bonzi, the best situation by far is for the Rockets to win big, and he can resign with the Rockets with a nice fat $4-5 mil/yr contract. Much more important is how to gel these players into Adelman's system. And I'm really hoping Coach A is as ingenius in this regards as everyone thinks he is.
What a world ... coaches hoping their center's passing ability will rub off on the point guard ... I wonder if Naismith ever saw this comming.
