He's got the skills but it's feast or famine with him. Let's face it, when he's on we win. But he's only on every 5th game or so. The frustrating thing for me is that I believed Rice would be the "On Walt". So far he's the "Off Walt". Rice really looks slow this year. Is he overweight? I know he didn't get to work out much over the summer because of his injury so I'm hoping he'll climb out of his shell and improve as the year goes on. I'm sure the Rockets are banking on that happening. I guess my title of this thread, "Walt is the streakist player I've ever seen..." can also summarize the Rockets play in general so far. If we're not hitting from the perimeter, we're screwed. God, I hope we can get some help inside!!!
We just need to find a way to coordinate when Walt is on and when Rice is on. Let's just give Walt significant minutes every fifth game, Rice, every tenth game, Langhi every 82nd game, TMo every seventh game, etc. Speaking of our next game, how is Rashard Lewis on 3pt consistency? We've been over this many times before, but he could conceivably be perfect at SF for us, just on the basis of being able to knock down those shots from long range consistently.
This is why Houstons chances are in the air right now. They have to depend on shots to win a game. Thats how the whole year will be unless someone can step up inside. Rashard Lewis is consistent shooter. He can go inside and out, he will kick our ass. Dont worry about that.
I like your way of thinking! Maybe Rudy can just ask them if their heads are in it tonight and make his decision based on their answers. Actually the new OT has been pretty nice so far. I dogged him earlier, calling for TMO but after watching him he reminds me of Shandon with a better jump shot. Nice pickup!! So we kind of have a revolving SF right now, which is a nice luxury. Now, if we can get a revolving Center situation, look out!!
Walt hasn't been off a game in his life. He's just never been given enough shots to prove it. His D is superb yet porous, and he's by far in the top 3-4 skillwise rebounders on the team (after KW, SF, KT?) other than the times he doesn't pull down too many rebounds. Go Walt!
Bigman, Every 5 games or so?? Based on last year, maybe. But not 1999-2000. Check this string of 17 games when we went 10-7, and 10-5 in the games Walt played; he had two DNPs. <pre><font face="courier"> 7-15 19pts 7-9 19pts 10-15 21pts DNP 9-14 24pts 8-18 20pts 7-11 18pts 5-8 12pts 4-5 9pts 7-10 18pts 8-13 23pts 7-12 23pts 8-10 21pts DNP 0-8 0pts 8-17 20pts -------------------- 95-165 58% 16.5 ppg</font></pre> <br> 58% over 15 games. That is not streaky imo. That is an offense that is getting him open. And we went 10-5 in those games in a very bad year. Have faith. I think Walt and Rice are our keys to success. The offense is geared to set them up. Francis has to keep going to them earlier in the offensive sets when he spots defensive overplays on himself...at least, that is what Jonathan Feigan believes in his Press Row View. I agree. Give the vets time to do something more than shoot. I want Francis to spot the defense, make them do something early, then option off of that. They'll give it back to you Stevie or find Mobley, as well.
Looks like he had a nice STREAK to me....lol. Hey, I love it when he's on. Our offense clicks bigtime. But we're so reliant on outside shooting that if they're not falling we're doomed. Crispee, the stats you posted were what filled me with optimism about him. I'm assuming those stats were from the latter part of the year when the Rockets made a nice little push. I pose this question: Why is it that only our bigmen (no pun) will post up? Drexler used to post up. Scottie tried. Shandon tried. I never see Francis doing it. Maybe next year he'll add that eliment to his game. This team needs someone able to post besides KT & Willis. I still hold hope that Rice will get his game in shape and help out in this area. We need someone who can get high percentage points when our shots aren't falling. With KT out for a while, the only post up guy we've got is Willis. Maybe Eddie will get more time. I saw him call for the ball a few times in the post. Now if he'd just practice a few shots that aren't 26 footers
HP, Come on man, that is going back to the end of 2 years ago. Walt has not had a streak like that since. DaDakota
Most teams are doomed. If you are not making wide open shots, you're going to have a tough time winning. Now, taking that to an extreme and talking only about 3pters, then I agree with you. We need a way to win rather than hitting 8-20 from 3pt land every night. Walt did score off drives and midrange, as well. The key to our success is not inventing some new way to position Francis (low post) like Payton, the key is to keep the defense honest and not let them overplay him in the middle of the court. Having ways to get more open midrange shots is our system. We use the 3pt spotters to stretch the defense. If the defense chooses not to stretch and continues clogging the lane...I'm with you, I want to see more than find the 3pt spotter to keep those defenses honest. However, our system can do that. We don't need to force a low post game onto a team that has a much different skill set. btw: they went low post to Mobley twice. I think it is a mistake to throw Francis on the block...it positions too much of our offense into a corner. Besides, Francis often dribbles there for jumpers and layups anyhow, which still allows other options before that drive.
Walt had an awesome game and everyone think his game was up tempo with the young guns. Too early to say, but I like his shot selection last night , but the best part of him that we have'nt seen not only last night but in the previous game was his defensive intensity. Way to go Wizard!!
Man that's why Houston won't make it to the playoffs. I mean if they're depending on SHOTS to allow them to win games, they're doomed. -LTF
We need high percentage shots for playoff basketball. If our offense soley relies on perimeter and midrange shots we will be in trouble the nights when the shots aren't falling. This is why I bring up our inferior post play. Honestly, we don't have a team in place that will go far in the playoffs. I believe we can make the playoffs, but lack the front court to succeed in the playoffs. Now, before everyone starts pointing out the Bucks, I'll go ahead and bring up the fact that they played in the east (where the Rockets would fit in nicely this year). We're a year or two from being serious contenders, and that's only if we improve our front court.
You see, I don't really buy this. First, you are pigeon-holing our system into an extreme box that you define by discounting the high percentage layups and dishes that Francis and Mobley make *all the time*. Second, (I still get to mention the Bucks ) you seem to deny that Milwaukee and Philly went far on perimeter play. Is it fair to say that Dallas (and don't say Nitwitz plays low post) plays perimeter? Really, if you want to play the game of not allowing me to mention the Bucks as an example, why don't you try to mention a good team without a PF/C, and what they played....and you cannot name any Jordan teams. What you are emphasizing (with a tad bit of unnecessary exaggeration) is that we can't beat San Antonio, Sacramento and LA without matching their high percentage low post plays. That, I agree. We don't have a star, high-percentage, playoff caliber PF or C....we don't have a bigman! All my big littlemen point is: because of no bigman, that is why we don't beat our heads against the wall and force a low post/high post system when we don't have the skill set for it. Instead, this year, we are playing an outside game built around easy buckets on drives. Forcing a low post, so-called high percentage play into our team by positioning Francis on the low post might very well not be our highest percentage way to utilize him. Please don't pigeon-hole us as low percentage when we are merely supposed to knock down the same shots as Milw, Philly and Dallas. Very good systems exist that are build around penetration, first. (I hope no one is going to call Larry Brown--a god of college basketball--an uncreative coach for running penetration offense.) Penetration systems are most often run by teams without the PF/C we crave, but which we don't have. Why beat our heads against the wall to be something we aren't? I think the only place where we disagree bigman is that I do expect us to hit those open midranges at 48-50% and the open 3ptrs at 38-40%. I think we are on the right course, but our trouble is having the patience and confidence to beat defenses who clog the middle and take away the high-percentage drives, and turn them into scrambles with bad midranges and 3ptrs. Basically, just lower our scramble percentage. Transition can really help with that.
Point well made!! We do not have to have a star PF/C post up player to succeed. You are right. History has shown us this (Bad Boy Pistons) and I guess I'm jumping the gun to draw that conclusion. Understand though, having one of the greatest post players of all time will taint my impressions just a little. I totally agree with you about the layups, dishes etc, being part of our high percentage scheme. You listed MILW, PHIL & DAL as a few examples of perimeter teams that succeeded in the playoffs. Good examples (even though you did mention the Bucks ). The thing these teams had in common was that they had servicable bigmen who rebounded well and defended well. So I'll do a 180 and retract my statement about having to have a go to post player to succeed. But we do need interior rebounding and defense so that when the outside shots aren't falling, we get second chance offensive boards. Now you've said you expect for us to make 48% to 50% of open midrange shots. I would be ecstatic if we ever took more midrange shots than 3 pts shots. We hardly ever see this because we have to have the spacing. Everyone camps out at the 3pt line. Which should open up driving lanes. But when we're not hitting, defenses cheat into the passing lanes and help out on the drives. Then we're left with tough shots with no one to pick up the offensive boards. The point I guess I'm trying to make is that we need an alternative when the shots aren't falling. I still feel we're a year or two away (or perhaps a player or two) from contending.
Like you, I do measure us by our 3pt FGA total. I want that number down. That said, both Francis and Walt have hit ~39% the past 2 years and Mobley can damn sure nail 40% of *open* threes (if he would pass on the difficult ones). Rice is career 40%. I don't think any other team in the league has that kind of 3 point shooting. I still hate it, though. I really do.
I remember Rudy saying something to the effect that he prefers the large 3pt attempt numbers. I believe it was on a radio show a couple of years ago. He said that if you do the math that you come out ahead by shooting 39% plus or minus from 3pt range. Now, I'm not one to argue with Rudy T and I'm sure the math works, but where is the factor for the nights when the rim is closed. I say we need a few money plays where our shooters come off of some double screens and nail the mid-range J's. I mean if you're not hitting from the 3pt line, drive or move in and find the range or run some plays to open up our shooters.
