Rather than bash on Rice, I'd like to take a Crispee approach and get some feedback on how to use Rice on the offense. I'm bringing this up because during various broadcasts this season on League Pass, when the announcers talk about Rice they say that his legs are shot and that he can't elevate like he used to, which is obvious, but they go on to say that he needs to focus on createing his own shots more and that he isn't a the catch and shoot player he used to be. I would think it would be the other way around because he's lost his quickness and that if he moved around the floor through a series of picks, without the ball, he could get alot of open looks rather than working to beat his man and create his own shots. What do you guys think?
Can't agree more. If we use Rice similar to how we used Bullard, we would get a lot more than now. Run some high picks for Rice ... get him free. Post up may not be a good option for Rice nowadays. I've watched several games and I noticed he just refused to take shots in the post for some reason. Maybe his legs? I think Glen should get at least 15 shots per game while our starting backcourt is out. I've been following Rice since his college days. He hasn't lost his form of shooting. Yes, he has bad legs now, but great shooters should be able to adjust their shooting according to their physical conditions. And I think Rice is a great shooter. I think he is adjusting. Please prove me right, RICE!
I agree with u guys on this one. I think Rice can do alot more than we allow him to do. I'm honestly going to say this i would trust him jacking up 3 pointers and shots more than some of our players.... Heck the man's been doing it for years. I know his legs gotta be killin him but I say he's got more potential than we credit him for.
you guys stay off bashing Rice - I won't. I've disliked this trade from the start He's a liability all over the floor ... his help out, his one on one D, just watching him make slow and lazy passes and shots. he's got old legs and he can't win big games. if you utilize any guy and give him a chance, he can produce eventually... that's not the point... the only way Rice can help this team and offense is if he is a bench warmer and letting other players develop and get better.
I agree! Rice is the perfect man to be running the high screens more often. But wut i dont get is why when eddie griffin is in the game (the WHOLE 10 minutes) they have him jacking up threes and not rice. I thought eddie griffin was here to become our pf for the future. why is he shooting threes and not on the post and why put rice on the post and not shotin threes?
Rice can best be utilized in practice to teach the other players how to release the ball and get good rotation on their shots. In games he would be a great cheerleader on the bench helping the guys who can really play with his wisdom and advice. DaDakota
I agree that "overcooked Rice" needs to be benched. However when he is in the game, historically he has been most productive coming off screens and shooting the ball on the move. To isolate him on the wing, like we are doing, doesn't make sense-he is not quick enough to beat defenders, and he shoots best when he is moving. Right now he's not even capable of posting up. So let's set some screens a la Walt.
Rice has been the death of this franchise. It's been tragic to watch. It's been tragic to watch Glen 'feel good' about this team, b/c I certainly don't feel good watching Glen 'feel good'. Anyone that assumes anything other than a 4-8 in the lottery is drastically overestimating a) this team's abilities but b) more importantly, this team's coaches' abilities. I'd be anxious to be proven wrong.... if I thought there were any way in hell that I was wrong...
I also hated the Rice trade from Day1 but in the spirit of the thread here goes. 1) Rice can still postup anyone his height or shorter. Don't believe me? In the Clippers loss, he posted Cory Maggette 3 straight times and scored on all three. The Clips very quickly brought in Odom and Rice went back to the arc. 2) The postup feed should come from Oscar Torres. Torres is a tall SG and you have to respect his range and/or ability to finish at the hoop if his defender sags to help defend the post. 3) Not sure if you can teach an old dog new tricks but a PNR with Moochie or Torres may work on a team that switches everything. Rice will windup with a closer or midrange shot against a smaller defender AND he'll feel involved in the offense. From what I have seen, Rice is an unexpectedly good passer. The Rockets don't force turnovers, don't make steals, and are around 26th of 29 teams in fastbreak points. They average a fraction over 78 shots per game (which is low). Those posters who advocate 30 shots/game for Steve and 20 for Cat may want to factor in that Rice will then be competing with 2 other starters and 3 or 4 bench guys for the remaining 28 shots.
I think we should use Rice in the role we got him for, the same role that we put Quitten and Shandon in. He should stand behind the arc over in the corner so that his man is taken out of the defense. Cato should stand about five feet outside the lane for the dump off pass. Thomas or Griffin should be in the high post. Torres should be opposite Glen Rice and a step inside the arc. Moochie should penetrate or pick and roll with Kenny. Someone in this scenario should get an open look. Replace Torres with Steve and Moochie with Cat and this should be an unstopable offense. You must make it so that anyone whose defender leaves him has an open look in their comfort zone, and you must have someone to draw a double team. Right now that is Moochie. Later it will be Cat and Steve.
Okay, my dissatisfaction with the acquisition of Rice being well documented, I'll avoid further criticism, and merely address the issue in question here... There are about 4 basic ways you can use a shooter: Run him off screens and picks, use him as the pivot in PARs or SARs, use him as a floating iso shooter, and as a breakdown shooter if he has enough of a first step to force his man to give him some room. With regards to RIce, and these options... A) In order to run him through the pickets, we would have to substantially change the nature of our team. We would first have to become a lot more disciplined, as this kind of set half-court offense requires established spacing and everyone knowing where to be while the play sets up. Also, the "rabbit" or "dog" or whatever (there are many terms for the eventual shooter) needs to be somewhat quick and have enough durability to sustain all the running all day...One of the ideas is to wear his man down. I don't think Rice fits this role anymore, nor do I think we, as a team, fit this style... B) As a pivot on mid to high pick or screen and roles might suit RIce the best once Mobley comes back, but I'm not sure Moochie or Torres hit enough tight 15-20 footers to make teams play Rice honest right now. That being said, I think this might suit HIS abilities pretty well, as his added bulk will give him enough bump-cushion on a switcher to let him get space for his shot. He's still fairly quick at getting it off, if not very accurate, at this point... C) As a floater, which is how Rudy usually uses shooters, we need either enough inside presence to command double teaming, or enough penetration to lead to defensive breakdown. If it's the former, we need to commit to swinging the ball as a team, or we need a better inside-out passer in the post. Either way, Rice will only get shots equivalent to when his number comes up when he's the one isolated...This suits his ability, but I'm not sure we have the necessary components. With regards to the penetration option, this is clearly how Rudy envisioned using Rice, but without Francis our penetrators ( Moocie and Mobley) don't do a good enough job recognizing the defensive switching right now... D) Rice USED to be one of the better breakdown shooters, having a quick enough 1st step, and just enough inside game to make his man honest. This, sadly, is clearly no longer the case. It's a fine line for shooters, and his lack of quickness has turned this from his best option to his worst. What shots he gets off one-on-one now will either be the result of a defensive mistake, or will invariably be seriously contested... He simply CANNOT put the ball and the floor and pull up anymore with any high degree of success... Examining these options, I would suggest using him as a pivot on SARs and PARs with Mobley when he comes back, or as a floater when Stevie comes back...
Jag, we must watch the same tapes, same games. Thats what I'm talking about. It wouldn't be so hard to run a double low post pick with rice, nor is it that hard to run him off staggerd screens. Which brings me back to my original thought, the offense sucks. It is designed for 2 players and everyone else just stand and watch. I also don't understand why rudy doesn't bring in morris, griffin and torres and press a little. Especially when we are behing or come out sluggish. A coach must do something to get his team out of the funk. Its not like we'll give up layups and dunks, just make the other teams point guard turn a couple of times. They do it to us all the time and we don't get layups. How many time have francis been pressed? I can personally tell you aolt especially by other teams backups pgs. They turn him or make him back across the line then the rox will have a short amount of time to set up the sorry ass sets. We need to pressure and force some turnovers.
Run Rice off of picks, like INdy does with Miller and how Philly foes with Iverson. Do this about 8-10 times a game, and I'll be happy. Of course, setting a pick away from the ball is something Rudy has yet to grasp. Setting the pick away from the ball not only gets one guy open momentarily, it also creates mismatches. I'd like to see Willis set a pick on the other team's SF, to free Rice, or to be guarded by the SF on the switch.
I got it. 1.We inject Rice with a massive dose of Potassium Cyanide...this will make his body stiffin up like a surfboard. 2. Willis picks up Rice and uses him like a battering ram as he runs straight through the lane while effectively knocking all opposing defenders out of the way. 3. Mobley uses this diversion similiar to how a running back uses a fullback, to which he has no decisions to make...just follow to the rim and lay up the ball. why should we do this? 1. motion offense...how often do we have 2 guys moving at one time on the floor? with this plan we will have 3! 2. mobley will be exempt of all blame, because he will not have to make any decisions...just score. 3. With Glen now being a surfboard, we have made him exceptionally resilent to damage as well as reduced the cost to maintain his previous frail and weakened state. and the whole point that this is getting at... 4. Glen will actually be an active part of the offense!!!, something that will only happen if we threaten to use KCN on him PS: This is only a joke...if Glen Rice mysteriously dies of a KCN injection...I...Severe Rockets Fan...had nothing to do with it.
Another Rice Hater. But in the spirit of the thread... I tend to disagree with the previous posts of using hi screens to get him free for the 3. His 3 is not there and wide open shots from downtown would just continue to draw iron. I think the best way to use Rice while he is struggling mightily would be in the post. This is definitely true. If Rice is used exclusively in this position he can either use a post up move draw the double and kick or turn and shoot. His 3 is just not there. But as a shooter when the 3 is not going the closer 2 will usually be a much more accurate shot. And as the kick out man he can be used as a decoy(like Barkley in his last days as a Sun when he was hurt in the playoffs). I wish Rudy would use him in the post 90% of the time till he gets his shot back(if ever), but I don't seen it hapenning just like it didn't happen with Quitten.
As far as I am concerned the coaching staff are doing a lousy job calling and designing plays. On our team we have five bona fide scorers: Mobes, Francis, Williams, Rice, Torres, Langhi. We should be running all kinds of screens and pick and rolls for these people to get open at all positions on the court. All I can suggest is that Rudy and Co. look at some of the game tapes from Utah and Sacramento to steal some designs. The people on this team are good ball handlers, good runners and good shooters. It is the coaches to make the deal easy rather have it be like climbing a mountain. Very early I complained about that and OP and Co had all kinds of excuses. Rudy T has to be blamed for the poor shooting percentage and quite frankly I do not see how Taylor would have changed that.
we only high pick when bullard is in the game and he is not here any more! Can anyone name a staple rockets play? Again, we are left with a player who cannot create (ala Pippen). But, the plus side is that he can shoot the rock. we seen it a couple times this year. it will probably take a year to adjust to not having the elevation he once had, but he is 6'8"! I look at him as being someone who can shoot the rock like bullard, but can be a better court prescence than bullard. this is not worth an extra 8mil compared to bull, but We ought not complain about his play as much as about the system (coaching) and post play we are not getting. sure, he is overpaid, but that is the cost of unloading shandon. I do not think we would be in a better position right now with Shandon, so there are no many choices out there. we have to get creative and run at least 7-10 picks form him...he should have 10-12 shots per game considering steve and mobes are taking around 19-24.
