07/08 (22 games) PACE: 89.7 - 19th overall OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 105.8 - 20th overall (per 100 pos.) DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 104.8 - 8th overall 06/07 PACE: 89.3 - 22nd overall OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 108.3 - 14th overall DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 101.6 -3rd overall Numbers courtesy of knickerblogger. With the big drop off on both sides of the ball - .500 down from .634 is pretty much exactly what one would expect. So much ,incidentally, for the new "up-tempo" attack. It's early to say this, but the firing JVG move at this point looks like a tremendous mistake made on emotion rather than reason. And sorry, but the "Jeff's players" excuse doesn't fly given that there are 3 (4 if you count Bonzi) new rotation members.
Leaguewide defense seems to be slightly down (wit the exception of the celtics who are putting up otherworldly numbers)- which makes the offensive dropoff look really sweet.
Do you really think that Adelman is telling them to rest on defense? Or do you think they are confused in their identity and roles on offense and it is carrying over to their defense? DD
Well - first the comparison is not really as valid since, in comparing 06/07 and 07/08, we are basically comparing teams with the same five starters, only one year removed, and with the 07/08 team having a very definite upgrade in talent. There is basically zero possiblity of Adelman getting into a time machine and coaching the 03/04 Rockets so that we can make a valid comparison. But with that caveat in mind - let's compare then: 03/04 Rockets Pace: 87.8 (25th overall) OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 100.9 (24th overall) DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY 99.1 (5th overall) So, the 2003-04 Rockets - a team with vastly inferior talent that almost completely changed over the next year, were (on a relative basis - leaguewide offense was less prevalent back then) slightly worse on offense, and slightly better on defense, vis a vis 07/08. Though again, I don't know why anybody would compare the improvement between two different teams with different players, 4 years apart, compared to two largely similar teams, 1 year apart.
It's hard to believe that there is such a significant difference between the coaches. Maybe there is some locker room disruption going on now with the current team. It wouldn't surprise me one bit. Losing JHO may have been a bigger loss than anticipated as he was defintely a strong locker room presence.
Interesting post, but to make the conclusion that you did, you would have to use the numbers from the first 22 games the Rox played under JVG. Btw the numbers from last year is for the first 22 games or the whole season?
huh? so why even compare the numbers?? We should just assume if RA can't win more games than JVG he sucks. btw Talent gap is huge? maybe only on paper
I used the Knickerblogger stats in my column today, but they've been made obsolete because other teams have vaulted ahead/behind the Rockets since I wrote it, even though the Rockets haven't played. Jerks.
I guess.. if you consider a Francis led team that had not made the playoffs for 4 years prior to JVG taking over to be the same talent level as a roster that won 52 games, had the 4th seed, and then added even more depth and talent.
TMac's teammates were Clarence Weatherspoon, Reece Gaines, Andre Barrett, Ryan Bowen, an immature Bostjan Nachbar, an old Jim Jackson, Charlie Ward, an injured Tyronne Lue, Maurice Taylor, and Scott Padgett. The only decent teammates he had were Yao, Juwan, and Mutombo, and that's being nice.
No I wouldn't - the team in November 2003 is composed of entirely different personnel (13 different players), or in personnel that is in a different stage of their career (2003 Yao, 2003 Francis). Comparing any games from 2003, be they 22 games or 82 games - is not as useful as comparing 06/07 vs. 07/08 - where the team is basically the same core, a few months older, plus better players.
