We have no defense. Scola is a bum defensively. Yao is always injured and isn't mobile enough to be a defensive force. Brooks just gets owned, he is too weak to guard physical pointguards. Martin weak as well, awful defense. We need some DEFENSE.
Defense huh? Our defense, while not good, has been good enough, if we score the ball efficiently. Unfortunatly, our team crumbles in the 4th because we can't score... If you can't score the ball, your defense can be as good as possible but you still can't win. Got to be able to put the biscuit in the basket.... DD
If you score a lot of points, you might win. If you prevent the opposition from scoring, you can't lose.
I think the ship will be righted. A lot of the problem is that RA needs to figure out how to put together these pieces. He has a lot of uncertainty to deal with: new players, Yao's restrictions, Hill's tutelage (which requires that he play less than he deserves, if you're just going by how good he is, without regard to what his potential is). Also, he is going to have to decide to move some worthy players to the end of the bench. That is a very big decision, and he has to be pretty sure before he just does it. It might be, for example, that he should play Jeffries instead of Hill (for defensive reasons). He can't just up and make such a decision until he is sure. Adelman will get it all straight, maybe in another month or two. We have enough scoring. The fourth quarter problems have more to do with toughness. The players choking in the 4th score just fine in quarters 1-3. Rick might need to sit players in the fourth that are not 4th-quarter scorers. Our 4th quarter scoring sucks, but our defense and rebounding are what has sucked the most.
Oh yeah, up to this point did you guys think its the schedule's fault Dang dang upon watching the good time thread and our 22 game streak ..... i just realized how i miss Bobby Jackson tenacity and Mandry's ability to get to the open spot and posterizing opponents at will. Hate to say this i also miss Reefer's passing ability at the right moments and not his shooting ... Rick Adelman #12 Rafer Alston #12 Kevin Martin #12
It's simple. We currently have no creators at the 1-3 spot. No one can create their own shot there. We're putting up big numbers, but our offense looks dreadful. It is mostly our free throws and second chance points that have been keeping us in games. Right now our wing guys are just dribbling around hoping the defense gets lazy. This is why I think we are going to look much better when Brooks gets back. It's not necessarily because he could be our best player, it's just he can actually create his own shot on the perimeter where it is desperately needed so we can operate in the lane. I know we weren't too hot even when Brooks was playing earlier, but those were good teams, and we were still adjusting to the season. We were also closer to winning those games than the recent ones, and I do believe our team as a whole is better right now than it was back then. They look more competitive on the court for sure. Plug in Brooks and we should be fine. Probably not a championchip contender, but still playoff material. The defense is pretty suspect so far, but I'm actually not too worried here. We have the personnel for good defense, and they've shown flashes of it here and there. Everyone just needs to put in more effort. Once our offense gets more fluid and start working like it should, the defense intensity and effort will come around. Because right now, it looks so difficult for them to even generate a decent shot on offense that everyone on the floor just seem so down and defeated all the time.
I was looking at starts to other seasons and thought id share: 2005-06 Started 3-11. Finished 34-48 1999-00 Started 3-11. Finished 34-48 1982-83 Started 3-19. Finished 14-68
2006 - Drafted Rudy Gay (lets just leave it at that) 2000 - Drafted Joel Przybilla and traded him for Jason Collier (strike 2) 1983 - Drafted Ralph Sampson (good pick but hindsight says we should have traded him to Portland in 1984)
Wow not good at all might as well tank No use making serious run to either get 1-3 games from clinching a playoff berth or making the playoff to be bounce out in the 1st round. We dont benefit that way ........ look at what previous teams did, knew their limit and got Timmy Duncan, Dwight Howard and Durantula. Patience is golden Red submerging
Dude, wake up. This team isn't going to sniff the playoffs, let alone anything less than a lottery pick. Last years team, which was head and shoulders above this squad, didn't make the playoffs and that was after starting the season 20-13.
Where is BrooksBall with his "Playoffs?!?" magic when we need him? Actually we should hold off on him until we get in a deeper hole.
this season makes me wish we had the tracy mcgrady of 2005-2008 back and him playing along side a less deep team. At least we were among the top teams in the west and made the playoffs even if they came up short. Guess that shows the value of a superstar that can take games over and carry the team. Right now there is no one like that and kevin martin who has the ability shys away from it.
You can't blame schedules, there are many teams out there with tougher schedules and they are doing better than the rockets. No excuse, its on the coaching staffs and players.
