Rox offense, a total failure!

Steve makes the WHOLE team better. Look at what they did when he was on the floor, and when he sat on the bench with foul trouble. Especially look at the the third quarter.

Early on things were flowing with the new offense and ball movement.

 

Amen ZRB!!!

The problem tonight that we ran a zone like we have been doing, so the sonics killed it with three point shooting. We should have gone man to man with them and make them beat us on the dribble when they starting raining threes. I think we did that little in 4th but it was a little too late.

 

The bottomline is that the team scored 97 points, Francis had a ton of assist, and other then a brain lock in the 3rd quarter this team scored pretty well. Defense was an issue, if this team defended better Seattle doesn't go wild. Defense needs to pick up, and the offensive lapses need to be patched up.

<b>So, you're saying Rox offense is OK when CAT decided to take high risks shot and Rox assist# is lowest in the league.</b>

What!? Look, just give the offense more then 4 games. You can say what you think I mean, but the offense will take more then 4 games before we can get a true reflection on what it is all about. Just like you can't judge a team fully until the All-Star break, same goes for the offense. If you think that I'm happy with the Rockets assist ratio and the bonehead shots be my guest. I'm not satisfied with the team's play right now because I know they will improve.

 

True... true...

 

Let's see...Jason Kidd is coming off from an MVP type season in where he lead his team to the finals. Miller...well Miller played for the Cav's...enough said about that. I'm heading down under in January mate..you are more than welcome to climb into one of my suitcases and get an early start at getting readjusted to home.

 

Would you be offended if I asked you where this came from? A link, a book, ....where? Any possibility Phil was spreading some Zen manure?

Maybe the triangle truly takes that long (or maybe Phil is looking for job security) but most players can learn a simple PnR in YMCA leagues. All it takes is the desire to pass once the defense traps/doubles the PG.

 

Another interesting fact about Andre Miller, is the Cavs record got progressively worse each year he played with them. If he was really "making his teammates better," shouldn't they have...ya know...gotten better? And I'm not trying to take anything a way from Andre Miller, but this notion that a pass first point guard will all the sudden cure all of a teams ills seems like a pretty big leap to me. It definitely sounds good on paper though!

 

<b>Would you be offended if I asked you where this came from? A link, a book, ....where? Any possibility Phil was spreading some Zen manure?

Maybe the triangle truly takes that long (or maybe Phil is looking for job security) but most players can learn a simple PnR in YMCA leagues. All it takes is the desire to pass once the defense traps/doubles the PG.</b>

Phil Jackson said it prior to his first year in Los Angeles. He said that it would take a year for the team to get a good grasp of the offense, and he something to the effect that a good offense takes 2 years to get down, I can't remember where I read it it's been 3 years though. The ironic thing was the Lakers best run at the championship came their 2nd years when they destroyed the Western Conference and went 11-0. As for a passing PG, Francis had 9 assist last night, and the team had 19 assist, and they scored 97 points, offense wasn't the problem, defense was.

 

I said he would never win a championship. I don't care how many Eastern Conference Titles he wins. He can't create his own shot, and unless Richard Jefferson suddenly becomes Kobe-like, he has no chance.

 

I was going to post in this thread, but ZRB already speaked everything that I feel. Thanks. Steve is NOT the problem, and without fail, win or lose someone b****es about him needlessly on this board. It is getting VERY old.

 

Yep you're right dude....

Lets just forefit our remaining 78 games becuase its obvious that any kinks in the offense would not be able to be worked out in that time period anyway. Lets also forget the fact that our starting PF from 2 years ago, and a major part of our offense, is still serving a 5 game suspension. In addition, let us also forget the fact that injuries have not allowed the team to develop any consistent rotations or Godforbid CHEMISTRY.......

But it has been 4 games, so I guess its safe to say that the season is history.......

Give me a freaking break......

 

I don't know if I'd make that bet ZRB. There's a good chance Shaq injures himself, or isn't even 80% in the Finals after a gruelling battle with the Kings.

Besides that, even if the Kings win the West, the Nets would have a MUCH better chance against the Kings than the Lakers.

 

Steve does NOT make the whole team better. His athleticism makes the score closer. Those are two mutually exclusive concepts.

 

How many of you saw the first 8-10 mins of the first quarter? This offense CAN work! We looked like a fluid machine out there to start the game. Quick passes, finding the open man, getting everyone involved. The thing I liked most was, we didnt wait till the shot clock was down to 4 seconds to do all of this.

Its all about consistency and players not reverting back to old offensive (no pun intended) habits.

There is hope.

 

codell -

First 8 minutes ( ">" = pass)

1) SF > CM > EG miss 2 in post
2) SF fastbreak 2
3) SF > EG post up 2
4) Hawk > SF pull up 2 @ FT line
5) CM > EG low post 2

Griffin gets 1 touch in next 15 possessions.

6) SF > CM > Hawk missed 3
7) CM > EG > Cato > SF - foul Drobnjak
8) SF 1on1 pullup 18' J 2
9) CM > EG alley oop missed
10) EG rebound missed put back
11) CM > Cato TO
12) SF 1on1 2
13) SF 1on1 miss
14) SF fastbreak kick to Rice 3
15) SF > CM > Rice missed 3
16) SF > CM > EG > SF 2 just inside 3 line
17) CM 1on1 pullup 18' 2
18) SF > Rice > SF miss 3
19) CM > Rice > SF 1on1 air ball
20) SF > Rice 1on1 miss 2

IMHO, what you are "excited" about was Griffin being featured to start the game and some peripheral 2 on 2 passing that didn't really do much but set up 1 on 1's or a kick out 3. Two players touching the ball in a half court set is not my idea of an offense that is a "fluid machine".

Sorry, it takes a little more passing with a purpose to excite me.

 

I don't want to wrag on Francis too much b/c the team goes as far as he can take them, but I did get tired of watching him try and take the Sonics 1 on 4 and getting his pocket picked. The Sonics in the 3rd quarter showed the essence of team play. When you have that much ball movement, you're bound to have easy, open shots. The Rockets didn't seem to have many open shots in the second half.

 

What excited me was the quality of shots we were getting and the fact that they were taken in the flow of the offense. Just because only 1, 2 or 3 players touched the ball in the set is insignficant to me. Our players were in a better position to take good shots than they were in our first 3 games. Hence our 6 assists in the quarter. Im not saying there wasnt alot of 1 on 1 . But there was less of it going than there was in the first 3 games (the Toronto game possibly being the exception).

According to your breakdown, in the 1st quarter 25% of our plays ended in ISO. Id be curious to see how that compares with the first 3 games or even the 3rd quarter of the Seattle game.

 

I guess my obscure point was that I was less impressed than you were. But agree that it wasn't bad...for starters.

I have taped all 4 games thus far and if I get the time and/or ambition, I will post it. Or at least maybe a summary of the first 15 half court sets. No promises though.

The Rockets play in Seattle 11 games from now. Maybe that would be a better comparison. MoT will be back Tuesday vs Portland and they always look to get him off to a quick start. That would be another milestone to observe (although he will be going against 'Sheed!).