With one of the biggest late April collapses by a Rockets team and taking themselves out of the play-offs, were there any signs that we can identify throughout the year that could've prevented that? Here are a few prior to the collapse and during: - McHale decides to play Patterson & Scola together in the 4th with the twin towers on the bench and fail to get some rebounds. Last two games? No D-Mo late in the 4th, Asik was tired vs. Wizards and got unlucky with some rebounds today. EARLY WARNING SIGN! - We allow opponents to stay in the game and in the end falter and lose, despite being up early. This wasn't really the case during the collapse but prior to that lost a lot of games by not stomping on opponents who we could beat easily. This was a problem under Adelman and looked gone for most part of the season but is back now. EARLY WARNING SIGN! - We allow teams to get a big lead early on and cannot crawl out of the hole we dug ourselves in. This has happened a few times this year and could count as unnecessary losses though we did fight back. Last year during the collapse, we didn't really fight back and gave up. Hasn't happened so far though. Let's hope this does not continue and we won't go another stretch of big losses due to boneheaded coaching and refusing to go big. McHale talks the talk about the use of big men and whatever, but doesn't show any of it in his coaching. You think he's listening to Morey too much or simply following orders? I'm glad the third one hasn't really happened, our team has fought the teams that got a big lead on us early so giving up as a team no. I have seen some individuals give up but that is always going to happen with ups and downs in a young team.
Going big might've helped get the rebound, but some posters on here forget the sequence defensively when D-mo was on the floor. His rotations WERE TERRIBLE. Open layups for Sanders and others. So while going big mightve helped corral that last rebound, it might have also led to a wide open layup like it was for minutes before that.
Most of the championship teams or teams with final appearances of the recent past with the exception of Miami have played with a big frontline or at least one defensive big man: Lakers ( Gasol , Bynum (odom ) Celtics ( Perkins, Garnett) OKC (Perkins, Ibaka) Spurs (Duncan, Horry (d. robinson) Mavs (Dirk, T. Chandler)
if we don't go with a democratic ball approach and play little defense, then I'd expect us to go on the typical seven game losing streak to close out the season. must break the cycle! let your players play to their strengths .
Different personnel, different seasons, different reasons. Last years problem was the very compressed season coupled with two key injuries, which led to gassing the entire roster. This season I hope it is not Morey's desire to put T-Rob on the floor night in and night out for a -17 in 8 minutes. T-Rob needs an extended stint in the D-League to get the Sacramento stink off of him.
He's in a new organization, running new plays (what little plays we run), growing chemistry with new teammates, and let's not forget he's a rookie. Calm down with your knee jerk reaction sir. Give him some time and he will grow. The same people sitting here saying T-Rob needs the D-League/was a bad pick up are the same people that said Jeremy Lin was a bust. Look what time has done for him... relax
I have never ever said a negative word about Lin. I think his performance last night totally supports my case. He was a little lost puppy dog out there.
