Is it mental, laziness, or bad technique? We sometimes hear about Harden's matador d, but what about the team as a whole? As a group what are these guys doing wrong? Also, how much does the fast pace offense affect the energy level/concentration at defense? I'm curious if folks have noticed any particular issues or players contributing to the porous d?
Watching the games, if one player gets beat on the perimeter, the help defender is in place but then the person that is supposed to rotate over to help the helper is never there. It's the team defense that is the problem - knowing when to help the helper and knowing when to stay home. Lots of our guys are just straight out of position half the time.
oh and our guys play for the steal way too much. when they do that, they leave the defense out on an island. I wish they would just play defense instead of going for the steal.
It's getting very hard to tell if you're trolling or just very bitter. ------------- At any rate, defense is 20% technique 80% energy. It is hard to coach energy. Remember McHale's comments on how players say they want to run, but when it really comes down to it they don't? Defense is the same. If the players feel like they're leaving 100% on the court, you have to get them to give 110%. That's what good defense comes from.
Harden's man defense is actually fine, some nights it is great. I guess people forget that he was manning up Lebron James the last heat game? It's the team defense as a whole that sucks.
All of the above. Pick-and-roll coverage has been horrendous recently. The bigs haven't been preventing opposing ball-handlers from turning the corner when hedging. The smalls haven't been able to get over screens very well. Communication has been an issue. Guys are getting beat one-on-one. Too much (middle) penetration. Guys are losing their man for no reason and too often is help too late. No backbone other than Asik. Patterson is being missed. Motiejunas has been awful on D.
Combination of youth/inexperience, conserving energy/effort for offensive transition, too many gamblers on the perimeter, and lack of interior defenders aside from Asik.
Because Asik is the only one playing any! @JasonCFriedman Updated Asik effect #s: When on floor, HOU D performs at top-12 rate & No. 1 on D. glass. Off floor: HOU D bottom-2, bottom-10 on D. glass.
The help defense is horrible, a bunch of players make many defensive mistakes like forgetting about their man in the corner. Those are all correctable mistakes. If they are corrected Rockets would easily be an average defensive team.
In my opinion you need a few role players who crave to stay in the NBA and who know that their role on defense is what will keep them there. You need a few guys who understand that their paycheck will keep coming as long as they keep their defensive intensity. Right now we have guys who know they are paid to be runners and gunners. I'm a big NHL fan and I think this idea transcends the boundaries of just one sport. For example:
I don't think its a lack of coaching or desire. Rockets are a young team learning basketball and the roster has 13 new players that's going too take more than 60 games too expect championship level defense. I think there are a lot of other factors. Lin has to protect the ball better and cut down on transition for the other team Parsons has too get back to the D he played last season, Rockets need a shutdown wing defender (like Tony Allen or Ronnie Brewer) Need a big off the bench too spell Asik. Top 12 D with Asik on the floor bottom 2 without. Maybe we can swing some young guys for Gortat if PHX wants cap relief.
Perimeter guys ALWAYS "dig" the player in the post. Must be a built in rule of the defense. It leaves guys wide open outside. Players don't seem to recover well or go the for the steal instead.
