For most of the fourth quarter, he plays with no center, and makes Moochie run the show. Why? Does Rudy want to lose? Sometimes this lineup works, but it should not be the Rocks' bread and butter. What is Rudy's problem? ------------------ 2000-2001 Rockets Game Formulas: End of 1st quarter: "They're playing so well!" 2nd: "What a great game!" 3rd: "Theres no way they can lose now!" 4th: "What the ******* **** happened?!!" Revote! Revote! Revote!...... Rocket's Championship 2001!!
It's exciting That's one thing for sure.... But I don't think it is as easy as that. ------------------ Heath
ZRB, Mo and Kenny both had 5 fouls. Plus, the Suns went to one of their own patented small line-ups. Do you watch these games.
Of course I watch the games. Granted that Mo had foul trouble, but Hakeem should have played the whole quarter. Luckily, we won. Still, during the Charlotte game, there were no Rockets in foul trouble, and Rudy still went with that 3rd string lineup. Rudy would be the best coach if he could get his lineups straightened out. ------------------ 2000-2001 Rockets Game Formulas: End of 1st quarter: "They're playing so well!" 2nd: "What a great game!" 3rd: "Theres no way they can lose now!" 4th: "What the ******* **** happened?!!" Revote! Revote! Revote!...... Rocket's Championship 2001!!
and bullard is a 3 point threat. he is 6'11 so he has a bigger guy on em and he draws them out. this is good cuz it allowed mobes to go to the hoop w/ out as much help D. ------------------ --TEX
Also, it's hard to decide that Dream should have played the whole quarter. Let's remember that while he had an INCREDIBLE game, the man is PRETTY DAMN OLD. We don't know how Dream was feeling, or if he would have been physically capable of playing the whole quarter. ------------------ Jazzkiller
Dream logged 33 minutes. That's quite a bit considering 11 games ago it wasn't clear if he could play at all this season. I am not a major critic of "small ball" but I am hoping someday to see Dream, Collier and Mo on the court with Walt or Shandon and Moochie or Steve. "Tall Ball" has it's place as well. (Another option is Mo at 4 Bull at 3 and Walt at 2). ------------------ GATER
Let's see....Hakeem 33 minutes, Collier 14 minutes. That adds up to 47 minutes. It looks like Houston was without a "center" on the court all of 1 minute last night. I do not recall Hakeem and Collier playing together. ------------------
I'm not worried about minutes. I'm worried about the time Rudy chooses to put his 3rd string in. Why in the fourth quarter, the most important quarter of the game? ------------------ 2000-2001 Rockets Game Formulas: End of 1st quarter: "They're playing so well!" 2nd: "What a great game!" 3rd: "Theres no way they can lose now!" 4th: "What the ******* **** happened?!!" Revote! Revote! Revote!...... Rocket's Championship 2001!!
Let's look at the Rockets 4th quarters this year: 10/31 - Houston 31 Wolves 22 11/02 - Houston 30 Bucks 19 11/04 - Houston 15 Clippers 22 11/05 - Houston 35 Suns 29 11/07 - Houston 26 Lakers 22 11/09 - Houston 22 Grizzlies 15 11/11 - Houston 24 Blazers 26 11/12 - Houston 27 Lakers 23 11/14 - Houston 29 Bulls 19 11/16 - Houston 20 Hornets 15 11/18 - Houston 28 Suns 28 For the most part, whatever they are doing in the 4th quarter has been great. In 11 games their "4th quarter record" is 8 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. The Clipper game is the only one where they have been abysmal in the 4th quarter. ------------------
Yeah but do you really expect that to continue? What about the playoffs. If the Rockets make the playoffs, will Rudy go with these lineups as well? Heypartner: Yes I have fun watching the games. Still, it is not fun to watch opposing rollplayers play like allstars against these pitiful lineups. ------------------ 2000-2001 Rockets Game Formulas: End of 1st quarter: "They're playing so well!" 2nd: "What a great game!" 3rd: "Theres no way they can lose now!" 4th: "What the ******* **** happened?!!" Revote! Revote! Revote!...... Rocket's Championship 2001!!
ZRB, we often win 4th quarters on defense, and we need a lot of energy available for it. Resting for 3 minutes in the 4th quarter is a very common practice in the NBA. It is an 82 game season and people get tired. You would be yelling the same thing if you routed for 20 other teams in the league. Jordan, Malone, Dream I know for sure took 3 minute rests so they could take over from 10-9 minutes out. Kobe, Payton and Shaq play 45 minutes, but most coaches do not do that; they play 10 man line-ups and rest some players in the early 4th often. Quit with assuming Rudy is all alone in the league for doing this. Plus, "third string" is a complete exaggeration.
Thanks bobrek... I needed that. The past two (or three?) seasons the Rockets haven't been able to close out games. It's refreshing to see that this team so far actually understands its importance (actually there legs are just fresher... but I digress). ------------------ It just goes to show how skewed our priorities are when Mo Taylor makes millions of dollars while some high school teacher, that can actually rebound, scrapes to make a living.
If it were only 3 minutes, I would have no gripe. But, I've seen Rudy go with this lineup until the two minute mark. Bullard, Collier, Moochie etc are not exactly defensive specialists. At least Mo is big. We know how Hakeem can change a game. I just don't like to see Moochie running the show with just precious minutes left. ------------------ 2000-2001 Rockets Game Formulas: End of 1st quarter: "They're playing so well!" 2nd: "What a great game!" 3rd: "Theres no way they can lose now!" 4th: "What the ******* **** happened?!!" Revote! Revote! Revote!...... Rocket's Championship 2001!!
ZRB, oh...ok. Let's fire up the dreamcast and second guess Rudy by saying we should use the best players for entire quarters at a time. You must not have fun watching these games, if you yell at Rudy for stuff like that. Learn to have fun. Oh...and Mobley stunted Francis's development again last night by being the go-to man in the last 3 minutes.
Throwing Mooch in as the general screws up the whole formula. Rudy does it on purpose. It sets us up as small (which we usually are by the 4th anyway - our big men have a habit of fouling out), and it lets Steve move to his natural position (SG). Cat gets to run wild with essentially 2 PGs on the floor. That in turn opens up sh*t for whatever big man remains (lately KT) when the opposing guys try to guard our guards... In short, it fu*ks up the other guy's game plan. Mismatches all over the floor... Chaos. But orchestrated chaos (hopefully) - chaos with a goal: throw the other guy off balance for 12 minutes. It works better the longer they practice together. And BTW, I've not seen anyone respond too well to that 'plan'. Most of the losses we've suffered were not lost in the 4th. We've gotten pretty good at giving a good 4th. Now, the first 3 are a different story... Notice, though, that that combo will NOT be used when the game is both important AND close... Steve will be point then. Steve and Cat are our GoTo men when it comes down to it. ------------------
I dont see too much wrong with the fourth quarter. Unlike previous season, the Rockets actually play well in the fourth with strong D. Its all the other quarters that are a little hazy. Sometimes ive seen them get to slow starts, then come back late in the fourth. I dont however, necessarily agree with giving Moochie the point late in the fourth during close games. He is not our go-to guy, so y put him on the floor. ------------------
