I ask coming from a positive perspective. We're losing turnover differential by 5+ TO/G. We're averaging more turnovers than assists. We're shooting 31% from 3pt land. Asik and Howard clearly aren't working together. Overall team chemistry is lackluster. Illustrated by the fact that we are only assisting on 51% of our made field goals and dead last in assists per possession. Yet....we are still 5-3. Does team chemistry get better from here? Do you guys think these stats will turn around? I am getting a little worried about the careless turnovers and reliance on ISO-ball. However, if we can get our 3pt% back to 36% like it was in 2012 and get our turnover differential back to 2012 levels then we will be averaging about 6 more PPG. That's a pretty huge number (if I didn't screw up my math). Maybe I am being a homer, but I see a lot of upside ahead for this team.
I tend to doubt it. I think it's becoming more and more clear that McHale isn't the right coach for this team. Harden is in his own little world and frankly I don't think he respects the coach or buys in to what the coaches are selling. I think it's going to get worse. Even when they win the signs are there.
I think its the coaching and the TT experiment. It depends on McHale and what hes going to do to get the best or most balance line up out there.
Honestly, I predict once we totally scrap that TT line, we will start to win more games, and our field goal and assist % will go up... our TO will remain the same but assist will go up... defense will be a lot better... I think our guys are just trying too hard to make the TT work, throwing off their games and rhythm...
5-3 is a respectable start given all the injuries, plague and TT experiment. I think this will be one of several low points during the season.
Yeah I agree about the TT. I think McHale will give it a couple more games and officially scrap it. He basically scrapped it tonight since Jones stepped up and played great, but Jones is such a damn wild card since he can play like a knucklehead at times.
McHale acknowledged that twin towers wasn't working in the press conference. I'll reserve judgement until that lineup is scrapped, but right now I'm definitely worried about the squad. We look utterly average. The inept 3 point shooting hasn't helped either...
I think it will be kinda hard until like December or something like that, we have a ton of growing pains that I think we will have to go through until everything stats to fully click
This is a "low point" but I expected a rocky start to the season. By adding Dwight and keeping Asik, the team has not only been radically transformed, but the roster is also very unbalanced. Throw in the fact McHale isn't exactly a strategic genius of a coach. The result is what we have now. I agree this team has a lot of upside but it will take time. The results in April/May/June are more important than November. McHale needs time to tinker and figure out playing rotations. Morey needs time to trade Asik+whoever and balance the roster. With high expectations comes the craving for instant gratification. That isn't possible this year so true Rockets fans need to stay seated with our seatbelts securely fastened for the duration of a 7-8 month flight. TT was doomed from the start. The sooner McHale dumps it and slots minutes for Dwight & Omer the better. Players need clear direction on what their roles are. Once Asik knows he'll play X minutes per game at such-and-such times, he can revert to being a rebounding machine who aggressively challenges shots and doesn't have to worry about fouling. His stats per 36 mins (which some people here love to harp on) will explode. This will also take some pressure off Dwight because if he gets in foul trouble, the defense won't go in the toilet when he leaves the game. At PG, I think Lin is better coming off the bench and controlling the 2nd unit similar to what Harden did at OKC. For the most part, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. The Rockets also need someone to become the primary attacker when Harden rests. When Beverly lays an egg like tonight, bring Lin in sooner and give him more minutes. Other games when Beverly is more effective than Lin, give him more time. Whichever guy has it going should finish the game. When it works, play them together. The bottom line IMO is the PG position will only go as far as Lin takes it. Beverly is a limited player who can be very effective in some situations. But the Rockets need Lin to produce points and assists to succeed. He needs to continue the efficiency and figure a way to cut down the TOs if possible. Lin will never be much of a defender, but against some PGs, the best way to slow them down is to make them work on defense. Lin can do this, Beverly can't. I consider the season in a holding pattern until Morey trades Asik. Once that happens, it could be almost back to square one building chemistry depending on who they acquire. This is another reason I can't get too discouraged about things now. We'll find out about McHale over the long 82. If he can't enforce more discipline on offense and create offensive sets the Rockets can rely on to generate good shots, he's gotta go. The first 8 games aren't encouraging, but things might improve a lot the minute he dumps the TT concept and defines roles. He also needs to light a fire under the players to make them run more.
Yep it is just the low point if the season. Just look at last year it takes time to get use to playing with one another. -lobs will get better -PnR -chemistry -better rotations -hopefully better starts -we will shoot better 3s Those things I think it will just take time lobs for one it's just practicing and chemistry. Knowing ur personnel same as PnR. Chemistry of coz takes time to know teammates and what they like or how they like the passes n so on. 3s I'm pretty sure we won't be this cold. Last year we were good and in the preseason we were hitting them okay. I think Francisco and omir just need to come off the bench and alternate their minutes. Harden will shoot better n hopefully parsons. And a better rotation, I just hope mchale plays Dmo and TJ. I have been saying that for a while now. They should try them out like they did TJ tonight. We can see how they have progress and maybe ship them idk. I like them but I see asik is not fitting well and plus his salary is not the salary of a bench player. And I don't see the TT working since the first game. If we play TT let's play them only against Indiana SAS Mem. And guys need to stop turning the ball over so much. They are rushing things.
Wait... what? It's 8 games. EIGHT! Let them gel. It hasn't happened yet!!! We didn't start our 22 game win streak off at the beginning of the season. Why do you all expect for it to happen again now? Teams need time to figure it out. Stop with the overreaction threads. Give them 20 games. Then see where we are.
Yes I agree. But let's stop the TT it is really not working. It's actually hurting the team. We are starting always slow and even the defense is bad because asik and Howard are trying to cover the same spot inside the paint. Like they could figure it out but that would take a long time. I just think we should explore other line ups. And not just TJ like today. Which it was coz Garcia was out and Casspi is hurt still. He play but he is still injured. I wanna see Dmo too. Like against good match ups. He can score and rebound a little. We haven't seen Dmo and Howard together. I think it would help to see different line ups. Plus I remember last year asik n Dmo playing together n playing well. And also let's put in Greg too
First off I was really disappointed with the games we dropped against both L.A teams. I mean we really really should have done a lot better in those games. But hey, remember what Morey did last season? He completely changed the entire roster. I mean, Smith, Parsons, Patterson and Morris were the only guys from the lock-out shortened season who remained in the team going on to the 2012-2013 season (barely even enough players for a starting five - ok just short of one but you get my point) but yet we made it to the playoffs with a completely different roster. Not too bad? I would say that's pretty good for a team in the rebuilding phase, having James Harden to carry the offensive load while the rest of the team did what they could to help the team win. Long story short, we are still in the rebuilding stages, just that we got Howard now - another player that gives us more options on both ends of the floor. But everything takes time. Just be patient and see what the rest of the season will unfold.
I agree with a lot of the replies that it is just sort of an experimental period right now. We are trying to figure out our best lineup as well as letting the players develop chemistry. Plus Harden does not look close to 100% so hopefully he can heal. With that being said, I sure hope that this is the low point of the season. After the Texans this year I don't think I could handle the Rockets going down the same road. Not that I am saying we are the Heat but remember that they went through quite a few growing pains during their first season together.
5-3 is a good record for some of the things that are happening. Like I said - Raptors game last night seemed like a practice match with Raptors bricking everything. They attempted like 130 shots or something that's nuts.
Stopping TT experiment & bringing Jeremy back to starting lineup (at least for the majority of games), we will be right back to one of the highest-scoring teams in a heartbeat. As for the turnovers, we are gonna be fine while the team chemistry gets better and better as well as Jeremy's self-improvement.
It could be the low point provided that the team: A) Scrap the Twin Towers nonsense immediately. B) Insert Lin into the starting lineup(dude's more than earned it). C) Reign in Harden's ISO/Heroball crap. Those are easy fixes that McHale can institute tomorrow. And it'll improve the offensive output immeasurably. Not that scoring's been an issue overall, but I think the flow of the game will be smoother(aside from when opponents resort to Hack-a-Howard). Now unfortunately there are problems that are beyond the control of the coaching staff or management. Injuries, Dwight's free throw struggles, outside shooting(although scrapping the TT lineup might help), and turnovers are all things that will hopefully be overcome with time.
