I have been going over game film like mad since the end of the season, and I have seen enough to be able to consider myself an authority on the Rockets' offensive gameplan. The comments that it's a simple offense just don't hold up when you take a closer look, but I have been able to reduce their tendancies down to a few pet plays. Here they are, with the names I have given them, not the real names, as far as I know. Play No. 1...( Superfly's Shoes ) Off an opponent miss, Steve reclaims ball, and approaches mid court. PF ( it alternates) sets up at high right post, center sets up at left elbow. SF 1st sets up on right mid wing, and comes off outside of ft line as sg crosses other way, hoping to set mutual pick. Yao or Cato don't push for deep position, but need to maintain where they set up to keep lane open for approaching sf, who cuts underneath and sets up in left corner. Sg ( Mobley usually) reaches right elbow, and either cuts back towards middle, or keeps going around pf to key. Francis crosses haflcourt, arrives near or just inside 3-pt line, and shoots. Play No. 2...( Red Rover 37 ) Off either a make or a miss, c or pf rebounds ball, passes to pg or sg, while other heads upcourt. Other big man ( whichever wasn't def. rebounder) tries to set up on left block, establishing deep position, while sf sets screen for whichever guard isn't bringing the ball up near mid-point between right elbow and top of the key. If defense switches off, guard backs off to 3-pt line. If they stay, g carries past screen towards right corner. Whichever guard is bringing the ball up crosses halfcourt, arrives near or just inside the 3-pt line, and either beats his man or shoots. Play No. 3...( Who Needs A Bib?) Off either miss or make, rebounder passes ball to Moochie. Sf heads up mid right lane, fading towards corner as he crosses halfcourt. Pf heads straight for right elbow, and if he can't establish position, turns and faces up about 20 ft out. Moochie dribbles. SG flashes into key from left side and curls around center who has set up about 10 feet out, just to the left side of key. Moochie dribbles. With about 10 seconds left on shot clock, sf cuts along baseline and sg comes around Moochie making himself available for pass off. Moochie dribbles. With about 5 seconds left, teammates begin to yell at Moochie. Moochie dribbles. 1 or 2 seconds before or after shot clock expires, a seemingly startled Moochie launches desperation shot. There are more, but I need to break down more film before I can say with certainty that they qualify as 'pet' plays. If any of you have noticed any others, please include them.
I really don't care what play we run as long as we look for the opportunity baskets whenever possible. For instance when you watch the Jazz play, no matter what play they call, a double screen is always set under the basket and a cutter flashes backdoor just in case the defense isn't quite on top of things for a possession and that's what wins games. Those two or three times when they catch the defense asleep is in many cases the difference.
I remember this one play the Rockets used to run all the time, but I think it is going to mean trading personnel. I am going to name it, Kam, you should coach the Rockets when they have the right personnel. The PG dribbles the ball up the court, hell you could walk it up the court. The PG throws the ball to the big tall guy in the post position. The big tall guy with the ball has the option of figuring a way to shoot it, or if he is double teamed, or in some cases triple teamed, he shall pass it to the open man. - But seeing as the center better have some damn good skills, he could make the basket on a quadruple team. Give it to Yao, GTFO =====> of the way. and maybe get ready to shoot in case he passes it.
A couple of others, you forgot 1. the 1-4 zone offense, in which Mobley takes the inbounds pass and bolts up the floor to set up the 1 on 5, everybody else languidly trots up court as if they were waiting for a fox hunt to break out somewhere in the English countryside, Mobley pulls up around the 25 foot line for a trey vs. five defenders. 2. the Last Emperor play. Ming sets up on the left low block. Mooch fakes like he's going to run the Who needs a bib play and then feeds Yao in the post. Moochie then cuts towards the basket along the baseline to re-enact the 4 times this move actually worked back in December, and asks the opposing player to wake him up when its time to dribble again. Steve checks his voicemail from the right side of the 3 point line, and wonders aloud why he wasn't on the dream team. Cat wonders aloud why he wasn't in that photo shoot with Steve and Beyonce. Eddie sets up for a three and hopes the visine worked. Yao looks over at Colin Pine and asks him why his teammates aren't doing anything, then settles for a turnaround jumper that is blocked by Earl Boykins. 3. Throw it to Lucas- Any play where Collier ever shot.
Cato oop! Yao high pick, Steve 3 Yao pick, guard igonores, goes 1-3 helter-skelter Iso Steve Iso Cat Iso Mo Iso Collier Yao left block. pivot, pivot, strip. desperation heave. Inside-out, rice 3 dribble penetration, jump in the air, turnover. posey breaks one!
That's the one at the end of the games where Steve hit like 9 out of 10 right? I loved that play, nobody ever caught on til late in the season...heh
Oh, yeah, I forgot the Steve/Mooch to Cato "Pick and Alley-oop" The amazing thing about this play is that it usually works at least once a game against pretty much everybody, and twice a game or more vs. really bad teams. I guess we have to credit big Kelvin for this one. He's managed to lull the rest of the league to sleep with his 3 years of laziness to setup this sucker.
"They'll never suspect this" When Rudy replaces Posey with Rice right before a pivotal defensive situation only to put him back in right before a pivotal offensive situation. The genius of this move is staggering.
This one's called the Pick and Roll Abortion and it has 2 variations. 1. Stevie dribbles from halfcourt and Yao comes up to set a monster pick for him. Yao sets the screen and Stevie has a clear lane to the basket. Stevie stops and waits for the 2 confused defenders to catch up and launches a fade-away 3 with 18 seconds on the shot clock. 2. Stevie dribbles from halfcourt and Yao comes up to set a monster pick for him. Yao sets the screen and then rolls to the basket with a smaller defender on him. Steve launches a fade-away 3 with 18 seconds on the shot clock.
Let's not only poke fun at the guards, now, guys. What about the play where a big guy sets up make a pick, but right before the guard's defender reaches the pick, the big man rolls, leaving the guard double-teamed.
