Breaking the full court press and whether Cat good enough 2 for a contender

You're right about the similarity to the first Grizzlies game. When the defensive pressure rises, the guards can't even bring the ball up court.

What I like about this game is that it shows the roster needs to be purged aside from Yao and JJ. That's the silver lining.

 

It is, to quote JVG, "inexcusable" for the Rockets at this juncture in the season - this late in the season, to have no idea how to break a full court press. There are HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS that can do this for Christ's sake!

 

How do you break the press? Passing in the middle and ATTACK on the wings.

ATTACK it, get some easy baskets, but always go FORWARD not side to side.

Teams will do this to the Rockets more and more until they find a way to beat it consistently.

DD

 

Its games like these that show some of the lingering weaknesses and we've been lucky that more teams haven't exploited these.

From last night's game and the last Dallas game. The way to beat the Rox is to apply full court pressure on the guards and then a more active faster defender on Yao to try to deny him the ball rather than keep him from getting the shot off.

I still feel the Rox got enough momentum to get into the playoffs but lets hope they can correct these mistakes or else we will have a very short trip to the playoffs.

 

There are ways to beat the full court press and small quick man on Yao practices.

Simply push the ball on offense and have Yao pin his man down low.

I hardly think they stopped Yao when he gets 29 points...the rest of the team was the problem, not Yao.

DD

 

So
Who should be helping our guards.

The problem I have is that our guards
have a tendency to NO get the benefit of the doubt
and pick up Offense Fouls

So we have to beat it PASSING

This means our Forwards need to come to the center court area
and will need to perhaps dribble it up some form there?

Rocket River
We have identified the problem
let's identify the solutions

 

The issue is . . . .Pushing the ball up
Yao is always the last man down

So once the press is 'broken . .or
if the continue to press while Yao is coming up
[i envision more of a trap at the half court line

Rocket River

 

Honestly, I have no idea why teams that play the Rockets dont play ZONE and use presses ALL THE TIME to frustrate them. It always generates bad shots and creates turnovers. It kills us time and time again.

How can these players make it to the NBA and not know how to beat a press!?!?!?

 

Beatin the press is not about individuals

Everyone has to know how
When you consider
1. we have a preference that Yao just make it down low
and wait [not get position and wait]
2. the Idea of Cato dribbling at half court makes my blood run cold
NO GOOD CAN COME OF IT

Rocket River

 

The blame should go on jvg also. I mean the did the samething to counter their press each time. At the end of the game the suns used a "light" press, where they just had people in the backcourt not even trying to steal the ball or cause a turnover, but just there so the rockets do their stupid back and forth passes to take time off the clock. You wonder why our backcourt shot a low percentage, they had to take too many shots at the buzzer.

 

Full court press belongs to the high school and college level. Pro teams seldom use it unless in desperation. Why? Because pro players are too skillful and poised to be fazed by the press.

Beating the press is not an individual thing. It's a team effort. It is actually very basic stuff. With so many players skipping college and haven't learn the mechanic of the press, I think we will see more teams use the tactic.

It's also the coach's responsibility to teach them how to beat the press. But the bottom line is still the players' execution. I am not surprised we are bothered by the press, because we are just not a fast decision-making team.

 

I agree - the team as a whole must work together to beat the press. That's why it's the coach's fault if they fail.

Much as I sing praises to JVG for his coaching, last night is the exception. Not having the team prepared to handle a press hurt us. An not foulding PHX when they had the ball and were down 3 was an error by JVG, too. Shoulda fouled 'em on the inbound pass. Jeff lost that one for us.

-- droxford