I see what you're saying Ico, but the problem is in the long run. We(Rockets) must come to an understanding concerning the limitations of the team if they continue with ISOs/dribbling. Phil Jackson had this problem with Kobe early on in LA in which he wouldn't trust his teammates with shots. Their confidence would drop, and they end up anticipating when their next shot attempt would come instead of just focusing on the game. We're still rebuilding so it is the perfect time to work on our "TEAM" game and build the confidence of our players outside of Mobley and Steve.
It's funny I hear people ready to dump Cat and want Christie and rave about Christie, check this out. Christie actually shoots WORSE from the field then Cat. He shoots 41.9%. People rave that Christie won't hog the ball, for Cat's career he averages 3.5 assist and people just rake him over the coals for it. Meanwhile Christie, who people say is a SG type, for his career averages 3.4 assist. He jumped that average up slightly to 4.2 apg, you know why? Because he went to Sacramento where there was a legitimate low post threat in Webber and Divac. EXPERIENCED low post threat equals more willingness to pass for the guards. Cat is also as good from the perimeter as Christie. The only difference is one is on a team with a low post threat, and the other is on a team without one, at least for now. Mo and KT will go a long way towards that, as will Ming's maturation. When our backcourt had frontcourt help they went wild. Mo and Dream gave this team a ton of support and you didn't hear about those guys being frozen out because our backcourt gave them the ball. Right now we just don't have one, other then Griffin who is struggling.
another point is that it is only one game. you make it sound as if steve had 5 or 6 more assists that the rockets would go 82-0. it's ONE GAME. so the lakers are 0-2 and kobe has hoisted up a ton of shots, does that mean the lakers are screwed? is kobe also a horrible leader? the offense went through him easily as much as it did through steve. andre miller had 14 assists and went 5-6 from the field yet the clips lost to a lottery team. should he have been more assertive scoring instead of passing? it's impossible to gauge a whole season or trades based on less than a week.
If Mobley will stop taking so many shots once we get an inside game then I'm all for keeping him. What I am trying to say is that we can't have both of our guards taking a majority of the shots and be successful. It never worked for Run TMC.
There are a bazillion people who say we have the best backcourt in the league. I think we just need to get 4 of our top 5 forwards on the court and the other one shooting better than 1-11. Oh yea, and that guy... Yao Ming (I keeep forgetting his name, he's only been here a few days) needs some time to play catch up with the team and the NBA. Oh, and that other guy too, you know Grega's brother....
I can't determine yet whether Steve and Cat can co-exist. They've been together three years so far and... Year 1: Steve was a rookie and Mobley hadn't reached his full potential yet. Can't expect much more from this season. Year 2: Overachieved to 45 wins. I would go as far as to call this a successful season. Year 3: Too many plantar fascitises, ruptured achilles, bad ankles, knee problems, migraines, and injured shoulders for me to use this year as an accurate measure. In short, ask me again after this season!
Just want to get a couple of points across: 1. Kobe didn't jack up a ton of shots in their games lost. The game against the Blazers, for example, he shot only 18 times at 50% and scored 25 points. The Lakers played team ball with a total of 24 assists. They lost because they're simply outmatched by talent. I'd rather watch the Rockets losing by 40 points trying to play teamball than losing by 10 points under Iso's. 2. People are calling out Steve as they think a) he's playing selfish basketball, b) simply doesn't know the concept of teamwork, or c) simply not good at playing the point. The following are some constant gripe the "haters" have for Steve, some of which are examplified by the last game. a. Shoot first pass second mentality, which calls for a change in position. b. Inadequate court vision or awareness, which calls for a change in position. c. High assists/turnovers ratio year after year (4 assists and 5 TOs in last game), which calls for - see above. d. Lack of team concept. It's really simple: pass the ball to the open man. Let the team win or lose as a whole, which can be translated into passing the rock to the guy who missed 10 in a row as long as he's open. I've seen Derek Fisher missing 3's in rows and not only once did Shaq or Kobe decide to not pass him the ball when he's open! and Steve and Cuttino aren't half of the combo those two are. The Lakers won rings not only because of the two best players in the L but also that they play team ball. .
I don't see the growth in Mobley as a mature player we should expect, IMO. I think, hate to say it, he's a ball hog and plays with the ball too much. This year if we just stagger again and miss the playoffs, "he's gotta go!". No leadership.
b c and d for Cat and SF. Guilty guilty guilty guilty. SF and Cat can score lots and cause headaches for other teams. Not sure if they'll let anyone else on their team score.
