AB has already made a few turnovers with his bounce passing to Yao, so to say his bounce passing is effective is false. Brooks isn't that much shorter than Rafer, so why isn't Rafer using the bounce pass? Worrell points it out every time. It's not that he doesn't know much about the game, it's that he's right. You don't bounce pass it to a 7'6" center - EVER! Just because it works sometimes doesn't mean it's the right technique. You ask anyone that posts up, they want to catch the ball high, and they want to see the ball high. They don't want the ball coming up from the ground. For Brooks to be able to bounce it to Yao's face, he'd have to really bounce it high, and he doesn't do that. When he bounces it, Yao has to bend down to get it. Why would the coaches complain about it to the media? They wouldn't do that. That's done in practice. Head uses the bounce pass all the time. You don't want anyone using his technique.
If this bounce pass is the only problem, Im sure Brooks can find a way around it. I can't believe I just read a whole page of threads on a bounce pass LOL.
Rafer always takes the safe route, it is why he is not a quality NBA PG. Go ahead and listen to Bill, but don't expect basketball people to agree with you. Yes, and he is in rythm and able to make his move with two hands on the ball, great execution. If the coaches were bothered they would have told him and he would have stopped. Splash, bottom line, it works, and is effective for Brooks, don't be angry because casual fans don't understand it's effectiveness. Bottom line is Brooks is better than Rafer, and will continue to get even better whereas Rafer will get worse, who do you think should be starting? I would start Brooks, but I understand starting Rafer...... DD
That doesn't make any sense. It's the right pass. I am a basketball person and I'm telling you that the over the head pass is much safer of a pass to make. Ask anyone with a post up game. I'd rather receive the ball near my face than my crotchial region, only to bring it up to my face again like Yao does. In the process of bringing the ball from his hip to his head, anyone can swipe at it. I've also seen Yao fumble the catch from a bouncepass because of the poor angle of the pass. The slower, arc-ed pass to Yao is a much better pass.
Rafer should start,but his minutes need to be reduced while Brooks needs more minutes. Rafer will be ineffective with the 2nd unit. He is at his best when Tracy is playing at a high level. That doesn't mean that he is a starting caliber PG,but neither is Brooks.
Splash, we are talking about Yao here, if you are Brooks and you are already low to the ground which pass would you make? I don't have a problem with any quality pass to Yao, bounce or over the top, but asking a six foot player to toss an entry pass over a guy taller than him is just stupid. Use whatever works....and for Brooks it is the bounce, and Yao and the coaches are ok with it. If you are a basketball person, then you would understand this.... And it is NOT a turnover.....AB does not make a lot of turnovers into Yao....more of Yao's turnovers come in other ways...not on the bounce pass. You can complain about AB in other areas but the bounce pass is simply not one that he has problems with, nor does it hurt the team. DD
Of course it works for Brooks. That's meaningless. What matters is if it works for Yao? I don't know how you came up with the conclusion that they're "ok" with it, because I know you just made that up on the spot. Again, any big guy would tell you they'd rather receive the ball up high than from a bounce pass. It's not Rocket science.
It is OK for Yao because he makes plays off of it and DOESN'T FUMBLE it, otherwise he and Brooks would have a lot more turnovers, and frankly they don't. You are just making stuff up......it is like magic, you took a magic bean and are seeing things that just aren't there. Look, a pink elephant. I will chart the next few games and Brooks and his bounce passes to Yao to settle this...my guess, you will owe me a beer so we can both see the pink elephants. DD
Splash- I hate to bust your bubble, but Yao can't be the sole focus of a offense like you may want. Now I know that's hard to believe, but he has too many scrub games to centralize a entire offense around him like dream,moses, or shaq. When yao starts in his scrub mode, you need guys that can hoop and let yao catch up when he feels like playing like a big man again. The bounce pass to Brooks is a basic basketball play. If he was throwing the ball at his ankles, then I'd have a problem, but the ball bounces to yao at his hips in his hands. Yao has problems sealing players that's why a lot of tims guards get turnover blamed on them when its yao's fault he let a guy reach over the top. The bounce pass by brooks is quick and the middle of his body for a easy catch. Brooks should start because his advantages of shooting and effeciency are way above Rafer. When the rox get in a tight game, Tracy is making the passes and running the pick and roll anyway. Having Brooks basically playing the 2 with pg ability vs rafer playing the 2 with no 2 ablity doesn't favor the rox. When teams have to close out slow on their heals and under contol because brooks has range,speed and quickness makes them anticipate the kick out quicker which gives Yao more room. Now my 17 yrs daughter that play ball know that.
I'll start the vet every time. Brooks plays better a few games, but Rafer is more consistent. The guys saying Brooks is consistent are far off. He'll have a 2-10 game (LAC) then follow it up with a 6-13 18 point game (DEN) then follow that up with a 4-11 game (SAC), and then follow that up with his most recent 18 point game. Thats not consistent. And I know you are going to tell me "Rafer is streaky too!". And you are right, but every game he brings consistently good decision making, solid D and leadership. Even when he has 4-12 games, he's dishing it 5 times and getting us into our offense. When you have guys like Tmac and Yao in the starting line-up, you want to bring scoring off the bench. It makes no sense to bring the consistent smart, role player off the bench. Its the same reason I've been saying we need to start Battier and bring Artest of the bench.
Yes. A 2nd unit of Artest, Brooks, Landry, and Hayes makes up a great 2nd unit. Yet people want to add Rafer to that 2nd unit and take away Brooks. WHY? Our 1st unit would be marginally better if at all, but our 2nd unit would be worse. I'm just telling you reality. Whether in scrub mode or not, Yao will be the sole focus. I wish it wasn't this way, but it is.
Generally you don't bounce pass to big men. Hakeem hated it and I'm sure Yao would agree. However, I don't think AB's bounce passes to Yao are all that bad. AB can get away with it despite his size because he has both a 3 point shot and a quick first step. Teams respect his speed and shooting. Now last year at the Dallas game at home, I saw AB and Yao practicing post entry bounce passes and kick-outs from the post during pre-game warmups. So it's something they have worked at. AB's only problem is floor vision in a half court set. I've seen him completely miss Yao posting up because he was too busy dribbling out in the perimeter. But that can improve with more seasoning.
Look Splash, I understand your concerns. But the thing you have to understand is that while Rafer has shown the ability to get the ball to Yao Ming, in the starting line up Tmac is the one dominating the ball. He's the one setting people up and making the majority of the plays. Tell me if this scenario doesn't sound familiar: Battier inbounds ball to Alston. Alston dribbles ball to midcourt. Alston passes ball to Tmac. Tmac takes a pick from Scola, drives inside, passes to Yao Ming who gets fouled. That scenario has basically been our bread and butter play for some time now, and whenever that happens Alston has been reduced to a spot up scorer. We don't need another playmaker besides Tmac, we need a scorer to take advantage of his playmaking gifts. Do you know why Tmac only has 4 triple doubles in his carreer? That's because he's always playing with players who can't make a shot to save their lives. I've lost track of the times Tmac sets his teammates (specifically Alston) up for the open three only for them to clank it. A lot of people are saying here keep Alston as the starter, and just yank him when he plays like crap, but are you honestly expecting Adelman to do that? He lets players play through their funk! That's why the starters will always get starting minutes, and by that time Ra's poor shooting would have done its damage. I'd rather not have us playing at a disadvantage, thanks. Btw, Ab0's gifts would be marginalized in the bench. You need a good passer because you have both Landry and Artest as your primary offensive options.
Aren't you making my point? You say Alston has been reduced to a spot up scorer as a result of being in the starting lineup. Why would you want Brooks to be relegated to the same role? He's a scoring guard, so you're losing those other skills of his if he's starting. I think we've already seen Brooks play real well off the bench because he's able to do anything he wants to. Landry is definitely not a primary scoring option off the bench. Brooks is would be anything but marginalized in the bench. The starting lineup of Yao, Scola, Battier, McGrady, Alston put up a huge winning streak last year that somehow continued after Yao's injury. Were it not for that, they were on pace for the #1 seed. Why change all this? I can't believe how many people want to fix what isn't broken by starting the likes of AB and Landry. Thankfully, Adelman won't. I can guarantee that.
Err the reason why Alston has been reduced to a spot-up scorer was because that's the only thing he can do. His lame-ass floater won't go in, and while he can drive with the best of them due to his ball-handling skillz, he can't finish. Brooks on the other hand.... He plays extremely well with the starting line up because he can be the 2nd driving and penetrating dude. With Alston in the lineup you are reduced to only Tmac as the driving and penetrating dude, and when Tmac gets tired and starts launching heat checks you have no driving and penetrating dude at all. The main reason Landry can't be the primary option is because he's a finisher. You need someone to create, then he'll pass to Landry for the finish. You seem to forget that Landry playing out of his mind was the main reason we kept winning last season, and that was because since he was in the starting lineup, he had alot of people to create for him, including Tmac and Alston. With Alston in the 2nd unit, he can create for both Artest and Landry and make life easier for both of them.
Simple. Rockets are winning and AB is starting. Keep it going !! He is scoring and not turning the ball over. We are winning !!!
I'm afraid that if rafer's minutes are reduced, there will be an increase in the number of times he launches the all mighty tear drop. =( It's quite scary to think about it. I do think AB's ability to make his defender chase him all over the place, makes up for his height issues.
If you're tired of air ball 3's, once a week good game, floaters that never go in, not finishing at the rim, and crazy 1 hand passes that miss the mark. Thank feel free to keep "Skip to my miss" in the starting lineup.
