Great article. I'm pretty sure we can lay to rest the idea of TMac not "fitting in." He's running, passing, and playing great team ball. He acknowledges that his scoring is down, but the team is winning and that is what matters.
This was my greatest fear and also my greatest hope. He is only taking over when necessary...THAT bodes very well for this year's team. DD
That's because, often times, the stats are in my favor (that is, coincide with and strengthen what I already believe). When they aren't I tend to either keep my mouth shut if I'm not convinced either way, or I change my view on things. And if its interesting but I'm not sure how to interpret it, sometimes I'll post it anyways. And besides, how often do other posters post stats or cite any kind of evidence that is not in their favor? -- I'm curious how the Rockets go about evaluating how well they "shared the ball" between games. I'm sure the coaches have certain things they track beyond total assists ... what might go into that?
I recall some poster on here who utterly lacked the mental capacity to grasp the value of hockey assists...
Playing this way does mask alot of a players offensive limitations. You pass off rather than have to create, which is great. I'm glad to see some cutting and passing after assistant coach couldn't see that, that was a very important part of basketball and what his limited lineup needed. I'm not convinced this team is enough to win it all though. When was the last time this team traded for some athleticism?
I think both. If Battier were Spree, JVG would push him to slash more. Battier had freedom to drive, but he chose to stay on the line more. In JVG's system, Yao was scoring 25 points per night last year. JVG didnt like Yao pass it out too much. In RA's system, Yao sometimes used as decoy, pivoting at high post. Offensively, Yao is more productive in JVG's system, but with the addition of Scola, Yao's job is easier this year, and he can stay longer on the court, less chance to get tired, less load.
Many people were calling for Adelman's head before he even coached a single game, because Yao wasn't as athletic or good at passing as Divac and Weber. They called Yao out and said he wasn't as a good a runner or passer as Divac. Who knew Yao could be better than a chain smoking over-the-hill Divac, even though he is slower(not by much) and more turnover prone!? Who knew that Adelman could create a hybrid motion offense and still keep his corner series plays?
