Rockets slow starts have Rudy T thinking of changes By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle DETROIT -- The Rockets' latest shortcoming is clear. The solution, as usual, is not. But in light of the Rockets' slow beginnings in recent games, coach Rudy Tomjanovich said Monday he is considering whether to change the starting lineup. Tomjanovich has not changed his starting five for any reason other than injury since Jan. 29, when Eddie Griffin replaced Maurice Taylor at power forward. But the Rockets face the Pistons tonight with a three-game losing streak, having started horribly defensively in three of their past four games. Since their previous meeting with the Pistons on Jan. 24, the Rockets are 7-12. They have won just four of their past 13 games. The time has clearly arrived for Tomjanovich to consider changes. "You always think about those things," he said. "We're going to look at this thing. First of all, I think we have to set the tone. We've done a good job when we've been down. We just have to play that way right from the beginning defensively. We have to just pick it up. "I looked at the tape. There's no picking out this guy, that guy. I've got time to make a decision like that. I don't have to make it right now." The problem, typical with a struggling team, is that the backups are not playing consistently well enough to make the decision easy. But there are options: ·The most frequent lineup change this season has been at power forward. Maurice Taylor has made 16 of 21 shots in the past two games. Eddie Griffin has scored in double figures just twice in the past eight games. But Taylor provides much-needed scoring punch off the bench, and Tomjanovich might risk Griffin's confidence with a change this late in the season. Taylor remains a liability on the boards, averaging three rebounds in his past four games. ·Glen Rice was the starter at small forward before he was hurt. After scoring 19 points in 26 minutes on Sunday, the injury (a strained left shoulder) is not an issue. But Rice has not shot consistently well. He has not scored in double figures or made half his shots in consecutive games since coming off the injured list eight games ago. And Tomjanovich has been hesitant to use him in certain defensive matchups (such as against Michael Jordan and Latrell Sprewell last week). James Posey, however, has been just as inconsistent. He has made two of 10 shots in his past two games and has not brought the energy that marked his first weeks after the trade from Denver. Rice also brings a more vocal presence. ·Juaquin Hawkins has re-emerged in the Rockets' rotation and been a dirty-work playmaker. If the Rockets' problem has been energy, Hawkins brings that. He also might fit as a designated defender against the Pistons' Richard Hamilton and the Raptors' Vince Carter in the Rockets' back-to-back tonight and Wednesday. However, Hawkins might not be enough of a perimeter threat to make that choice easy. The Rockets have lost the last 12 games in which they failed to make at least 30 percent of their 3-pointers, and Rice might be considered a better solution for that problem. But Hawkins might not be a shooting liability; he made four of 10 shots at Washington and is making 40.9 percent of his 3s this season. Generally, Tomjanovich is more interested in inspiring intensity and confidence than fear about losing jobs. He rarely makes lineup changes to send a message. But there has been no denying the Rockets' first-quarter troubles lately. They trailed the Celtics by five, the Wizards by nine and the Spurs by 12 at the end of the first quarter. "With us, the main thing is getting in games early," Taylor said. "A lot of times, when we put forth a great defensive effort in the third and fourth quarters, it's after we're down 20 points. That takes a lot out of you. It's hard to do every game. That's what makes our defense look so bad. When we come out in the first half and teams are up 20 and they're scoring easy, they're shooting like 70 percent in the first quarter. It makes us look bad. "In the second half, we can hold a team to shooting 30 percent. But by then, it's too late because we're down so far. We have to keep the same intensity through all four quarters." When opponents can start games with easy, open shots, they often can find a groove that increased defensive effort cannot change. The Rockets have allowed four opponents in the past 13 games to make at least half their shots, and the Knicks were one field goal short and the Spurs two. But in the season's first 46 games, only two Rockets opponents shot 50 percent or better. "Lately, we haven't been starting aggressively like we were at the beginning of the season," Griffin said. "Teams have been going up on us early. We don't have the same intensity as we had in the beginning of the season. They know what we do, but if we play harder, we can pick it back up." Tomjanovich said he has picked out some mistakes in executing the defensive game plan that he could correct with Monday's practice. But he said he would also work on rebuilding confidence. For all the Rockets' recent struggles, they trail Phoenix in the race for a playoff spot by just one game. The Rockets lead the season series 2-1, with the remaining game against the Suns at Compaq Center. "We're in the thick of things," Tomjanovich said. "We have to play a good team. Let's go out and do it. How do you get through that? Do you get into worry? Or do you come out and say, `Brand new opportunity. Here are some of the basketball things I didn't do right last game. Let's get that thing worked out and come out with confidence.' " Though Tomjanovich had not made a decision about making a change or sticking with the same starting lineup, it was at least unclear who he will have "come out with confidence" first. "I think we're fine," Taylor said of the current starting lineup. "We have to come out and execute. We have to come out in the first quarter and play the way we play in the third and fourth quarters. I don't know if we're coming out playing not to lose instead of playing to win. We definitely have to come out and play loose and not play like so much pressure on us. "For us, (not making the playoffs) would definitely be a disappointment, especially the way we started off the season, some of the things we've done this season, some of the improvements we made. It will definitely be a disappointment if we don't make the playoffs. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to go to that next level. That next level is the playoffs. "A lot of us have to step up. All of us have to step up our play that much more. There's more at stake. The losses that we're taking, the dream of making the playoffs is kind of slipping away with every loss. It's up to everybody to elevate their game a little bit to help us achieve that goal. We would feel real bad if we didn't make the playoffs with the team we have. If we want to make it, it's up to us."
Thinking about it....BAH !!! He should DO something about it, and if he has to break someone's confidence...so what !! Be a man Rudy..... You have to break a few eggs to make an omlette. DD
If his only change is putting Rice in the starting lineup, then Rudy Blows!! He needs to be agressive at this stage of the game.
TALK IS CHEAP. Its time to back up those words boys...... We should do this better.... We dont do this very well..... We need to concentrate more on this.... blah blah blah blah blah. Gut check time begins tonight.....
Hindsight is 20/20 but it looks as if Crime Dog should have been protected for a few years. Maybe if Mo wasn't a gimp, the big plan would have worked out okay... but we can't yell at Rudy for throwing Eddie to the wolves when we're yelling at him for holding Boki back. I don't think that the Rockets should play Eddie simply b/c they invested a lot in him, but I do wonder what good will come if he goes to the bench, Mo starts for two games, and then *pop*, it becomes time to start Eddie again. I think we should look for something more shocking, either at the two or three. Hmmmm... I'm a gambler. Let's throw good money after bad. Let's start Boki.
I have really mixed feelings about putting MoT in the starting rotation. At this point he is a much better player than Griff. He is actually a threat. On the other hand....we wouldn't have any punch from our bench. I just don't know.
OMG, Rudy T can actually think about changing starting lineup without a starter gets injured? I didn't know he is capable of doing that. Kudos to Rudy T. The starting 5 I would like to see: C Yao PF Tayler SF Hawkins SG Mobley PG Francis I don't think this startup line will happen, even many have asked for it: C Yao PF Tayler SF Hawkins SG Francis PG Moochie
Start Tmo at SF, he is long and can play good D and is the best shooter on the perimeter. At least this year. DD
they have to start mo they need scoring at the four and eddie just cant cut it i saw san antonio double off of griffin to yao leaving eddie wide open and he couldn't hit his open shots but if we start mo they cant double off of him because he is capable for lighting you up for 20 and yao will get a one on one game wich he is best at
Da, I don't disagree with you very often, but Terence Morris is fine where he's at, the 12th seat on the bench. He is not a good shooter. If you notice, he never uses his legs to shoot. His bricks are high clangs off the rim. He shows no passion as he has the personality of a tree trunk and always looks lost on the court. And finally not one I would want to take the last shot. I don't care what he did in the second Utah game in Houston. but I hate Glen's Rice game, and Posey can't shoot a lick, making our offense non-existent. But Terence Morris has no desire. Ok, so I don't like any of our 3s
Let's cut to the chase. To me this season has been about two specific problems. The first problem is SF and CM (no need to rehash that argument again), and the second problem has been the horrible play of EG throughout the season. Is there any doubt (any?) that if the Rockets had simply picked up an above average power forward last summer that they would be in the top 8 right now. It's a safe bet that EG has been an offensive drain this year, and every game the Rockets start EG they are basically going out on the court with 4 1/2 players. The Rockets must be dead serious about not hurting EG's confidence, because they're willing to enter the lotto for a fourth straight year, simply because they don't want to hurt his feelings. Notice that no one cares about Boki's confidence. Snicker Replace EG with MT. At least that way MT can raise his trade value if the Rockets try to make a move in the summer. Replace Posey with Boki. Tell Boki no matter how much he sucks the starting position is his for the rest of the season, and to just have fun. Replace SF with Mooch and move SF to shooting with CM coming off the bench as a 6th man. GR would be 7th EG would be 8th Really, at this point what do the Rockets have to lose. Raven
You cann't be serious about placing Boki at starting lineup. The only time he played this season is in garbage time. But I don't mind him coming off the bench in 2nd-quarter to see what he can do.
Put Mo in the starting lineup. And Rice, too. We're better with him in it than without it. Posey has really gotten on my nerves. I think he perhaps takes even more ill-advised shots than Mobley, especially considering he can't hit the broad side of a barn. And don't give me the "we need a scoring punch off the bench!" You put your best five players out there at the start of the game. Period.
Was Emmanuel Ginobili chosen ahead of B. Nachbar? Why can Ginobili start for San Antonio and do well? Can the Rockets try Nachbar? Is Nachbar as good as Ginobili? Would giving him minutes help the Rockets find out? C'mon, lets let Nachbar play. Rice and Posey aren't hot every night. Thinking of changes? Lets try here, right now.
I would like to see Rice put back in the starting line up so there is a shooter on the floor with Yao from tip off. I also want to see Boki get into the rotation. Boki's shooting certainly couldn't be any worse than Posey's or EG's.
Finally...please do something about it though! not just ponder the idea!!! Come on RUDY!!....COME ON ROCKS!!!!
I agree with Apollo Creed because the players themselves are psychologically under pressure to get off to a quick start. Rice unfortunately is a big liability when his shots don't fall as he can't do anything on defense but with the way Posey is playing I would rather have Rice in the 1st quarter and if we get in trouble defensively than Hawkins or Posey can come off the bench.
Right decision. It's a bad idea to switch every game, but if one PF is outplaying another over a long stretch... switch guys. It's not like Eddie won't get some minutes anyway (and more than Mo, if he's hot). And if Eddie starts outplaying Mo... well, then he can have his job back. Now if only Nachbar got a chance...
well i think if Rudy T decides to change up his starting 5 then he is also going to need to change up his same old predictable substitution pattern. He wouldn't have to worry so much about firepower for the bench group if he left whoever has the hot hand on the floor in the second quarter. I like depth but at some point he's going to have to hurt somebody's feelings and let whoever is hitting the shots stay out there untill they cool off or get tired. C'mon Rudy T..get out of the rut...everyone knows your sub pattern...instead you need to adjust to situations that the game presents you with..not the same old same old.
I think a radical change to the starting lineup could work. 1 - Mobley 2 - Hawkins 3 - Rice 4 - Cato 5 - Ming While Rice is a bit of a liability, Cato and Ming should be able to cover for him. The team has seemed to play pretty well with Cat handling the ball recently. This will also send a message to Steve that he needs to adjust his game. Put Ming in the post to initiate the offense. Rice and Hawk can float around the arc for the kick out. Mobes runs the 2 man game with Yao and Cato cuts from the weakside if his man leaves to double. After you start wearing them down you bring in Francis and Taylor and bury them.
