The Rockets players and Rudy are dumber than I thought. Has it even occurred to them that the reason they "execute so well after falling down by 20" is because other teams lighten up and lose THEIR intensity? Teams know the Rockets predictable ISO offense and how awful Francis and Mobley and Taylor are defensively. They know they can turn it on when they need to. This team is basically terrible. It's a miracle how their record is decent, even though the fundamentals they display in terms of passing the ball and playing smart is absolutely horrid.
This team is not terrible. They are a really good team.... Is just the matter of time, their way of thinking.... When u can be a good defensive team for 3 months, u can be a good defensive team as long as u want..... with the same kind of intensity on defense night in and night out, it will be hard for the opponent team to score.... consider our offense is pretty bad, it is up to them to play defense to keep the score close and when our offense clicked, we are going to take the lead.... it is all about their mindset..... don't worry about scoring or moving the ball first, play D first!!! A GOOD OFFENSE STARTS FROM A GOOD DEFENSE!!!
PG Francis SG Hawkins SF Rice PF Taylor C Ming ...the offense totally goes through Ming and Taylor. Mobley gets at least 32 minutes off the bench. On defense, Rice guards the teams weakest player at the 2 or 3, Hawkins the strongest.
If you're trying to make the playoffs, put in Mo T and Rice both. Let's don't get down by 20. If Rice misses his first two or three shots take him out immediately as you know his man will be scoring. Rice and Mo T aren't any good on defense, but they come out strong and put out the effort like pros( especially Glen though he just can't get it done defensively). Their effort should inspire the bench. Who knows? even if they just play the first 7 minutes, it might set the tone. Besides Posey and Eddie can probably score better against the reserves. Eddie needs to be benched. If he can't take that, when he deserves it and is only 20 years old and obviously needs a lot of work on his game, how good will he become anyway? Now if you're just trying to build for the future you leave EG in and start Boki and Mo T to see if he can keep getting his game back. Play Tito a lot. Rice gets no playing time at all except for a few desperation three point heaves. Starting Eddie seemed like the way to build for the future without hurting the playoff chances, but it isn't working out that way lately.
I just want to see a line up of: PG-Tito SG-Hawk SF-Bokie PF-Tmo C-Cato I'm of course assuming that each and everyone of these players would love to have more playing time. If this group could muster up enough points and defense on pure determination alone, they would be 10X as good as our starting line up as of now. Maybe if these players can play with heart, they can convince the rest of the Rockets dust off theirs and !@#$ing use it.
So do you make a change heading a game where you're playing the best defensive team in the league? This could really be a blow to make a change and then get trounced. However, if the change works you could really elevate the season.
My favorite line is If this group could muster up enough points and defense on pure determination alone, they would be 10X as good as our starting line up as of now.. What kind of crack are you smoking man?
I'll believe it when I see it. Also, don't hold your breath guys. Just because we change the line-up, won't change the fact that our "offense" sucks. You can't polish a turd after all.
I think it's time to reward Cato for his great play this season and start him at power forward. I feel that Griffin and Mo Taylor can hold down the PF and Center positions on the second team. So I think a lineup like this can help immediately. pg= Francis sg= Mobley sf= Rice pf= Cato c= Ming
Here's a thought. Maybe they weren't a good defensive team. Perhaps they had a favorable home schedule against either weak teams or playoff caliber teams rounding into shape. Amazing...the Rockets were 23-15 after beating the Lakers on 17.01 and are now 30-29. And we're just now thinking about shaking things up? A macro version of the substition patterns.
You can't have EG and Posey in the line-up at the same time. The other teams just collapse aroung Ming. I mean if you are the other team would you leave Ming to guard an open EG or Posey? Why would you when neither can shoot? Your best bet is to guard Cat and SF 1 on 1 and don't let them get the ball to Ming by triple teaming him in the post. And when Cat's and SF's jumpers are off - it get's real ugly real quick. They have 3 rebounders to our 1 when our shooters are scraping the rims. And you have 4 people guarding SF and Cat from driving to the hoop. Keep thinking Rudy...
1. The Rockets have tons of physical talent. 2. The Rockets are young. 3. The Rockets are dumb. They have quite possibly the dumbest starting guards in the league. When I say dumb, I don't mean they give dumb interviews. I mean the only kind of dumb that matters in basketball: making bad decisions time after time. #2 is holding back #1. But even after #2 is gone, #3 will be a killer.
Shuffling the deck may have an immediate and temporary effect; however, for the long term, we need a few new cards. I haven't completely written off the season but .... If this isn't a very active and progressive offseason, then the new arena and new uniforms are not going to mean much.
All of you are falling for fools gold. Mo Taylor isn't a starter. We will be annihilated on the defensive end. Who is Taylor going to guard in this conference, Wallace, Webber, Malone, Garnett, Stoudemire, Dirk. Coupled with the fact he doesn't rebound. We will get killed. The change needs to come at the 2 or 3 or both.
It's all about what's best for the team. If starting Mo, Rice, or Boki wakes a few people up, so be it. Of course, we'll probably see a Mo for Griffin change if anything, which is definitely worth a try.
SOLD! That lineup and strategy works for me. As long as we either have Yao or Taylor on the floor at all times it works. I particularly like having Mobley be the 6th man spark plug for this team. This team needs that type of player off the bench like a Nick Van Exel or Bobby Jackson. Chris
5 Yao 4 Cato 3 Rice 2 Posey 1 Francis -Defense, outside shooting, and rebounding are all covered one way or another. -Glenn Rice can hit the outside shot and spread the defense like Horry used to. -Posey can hustle, run the break, play good D, and hit the occasional 3 like Clyde did. -Cato won't spread the defense, but he will play strong inside and grab lots of boards, like Thorpe used to. -Yao and Francis round out the lineup.
