ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Magic 10/9/2009 (PRESEASON)

I acturally thought David could do some passing, so does Scola. We have players like Chase to cut and C&S, but we do need other players to patiently read the game and make a pass, especially from the high arc. Scola and David have to contribute more to initiate the offence during the season.

 

My thoughts:
the good:
Budinger has a knack of scoring. Very skilled at shooting the ball.
David Anderson could be Brad Miller in a good way
Lowry drives

the bad
Don't expect too much out of Ariza, not even defensively.
Dorsey offensively sucks ass and defensively is too short for his position.
AB needs to tone down at times but when he does tone down he is not effective. Can he survive a locked down defense on him?
Pops sucks.
Our interior D sucks, but duh.

 

where did you get this info?

 

oh wait, the announcers said that during the game?. If so thats good. looks like that knee is holding up

 

missed the game but looks like chase got almost 40 mins tonight, by far the most of any rocket. me thinks the coaches want to see more of him.

 

missed the game guys.. I have a question

Did Anderson play well? Was he defending Gortat?

and looks like Ariza is sucking big time...

 

Gortat put Anderson in a poster with his monster jam one time. Other than that, not much one on one between the two because both didn't post each other, at least I don't remember.
Anderson played well on the offensive end. Defensively, he wasn't there to stop anybody.
Ariza played ok in the 2nd half.

 

thanks!

 

I dunno about Chase cutting...cutting doesnt quite seem to be a big part of his game...what I've seen mostly from Chase is coming off screens over and over again to shoot and shoot again...I think hes even done that more than spotting up and shoot etc etc lol...

One problem is in our offense we seem to like having our post players come out to the high post area and catch the ball to initiate the offense etc.....only problem being is that none of those guys we have doing that currently can do anything with the ball in that area except to pass it off again...e.g. we had chuck do that plenty of times last season...but he cant shoot cant dribble cant drive so whats the use of him being there???? Defenders can just run off him and stay in the paint to clog up the lane for other cutters while Chuck wanders in the middle of nowhere......

 

really i mean really ..
y dont we trade t-mac for Q Rich
and trade scola for chris kaman
and trake brooks and battier for bayless and outlaw
and adelman and morey for chris wallace and lionel hollins




ohh ohh wait and jack nicklson for Clutch

 

I guess adelman think battier & ariza should not play together too much.
If tmac cannot come back early, Chase will play much time in our SG position.

 

Beastinger!!

 

I have not been able to watch the games, but from the box scores, it looks like Ariza is doing terrible.

 

The guy that still thinks Scola or Brooks is the best player on the team.

 

My pre-season notes so far:

Schemes:
Overall, we are looking like a lottery team out there. The heart of the team is what will push us into the playoffs if we are so lucky.

Offense:
We look terrible out there. There is no flow, few asists, and tons of turnovers. No easy baskets, few cuts, some fast breaks but it has trailed off recently. Our baskets are primarily coming from set plays for Budinger, Brook's fantastic ability to get past his defender, and post up plays for Landry. I guess I am just so use to the ball running through Yao that its just weird not having the big fella out there. I expect it will improve once we have a set lineup, but we are in desperate need of a bread and butter play. I hope Tracy comes back and sort of stabalizes the ship, else we could be a jump shooting team and I don't see that working out well for us. I personally think we should still run the ball through the post, either through Scola/Landry or Andersen, so this year's team won't deviate too far from our offense through Yao.

Defense:
The foundation is there, but there were numerous times when the wrong guy (R.Lewis) was left wide open at the 3pt line. Andersen needs to work on his rotations, as our opponents are getting a ton of easy dunks. Rebounding and interior D needs a ton of work. Andersen is proving to be a push over on d, so Hayes will probably see signifigant minutes on the court. I worry once Battier comes back we will look even less potent offensively.

Players
Brooks: AB looks as confident as ever. I saw a move in the Celtics game (I think) where Aaron slithered through two defenders with the ball and went in for an easy layup. His passing is still average at best, but I imagine it will improve as the team becomes his over the course of the season. His next step should be to develop a go to play with Landry or Andersen similar to Duncan/Parker. Brooks could easily average 18 ppg this season and I expect he will.

Lowry: What is not to like about Lowry. His defense is great and he is getting the line a ton. He consistantly puts up great +/- numbers. Some people think he should start, but I prefer his energy off the bench.

Conroy: I really hope this guy makes the team because everytime he touches the ball something good happens. He probably won't because Brooks/Lowry are very solid, but I am certain he has a future in the NBA.

Temple: Never even seen this guy on the court.

Taylor: I don't know what it is about this guy but I like it. Maybe I am a sucker for the flashy dunks, but I think he is a worthwhile project. I expect he will follow the Dorsey path and not play till next year.

Ariza: This guy was promised to be featured offensively, and unfortunatley he has been. Some people think he will develop into an elite shot creator, but I think his maximum potential is someone like a Gerald Wallace. I predict problems with a wing combination of Battier/Ariza because neither can create for others. I think it is likely you will see one or the other paired with Budinger or McGrady for balance purposes.

Budinger: This guy has been unbelievable. He will be probably play a minimum of 20 minutes in our rotation and I think he will flourish. I can't fathom how fast he has picked up on the game. He isnt afraid to shoot and has one sweet stroke. Adelman is already running set plays for him and his execution is near flawless. If he develops any form of defense, he could easily become an all star. Its times like this I really appreciate Morey and his eyes for talent.

Pops: I love this guys enthusiasm but he just doesn't have it. He looks fluid but he usually loses the ball, misses the shot, or gets blocked. I don't think he will make the team. Although, here is a guy I think would really benefit from McGrady getting him open dunks.

Chuck: This guy just makes me smile. Its obvious he took the summer seriously and came back a better FT shooter and has an expanded offense. I am not sure how I feel about him driving with the ball, but I guess its nesecary if he is going to see signifigant minutes in an Adelman offense.

Scola: Whats to say, the man is a stud. Developed his left hand over the summer and is now more dangerous than ever. I sincerely hope the offense runs through him this year. He is another guy who could easily score in the high teens this year on a consistant basis.

Landry: Landry looks like a man on a mission out there. He looks much better than last year after the gunshot incident. His post up game looks solid and I hope to see a ton of useage out of him this year.

Dorsey: I don't really know what to say about Joey. I like the guy, but I just can't justify putting him in over Chuck, Luis or Carl. Unless he develops some semblence of offense, he is fairly useless to us.

Andersen: We all knew Andersen could shoot, but frankly I was surprised by his post up game. He has some fancy moves out there. His defense needs a ton of work, but I personally believe he has the tools to work in our system.

Cook: I really don't see how this guy can help us. He is too one dimensional, and isnt even all that good at the one thing he does do.

 

One thing people haven't mentioned is how much smoother Kyle Lowry's shooting stroke has looked as compared to last year. Out to the 3 pt line, his form is much smoother and more consistent, I think he is going to surprise people with his ability to shoot the 18-21 foot jumper this year. Last year he was very solid from 15-18 feet, hopefully this year he expands his range to the 3 pt line.

 

I think the D will come around when the lineup is once set.
IMO Romel Beck won't get a real chance there. Too many rookies on the roster. Pops may not make it and Dorsey might be traded later. One PF/C with reasonable size and game is going to be added I hope.

 

I wonder if they're showcasing Budinger for more immediate help or they're looking at both Budinger and Battier starting on the wings?

 

They need shotblockers in the worst way, so I see them keeping Pops and Dorsey, unfortunately the team will probably have to waive Conroy.

 

It seemed to me that there was WAY to much standing around last night. For a motion offense, there sure wasnt a lot of motion going on. And Ariza looks lost out there like he is nervous all the time. Dont get it...hope he improves.