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Discipline on Defense will dictate the Rockets season!

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Zacatecas, Sep 7, 2003.

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  1. Zacatecas

    Zacatecas Member

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    If you look at the Rockets top players; Yao, Francis, and Mobley, you see offense capabilities at any instance in a game. All 3 of those guys have been and will continue to be go to guy's when ever needed.

    But who's looked at our team and said, "...what a tenacious defender that guy is!".

    Yao, Griffin, and Cato have shown us that they are willing to play defense. However, Taylor is always the guy who seems a step behind on defense and masks those deficiancies with his stellar shooting. FRONT COURT PLAYERS DEFENSE AS A GROUP: B-

    Mobley was drafted for his defensive capabilities; his offense was an added bonus. But after him the defense becomes mediocre at the guard positions; Francis is slightly average, Norris is below average, and Piat is below sub average. GUARD'S DEFENSE AS A GROUP: C

    The SF position. Griffin is supposedly a solid defender. But, he didn't play much for the Mav's last year; but defense is is repetoir from what I hear. After him, the defense goes down the drain with Rice and Nachbar. SF DEFENSE AS A GROUP: C-


    This is why I think that a new coach was good for this team. Rudy mastered a system that capitalized on illegal defense's. His entire system when he was winning championships revolved around Hakeem. Players knew that they were going to have to play defense or else they were going to get an earfull. Hakeem was a defensive player of the year winner. But without the Hakeem fokass, the Rudy defense he preached would always fall apart.


    Individually the Rockets don't have a defensive player of the year candidate (at least yet). But they do have the tools to set up a good defensive system. This team has 2 shot blockers (Griffin and Yao). This team has 2 extremely fast guards (Mobley and Francis). This team has size at the SF (Nachabar and Rice). This team has a defensive specialist in (A. Griffin and Hawkins{assuming he comes back}).

    All this team needs is a scheme that all the players can relate to, because if this team can't get it's defense in order, then 'a fishing lotto balls next year w'll goooo!!!
     
    #1 Zacatecas, Sep 7, 2003
  2. dharocks

    dharocks Member

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    All I expect, and all I really want JVG to do is improve the team's defensive rotations, and force our players to get back on defense as soon as physically possible. In addition, our guys sink in and sag away from the thee point arc way too much. This has to change.

    A lot of people seem to have some fantasty that Francis will magically become a first team all-defense caliber player under JVG. This will not happen. But maybe expend just a little more energy on the defensive end, and maybe our team defense will improve. I have high expectations for Cat - hopefully he should be able to score and play tenacious defense on the same night, thanks to his new ankles.
     
    #2 dharocks, Sep 7, 2003
  3. Just B

    Just B Member

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    I think Steve and Cat's main problem on defense is that they try to play the passing lane too much (trying to get a fastbreak opportunity) and it causes them to stray from their man. Maybe JVG can teach them to stay on their man, but still keep an eye out on the passing lane.
     
    #3 Just B, Sep 7, 2003
  4. Sane

    Sane Member

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    The thing I remain optimistic about is that this team can't possibly have a worse offensive year than last year. Look at the team's shooting numbers, and overall offensive numbers. It's unbelievable, and I believe lots of us thought we could be an offensive force with the players we have. If Griffin improves, MOT goes back to normal, and everyone else stay generally the same (VERY likely scenario), then this team will already improve offensively. This is disregarding the higher % we should expect from our revamped BIG MAN oriented offense under JVG.

    As for defense, it HAS to be better under JVG. There's no way the same team can be worse defensively under JVG than it was under Rudy.


    The combination of these 2 things is what gives me hope for next year, and what keeps me believing that we can compete for the 6th or 7th seed.
     
    #4 Sane, Sep 8, 2003
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2003
  5. SaVeThEpIgS88

    SaVeThEpIgS88 Member

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    Griffin was hurt a lot... I think he has been hurt since like after his rookie year... I think back problems... I think thats the reason he hasnt been able to get back on track..
     
    #5 SaVeThEpIgS88, Sep 8, 2003
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