Why or why not? There are 2 scenarios here: 1) small backcourt (Rafer and Head, JL3 and Head, JL3 and Rafer) 2) small frontcourt (Hayes/Jho at Center, Battier/Bonzi/Snyder at PF) I've always thought that JVG has gone small backcourt a lot specifically due to the Rockets injury problems. I still think so, but am not that sure anymore. This last game, JVG played not only small backcourt, but also a small frontcourt for much of the game. For those who know me in chat, I am very strongly anti-small ball. Some have said that Snyder is still too hurt to play. I'm not sure about that. I think the Rockets have a great defensive scheme and give great team effort. That being said, there's only so much that can be done when the other team is taller and longer than you at every position. All summer JVG has said that the team was too small and too short, but he's still playing a small lineup. Do you guys like the Rafer Head backcourt? Personally, I don't want to see it much, and even less for the JL3 Head backcourt, and of course I never want to see the lineup consisting of JL3, Rafer, and Head ever again. IMO, I think the strengths of the Rockets defense is good rotations, getting hands in faces, and good defensive rebounding. I think that when we go smaller, those facets of our defense become harder to achieve. I'd much rather see Kirk Snyder (6'6") putting a hand in Raja Bell's face (6'5") on the 3pt attempts than JL3 (5'11"?) closing on Bell. Offensively, we're even worse, because imo, when the players swing the ball around, the shorter players have to be more wide open to be able to get a shot off. And even when guys make good plays for layups and stuff, they end up getting stuffed by the Amares and Marions of the world. I just wish Hayes was taller, but at the same time, Hayes shouldn't be playing center in this league. So in summation, I'd like to see lineups like the following: 1- Rafer or Head 2- Mac or Snyder 3- Battier or Wells 4- Jho or Hayes 5- Deke or Jho (man, we need another 5) For 2 games in a row, the Rockets have played smaller than usual, and for these last 2 games they've been outrebounded. It's harder to get to loose balls when your arms don't reach as far. It's harder to make crisp passes when your defender is taller and longer than you. And what JVG has been doing is putting a lineup of every single Rockets player being at size disadvantage vs their defender. So, what do you guys think? Do you think JVG fears Head at the PG that much even though Mac and Snyder can handle the rock? Do you think Head and Rafer are the best defensive combo the Rockets have in the backcourt? Maybe it's still because of the injuries...but I really hope that Rockets just abandon this small ball crap when the team is healthy. Not to say that the Rockets can't suceed at small ball, but I just think it's so much harder to do so than playing a tall and long lineup that can match up with the athletes on other teams.
I dont like small ball either, but its tough to justify not playing Head at the 2 if Wells and Snyder are hurt. Head actually plays good defense and rebounds well when he needs to. He doesnt have the ability to handle the ball calmly and doesnt see the floor well although he is improving. So its hard to put him at the point unless Tmac is initiating everything. So I guess I agree with you. But at this point its just so hard not to go small in the backcourt. And upfront we currently have no backup center. JVG needs some resources.
Great post! I hate small ball as well, especially since our smalls aren't quicker than the other teams "smalls". I think JVG hates Head at PG as he should. Head is pretty good at spot up shooting only. I think and hope what will happen is that the Rockets will end up picking up another PG backup for Alston. This will mess up with the line-up you posted because it pushes Head to the SG position. So we have an excess of SGs: Tmac, Snyder,Head, and possibly Wells. I think out of these 4, Snyder will be the odd man out (unless Wells goes in the doghouse). So in summation, Our line up will probably look like the following: 1- Rafer or (Atkins or Francis etc) 2- Mac or Head 3- Battier or Wells 4- Jho or Hayes 5- Deke or Jho (man, we need another 5) I dont see Snyder getting that many minutes unless he outplays Head for the spot. I think we will see the end to small ball.
Yeah, I understand it if Wells, Snyder, and T-Mac are hurt, but those guys should be healthy for the next game. I suspect Wells and Snyder were healthy enough for the Suns game. JVG forced D'Antoni's hand by playing small and forcing the Suns to put out Nash, Barbosa, Bell, Marion, and Amare. That was a mistake. I've had Boris Diaw for fantasy bball a lot, and he sucks most of the time. Diaw was sucking tonight and the Rockets forced Diaw out of the lineup in favor of Barbosa, who's a Rocket killer. In addition to that, we put midget on Bell, who just shot over him, and rested Deke for most of the 2nd half. Ziggy, how did you become a Rookie again?
I think JVG didnt go to the lineup I posted because both Wells and Snyder are returning from injury and he wanted to ease them in. Give them a couple of more games under their belt and I bet Wells will be seeing at least 30 min a game behind Battier while Snyder not so much.
TTRocket, but your lineup still gives a lot of time to the Rafer and Head backcourt. I just hate that backcourt combo. If another teams put 6'2" guards on T-Mac, I laugh at their stupidity, and yet we do that all the time to other teams. We all know Head sux at ball control, but I still think he can be the PG in a limited roll, along side T-Mac or Snyder (who both can handle the rock).
Head will exclusively play backup SG, for which he is yes admittedly small. But his shooting is pretty valuable to our team and he can't play PG so he is forced to play backup SG. I forsee Head only playing PG sporadically during the regular season but NEVER in the playoffs. That is a disaster. I shudder at the thought of Head going up against a tough full court press. So I guess there really is no way to completely avoid Alston/Head combo due to lack of depth/talent on our team. Our team is so dependent on 3pt shots that I dont really see Snyder taking over Heads spot.
Well, when I say Head at PG, I don't mean he should handle the ball exclusively. That's where TMac and Snyder would come in. Also, Head can't create his own shot. His 3's are usually off of Yao's double team kickout and rotates, or T-Mac's penetration rotation and kickouts. I just think having Head and Rafer back there is just to detrimental to the defense, especially if Yao or Deke isn't guarding the rim and grabbing the boards. Our 3pt dependency is based on Yao and Mac getting doubled. When Yao and Mac aren't in the game, we really shouldn't be that dependent on the 3 because the quality of 3pt looks just aren't the same.
I think the Rockets can matchup with the Suns/Mavericks but they still need to make a move for a 6'10ish PF/C who is atheletic and can play around the bucket. If they can make a move for a guy like Melvin Ely I'd run this 5 out on the court at one point during the game. PG - Tracy McGrady (offense always starts through him anyways) SG - Kirk Snyder SF - Bonzi Wells PF - Shane Battier C - Melvin Ely This lineup is small but big at the same time. You have a mix of outside shooting, postup, slashing, and defense. This would all be contingent on them being healthy of course. It's time to create matchup problems for them as opposed to the other way around.
Kim, small ball could work with the group of guys we have. I like the backcourt we have right now. Young, fast, gunners. They work well when either one of our top guys are healthy. But when they're both out, and having 2 other rotation guys depleted, what choice does JVG have? A lineup with Head,Rafer,JL3 is VERY workable if, but only IF we have 2 strong rebounders at the big positions. Deke is a strong rebounder, Juwan is not. Hayes is a good rebounder but severely undersized. If we had someone like Troy Murphy or Kenny Thomas etc, mid-priced guys with a decent midrange game and can still give you 10 rebounds nightly, I don't see why we can't run teams out of the Toyota Center with 3 small guards. Now, Snyder as a ball-handler...I don't buy it. He has good handles, but he is NOT a point guard. You can use him as a secondary option to bring the ball up when the PG is trapped and can't break free, but that's it imo.
I don't like the SmallBall lineup either. When the season started JVG had Battier penciled in at the 4 with Tmac at the 3. This allowed for minutes at the SG spot for someone else. Now that Battier and Tmac are the primary 2/3, and Head is getting minutes at the backup 2 guard spot that means the only swingman minutes available is at the backup SF spot. It seems JVG is either going to give Bonzi or Snyder those minutes. But they BOTH are not going to get minutes. Heck, Snyder only got 3 minutes last night! Without McGrady! It's obvious that JVG would rather not have Head play the backup PG position exclusively. Otherwise you could have Snyder and Bonzi be the backups at the 2/3. That's really the key.
I like small ball IF we have a full line-up: C-Yao PF-Battier SF-Tmac ("point-forward" with Head at the 1) SG-Wells/Snyder PG-Alston/Head (with Tmac handling the ball on offensely with Head) We have never had the full compliment healthy. I think we can and will go small/athletic at the 4 (Battier), but it really helps to have a big 2 like Wells to compensate on boards and overall size for switches. Against the Mavs, Suns and small Spurs line up (Duncan at the 5)--quickness and range at the 4 is a premium.
I actually don't mind that lineup. That's the type of lineup the Rockets need to combat the Mavs when they trot out: Nowitski, Josh Howard, Devon George, Stackhouse, and Terry. Battier, Mac, and Head/Alston provide the 3pt shooting while Yao and Wells/Snyder provides the inside presence and extra athleticism. This is what I fear. I was so happy with the offseason acquisitions because I thought Bonzi AND Snyder were going to play big roles on this team. I really think we need them both to compete in the playoffs.
Van Gundy seems to like size. But, I think he feels that because our chemistry has been so good since McGrady came back and we've been winning (before these last 2), that it's hard to justify messing up something that is working.
Small ball is OK, but no JL3. For some freakin' unknown reason, I hate that midget. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
Well, the guys are gunner and have high energy, but the team fast break isn't just very efficient. When we were winning, we weren't running teams out of the building by mastering the up and down game...we were stifling them on defense, grabbing the boards, pounding the half court, and fast breaking very selectively. During the Miami game (when the Rockets blew out the Heat), they played a lot of Head at the PG (with T-Mac of course), and even played a lineup of Snyder, Mac, Battier, Jho, and Yao. I know having Head as the exclusive backup PG (with limited ball handling duties) is problematic even with Mac and Snyder helping out. But personally, I think having a midget team is worse. I guess that's up to Morey and JVG to decide what's best when the team is fully healthy. I do know that earlier in the year, we didn't play a small backcourt nearly as much as we do now.
Kim, Good thread, tend to agree with you, but consider this as an experiment while some of our weapons are holstered..... IF JVG can throw out small ball for limited minutes in a change of pace/energy move I WOULD like it. I always chuckled at Don Nelson and the screwball matchups he would force you into. I just look at this small ball as one more tool in the box. The problem you well pointed out is the other tools are broken right now and we are way overusing the small ball, and we are getting exposed by it. I still think in the right playoff series, at the right time, it would be fun to watch the little guys go off on someone.....
Bonzi and Snyder have been injured and not in the rotation. I think there is room for both to be integrated. Barring a trade I see them splitting the SG minutes, with Head splitting the PG minutes with Alston (with Tmac or Snyder or Battier or another helping Head out with traditional PG offensive duties). JL3 and VSpan are not going to play meaningfull minutes down the stretch and in the playoffs if we get our squad healthy and integrated. JVG is just slow in adjusting his substitutions, and maybe wanted to see what he could get from JL3, but neither JL3 or VS will be in the picture this year when the games really matter.