[ESPN/TrueHoop] Good news/bad news for the Rockets

Ditto. I've seen everyone go back to the McGrady days where they all just stand around like stuffed animals. All of them are doing it.

 

Good news: Not many team can keep it close when playing back to back against Lakers and Suns.

 

I thought adelman didnt wanna ruin the chemistry looks like it ruined itself

i'd rather buddinger start over ariza or battier...probably battier

 

Yeah, I've noticed a lack of the same hustle that Scola used to show last year. He isn't fighting for the rebounds like he used to, his post game seems to be limited to one move over and over, with the occasional left hand once every couple games and he has fallen in love with 20 ft shot. I love Scola but either the NBA has gotten wise to his style of game or he seems to be not trying like he used to.

Either way, the team is missing his production.

 

That goes to the "good stats on a bad team" senario if Brooks shoots better but the team plays worse. He was great at scoring in some games, but 10ast/12TO as the starting PG definitely doesn't make the team better in a big picture. And it's not going to be the winning formular in a long run, unless there is another player who plays PG and shift him to SG on offense, switch them on defense.

 

When you are told to be more aggressive and score, I dont think an article about how guys are trying to do it all themselves is pointing to that guy. Brooks isnt waving off Scola who has good post position. He isnt ignoring Ariza slashing thru the lane wide open for a dunk shot. Ariza and Battier aren't moving as much, creating even more pressure on Brooks or Scola to do something.


Nice try in your attempt to kick Brooks in the shin....er...guess for him that would be his waist.

 

Oh my gosh... very cute idea..

 

When 3/5ths of your starting lineup can't hit the broad side of a barn it makes your assist totals go down. Heck, Hayes blew his assist last night, got his own rebound, and put it in. No dime for Brooks, but 2 pts for the Rockets. On a very nice play that he set up for his teammate.

Good stats on a bad team also generally means you arent shooting the ball that well. You are just volume shooting because nobody else is there to shoot. You gotta get over your archetypal PG stuff. It really can hinder your enjoyment of the Rockets this year.

 

Yeah see post 40, I should have been more clear on my post

 

I'm wondering, just a little, whether the untold story of this last 3-game stretch has been a collective reaction to McGrady leaving the bench/locker room for good. While these guys were meshing, could it have been a message from players to management that 'we can play great without your recuperating superstar', so now that he's gone, there goes with him the conscious/unconscious motivation to demonstrate their collective ability on the floor?
It definitely looks like a different group of players out there. And if these guys start putting down half-court roots, there's no way they can play with the league's hosses. I might be more inclined to start Budinger in place of Ariza for a while to try to get the legs back in motion, and give Ariza a chance to observe what works from a courtside seat perspective. He's not in a position to demand much as it is.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Right on target post.

-----------------------

1. Patience. Like many have said, and it cannot be stressed enough. The team WILL improve and with a McGrady trade looming that will likely bring in important, unknown pieces, don't get too down over such a small sample set. Ariza is learning how to handle an increased load. He will play better, I just hope it comes when we need it.

2. We need a big man. Plain and simple. This team is overachieving without a 7 footer. Andersen doesn't seem to be the backup C answer, IMO.

 

I tend to disagree a bit. I think he will be just fine as a backup center once Yao is back. If we keep landry coming off the bench, you want the paint open, which Andersen can do (since he likes the mid range jumper). If you have a really big guy down below, like Yao, they arnt going to move out of the lane as much, which means another defender under the basket. His D has been getting better over the season, and hopefully he can find his 3pt shot, if not, he can make those long 2s.

Of course if there was someone better than Andersen for the money I'd take it, but with Yao as our franchise player we don't need to be spending 10m on a back up.

To argue with myself, a good center that would be a starter on some teams would be nice to keep Yao's minutes down during the regular season.

 

Ariza has turned into a ball stopper, another T-mac without the ability. Take him out of the equation and we'll see the selfless motion once again.

 

I think its something got to do with Ariza. His body language lately and the way he demands for the ball has been somewhat a disruption to our offense.

Ariza's attitude somewhat cause a chain reaction to our offense to the other starters.

Plus, Battier need to start making some open shots. I'm tired of seeing him miss a wide open three over and over again.

 

RA needs to either start Chase over Shane or Landry over Scola, at this point he can't bench Ariza or someone's feelings will get hurt, and with tha attitude of his it won't be good for the team.

 

Arizapologists, face it, you guys can try to spread the blame, but just watching the game and Ariza's treatment of his teammates, the blame is mostly on him.

 

Nobody is waiving off nobody on this team. Ariza is told to be aggressive too, even Chuck Hayes is more aggressive this year around basket. But as a PG, take care of ball and find/create open shots for teammates is part of his job description. Otherwise don't call him a PG.

AB's scoring is much needed on this team, but when he's not as hot as he likes to be, he doesn't make the matter easier for his teammates either.
For example in that Laker game, Lowry had 6 assists in 19 minutes, AB had 3 in 38 minutes. And AB was not making shots in that game either.

When every other starter is having a career low or near career low on your team, some blame should go to PG, because that means he didn't make matter easier for them.

Nash as PG makes everybody's FG% go up, AB as PG does the opposite so far.

 

I enjoy the Rockets this year， and I think AB has improved a lot from last year. But that doesn't make him blame free when other players are all getting blamed for team's loss.

So far Ariza, Battier, Hayes, Scola are all having a career low or near career low in FG%, that means :

1) Yao's value is undeappreciated
2)AB's playmaking skill needs to improve a lot.

I think both played a role.

 

Battier and Ariza's poor shooting is not Aaron Brook's fault. Battier is missing WIDE open threes, and Ariza is too for that matter. They both are just shooting really poorly right now.

 

But thats not the point of the article. The article paints a picture of guys trying to do too much, and you thought it meant Brooks due to his shooting the most shots. I pointed out that he is supposed to do so. You counter with your tired ole "if the shot aint fallin he gives us nothin" argument. Which does not change the fact that when Brooks had a third scorer in the starting lineup with him he got 10 assists. His starting cast has one player who can finish reliably, and thats scola. Ariza is nice if you can catch him on the break, but he does not slash as much as he should. He stands behind the 3 line wondering why the ball does not swing to him like he is the old #1.