We paid 20m+ for a multiple DPOY award winner, the expectations have to be more than "VERY possible that the rockets could see an improvement in defense". C'mon.
Elite perimeter defense over rim protector any day. Should of gone after Iggy and I am sure out defense would be way better.
Wonder what it would like without the Clippers game. No question we struggle defensively compared to our talent. We need better coaching, and Harden to buy in.
LOL okay dude you should just change the thread title to "I'm telling you how it is and that's all there is to it", because you obviously aren't looking for anyone to explain anything to you. OF COURSE there are expectations for a jump with Dwight on the team, but nobody expected us to be the best team in the league over night. Just chill out for a second and wait for the season to unfold. This team is not a finished product and it will take time for them to adjust to playing with their new teammate.
Actually torocan explained it quite nicely. i don't see the team as is to make much of an improvement. In order to get to a top 10 defense, the conclusion from the data is either a coaching change or Parsons trade.
I think there is a agenda: bash on Dwight and say he's overrated defensively. He might not be the best on offense, but if you have watched the Rockets play, you would know where the problems on defense are coming from and it's damn sure not Dwight.
I use to feel like this but Howard showed me last game he can be dominant, Wish there was a way we could have got both. Iggy only got $11mill from GS so if we would have got rid of asik this summer. I think he would have took $10 to come here. If howard would have took $2mill less at $20mill a year. That would have made us contenders in the west this year and next.
Not necessarily. In theory, just the running of defensive sets in practice (reps) will improve defense. The coaches cracking down on individual player habits (like over helping, ball watching, over gambling, and moving to contest) will improve defense. And of course more player effort on defense will improve defense. There is a LOT that can improve with just improving the fundamentals of help defense. That can be improved further through breaking bad habits like standing stiff legged, not raising one's hand to contest, and not keeping hands out horizontally to increase one's floor footprint. Of course there's a ceiling in terms of defensive talent, but that would only be meaningful if the players were executing defensive fundamentals near their maximum potential. As it stands now the Rockets team defense is probably operating at 25% or less of what they COULD be doing with the Roster they have right now. The questions are whether the coaches are emphasizing defense in practice and whether the "leaders" of the team have bought in and the players as a whole are holding each other accountable.
Dwight is one person..he can't cover for everyone else that is lazy on defense especially more so certain players. team defense is only good if everyone is committed to it..if one person isn't then it won't ever work no matter who you have around them
Theoretically yes, but looking at how the coaches have handled this doesn't give me confidence. Case point is Chandler Parsons regression in his defense, I don't know too many players who have become worse on defense from their rookie season, that has to be an indictment on the coaching staff.
You know what's funny? Luis Scola (offense) and Chuck Hayes (defense) at PF would probably be perfect fits for this current team.
Your reasoning is flawed in many ways. 1. We do NOT have the same players as last year. We lost Del3no, who's a solid defender. Garcia is supposed to be as good, if not better. But he has not been playing up to par so far due to injuries. PPat is also an above average defender, way better than Cassipi. 2. Even if we do, you're making a BIG assumption that the same players play the same level of defense as last year. I'm not a stat guy. But from my eye test, I can see that's not the case.
If the refs are going into ticky tack mode, it becomes difficult for Dwight to be an instinctive (ontop of being explosive) and aggressive defender.
Ok H.O. Ok Hakeem Olajuwon hasn't gotten to his point just yet. We still have a LONG season ahead of us...
Couple of things: 1. Yes, Dwight is a great defender, probably the best in the league. 2. Still, he isn't that big of an upgrade over Asik, who is top-5 or close as a defender himself. 3. We cannot be an elite defensive team if we don't rebound better on defense. If Dwight is challenging the shot and gets out of position, others have to step up and secure the miss. 4. We cannot keep turning the ball over this much. It gives the opponent plenty of easy baskets. 5. If we are gambling this much on the perimeter, we have to be able to force turnovers. We are one of the worst teams in that. 6. As stated, our EFG-% defense is great, it was top-3 before the Dallas game and should get back up there again. 7. The sample size is still pretty small. 8. Lakers have also a very different lineup than last year. Nash (one of the worst defenders) hasn't played much. Kobe doesn't defend until the playoffs, if even then and has yet to play.
