I need to understand why Rudy has not decided to implement a more trapping defense in the half court like other teams do to take the ball out of key player's hands. We have the athletes, so why aren't they being used? ------------------
Perhaps when Cato is back. Mango ------------------ Lets get the Mo Go working! Test Your NBA Trade Ideas 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated!
I understand needing Cato for the full court trap Mango, but I'm speaking more about trapping on the perimeter in the half court game with Taylor, KT, and the perimeter guys. ------------------
Since75, are you wanting us to use the defense that our opponents use on us? Is that what you are asking. Because I was going to say the same thing as Mango, if you are talking about a full or half-court Trap. Note, the defense against us is pretty much designed for the Rockets. I wouldn't expect it to work as well on other teams, and I don't expect it to work on us very well for much longer. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited December 28, 2000).]
Usually when you trap it's a dead give away that the your team's weakness is being trapped. We shouldn't expose a weakness until we've got a remedy for it. Every team has a weakness, but the key is who hides it better. I would suggest that Rudy is trying to cover up a sore spot...plus with Williams in the line up everything would break down. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
HeyP, yes I'm talking about the same type of D teams employ against us. What's wrong with trapping a guard and taking the ball out of his hands thereby disrupting the teams offense. I'm only speaking of a half court trap or a double team on the ball when a player has it on the wing. I don't really think that the Rockets are any more predisposed to being trapped than any other guard run team. I'm simply tired of the Rockets losing their minds and not be able to function it seems when they face a trap. My knowledge of the game has always been that a team that presses or traps does'nt like to be trapped or pressed. I do agree and have said so in the past that Cato is key to a full court press. Not as much in a half court trap. If I'm wrong please set me straight. ------------------
1) Mo seems to get in early foul trouble. 2) Dream has his minutes rationed by Rudy. 3) Dream is not the same defensive force that he was in the mid 90's. 4) KT at the 5 spot means defensive limitations inside. 5) Walt lacks in athleticism compared to young players such as Rashard or TMac. 6) "Small Ball" also means that long arms aren't on the court. 7) Quickness goes a long way, but some size would help. Change a few of the factors above and the Rockets could try a few traps. Until then, they will continue to circle the wagons and support on interior defense. Mango ------------------ Lets get the Mo Go working! Test Your NBA Trade Ideas 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated!
Even if you only want to trap on the perimeter, you need a shotblocker like Cato inside because the trap can always be broken, leaving the other team with the opportunity for layups. ------------------
I say Cato is a key to any Trapping D, not because we need a shotblocker to anchor the trap (like he's really a shotblocker ). I say Cato is the key, because that is what Rudy has done. Everytime we have trapped a guard at the half court line, Rudy used Cato as the trapper, much like he used Garnett in the Olympics. Cato was the point man. I have yet to see a trap without Cato. I view the aggressive high traps against us as the NBA stumbling upon a gimmick defense that we haven't responding to, yet. Once one team does it successfully, many will follow. View it as a good sign that the NBA needed to find a gimmick defense to stop our early season 4th Q success. Note that everything we do successfully to win games will get shutdown by certain defenses. The growth of a team is to learn responses to every to defensive responses. You can't really practice for it, until you see the defenses. For instance, let's say our offense in the 4th was Mo, not the guards. The defenses would be doubling Mo from several angles, and that would be shutdown by certain defenses. We'd have to learn to beat the doubles of Mo then, and the board would be yelling for Mo's head after each loss, instead of Mobley. My point it: be patient. When learning a new offense (which we are doing), your most successful plays will be stopped, and you'll need to learn to respond. Right now, they are stopping the Moochie pnr, and shortening our overall time clock by making the guard work on getting the ball up court. We'd be frustrated at Mo right now, if the defenses were designing themselves around stopping him. I am not a big advocate of scraping something before learning a response, especially against such a gimmick defense. In other words, I am not a big advocate of giving up when the defenses have you down. The team loses confidence in the system if they can't find a winning response to a defensive clampdown. Here's a little speculation for ya. I still look for more Mo and Kenny as high post playmakers.
I agree and I understand Mango and Steve Francis about the need for a shot blocker,however, can anyone tell me who Seattle's shot blocker is or any of the other teams that trap on defense occasionally? My point is that I want to take the ball out of the hands of dominant guards like Payton and others much like teams do to Steve and Cuttino. ------------------
Plug in Rashard for Walt and the Rockets would better be able to trap. Cat, Francis, Shandon have better than average speed. Walt, Mo, Dream and KT lack in either foot speed or the long arms to help force on a trap. Heypartner mentioned Cato as the player to force the issue on a trap. The only other players on the roster that might fill the bill are Dan and Carlos. Neither one has had enough minutes this season to work a defensive trapping scheme into a game plan. When Rudy does the small ball of Mooch, Francis and Cat, they are lacking in overall size. Get any duo of Dan, Carlos and Cato into the regular rotation, then the Rockets would have more suitable players on the floor to implement a trap. Mango ------------------ Lets get the Mo Go working! Test Your NBA Trade Ideas 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated!
Hey mango, you mind if I make a nitpicky correction here? It is more accurate to say that Rudy mentions Cato as the player to force the issue. I'm just reporting it. by the way: I hate NitWitz. Don't know why, but something just made me say that this Saturday. Where's Dr. Nuegenwitz!
