Identity - that is the issue

Yao can not be the leader of this team unless he gets tougher. if he gets pushed out of his comfort zone in the post and guys dunking over him all the time, the team has to look for other ulternatives and pass the ball to someone that can do something with it.

Yao has to be mad all the time to be successful

 

I think you manufactured that quote there DD because I looked back and there wasn't a single "if".

There are no if's and's or but's. This is the best Rockets team in over 10 years. They aren't playing like it because they are going through problems...but I am confident many will agree with me not now, but in 3 months.

Thank god the NBA season is so long.

 

This is true. Yao has to stop blending in because when tracy isn't playing Yao puts on that toughness and agressiveness but as soon as tracy comes back Yao is passive and indifferent.



Ron play's the same way when Tracy doesn't play ron goes into the post he's throwing kevin garnett around and intimidating KG,He plays better defense. But as soon as tracy comes back ron camps out beyond the 3 point line,He plays no defense and is passive.




Same with rafer when tracy is out rafer plays agressive, He makes more shots than he misses.He runs the team,He doesn't turn the ball over,His defense is better and we win games.


But as soon as tracy coems back rafer just dribbles up the floor and waits for 3 pointers,he bricks more than he makes,He's non agressive passive and lukeworm.

 

Well, yes:

1) Tracy is not what he used to be, but he is playing better lately. Let's give him some time. If he remainds healthly for the rest of the season he should be a lot closer to what he once was by playoff time.

2) I don't know what is going on with Shane. I don't see any improvment.

3) Yeah, Yao has lost a lot, but he will be fine. If he stays healthly, he will be fine.

I do belive this year the bench makes up for the starters. Under JVG we needed our stars to be at their best and we needed them to carry this team, because we had NO BENCH. This year we can even win games with our 2nd unit, we have TALENT as well.

As fans we can't do much right now. All we can do is to wait and see. Let's see whan will happen after this season. Let's wait after the playoffs...I still belive something's great is gonna happen, at least I hope so.

 

Quit while you're ahead my friend.

If I bothered to wade through the 300 posts you average per week now I could probably find - surprise - something that, word-for-word, contradicts what you just said, much like you've done a complete reversal on the proper coaching style.

You have been pimping Landry, Scola, Brooks, Wafer ENDLESSLY....now you're claiming that they don't measure up to Juwan Howard, Chuck Hayes, , Ryan Bowen, Clarence Wetherspoon.

Shut up. Just shut up.

 

They will get it together. How do I know - because I see it at times...it's just a matter of building upon that game over game over game.

Takes time for a team to find itself...they just need the room and space to do it. That's why I say they are putting too much pressure on themselves and need to have a bit of fun.

They have everything, they just should have some fun.

That and Landry and Wafer need to learn how to play help defense.

 

I don't think that's the problem. The problem is they don't belief in themselves right now and they are frustrated. When you are frustrated, you will play poor basketball.

Right now, they are thinking way too much on the court...it's clear. THat's why the hesitate. Everyone is trying to do the right thing. You can do that but until it becomes natural, it's not going to look pretty.

Basketball, particularly the NBA of course, is such a fast sport. Fractions of seconds makes a difference between a wide open shot and having your shot blocked. It's a game of fractions of seconds and a centimeter here or there.

If there's any mental doubt about what you are doing, it will manifest itself.

This team has the commitment and the desire. They know what they are capable of. They are just underperforming and are extremely frustrated. And part of their problem is that frustration. It's not all of it, but it certainly is the part that makes them choke their at the end.

Adelman needs to take this team to Six Flags or something.

 

i still say it starts with swagger.....an identity is nice to have something to work with and a plan, but Boston may win 90% of game with D, but their offense has to overpower opponents at times as well. They have had a defensive identity before and lack of offense would often kill them. Being confident on one end only wont get it done, they need to KNOW they're better overall than the other team, they need that "i'm not gonna settle for this 3 because i know i can take you to the hole if i want " attitude...Mayo had it and that's why he can perform against anyone.

 

I definitely agree with that. And I know you're thinking an identity would enable them to go to that late in the game, and i agree with that too, but for example, if they want to be a Yao centered offense, then its not enough to just force fee him int he post. He needs to want it, he needs to go get it, and then he needs to believe he can shove it down the defender's throat every time.

 

This has always been the case with our team. We play our way for most of the game, our identity, posting Yao. Then the defense packs it in when it counts. They know we want to go to Yao but they won't lose to what's been killing them all game. That's why you saw all the threes, alot of them were open shots.

Ideally, a good team goes to it's best playmaker in the clutch. Unfortunately, our best playmaker is having one of the worst years of his career.

 

Exactly. And it happens EVERY SINGLE GAME. Even when we win, we always give up in the 4th. But this season, all those games we lost (should have won) are just pathetic.

Contenders? We shouldn't even enter the playoffs.

 

or Yao could just learn how to pin his man down and watch out for help defenders. Part of the reason, or the main reason, guys like Rafer, ron, and tmac launch those 3 is because they think they have a better shot at scoring that way than giving it to yao. That's because Yao has trouble when the defense collapses on him, which they usually do in the closing minutes. Once again Yao did well in the 4th, but it's always up to the 3 or 4 minute mark and then usually disappears...sometimes he shows up in the final minute or so, but he's pretty much AWOL in minutes 2 to 4.

 

this team needs an identity! this must be yao's team!
when yao came in the 4th quarter, and killing the memphis and cutting the deficit to just 4 pts, why the f**k they stopped feeding yao the ball???!!!
this should have been an easy win...but once again, fans, we r disappointed...
i saw yao say F**K at the end of the end...i can feel the frustration...
this is really the last yr of the experiment, if this rox can make any progress in the playoffs, yao will be gone when his contract expires...
so PLZ give this team an IDENTITY...