[I'm ignorant] Educate me on Silas' offensive system

https://theathletic.com/3132670/202...nalyzing-the-rebuild-with-an-assistant-coach/

Last month, while I was in San Antonio watching the Rockets take on the Spurs, I found myself fixated on the activity happening on the sidelines and, more importantly, head coach Stephen Silas.

Typically, a showdown with two teams hovering at the bottom of the Western Conference wouldn’t yield much, especially two clubs in rebuilds — or would it? The Spurs are one of the few teams in the league that grant media members great game seats. Because of that privilege, I thought it would be interesting to watch Silas roam the sidelines, seeing how he operated against a legendary figure in Gregg Popovich. (Houston won the Jan. 12 fixture, 128-124.)

There are many different parts to a rebuild as the Rockets are currently knee-deep, but at the end of the day, the majority of folks care about what the on-court product looks like. Right now, using that notion to break down a 15-41 team would be unfair — Houston’s players are still young and fairly inexperienced compared to their more established peers — but that doesn’t mean this season is for naught. There have been — or at least should be — early takeaways, trends and developments to track for usage later down the line. That’s the whole point of this, right?

I originally wanted to call this section “Offense Demystified.” Houston ranks in the bottom third of the league on that side of the floor, checking in with an 107.0 offensive rating (27th, per Second Spectrum). They’ve lost nearly three times as many games as they’ve won, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but that’s why we watch and analyze these games: to see exactly what goes on.

If I was to compile a list of Houston’s main offensive objectives this season (in no particular order), it would look something like this:

• Determine whether or not the Kevin Porter Jr./point guard experiment is a fruitful endeavor.
• Begin the development process of Jalen Green as a scorer/playmaker, and see if there’s a future that has both him and Porter in it.
• Identify Alperen Sengun’s skill floor and how others can potentially fit around him.
• Construct a solid offensive game plan that can be continually added to and fleshed out.
• Come to terms on the Christian Wood equation; is he here for the long haul or not?

If we’re being honest, we’ve seen bits and parts to these points of emphasis this season. Porter has had games in which he’s struggled mightily, just as he’s had games where he looks like he can be the lead playmaker for this group. Green has shown flashes of his scoring potential and his athleticism, but has also shown his age and inexperience at this level. Sengun is talented and is a good enough passer where, by some point, Houston’s offense should be consistently better with him simply being on the floor, but still needs work on his fast-twitch skills and becoming viable further away from the basket. Wood wasn’t moved at the trade deadline despite interest from teams, so you would figure the Rockets still want him to stick around.

But what about the offense itself? What can you realistically glean from a bottom-tier offensive unit? Let’s head to the tape.

Silas was hired in Houston off the strength of his offensive panache. He’s worked with a multitude of gifted players as an assistant, and while most of his work in those days was behind the scenes, folks around the league haven’t shied away from his aptitude in that department. Since coming to the Rockets, he’s essentially seen his job turned inside out with a veteran roster stripped bare and replaced with bright-eyed young talent. That is no easy task, not in this day and age. Because of that, Silas wanted a diverse coaching staff. From John Lucas to Rick Higgins, there are a number of experienced coaches with different mindsets, strengths and weaknesses. The day-to-day job might be a collective effort, but on game night, it’s Silas who is tasked with handling things big picture.

Has it been perfect? No, of course not. Rebuilds are tricky, which is why patience has been preached. He’s been guilty of trying a lot of things this season, giving minutes to some veterans who clearly weren’t in Houston’s long-term plans and toying with his rotations for months. All of it is a process, and fans should understand that, but it’s one thing to say that and another to actually sit through an entire season. That’s a long time! I get why some folks are fed up in the now, even though they know what the long-term goal is. Losing sucks, no matter how you slice it or dress it up with promises of the future. I get it.

Shifting back to the Spurs game, that January fixture showed me a number of things about Houston’s offense — which I think will be much better in Year 2 — but two plays in particular caught my attention.

Now, the Rockets are not a particularly efficient team in the half court, and that, of course, applies to plays coming out of timeouts. (figures taken from ShotQuality.com)

Efficiency After Timeouts
Team | ATO Shot Quality PPP | Rank
Dallas Mavericks | 1.2 | 1st
Boston Celtics | 1.15 | 2nd
Philadelphia 76ers | 1.15 | 3rd
Chicago Bulls | 1.13 | 4th
Miami Heat | 1.13 | 5th
Houston Rockets | 1.03 | 24th
Detroit Pistons | 0.94 | 29th
Indiana Pacers | 0.91 | 30th

Even by looking at that table from a glance, it makes sense why Houston is ranked 24th in ATO (after timeout) efficiency. The teams at the top of the charts like the 76ers and Heat are expected to make postseason runs. The Rockets, Pistons and Pacers are not.

But this nifty third-quarter possession made me sit up.

Vid

 

Because of my seat, I could see Silas motioning to the guys on the floor before the play commenced. He made a money sign with his right hand as Porter walked over to the baseline, which gave me the impression that this was one of Houston’s go-to plays. All ATOs have the same end goal — to score, duh — but some take longer than others, have more branches than others. The Spurs looked completely caught by surprise with this play; with three Rockets in what appears to be a bunch formation, Eric Gordon setting a quick screen for Green who darts to the rim, receives the inbound and flings it to a wide open Wood in the strongside corner. The shot is missed, but the play’s a thing of beauty. Seeing this in real time was one thing, but understanding the why was even more critical.

“Our most common baseline out-of-bounds alignment forces opponent centers to choose defending the rim or weakside corner 3,” assistant Will Weaver told The Athletic. “Back cuts or slips from the three-man game at the free-throw line punishes switching. This clip highlights our big guards’ ability to see and make difficult passes and the unselfishness we play with when we’re at our best.”

A fully formed Rockets offense, perhaps by Year 3 or 4, will want to punish teams with picking their poison. One huge reason why they like having Wood on the floor is his ability to stretch the floor against slower matchups. It’s their ace in the hole, their get-out-of-jail card. As long as Wood has to be accounted for, Houston’s offense has wrinkles you just can’t account for at times.

Another play in the next Spurs game that caught my attention was one that showed Silas’ creativity and trust with some of his weapons.

There should be some optimism about Houston’s half-court offense viability in the future. Per ShotQuality, they are 19th in half-court points per possessions (PPP) with 0.89, on par with teams like the Bucks and Clippers. The gap between them and being league average isn’t as vast as you would think, just 0.3 PPP. This is a young, quick, athletic bunch that is top five in attacking the rim, pace and free-throw rate. Where the growth will come is in their finishing ability once they get there — an aspect that involves reps, IQ and physical improvement.

Garrison Mathews, since joining the Rockets, is having the best season of his career. He’s averaging 11.2 points per game and shooting 37.3 percent from deep on more than six attempts per. You look at those numbers and you instantly go to sharpshooter. Where Silas and the coaching staff have taken it a step further is making Mathews a threat, with his motion/gravity and even — in rare situations like below — with the ball in his hands.

The clip cuts Silas’ instructions to Porter as he brings the ball up the floor, but you can catch the tail end of it. Silas called for “22,” which Porter relayed to the rest of his teammates. Watch Mathews in the left corner. For a brief second, it looks like Josh Christopher is going to come off a double drag, but he stops and cuts across to the opposite corner. Mathews shows and relocates to the left corner before springing off a Sengun screen to get the ball in rhythm from Porter. He’s able to move well off the catch, keep Derrick White in jail (who actually does a solid job staying with the play) and convert the floater.

Vid

“Well defended by the Spurs, but staggers are typically set for a shooter by two bigs,” Weaver said. “Here, Garrison and Josh can attack the likely switch by slipping, back cutting or screening their own defender, and Alpi cleans up whoever doesn’t go to the rim. That action also often ties up weakside defender’s help to give Scoot the chance to drive one-on-one.”

Yes, this season hasn’t been the most aesthetically pleasing Rockets offense you’ve ever seen. But if you sift through the 15-41 rubble, there are things that should give you hope. Silas and his staff are well-equipped to handle these young players. From training camp, they preached a simplified approach, slowly adding to the packet as the season goes along. That was said about defense, but it surely applies to offense, as well. Porter will improve. Green will improve. The young players will grow.

Just be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

 

This is why the Wood haters just do not understand just how critical he is to Silas system.

But at same time it is so confounding why Rockets chose to sign Theis instead of Olynyk who has the skillset to provide similar offensive threat that Wood does.

Olynyk and Wood ensures that there is always a 5 on floor that will ensure a successful 5 out offense can be implemented every minute of entire game.

 

There is no real system, it is crappy and they are lucky to stay in close games.

Wood belongs on the Miami Heat where he can learn how to be a tough guy and not some soft wuss.

The thing about Wood is that he is 26, soon 27, and he has never tasted the Playoffs.

That is pretty rare for someone who is averaging a Double Double. He has to make the most out of his career.

 

Wood turned 26 five months ago.

And no one said he was a cornerstone player.

But his skillset is what makes the 5 out work.

 

I get that he still has this scared rabbit mindset that someone will trade him or waive him, it is difficult to get it out his system.

Just because something works, does not mean it is good enough because half of the league is running the same stuff.

The positive about him is that he is shooting a solid 37% from 3 and that is not going to go away soon.

A unicorn is someone who shoots the 3, handle the ball with dexterity and still dominate the inside every damn game, Wood is half a unicorn.

 

Absolutely no one has called Wood a unicorn.

Let's not move the goal posts.

Wood is simply a complementary piece on a winning team.

But he will never be the best player on a winning team.

CF expectations for him are unrealistic.

 

Then you have to move him, and find his replacement, majority wants him gone...

Paying him even regular money is prolonging the inevitable, he might be even regressing on a bad team.

Does not help the Rockets or Wood the player.

 

Never follow the mob mentality.

Mobs are stupid AF.

 

LOL at silas system.. as if he has invented the system himself...

 

i am not moving anyone before steven silas is fired...

 

mobs may be stupid, but not stupider than stephen silas

 

Let's call it a tie then.

After Jan 6th, we all should know better than to side with mobs.

 

The Stephen Silas offense in our last game (10/26 vs Utah) reminded me of minor-league baseball. It's a game that counts in the standing, but there's always a game within the game. If there's a hitter from the majors out there, he's just working out. His play does not regard the final outcome; he's playing for his own self-interests.

Last night several trigger-happy guys (Porter and Gordon come to mind) got the ball in iso situations and just fired up the first look they saw. There was zero thought about how the ball might be moved to get an even better shot... Lots of walking and fanning out to the edges of the FT line. How is this any different from a major league pitcher that drops down to the minor leagues and works on specific pitches? No fastballs only curves.

Super strange for the NBA though. Were we instructing guys to fan out and prefer iso situations if possible?

 

It’s not exactly a thing of beauty.

 

Whatever his system is, I refuse to believe it is what is on display from the Rox right now, ie no system at all. I’m willing to be patient and give him more time.

If he’s truly inept as some make him out to be, silver lining is we’ll have a high lotto pick again. Tankers will be happy.

 

Silas:'I can sum our offensive system with one word: Nothing! Everybody is doing something. We'll do nothing. KPJ dribbles the ball for 20 seconds and takes a bad shot. There is our offense'

 

I think maybe he was telling the truth that he didn’t want to implement his system too soon to make things too complicated for the kids. But let’s see if things improve.

 

He's acting like he's coaching a team of 6-year olds. These kids probably played on teams where many plays were run prior to being on the Rockets, so I am sure they're capable of playing in a "system" with plays.

 

I'm very much offended that this chaos be called a system.
Does that count? If so, it works beautifully.