A big complaint about the rockets is that they don't run enough. They never get easy shots for themselves by running out on a good fastbreak. I think one thing that really upsets me about our offense is that we never seem to get easy shots. A lot of times, the shots that we get seem forced or hurried. After watching the first two games, it's obvious that the Rockets can't/won't be a fast breaking team anytime soon. I think there is a definite pattern as to why the rockets are UNABLE to run a fast break. First, if you see Cato grab a board, he does that "I got the ball and ain't nobody gonna get this from me" ball craddle. You can't make a decent outlet pass off a rebound if you're going to cup the ball and bring it into your chest at all times. Maybe it's because he can't hold onto the ball, but if you ask any coach or any big man who was great at igniting a fast break, you can't bring the ball down once you get it. You have to keep it up high so you can turn and look to see - or better yet, know - where your teammates are so you can fire out an outlet pass to ignite a fast break. Secondly, as long as Francis continues to be a terror on the boards, we're never going to be able to run effectively. When your PG is getting rebounds, you'd hope that they would be the balls that end up around the top of the key or the three point line so he can get it and run down the court, but Francis, God bless his soul, is down in the paint competing for boards, so when he does grab one, he's not in a position to turn it into an "opportunity basket." The last point is that for everything good Francis can do with a ball in his hands, you can't tell me he has even an inkling of how to run a fast break. You get your butt in the middle of the court, give the ball up early so you can get it back. You don't take a crazy angle to the basket and then drop off a pass to an unsuspecting big man in a position where he's either going to walk, commit an offensive foul, or turn the ball over. For every criticism of Moochie, he does know how to run a break. That pass to Griff in the first half against Denver was perfect. Eddie didn't have to break stride, didn't have to put the ball on the floor, didn't have to think. He just got the ball and dunked it home. In the first half, when Boki actually played, he had a run-out after a rebound or turnover, and neither Francis or Mobley looked his way. So in essence a 3-1 or 3-2 fast break, if two of the three Rockets are Francis and Mobley, turns into a 2-1 or 2-2. They gotta learn to look for their other teammates. It's fundamental basketball. You make the good outlet pass, you get the PG in the middle, and you get guys filling the lanes.
The Rockets don't run the fast break is because they already have had enough broken bones. Right now, the offense looks like the fast brake. Where are you, Another Brother? We need a few laughs because the offense right now is....uh, lacking.
Defense, defense, defense. Rebounding and outlet passes do cause fastbreaks. But most fast breaks are caused from steals. We don't play defense to get any steals. We never really presure the ball.
Once again, I disagree. The Rockets blew a lot of outlet passes that would have been fast break points against Indiana. But at least they were making the effort to get the ball down the court. The Rockets have been running much more. They've just been committing a few too many offensive fouls on the break.
Offensvie fouls were caused by the one and only: Francis. He holds the ball too long....and just runs over his opponents.
