lack of adaptation to the zone defense

Even before the zone defense was implemented, the Rockets were successful with excellent outside shooters. Kenny Smith was great. Mario Elie was clutch. Robert Horry could knock it down. Matt Bullard was an ace shooter. Hakeem was able to dish it out to numerous options to knock it down from outside. How can anyone defend that team? You couldn't collapse into the paint to just mug Hakeem. With zone defenses being implemented more and more to cut off the driving lanes to the basket and prevent easy layups, the importance of outside shooting in the league has been markedly increased. Look at the Mavericks. That team just has bunch of gunners from outside, and they started winning bigtime after the zone defense came into the NBA. The lopsided production at the guard position against the Kings was just indicative of how far the Rockets have gone away from their bread and butter.

The Rockets are average from the perimeter, but they can get really bad especially if JJ or Cuttino do not have their shots. Also, Van Gundy's defense is just horrendous against jumpshooting teams. The way the defense plays the perimeter is just horrid. How many losses against the Sonics, Grizzlies, Mavs, and Kings will it take before a change takes place? Van Gundy needs to retool this team. Steve is an Eastern Conference-type player now. He's like Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, and Baron Davis. He can't shoot worth a lick but he can get to the basket. That doesn't work in the West anymore. Look at Steve Nash and Bibby as the ideal example of a West point guard.

If the Rockets bring in a bunch of white guys who can only shoot but not play defense, I think the team can win more than if the team sticks with a bunch of brickers. Zone defenses hides defensive weaknesses of individual players. Don Nelson didn't wait for years to realize he could use it to his advantage. He immediately got gunners, and he implemented a zone defense. In the 1st year of the zone defense, the Mavericks set a franchise record for team wins. Kings set a franchise record for team wins in the same year. That's why the Rockets are mired in mediocrity. The team isn't adapting to the zone defense at all. Van Gundy is using a defense that works on 75% of the league, but it's the other 25% that kill the Rockets. It's also the 25% that are all in the playoffs too.

 

Tracy McGrady is in the Eastern Conference. Steve is in the West. This last game against the Kings was just futility watching the Rockets fight for every point while the Kings were just free and easy stroking from outside. Is it any wonder the Rockets looked so panicky at the end of the game? They had to depend on 3 pointers to catch up really quickly.

I've somewhat followed Bibby and Nash's careers, and they have always been pretty good outside shooters. Their careers have exploded since the zone defense was implemented. They are arguably the best players on their teams. The question is if Steve can actually get an outside shot at this point in his career.

 

Maybe this is a possible explanation for Steve's performance on the court. I think Steve's outside shooting is helped by his ability to excellent ability to drive to the basket. When he is driving to the basket and actually scoring, the defenses have to lay off more. That in turn allows him to get tons of open looks. I think the opposite is happening with guys like Bibby or Nash. Their primary scoring is with their outside shot. That outside shot ability is allowing them to get easy layups when defenders play tight. I don't know enough about Xs and Os to know why this is happening in the league, but I gotta think the zone defense is responsible for it somehow.

Look at the shot percentages of Allen Iverson, Baron Davis, and the other dominant streetballers in the East. These guys are shooting like Steve. Baron Davis has the same shot percentage.