Lots of knee-jerk threads lately and it's easy get confused about what's the main issue for this team to make it significantly better. Some blame McHale for his allegedly poor coaching. Some think packaging Asik/DMo/Jones in a trade for either a proven PF or a perimeter defender will solve our problems. Some think we just need time to gel as a team. Some think the problem is lack of leadership from our stars. Some think Howard refuses to accept not being a good post-scorer and to just concentrate on PnR instead. Some think Harden isn't in it day in and day out from the effort and defensive points of view. So... Which one of these would you call the main issue for this team? Perhaps something else?
Lack of a leader on the floor, plain and simple. Not one player that holds everyone accountable for their lack of effort.
It takes time for a team to come together. The Rockets have yet settled into an identity, and the players don't yet have defined roles. That's natural considering how recently Howard joined them. I don't think any of our players are intrinsically so selfish they would not accept sacrifices for the better of the team. But they just have not reached a point yet where they have an agreed upon idea of what is best for the team.
I just think that the problem is the coaching... Dwight dominated during his orlando days not because he was better then it was, but as he puts it, they are better prepared at every game. he one thing that SVG does best is to prepare them every game for every opponent. this something I have not seen with this guys yet so far under mchale's tenure...
It's a breakdown of offensive and defensive discipline. Coaches can't get players to buy into the defensive or offensive principles, so that when pressured, players resort to anything-goes one-on-one. No one has a game plan on the court. No team adjustments on the court either. Don't they talk to each other? I mean even if the coaches don't coach, they have played enough organized basketball to know different strategies, right? smh
Coach Defense Bench Offense(Get rid of this whatever-you-want-to-call-it-gimmick?-offense) Some truth here. No identity. And nothing really to fall back on. If I were to ask you, what are the Rockets consistent at? What can they count on night in, night out? 3 point shooting? Shaky at best. Getting to the FT line? Sure, I suppose. They take the most FTs but 2nd to last in FT%. Big deal. I guess that they average over 100 a game? But they suck on defense and give most of it back. No trade is saving the Rockets. I guess give Morey credit there, ha. The cavalry isn't coming. Maybe I'll take it a step further: many think the simple solution is "Hey, just go get a third star!". Ha, yeah, as if that'll solve the problem(s). Throw a team of stars together! It'll work!!! Good stuff here too. One-on-one-iso-flailing-ball, as Shaq said a few weeks back, doesn't work and won't get you anywhere.
Gimmick offense is right No defense is the most obvious problem and the lack of coach emphasis is embarassing... the two comments ive heard the coaches say about defense are "its not coaching its the players" something like that and then yesterdays interview about "the shots aren't falling" after a terrible offense and defensive half. turribble
The coaching is so incredibly inconsistent. One game they stagger Harden's and Lin's minutes, and have success. Next game they move away from that, and have zero playmakers on the court for significant minutes, and lose the game. Next game, they again leave Harden and Lin on the bench, as Brooks or Beverley try desperately to get something going, but can't, passes to Parsons, who does a pump fake and drives to the basket, defense closes in on him, he passes to Casspi, who drives and throws up an airball.
Yes, we have a lot of issues, but our coaching alone will cost us home-court advantage in the first round.
I honestly believe this team can get to the 2nd round with bad coaching. I also believe that this team can also lose in the 1st round, with very bad coaching. I've seen monster games from Harden, Dwight, Parsons, Lin, and Jones. I've seen promise in DMo, Beverley and Casspi. Yet, I've also seen all of them disappear and play like garbage. It has to be the coaching. There's too much talent on this roster, to be anything less than a 4 seed.
1- A bench that can sustain a lead or at the very minimum keep is the Damm game. 2- one mean SOB coach
