Okay, it's halfway through the season now, so for those who have been saying versions of " it's too early to tell about player X, wait 10 more games.." etc, I suspect it's been enough time to assess these guys on their performances so far... ***In that there have been so many injuries, many will have an incomplete. However, for those who have played for a reasonable amount of time, I will give both an incomplete ( to acknowledge that they have been affected by injuries, and that their grade is on a lesser amount of playing time) and a grade for their performance during the time they have played.*** Player Grades: * Tierre Brown * C * Decent in minutes played. Nothing special either way. * Kelvin Cato * C+ * Is actually showing effort, although it has still been far too erratically. FT's need a lot of work, but all in all an improvement this year. Has mixed well with Griffin up front. Although erratic, for the most part has been one of Rockets best defenders so far. * Jason Collier * Incomplete* *Steve Francis * Incomplete* B * Clearly the difference maker. Has been erratic at times, and his decision making has been questionable, but this may be due, at least in part, to his on-and-off injury/headache problems.Turning the ball over too much. There have been few games he's played when he hasn't been the best Rocket on the floor. As oft noted, is the only player in the league to lead his team in scoring,rebounding, and assists, although this says as much about our big men as it does Francis. Hopefully will settle down, and avoid medical difficulties, in second half. If so, may well establish himself as the best all around point guard in the NBA. Defense is still biggest drawback... *Eddie Griffin* A- * All things considered, has progressed faster than could have been expected, given age. Saw frustratingly limited minutes for first 10-15 games, but has since established himself as a cornerstone of the franchise. Hasn't shown enough mid-range game yet, although the frequency ( lack thereof) with which he gets the ball in this position is a large, and incomrehensible factor, but has been way better outside than expected. Is already the best defender amongst those getting major minutes, and the team's best rebounder to boot. Will get serious consideration for ROY, if he continues at current pace, or ( dare I say it) improves in the second half. Has probably become the Rockets second best player, on most nights, after Francis.Comes through in crunch time. *Dan Langhi* Incomplete * *Cuttino Mobley* C+ * Has been arguably team's most erratic player, brilliant at times, out of control at others, often on the same night. Has fallen into the shoot-first mentality even more as his days as a point guard seem long forgotten. Hitting his threes. Ability to blow by defenders with electric first step has been hampered by nagging lower body problems, and without that ability has proven much easier to guard...teams press him knowing he'll shoot. Has carried the team on some nights, however, and if health concerns ease, and without the burden of carrying the team in Francis' absence, may well return to the more natural role as second scorer with aplomb. Defense has been erratic, although the ability is there, the effort often isn't... *Terrence Morris* C- * Although improving, has yet to show that he was worth a 1st rounder. Defense hasn't been equal to billing, although the signs are there. Shot has been mostly awful, but is getting better as he gets more playing time. When he is on, he shows evidence of becoming the point forward the Rockets haven't had since Rodney McCray, aside from the brief Days of Whine and Pippen. Could have the biggest improvement in grade in second half. *Moochie Norris* C+ * Despite all the criticism about his style, is actually posting better assist and turnover numbers than Francis, per minutes played. Rivals Mobley and Thomas for most erratic player honors, as he has been the best player on the floor some nights, and the lightning rod for fans' frustration on others. Continues to behave as though he'll be paid per dribble, but has been Rockets best clutch performer thus far, with apologies to Griffin. Defense doesn't interest him, it seems, but probably hasn't been as bad on offense as his critics would have you believe, considering that he has been asked to do more than he is suited for. *Glen Rice* Incomplete * D- * Only does one thing well, shoot, and he didn't. Oh, yeah...he shot free throws at an 80% clip, so can't give him an 'F'...When he played he got heavy minutes, but didn't respond to Rudy's faith in him. Doesn't defend, pass, or rebound better than most bench warmers. Rockets' biggest disapointment, player wise, this season. At least he hasn't become the cancer some observers ( myself included ) feared. Showed up out of shape, and health concerns soon followed... *Kenny Thomas* B * Tweener has been a pleasant surprise, overall, although he is probably best suited to coming off the bench, as his very erratic play demonstrates. Has carried the team on some nights, especially during Francis' injury. Rebounding well enough to avoid one-dimensional tag, but not enough for a starting 4, and doesn't beat 3's with his 1st step, his best weapon. Defense is on and off ( mostly off ) and he seems to dread passing, particularly to other post players. As with Moochie, his play should be considered in light of the fact that he is being asked to do more than he is suited for. *Oscar Torres* B- * Got very hot for a while early, but has seen his minutes and play drop off dramatically with return of Francis, and improvement of Griffin and Morris. Still, one of the few highlights so far this season, and has shown flashes of becoming a good player, although the Drexler comparisons are a stretch.Much better when the team runs, really bogs down in a half-court set. Defense is fair to good, for a rookie. Might be most eligible to see grade fall in second half, however... *Walt Williams* C+ * Probably better suited as a key reserve on a veteran playoff team, but has performed admirably at times this season, despite having been an afterthought in most fans' minds coming in. Almost half of his shots have been beyond the arc, as he has filled the role that Rudy loves, the sniper. and is shooting almost 40% from deep. Has really fallen off as a ball handler, though, and was never much of a defender. *Kevin Willis* B- * Old Man Reliable has really seen his minutes fall off since the emergence of Griffin, but performed yeoman's service for a frontcourt depleted team early on. One of the team leader's, is probably partly responsible for Griff's development and Cato's improved play. Still best banger on club, but has always been a Black Hole on offense.All things considered, though, has performed at least as well as could have been reasonably expected, given age and lateness of addition to team. Gets beaten by quick moves down low, but at least he's out there trying, a rarity for this crew... And, although this is less tangible, I will wander into the minefield of... Management Grades: *Coaching* C- * Yes, he's been hit hard by injuries, but Rudy hasn't responded yet. Might really rally the team for a second half run, but so far this team has looked distracted, dispassionate, and disunited. Offensive sets have been frustratingly repetitive and unimaginative, and the team isn't playing team ( or individual, for the most part ) defense either. Is living up to the billing the Big Three team had of a collection of individuals rather than a whole, but without the talent. Still, Rudy has always been at his best performing with his back to the wall, so he could still turn things around. While he has received a lot of criticism for his reluctance to play Morris and especially Griffin early on, who's to say that the latter's remarkable ascension isn't at least in part due to being eased in? Whether it's that the players' arent' listening, or that he's preaching the wrong things so far, Rudy has to bear the responsibility for a lot of the team's poor 1st half. *Upper management* C+ * At least as uneven a performance as the likes of Moochie, Mobley and Thomas. Fantastic moves like the trade for Griffin and the addtiton of Torres, combined with horrible moves like the acquisition of Rice, or ill-fated decisions like signing Taylor to big bucks, or questionable ones like not really going after Webber make it seem implausible that the same group has made all these decisions. Some have been bold and aggressive, others timid and safe, with the end result probably having something to do with this team's lack of an indentity so far. However, the most significant positive step, Griffin, may well turn out to be one of the franchise's best ever, and 5 years from now people may look back on this off-season as The Year We Got Griff, and nothing else... So, guys, there's my take. Would be interested in your opinions, both of the team, and my grades/comments... Later JAG
great post jag...i would have to agree with your grading except i would have to give kenny thomas an a- considering the effort he has put out there..he, at the least, deserved the same grade as the rook...great post non the less
JAG, good post for me to read since I can't see many of the games. Assessments seem fair, generous with your TRock assessment. I am glad you are grading Terence's overall game and not just his shooting which was way down at the start of the season. Terence is a very shy guy. I think all he needs is to become more comfortable which hopefully the last few games has shown. I can see the pressure for a player who gets 2-3 minutes here and there as opposed to guaranteed PT over 16 minutes per game, as you so adaquately termed it a "flow player". FREDTERP
Evaluation of the team as a whole Offense: Missing a second go-to-guy against quality teams. Francis is the only player opponents have to double team. Unfortunately he has been missing every other game of late. Teams like Philly or LAL guard Mobley, Moochie, etc straight up with success. We have no inside game. Down the stretch the Rockets live or die by outside shooting. Thus we lose all our close games. Defense: Opponents can create matchup problems too easily. We have few players that can guard inside and outside against players one up and one down from their position. In playing Orlando for example Tracey McGrady can easily post up Mobley. Mobley isn't quick enough to guard Armstrong from the perimeter. And this is not just Mobley. We do not have one player who is quick enough to guard one position down and tall/strong enough to guard one position up. It is too easy for opponents to create match up problems. Weak-side interior defense has improved with Eddie starting.
There's the bandwagon...think I'll jump on. Very good post. I do have one question: Did you take expectations into consideration? Expectations are a bit subjective so it is probabley unfair to use them as a borometer for performance grading.
I think, to a degree, expectations were a part of my consideration, but I tried to limit it to expectation of effect on the team, as opposed to individual performance...for example, part of my consideration with regards to Griffin vs. Francis had to do with established expectation of impact..obviously, statistically, Francis has had a much better first half, but I graded Griff higher because of many factors, some of which had to do with expectation; expectation of how much ANY rookie will contribute, expcectaion of how much a 19 year old will contribute, etc...So I can't say that I didn't include it, but I tried to limit it.
Overall team grade: D The injuries hurt, but they should have been able to win more than 1 of 19 without Steve. Steve Francis: A- He hasn't had a chance to get in any kind of rythm. He is a superstar, and you can tell by comparing records with and without him. He has a couple of bad games, and everyone forgets about everything he has done right this year. Steve does his best to get everyone involved, but his teammates are simply not as good as he thinks they are. Steve still needs to shoot more. He also needs to make his free throws. Cuttino Mobley: C He had a chance to prove himself without Steve, but he only managed to lead the Rockets to one win without Steve. His free throw shooting and ball handling has gotten worse. However, he has improved his field goal shooting lately. Eddie Griffin: A+ He is the most talented player on the team. As long as Steve and Eddie are together, the Rockets will be a good team (excluding this year). Eddie is like a cross between Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. He is the only reason I'm still watching. Kenny Thomas: B- Kenny has improved his game a great deal- so much that he has forgotten about the team concept. He needs to hit his free throws (notice a trend?). Kelvin Cato: B- Sometimes people mistake a lack of talent with a lack of effort. Cato tries hard out there, and he has been gradually improving as the season has gone on. He needs to work on his dunks! Walt Williams: B He does his job. That's all you can ask. Moochie Norris: C+ He should never handle the ball in crunch time. The offense goes stagnant when he runs the show. His three at the buzzer is money when others create the shot for him, but his dribbling antics are sickening. Terence Morris: C+ He does a lot of the little things, but has missed countless open shots. He could be a 10-7 player if his shooting improves. Glen Rice: incomplete He was pathetic when he did play, but his injuries probably had a lot to do with that. He could have gotten in a rythm as the season progressed. We'll never know. Tierre Brown: A Who? He played up to his ability levels, and that is all anyone could ask from him. Oscar Torres: B- He has shown flashes of real talent, and basketball intelligence. Unfortunately, his shot has disappeared, as has his playing time. Kevin Willis: A Kevin has sacrificed his playing time for the young guns, even though he can still produce. He always hustles, and provides veteran leadership. He does his best. Dan Langhi: F Despite being healthy, he has earned no time on the floor. That's probably because he is crap. Jason Collier: F He has been healthy for a while now, but he hasn't been able to earn playing time. Why? Because he's crap. Maurice Taylor: A Obviously, he hasn't played, but everything I've heard has led me to believe that he is working heavily to get back on the floor. He obviously cares about the team. The weed thing clinched the "A" grade for me. Front office: F Great move guys. Hakeem may have been old, but he played excellent defense, and he led by example. The Rockets could have kept him for six or seven million. Instead, we have Rice, who will be out for the season, and whose shot was crap anyway. Nice going. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich: D- Top notch talent scout- horrible coach. The offense and defense has gotten worse (I didn't think that the D could be any worse). The team has shown no improvement since game one. I really hate to give him a grade like this, because I like him a lot as a person. I just think he is past his prime. He works better with veterans, who don't need the strong hand that these young guys do.
rockets need rice they need a leader with championship exp. Rice when he was on the court was a leader rice with playoff success forget about his defense rudy not a good defensive coach even pippen struggled to play defense. most teams need one especially on a young team like the rockets until they play in the post season anderson didnt fit anymore hakeem left raptors had oak magic have grant sixers had snow when pacer got larry bird as the coach all these teams went to next level when a player or coach with championship exp arrived GLEN RICE for the games he played I give him GRADE C EDDIE GRIFFIN gives rocket shot blocking rebounding clutch shooting exactly what we needed cant see why so many teams would pass on him can do it all at a all star level forget what nets say I am 100% Sure they know they messed up big time probably would have made them favorites east for years to come I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes all NBA FIRST TEAM next SEASON go-to guy type player has post game in summer league but to thin right now GRADE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++++ KENNY THOMAS has improved better than anyone had hoped should be starter next season over taylor but probably will be traded GRADE A++++ MOOCHIE NORRIS good bench player but shouldn't play any min in fourth because 3 gaurd lineup isnt effective on defense GRADE B minus KELVIN CATO plays good post defense and rebounding like he should be7pts 5reb 1blks in about 20 min is not enough but improving more every day if he loses weight and play like he did in first season with rockets we will be set at center GRADE C minus STEVE FRANCIS most complete player at gaurd in NBA GRADE A+++++ CUTTINNO MOBLEY most underrated player and defender in league but could pass to save his life GRADE B+++ KEVIN WILLIS played well early but not effective on defense overall lucky to have on the bench to motivate cato to try to keep his spot or he will lose his mins GRADE C JAYSON COLLIER I would play collier open things up inside for guards and kenny liked what i saw before he got injured last season because he has good hands only Center on team that can catch and girth to set better picks GRADE Incomplete TERRENCE MORRIS great player to have on bench to matchup with quicker perimeter player he is a keeper but shoundn't shoot any more three's GRADE D++ MAURICE TAYLOR griffin and taylor complemt each other will be fun to watch next season COACH as good as steve and cuttino are one on one they aren't as good as koby t mac vince jordan iverson change offense cut down rotation they will play better if starters play more together not 2 different lineups every period it causes to much confusion even under the circumstances they should have done better then 1-18 GRADE D MINUS
i agree with zrb's post pretty much word for word. except for i wouldn't be so harsh on the rocket's front office. i don't think dream leaving had anything to do with us getting rice.
I, too agree with ZRB and BigM as well. But, IMO, Walt has played like a dog trapped in a burlap bag. How many times can you miss a lay-up in a game? K-9 and O.T. should join him in lay-up drills, too. The rest of the team need to practice free throws, BAD. My favorite Rocket this year is Eddie, just needs to work with C.D. to develop some post moves. That's all. who's tanking????
