did they do that when they had Stockton? how many PFs did they draft when they had Malone? Rocket River
does Cato, Yao and JJ pass as well as Garrity and AK? Team passing needs to be improved. . . not just one person Rocket River
how hard is it for our guards to lobe pass to Yao??? There are so many times that they couldve lobe pass to yao for a great play but they never do it!!!! is it that hard to pass to a 7'6" center?
I agree that the passing has to be with the whole team but if you think about it, it starts with Steve and it usually ends up with Steve also. 1) He either not pass it at all to start. 2) When he passes, the ball swings thru several hands, when it gets to him, he always hold it for a few seconds and see if anything develops. More often than not, the only further development on the court at that point is: his teammates freeze in place and the defense recovers. He would then beg for a screen to start a new play with the shot clock run down and end up taking a bad shot. When the ball gets back to him, if he is not open, swing the ball, don't hold it. If he is wide open, he should take the outside shot (many times he doesn't and drive instead). If he only has a slight advantage on opponent(s) who is half a step out of position, make something happen right away, don't wait for them to recover. 3) When was the last time you see a pass in a simple PnR?
Charvo: "Try Yao as a really tall pocket passer at the free throw line. He can play QB for awhile and have Steve and Cuttino be the wide receivers. He can shoot the midrange jumper, so the center guarding Yao can't just cheat back into the paint to defend against slashers into the paint. Charvo, great post wasted in a bad thread. I have considered posting this idea, too. Right now Yao's passing and shooting skills are being wasted as we try to teach him to dominate in the paint. But he can't dominate in the paint without Shaq's raw power, the protection of the refs, and personnel who get him the ball and create space with good shooting. So he is currently wasted in the paint. Move him up in the key and let him run the offense and use his wide (lower) body to set picks. That worked well for the Sonics with Jack Sikma, among others, and if enough Rockets bother to move without the ball, Yao could lead the league in assists, as Wilt did in 72 or 73.
Thank god egn is back during this losing streak. I have no idea what he's saying, but he should know that Charvo "Let's trade Yao to Golden State so he will be better" was really giving him a run for the money as far as troll-of-the-year goes.
Did you mean Harpring and AK? I know, all us white guys look the same. Seriously, though, I think JJ and Yao, along with Pike and Padgett are the cream of our crop. Unfortunately, I think our starting guards are the worst passers on the team, although they are definately trying harder this year.
Maybe we should stop asking the guards to pass and put the ball in JJ's hands to initiate the offense. Let SF and Cat run around the baseline and wings. More of a point "small forward" set.
Well Mike Bibby is not a pass-first point guard either and Sacramento runs the best passing offense in the league. Bibby is actually less of a creator than Steve is because the guys inside can pass well and everyones just passes to the open man and passes on cuts and screens. So your assumption is flawed. BTW, Van Gundy's knicks got to the Finals with Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell at the Guard slots. Another example would be Detroit. They made it to the ECF in the east with Rip and Chauncey at the guard slots, neither of which is a true pass-first point guard. I think with Steve, Cuttino, MoTaylor, J/J and Yao we have versatile scorers that can all hit from almost anywhere on the floor. Our bench consists of Piatkowski, Padgett, Nachbar, and then non-shooters Cato/Moochole. The important thing is trusting your team mates and passing to the open guy. I think we have more talent than Sacramento, but they have more trust in each other. I think the team needs more motion in the offense to keep the defenses honest. Four guys standing still outside makes it easier to help inside on Yao or Maurice. I think we have a team that can do extremely well once they learn to trust each other, that is why I hope they translate their off court chemistry to on-court chemistry. I envision Yao Ming in the low block or the high post, then we have the perfect slashing and spot up team. If you look at our Additions since Yao: Piatkowski/Padgett/JimJackson/Nachbar (drafted w/Yao). All of these players have that slashing/passing/spot up ability and I think most importantly they can all move well without the ball. One thing that I like the most about this group is that they are always moving. They catch and cut or catch and shoot. I think Francis will start to play a Mike Bibby role (but much better) as a spot up shooter and slasher and our offense will gel without a "pure" point guard.
They drafted two point guards. I understand drafting one passing point guard, but they drafted two in the 1st round. I'm pretty sure they had needs in other positions too. I also notice they didn't go the combo guard route after Stockton retired.
That's the belief by the Rockets management. They believe they have the point guard spot filled with a combo guard. Shooting guards who have mediocre passing skills aren't point guards. Shooting guards should be shooting guards. After another season of not reaching the playoffs, the Rockets will realize their mistake. CD will concede or be canned.
Wasn't Stockton always on those 1 year deals where they thought he might bolt? I'm not sure a point guard would really fix these problems. Rudy tried a couple point guards (adnittedly not the best). Maybe more firepower out of the chute would help get the O going. What about a small lineup right away of Yao - MoT and Pike, SF, & Cat?
I would just like to see some imagination on the offensive end. Play to the group's strengths. Yao is no banger in the paint. Steve is no passer. Van Gundy forcing each to be something he is not is just going to kill this season. Sacrificicing a few games due to experimenting with a new offense wouldn't be bad for the long-term. Van Gundy is stubborn.
I'd take Bibby over Steve to lead this offense. He has demonstrated the ability to win. He won at Arizona being the point guard. He's not a flashy passer, but he gets the ball to the right man at the right time.
I've watched the Rockets for many years. I have yet to see the management draft a good passer out of college. Randy Livingston doesn't count. His knees were busted.
