Well, OK, about 100 feet up from courtside, but who's counting? Since the lockout kept the Rockets out of DC last year, it's been a long wait for yours truly. Here's what I saw. 1. The DC fans cheered Francis (due to his Takoma Park, Maryland roots) for most of the game. The loudest exclamation from the crowd all day was a collective "Oooooooh!" when Francis followed up with that massive jam about four minutes before the half. 2. Most disturbing discovery from seeing the new Rockets team in person: Hamilton alternates licking his hands (which I'd seen before on TV) with slapping his hands on the bottoms of his shoes (which I hadn't seen). Somebody please give him a hygiene lecture. 3. Walt Williams did NOT have a great game. His shot fell, and he went inside for a couple of near-layup floaters (which made him an improvement on Bullard), but otherwise he was a non-factor. Without a strong post player to feed off of, Walt seems not to have the versatility to play in a guards/motion offense. What he sorely lacks is attitude. I'm beginning to think that being a nice guy is what's holding him back. 4. There are only two guys on this team who know how to fire the ball around the perimeter to the open man: Bryce Drew and Kenny Thomas. Everyone else throws soft passes that take so long to get there that the player who receives the ball is no longer open. This happened countless times. INEXCUSABLE. Rudy should spend two straight days drilling the team on nothing but this. It's the most important undocumented factor in our lack of offensive production. Solve it, and we'll put up an extra three or four buckets a night. 5. Spend the next month drilling Cato and Rogers in catching passes under the hoop. Francis, Mobley, and Drew tossed those guys countless passes that Cato and Rogers fumbled away. Okay, it's a young team, and they need time to learn each other's styles and improve their execution. But I assure you we lost at least 10 points today on needlessly fumbled passes that would have been sure dunks and layups. 6. Does the NBA rulebook require free throw shooters to stand still? Because if the rule simply bans the shooter from stepping across the line before shooting, then I'd like to have Francis take all his FTs by dribbling in from halfcourt and leaving the court from the free throw line for a dunk. Trust me, his percentage would be higher than if he keeps doing it the conventional way. 7. Cuttino Mobley better keep making a good percentage of his face-up 20-footers. Because he's taking a lot of them with 15 seconds on the clock and no Rockets under the board, and he's not even glancing at his teammates to see whether they're open. That's playground BS, and Mobley needs to outgrow it before he goes cold and takes the Rockets out of games just like Sam Cassell often did. 8. The Wizards played much, much tougher defense in this game than they did in Houston. The most alarming thing about this game was that it shows what happens to the Rockets' offense when the opponent really clamps down and applies pressure and blocks everyone's path to the basket: We lose. Without a true post threat, we're helpless. We counted on soft defense to let us go to the hoop Thursday, and when we didn't get that soft defense today, we died. 9. The Rockets have no go-to man when they really need a basket. Francis seems to have hit a rookie wall. Putting the ball in Mobley's hands is a roll of the dice. Of our current front-court guys -- Cato, Rogers, Hamilton, and Thomas -- not a single one has a reliable post-up game. Bullard is hot one game, cold the next. Walt is hot one game, cold the next five. I hate to say this, but I think it's going to be another two years before a couple of our guys have developed this ability. Remember how long it took Hakeem to build a reliable arsenal of moves. 10. I'm ashamed at the lack of fire on our team. I was struck and disappointed by how lackadaisical our guys looked. Nobody showed ferocity on defense or anger when we blew opportunities. On TV, during substitutions, you usually see the players who are coming onto the court, not the ones who are leaving. What I noticed from being at the game is how nonchalant each of our players looked as he left the court after we'd botched another play or allowed another easy basket. None of them seemed terribly upset. Get well soon, Charles Barkley. Because as soon as that knee is healed, we've got a lineup of butts on this team that need your kicking services.
Explain to me how francis has hit the rookie wall? Walt didnt have a good game? He had 20 points, I say that is good. But you are right about the post up game. We dont have anyone that knows how to do it right. With hakeem back we will have something. Tell me Will, What did you think of hamilton?When I saw him, I thought he was the most ****ed up , laziest player in the world. I want to know how he made the nba. Cuttino had a rough game today. Cato was good on defense today. But we just really dont have a sf and a pf. Rogers is not a pf. And Bullard... His position is the 3point. He cant do anything else. Shandon Anderson looks like he is here for no reason. I really dont know why rudy signed him if shandon wont get the ball. Shandon Anderson is the smartest player the rockets have. He might be young with little experience but he is the only true veteran right now. He understands how to play basketball right. Shandon has to be the 2nd option. I dont know why Rudy cant see that shandon can score well. GIVE THE GUY THE ****EN BALL YOU SORRY ASS COACH. CALL PLAYS FOR HIM.
1. Okay, I'll concede this: Walt had a good game -- for Walt. In my book, that's bad news. What he can do is quite limited. I'm amazed he ended up with 20 points. He certainly got a lot more PT than in previous games. I'll have to look at the stats and see how many of his points came in garbage time after the Wizards were up 15 in the 4th. My chief complaint about Walt is that he didn't make anything happen for anybody else. But then, I can't name anyone on our team who did that today, with the possible exception of Bryce Drew. 2. Thomas Hamilton? Two words: Gheorge Muresan. Same skills, same limits. 3. We apologize way too much for Shandon Anderson. He's in the shadows because by all indications he wants to be there. His defense is dandy, but why did he want to be a starter if he won't take charge now and then?
If you watch Shandons game really closely. You see that he thinks team work first. WHen he gets the ball he looks to find someone and if he doesnt he shoots. But now look at the next game, ( The Will Theory) Study Shandon Anderson. That is what i will do. Ok watch how he never gets the ball. Its really bad, players just go off playing 1 on 1 ball and dont pass. Or its just 2 players passing it to each other. Shandon proved that he can score, And i think he should get the ball to do it, so it can help the team. [This message has been edited by Francis3 (edited December 27, 1999).]
Will...some of the concerns you mentioned were mirrored in the Chronicle's recap of the game in this morning's paper. Especially the lack of fire and "going through the motions"...it seemed like the Rockets were playing with a post-Christmas hangover. ------------------ Just Win Baby! More Than Four Times!
Thanks Will for your Courtside observations. I am glad that people OUTSIDE of Houston are noticing how this young team plays-with a lack of desire. I don't buy this post-christmas hangover for not playing with intensity. Players are making excuses for the media and fans. As I have said in previous posts from my personal observations during the Nets-Rockets fiasco, this team just doesn't care. With the exception of maybe 2 to 3 players, the others are just collecting a paycheck. Furthermore, I said a couple of weeks ago that Dream would retire if the Rockets would pay his remaining salary and that he was just staying around collecting a paycheck. Sure enough, it was reported on Clutchcity. I was told by people that he has lost his desire to win and that he would retire if Les would just buy out his contract. He doesn't even show up at away games. Did ANYONE see Dream at the game in D.C.? For someone that is supposed to be a leader and is anxious to be a positive model for the younger players, why can't DREAM travel with the team? Answer-he doesn't care! I don't expect any trades this year, but I do like what I see in Francis & Mobley. How ironic that this is a franchise that was criticized for not having a great backcourt and now has the potential of having the greatest backcourt ever. I have already accepted the fact that this group of guys can not develop the chemistry this year. It is easy to say in retrospect the mistakes we made, but I won't even go there. Attracting a big name free agent will virtually be impossible since there will be many unfavorable distractions next season. We are witnessing the OILERS SCENARIO ALL OVER AGAIN!! Just as Bud Adams started rebuilding and dumping veteran players before they moved to Tenessee, Les is starting to do now. What significant Free Agent or Veteran is willing to go to a team that A)May move to another city B)in REBUILDING MODE C)to be part of a system and a coach that can not make up its mind what to do and what offense to run. The only saving grace for Rudy T. is that he kicks ass in the Olympics and I mean BLOW OUT TEAMS in Australia. If Rudy T. can't BLOW OUT teams, it won't help his recruitment process any and will actually hurt any kind of chance for anyone to want to play here. We've seen glimpses of some intensity and flashes of brilliance, but at the end of the game, when the cameras are turned off, these players just don't give a HOOT!!
Rocket Rich: Good point about Dream. Story gets me worried about Dream as well. I really hope he gets inspired after watching CBs career end prematurely. I truly hope this inspires him! Question I have is if a settlement was reached could that amount be paid w/o counting against the salary cap?
I have to weigh in again and agree with you all. Lack of fire is a huge problem with this team. First of all, nobody, and I mean NOBODY on this team chest-bumps or gets in the face of anybody else on the team. You do something dumb that kills the team, and none of your teammates says anything to you about it. You do something great that saves the team, and again, none of your teammates says anything to you about it. The thing I've begun to notice the last few games -- and probably it's been going on ever since Barkley left, but I've just now paid attention to it -- is that the Rockets don't pick each other up after a spill. At least three times in the last few games, I've seen Steve Francis go to the hoop, take a hard foul, and end up on his back, and NOBODY goes over to pick him up. At yesterday's game, I saw it again, and this time I could see the other Rockets walking around while Francis lay there. It makes me wonder whether something is wrong with this team emotionally and maybe even morally. Your teammate just took a hard hit for you, and you walk away. Disgusting. Get some pride! Get some solidarity! Get some commitment! We have four kinds of players on this team right now. One kind is the career nice guy: Walt Williams, Matt Bullard, and Shandon Anderson. These guys are too nice to get angry and get in the faces of their teammates when they do something wrong. The second kind is the self-absorbed playa: Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. They're too focused on their own game, mood, and moves to pay attention to their teammates. The third kind is the career role player: Carlos Rogers and Bullard. They figure they're not important enough to chew out or buck up a teammate. The fourth kind is the rookie or near-rookie: Francis, Thomas, Drew, and Hamilton. They figure they're too young to chew out or buck up a teammate. Bottom line, we have no leaders on this team. And we won't, until somebody in one of the above categories decides to break out of his shell.
Will, I like your summary of the 4 kinds of Rockets. Thanks for the observation about Francis taking hard fouls and no one picking him up...i never noticed. I have seen Mobley very concerned about his teammates' well-being. I saw Rogers take a hard foul and walk away from an insuing fight and go for a long walk in the stands behind the basket. Mobley went with. During time-outs, they are actively participating with Rudy and each other discussing the situations. But, overall, I completely agree with you. Barkley understood the importance of acting like you'd die for your teammate and you feel their pain and joy with them. Many times they seem to be walking around in their own minds only concerned about what they're doing right and wrong. At least they are concerned. There are many new plays out there. It has got to be fairly exhausting to execute those and reflect upon what was good and bad about the play...what could be exploited and avoided...ie. the things Rudy will talk about at the next practice. There are a lot of new plays on the court. Give them time...give them a leader...and give them a low post threat....sounds like the return of Dream and TMass will help.
As an aside, 2 questions. 1. Where is TMass, and when is he returning? 2. MORE importantly, when is Dream returning? DaDakota PS This lack of fire deal is particularlly disturbing in that these are VERY young players. They should be hungry. I kind of wrote off the teams fire when we were a veteran team, but this is just silly. [This message has been edited by DaDakota (edited December 27, 1999).]
heypartner, I have to admit that I don't even remember whether Mobley was one of the guys on the court yesterday when Francis was lying there. It's Mobley's one-on-one juke-and-shoot game that's been bothering me. I hope he makes good on what you saw and becomes the team's new sheepdog and picker-upper. I'd pay him an extra $2 mil a year just to perform that function on a reliable basis.
Will, the juke and shoot thing is a love it or hate it proposition. That's why Mobley reminds me of Vernon a lot. (I started a thread about that, but we got inundated with trade talk only, not the comparisons between Vernon and Mobley I was hoping for.) Back to topic...I noticed twice Sunday a successful addition to the juke and shoot. 1st note: Mobley is left-handed and always starts from the right-side of the lane, threatening a 1st step blow-by into the lane (no pick necessary). The defenders overplay his left hand, giving him the baseline...which he doesn't always take. Anyhow, the key is: the D seems afraid of his left hand to the point where twice Sunday the other guard shaded over to protect the lane,,,,LEAVING FRANCIS. Mobley saw that once and did a short little 10 ft pass to Francis at the top of the key for an uncontested 18' J. What Mobley needs to work on is attacking the lane whether they overplay it or not. He could work on doing a drop-down spin move baseline that Drexler perfected. Somehow, he must make them square up on him. Lately, I've been looking to see if he ever uses his weak-hand to finish, a prerequisite of that drexler move. Also, I noticed Rudy tends to call the Mobley ISO when the rox have little or no options on the court. Expect the Mobley ISOs to go down when Dream gets back. Another thing we must keep in mind...the defenses do double Mobley, which is valuable in itself...but they won't double immediately when he's not moving. They wait until under 10 secs, or wait for him to commit with a drive. I'd like to see Mobley start with the ball at 18' out; this will require getting him a pick; and it is a easier shoot. Also, I'd like to see him make an immediately move off his dribble occassionally. That move should help him keep the D honest enough to get shooting spacing before he even dribbles. Regardless, I am amazed as many others on this BBS that Mobley is drawing the double teams that he is. I hope he develops a better weak-hand repertoire and sees the open cutters off the double team. He has flashes of the later, but no weak-hand finish that i've noticed yet.
I have been upset with the Rockets lack of fire for several years now. In fact, I think them winning the second championship with Hakeem and Max out at the end was the worst thing that could have happened to them. They learned that the regular season really is meaningless, or so they thought, and that they could coast until the playoffs. I don't see the HATE TO LOSE type of player that the Rockets need to motivate the others. Where is the Mario Elie, the Mad Max, the Charles Barkley on this team. Frankly there is not one player that is of this ilk. Too Bad, that is the real problem. Lack of desire. We need an ass chewing, surly type of player to motivate these over priced babies. DaDakota
I agree. We dont have anyone who is the voice of this team. Barkley was the voice and gave the team fire, but now they dont have anyone. Matt Bullard is a veteran but he doesnt know anything about basketball so he cant teach them jack or get them fired up. Hakeem would be great but he doesnt talk. We lack a guy that gets the players FIRED UP!
Anyone want to go back and read my greatest fear for this team: The kids getting comfortable losing! This is the same song I have been singing since RT,CD and company decided to talk about competing all year, but in reality offer no real new alternatives: 1. Sam Mack signing or trade, 2. defense focus in the fourth, 3. player movement (a)anyone still think RT refusing to send TMass/Walt Williams for Kittles was a smart move? (b)how about Mack,TMass for Taylor? We don't need another 15-16 point power forward do we? 4. benching poor performances(explain to me again why Wiz gets all those touches), I am not talking about wholesale changes, not even trades in general, or start panic nee-jerk reactions ... just some calculated moves so that the players KNOW that the MANAGEMENT IS DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO WIN. I still love these players but they need support,CD and RT. It is not difficult to see thefire is getting dim.
The flame is about to go out. It's getting real cold right now and it's about to get even colder. Let's face it, not only are these players ok with losing, they just don't care. Unless some team is willing to send a high calibur player, Rudy and CD aren't even going to answer the phone. But there are probably other issues that give this "I don't give a S@! attitude." I realy think that the organization is uncertain about it's future, not only with personnel, but with it's existence in Houston. We all know about New Orleans, but Nashville and Baltimore are solid contenders for the Rockets move out of Houston. However, because of the economics that the Compaq center presently gives the Rockets, I think Les is holding out on trying to make any personnel changes on the Rockets roster. He can't compete with the other NBA teams with new facilities and I don't believe he will do anything while he is in Houston unless the Rockets get a new arena. As for the players, they don't see any help in the horizon, especially with Charles going down, so they have this non-chalent attitude about the game-"If we win we win, if we lose..who cares...I got paid!" Turn out the lights...put them to bed...and Good Night!
hey Popeye, here's one to ponder: if CD and RT choose to continue this attitude of non-support, where is their plan of action for this team to succeed in the future? i mean, obviously, this is the team they will live and die with right? so we'll get a draft pick or 2 next year, but is that it??? give up on free agents because of salary cap restrictions and because of ineptitude. so does this mean that this team, plus 1 or 2 good draft picks, is what we will live or die with for the next 2 years??? [This message has been edited by verse (edited December 28, 1999).]
Man after hakeem retires we will be LOADED. We can go out and get any free agent we want. But to bad that year not alot of free agents are goood.
Popeye Thanks for the trade input. That's a great contribution to this bbs. About the fear of losing attitudes, I think you'll find everyone on the BBS still talking about winning will agree the biggest fear is a losing attitude. For fun, I'll call it the Black Hole Theory, a place where players get sucked into and can't get out. (I know, black holes are more than theory now, but let me have my fun.) RocketRich with your statement: I think we are taking a leap from theory to proof. I really don't see this losing attitude, yet. I am skeptical about Cato, Shandon, and, of course, Walt...but everyone else is giving me the fight I like to see. When you are at nearly every game like me, you have a wife who thinks you spend too much time at sports events (hold it, I'm drifting here), you have the time and wonderful panoramic court vision to watch players every move. You don't have to rely on where the camera is. I still see winners trying to win in Francis, Mobley, Rogers, Bullard, Thomas, Drew that haven't got sucked into the black hole. The intangibles of winning attitudes are there to see at the games. Rudy IS doing more than Nothing I question going from theory to proof about this Black Hole just yet. There are many new plays out there on the court. Many things for these players to be exploiting and avoiding, working on, discussing. I have recognized several (at least a dozen) new half-court plays. Think about bringing those out into a game situation. The coach and players don't yet know what works. They run them, reflect on them, second guess themselves to run them again, look for what the defense is doing against them, all during the game. Dejection from second-guessing yourself is not a losing attitude They are tyring to exploit and avoid mistakes on the fly. They are trying to as a team determine what their new backcourt-based system will be. That's what I am seeing in their eyes when they look dejected or elated. I often see them still thinking about the last play when their defense lapses. I call that losing, but I don't call that accepting losing, yet. It is my opinion that accepting losing will not hit this team until after they have settled on their best plays, and only then if they are still losing. And that, according to my own theory arising from charting the new plays, cannot come until well after Dream's and TMass's return. That truly is what I'm seeing out there at courtside. Yes, Taylor would challenge Cato to improve...yes Kittles would make Shandon fight for minutes. And we can second guess those until we're second guessing ourselves. But one fact remains, this team is hard at work developing a new backcourt-based system. Rogers, Mobley, Francis are in Rudy's face all the time discussing situations. Rudy has these men talking about how to win. There are many more valid, recognizable and chartable reasons for losses than to blanket everything with a fear that we all share. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited December 28, 1999).]
