Football...quarterback?? Besides, who's talking championships. I'm jsut alluding to solid, fundamental play, which we haven't shown in a year and a half. They obviously need some new coaching blood, maybe not on the head coach level, but at some authoritative level.
JayZ Saying the QB is essential is like saying the Center is essential in bball. That's not the point. It is about a phenomenon where one guy can dictate coaching changes. Where one sport the coaches are crucial, and another they don't really seem to be. Football is so much more reliant on stellar staffs than BBall, all you have to do is look at the fact Rudy won 2 titles...argue with that. hehe anyhow, I'll close with minor editing of your words. <i> What some see as correctable problems with player execution that will work out over time others see as fundamental flaws that is immediately fixable with a change of offense.</i> So, do you really believe a new offense will immediately fix things, or will it also have correctble problems that will work out over time. If you believe the later, then all you are doing, imo, is calling Rudy and the players a liar when he says he's trying to install a new offense. Do you think that if a new coach comes in and preaches just like Rudy did in camp and get us all excited about a motion offense, that it would have immediate change or look a lot alike but with correctable problems. bottomline is: any offense that includes Cato is limited in what you can do. And we all can trust that Rudy will preach getting Yao the ball in the low post...he already has. He is the Soup Commander for a reason.
HeyP, last season who continously went on about lack of training time due to injuries and the general concept of the 82 game season, my question is can the "New fangled" Offense really be worked on and implement over the course of the season?? btw i agree sacking Rudy and replacing him with someone mid season wouldn't fix the offense (although might help the defense ) but surely if replaced in the off season the changes would flow. Rudy is the dream child of the Rockets franchise, but if the Rockets put together another 30 win season (not that i think this would happen), surely his position would seriously be under some pressure??? Smeg
I think the problems are twofold: 1) This is the main problem, with no specific offensive or defensive focus. I've seen relatively little improvement on some of the games fundamentals. The reason why Jason Kidd is such a great fastbreaking pointguard is because almost everytime, he gets the ball, looks up, either makes a crisp accurate pass to the open man, or dribbles down the court to the free throw line, at which point he makes the quick decision to shoot the mid range jumper, drive in for a layup, or pass it off to someone on the wing. Adding athleticism is certainly helpful, but not when it results in turnovers, or dumb plays. If Mobley thinks there's a 10% chance he can score on a fast break, even if there is obviously a better play to be made. Similar fundamental lapses occur on defense. While the defense improves, I still marvel sometimes at the number of uncontested shots taken byt he opponent. 2) Rudy & Co have been talking about implementing a new offensive scheme for a while now. I don't understand why if he thinks there needs to be a new one, members of the mdia think there needs to be a new one and fans think there need to be a new one (not that the last two should be taken heavily into consideration at all) why we can't even begin to see it done after all this time. In effect, while I don't think Rudy is a horrible coach and do think he coudl be great with the right team and players, I dont understand why there is so much backlash when people complain about him. What has he done that's been so fantastic for the team in the last few years.
I just watched the Sonics game tonight. The offense didn't seem all that horrible to me. Most of our problems were caused by: 1. Guys flat out missing wide open jumpshots, or worse, not even pulling the trigger. Cat hit Moochie at least three times on the perimeter with no Sonic within six feet of him, but Moochie drove right into the teath of the defense to get some circus shot blocked. Hawkins also had some open looks that he just couldn't hit. 2. Guys not catching passes. Cato bobbled one away right under the basket and missed an easy alley-oop, Moochie caught a pass, seemingly cleanly, behind the arc and the next thing you see is the ball just squirting out of his hands. 3. Driving right into the teeth of the defense. Kenny got rejected by James several times in a row. Steve went so far under the basket he had three Sonics and the baseline surrounding him and the hoop blocking any attempt to kick it out up high. 4. Hesitation. Mobley and Griffin looked like the only guys who would catch a pass and then immediately make an offensive move, be it a shot, ball fake, or drive to the basket. Everyone else looked tentative at times. Steve didn't seem to actually catch any passes, as he dominated the ball the whole game. 5. Needless double teams. Don't double guards in the post when our taller guards are on them. Mobes seemed to do a good job on Payton when he was checking him, but people kept doubling and giving up wide open jumpers. 6. Not putting hands up. I am looking in K9's direction on this one. Don't let someon shoot an uncontested J right in your face. That isn't even recess caliber defense. Where is the effort that Duncan and others have praised him for. 7. Rebounding. Box out. Box out. Box out. How many offensive rebounds do you have to give up before you realize they are killing you on second chance points. 8. BS loose ball foul calls. The one against Cato was borderline. The one against Mobley was a phantom foul.
With all the things you listed as "offense not so horrible" I wonder if you even read your own post. So, I guess the Rockets don't have much to work on huh? They only have that "no-defense, no-box-out, no-hesitation, no-rebouding, no-bobble-pass, no-please-don't-dribble-into-the-teeth-offense, please-dont-miss -wide-open-shots" problem. No. The Rockets offense wasn't that horrible...sigh...
I took everything he said as the system wasn't that horrible, but the execution was. I agree. It is more an execution thing than anything else. Certainly the success of Payton was Payton's own exection combined with ummmm 11-18 3 pointers.
Agreed. The one thing I like to see is when the Rockets *try* to execute a particular system play (a play, not an ISO). Now, even if that "play" wasn't successful, it doesn't matter. It shows that the Rockets are going through some growing pains. The frustrating thing is that when "Francis/Mobley" abandon the system offense, and then start going ISO in order to *keep the game close.* I think they do this because they know that most of the fans DON'T want to come see the Rockets "learn a new offense" and get beat by 30 in the process. I wouldn't mind! But, the Rockets need to get off that "crack." The Rockets are addicted to ISOs like a bad drug. Too much dependence. And if there's too much dependence you become specialized and one-dimensional. As long as the Rockets continue to show that they *are* running the system plays, and not revert back to the ISO, at least they will be showing progress. Oh, and one more thing. At little defense...please...at lease get a hand up in the shooters face. Please...purdy, please...?
