First of all, calm down people! It's not the end of the world. It's only 4 games. What I see from the first 4 games are 3 equally very good players in Brooks/Martin/Scola and a fast recovering Yao. Like many posters have pointed out that the two major problems we have are 1) Lack of a closer in 4th 2) Yao's minutes cap. So, what shall we do? Best case scenario, Morey trade for a super star, i.e. Melo. All problem solved. Otherwise, we need to FIND our closer from either Brooks or Martin. Scola is great but you can't rely on his postup in the 4th. His efficiency reduces greatly as the first option. Yao is still recovering and even before his injury he was not very effective in the last 2 or 3 minutes (except for a couple months in 2008 when he was a TRUE superstar). So, let Yao setup pick for either Brooks or Martin. He can penetrate/pull up/pass for open shot. We try both of them and the better (with more clutch shoots) will be our closer this season. Oh, and please stop those ridiculous threads like (let's tank/end of Yao, etc...) BTW: IMO, trading Ariza and signing BM were both Morey's mistakes (unless he's under Les' pressure to reduce payroll). Lowry is a little overpriced but we need a backup point, so that's OK.
I think the biggest problem, outside of the lack of defense, is chemistry issues. I understand that they want to be cautious with Yao and have him play several more seasons. However, from what I have read and observed, it seems that Yao is still "rehabbing" his foot. I believe that if this is truly the case, then he needs to be on the inactive roster until he has fully recovered or is at least to 95%. You can get by with Miller and Dampier (if he ever gets on the team) as a platoon system. Starting Yao and then taking him out after 6 or 7 minutes is causing major continuity problems. The Rockets go from being one type of team when he is in there to a completely different team when he is not there. Granted, if they did do this (not play Yao at all until he is really ready), there would still be some issues about working him back into the offense and the flow of the game. Yet, I would rather worry about that with him playing 35 or more minutes a game instead of having to deal with this issue every freaking game he plays.
To me, it seems that the biggest problem is the lack of focus on defense. They make good defensive plays at times, but often go for a steal when they need to just stay in front of their man, go for a block and are out of position for the defensive rebound, or other mistakes. JVG's defensive strategy had a singular focus. Allow the other team just one contested jumpshot each time down the court. No layups, no open looks, no offensive rebounds. When you simplify it like that, and have everyone on the same page, the defense gets better. That needs to happen with this team.
This team need someone to create offense. There is just TWO players on this team that can generate offense and draw double team....that's Yao and Scola. Everyone pretty much seem to rely on them but Yao is limited on minutes...so that leave Scola as the only one that can draw double team. Brad Miller can't post up Martin is not someone that can draw double teaming Brooks can just do pick and roll and not good at passing Battier is just a spot up shooter and can't drive Basically, all these players are not going to create offense for the team. They're better when they have someone to create offense for them. I mean, it's fine if you play Yao play the bulk of the minutes...everyone will turn into great players. But limited Yao minutes resulted in everyone not able to go to that guy that can draw double teaming.
The defense is getting better. But we won't have elite defense anymore even JVG comes back considering the players we have now. AB and Kmart are small and thin. Battier is getting old and slow (still smart). Scola is also slower than most PF. Yao is big but not quick enough. The best we can do now is to have very good offense and above average defense. Then we'll be in the playoff and hope for the best beyond that. Right now, we are playing 3 good quarters and get lost in the 4th. We just don't have a consistent way to score under pressure. Like I said, none of our players are the type that can carry the team. In my mind, you have to believe that you are the man to be the man. In some way, AB is the best candidate since he definitely has the biggest ego on the team right now. However, his skill is not at that level yet. Martin seems to have better overall skill, but he doesn't have that "give me the damn ball" demeanor to be the closer.
Is not 3 good quaters. We have lost every single 3 quarter we play. Is midway in the 3rd the game change. We actually have come back late in the 4th vs all the opponents so far after digging us a hole but haven't been able to get a key stop. We need to stop playing from behind late in games, we can ply our best defensive team when we need to score big at the same time to get a chance to win. If we are winning after 3 quarters the chances of winning is ultra high. We almost these last 3 years never been a team that is able to comeback and win after been down in the 4th. Is never been our game.
Umm...help the MAVERICKS get carmelo?!?!?!?!..and give up our starting PG and first round draft pick for an aging Billups..? NO thanks
Here's the problem. We don't have anyone that can both draw a double team and punish a team for doubling since T-mac and Yao were healthy. We had two guys back then. Right now, Yao ain't drawing double teams. He's simply not dominant enough at either end of the court to be worth paying that much attention to. Brooks can't pass over double teams, he tends to shoot over them - which is what they want. So you get to the 4th quarter and defenses play us straight up. Put a 7 footer on scola and box Yao out. Double Brooks on the perimeter and let other guys shoot quick 3's....boom errrrr clank. That's the problem. The solution is to find a way to draw double teams and pass out of them more effectively - not cross court but to cutters and wings. Were are the Pick and Rolls man? The staple of the NBA is pick and rolls? We have Pick and....... pick and ........ where's the roll and easy buckets? That's the problem.
The main problem is having BOTH guards that are terrible at D (and the supposedly defensive specialist is aging and past his prime)....no matter how good they are in offense... As said before, ven a Olajuwon/Rodman duo would suffer a lot of D with the LOUSY perimeter defense of the current Rockets... You have to trade Martin or Brooks ASAP....or the defeats will continue to arrive, no matter which defensive big you bring... Brooks+expiring salary fillers+1st round pick for Iggy should do the trick...but no serious effort was done, and now the result is obvious...and it wasn't this year only, last year Rockets didn't enter the playoffs, because this lousy perimeter D also, the MIP award of Brooks and injuries made many fans lose the perspective...
We have too many holes in our current D. But from what I've seen, our biggest D collapses come with AB. Be it Battier, Lee, Hill, or Chuck, they are forced to leave their man and help out AB on D so much. Which leads to open shots or them being out of position to rebound. I noticed when Lowry's playing, everybody can just stay with their man most of the time and get good rebound positions easily. As much as i like AB's offense, he's just killing us on D right now....all our opponents notice this and just goes at AB.
I agree %100, whey you take yao out, our whole strategy change, and most of our players seem to get out of place.
Our biggest problem is the inability to close games and hold on to leads in the 4th quarter. I think the cause is RA saving Yao until the last 6 or 7 minutes of the 4th. He is not a closer. I think yao should play at the beginning of the 4th and sit down around the 6 or 7 minute mark. Then, we feed Scola every time down, and put shooters on the floor around him. I would say a lineup of Brad Scola Bud KMartin AB to finish the game and get buckets. I know this isn't a defensive juggarnaught but we aren't stopping anyone in D in the 4th this year any way. might as well try to out score them. Worked for Phoenix and Golden State. I think Scola can close games by making shots and getting to the line. We just need our guards to make a commitment to giving him the ball and getting out of the way. i know he isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of go-to guy, but he is the most consistent scorer we have.
That may be Easier said than Done, but that's what I Loved about JVG's D-Fence. If there was an open or uncontested layup/jump shot, Everyone Knew about it... The Rockets basically kept the other team on Lock-Down pretty much the Entire Game
The Houston Rockets are the third highest scoring offense in the league and have had a lead at half time in every game. We are scoring enough points however we play terrible second half defense, giving up way too many second half points. RA needs to watch some video to find out why our defense is so terrible in the second half. Even if you have a good closer you won't win if you play horrible defense. Our players cheat and leave guys open, we don't pick up players in transition and our perimeter players don't lead their opponents to where they can get help from their teammates.
