Rockets' report card SHOOTING: F -- The Rockets were 26th in the league in shooting percentage, but even that might not have captured just how much they struggled with their shooting touch. Teams were determined to throw strong-side zones at Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, risking midrange shots on the other side of the court. The Rockets could get "good" shots. They just couldn't make them. DEFENSE: F -- Rockets opponents made 46.4 percent of their shots, placing the Rockets 28th in the league in field-goal defense. But that was not their only defensive problem. They also did not force turnovers, allowing teams to not only shoot well, but often. SHOT BLOCKING: C -- C Eddie Griffin became the first Rockets rookie to lead the team in blocked shots since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984-85. He averaged 1.8, but an impressive 3.4 per 48 minutes, and with a veteran's talent for blocking shots without fouling or sending the ball out of bounds. PASSING: D -- The Rockets were last in the NBA in assists, preventing a better grade. But their passing was better than their statistics. Teams do not collect assists off missed shots. REBOUNDING: C -- The Rockets weren't much on the defensive boards and still had to rely too heavily on Steve Francis. But they were active on the offensive boards, with Kelvin Cato improving in that area more than any other. The Rockets could use more from Cato on the boards than his seven-per-game average. BENCH PLAY: D -- The Rockets' planned second team ended up starting much of the season. No Rockets reserve in the rotation for the bulk of the season scored in double figures or made 40 percent of his shots. Moochie Norris had his moments as a playmaker and late-game hero. Eddie Griffin confirmed the Rockets' confidence in his future. But none shot well enough to offer consistent instant offense. COACHING: C -- In many ways, the grade could have been an incomplete. The Rockets did not have the same lineup together for more than consecutive games since November and rarely had enough healthy bodies in the last 3 1/2 months to hold a full practice. As handcuffed as the Rockets were by their injuries, the unrelenting lineup changes made chemistry and team progress elusive at best. But for all the Rockets' struggles, coach Rudy Tomjanovich and his staff never lost the confidence or respect of their players. -- JONATHAN FEIGEN My Asssessments Shooting: I would agree with Feigen assessment, however, I think our strategy was flawed with our one-on-one and pick roll offense with little scoring on the weakside Defense: We will never be mistaken for the championship team of 94 - 95. Our guard defense was horrible at least Kenny, Griffin and sometimes Cato played D. Shot Blocking: Much better job with Eddie Griffin, Cato is too inconsistent, and our 3 guard rotation hurts in this area. Rebouding: Poor boxing out technique leads to poor rebouding. Our desire is also lacking on both ends of the floor, too many quick shots lead to poor rebounding position Bench Play: Moochie was okay this year, hit some big shots. No consistency in minutes and position has several players wondering about their roles. Torress, TMorris, Collier. I think w/Kenny Thomas returning to the bench will help. Coaching: I think Rudy did a poor job of adjusting the offense to meet the new zone rules. Poor motiviation on instilling a defensive mind set. He needs to send a message to the guards about playing defense consistently.
I personally don't LIKE the one-on-one and pick and roll offense, however, I don't think it was a flawed strategy given the fact that we had PLENTY of wide open looks during games. Missing shots makes the strategy look awful. However, I don't think there is any question the Rockets need more movement in their offense even if it comes slashing and back picks and not the triangle. Agreed. Not sure our three-guard game hurt us. The way to get blocked shots (a la the championship years) is to funnel smaller players to the hoop and let your men swat shots. In those years, it was common to see Cassell, Maxwell, Elie, Horry and Olajuwon on the floor at the same time. The difference was that Olajuwon and Horry only had to sparingly protect the glass. Maxwell and Elie were good enough defenders that getting beat didn't happen a lot. When it did, however, they had a backstop. Good points. I just don't get how we could hustle enough to get rebounds on the offensive end but not on the defensive end. Maybe Cato thought it was his only way to score. It was impossible to have a bench this year. Our bench was starting to frequently. Having enough players to actually form a bench in the first place does wonders. I agree about the defense but I'm not sure he COULD install an offense that did much more than it could. I remember reading that it takes a whole season for a team to grasp a complex offense like the triangle, that's assuming they are healthy. The over-simplification of Rudy's offense (and it was way to simple at times) seemed due more to the fact that they couldn't practice. It is akin to asking an undrafted third-string rookie quarterback to go into the first game of the season after missing training camp. You can only give him half a dozen plays or so because he can't remember anything else with things moving so quickly around him. Frankly, it was a miracle that our offense got open shots in the first place, which it did consistently. That was really nothing more than proof that some of the guys on this team have some very athletic moves.
I agree. I don't see how people could say Rudy was a poor coach last year when he didn't have a consistent lineup that could showcase his coaching abilities. Note that Rudy got the highest grade on Feigan's list.
Wow, I actually agree with a Houston Chronicle article. I think he could have gone with either a slightly higher or lower grade for coaching, however. Higher because Rudy didn't jump off a bridge with all the injuries,... AGAIN. Lower because, even during those brief moments of fielding a competitive, healthy team, there were still some team issues (Defense, rebounding) that should have been addressed.
Well Jeff, Since it takes a WHOLE season, then why not start with this one. I don't buy the bit about Rudy not being able to implement an offense. These guys are professionals, and have been playing SYSTEM basketball all their lives at some level. I think Rudy did a terrible job this year, and he did not imagine how much the zone would effect his team. He is as bull headed as the next guy and since he did not like zones, he rarely used them. Rudy needs to adjust to the new rules and get this team in gear, or I personally believe he will not be opening the new stadium as coach. DaDakota
Good points by all. Rudy is definitely a players coach, however, I think he gets out coached on occassion by teams with lesser talent. I don't think our injuries forced us to play the 3 guard late in the 4qtr of every game. Sometimes Rudy ignored match ups, which lead to easy postups of Moochie or Steve by bigger players. I give him credit for dealing with poor defensive attitude and injuries. Next year is make it or break it for Rudy and Larry. We lost a lot with Berry going to Chicago.
You have got to be kidding me. There is no such thing as "struggling with your shooting touch" as an ENTIRE TEAM for an ENTIRE SEASON. Especially when the preseason spin on your team was that nearly everyone on it was a shooter. Memo to Rudy: "Shooting touch" isn't the problem. The system (given the personnel we have) is the problem. And if you don't change it, you're part of the problem.
You've got to love an offensive system that provides wide open looks for shots that your players can't make consistently.
I think the shooting issue was injury related. We missed both MoTaylor and Rice, which gave Kenny Thomas, Oscar, Eddie, Moochie, and Cato more attempts during the year. Oh, let's not forget about Walt and his annual shooting slumps. I think the percentages will go up when Mo returns and Rice is healthy and Eddie has a year under his belt.
I watch a good bit of basketball and frequently hear these phrases used by commentators: * Give and Go * Back pick * Transition (delayed) break * Screen roll * Slashing to the hole Unfortunately, Calvin and Bill use these little to not at all. I have watched enough playoff hoops that Hubie and Van Gundy have convinced me - * when your player leaves to double, you head immediately to the front of the rim. I fail to see a connection to who is on the floor and the lack of basic fundamental high school concepts. I'm not smart enough to figure out if the fault lies with the players or with Rudy, but I feel confident in saying this. The Rockets-style ISO basketball breeds standing around and waiting for the ball to be kicked back to the weak side. I further feel very strongly that all of the Rockets would have shot a higher FG% if they received the ball in a comfortable, sweet spot for them instead of with the 24 second clock expiring. Many of the Rockets impress me with their athleticism... few impress me with their court smarts. I fear that the joys from acquiring Ming (or any player with a low post presence) will turn to anguish because no one knows how to deliver a good post entry pass. Or the coach and players can't figure out how to get a good post entry angle by passing the ball quickly back to the weak side. OK, rant-cess is over - back to school...er...work....
