I can honestly say that I'm one of the few Rocket supporters that defend the Rockets even when they are wrong, but last night was stupid. This is not basketball.....it's HOOD-ball and it has no place in the NBA. There is no excuse for lack of ball movement on this team. Sooner or later, Rudy needs to take some of this heat for his lack a coaching. He knows that this is garbage ball and still allows them to play this way. I don't understand why he doesn't pull Cat , Steve or Moochie to the side and blast them for not passing the rock. I also understand that the Forwards have to move and set back screens for the offense to start it's motion, but in most cases it's just Steve, Cat and Moochie against the world. I personal do not think that they are selfish players, they just try to do too damn much. Rudy needs to stop this **** !!! Rudy truly believes that if a defender takes a couple of steps off of you and the shot is there then you take it. These guys have it backwards!! Instead of the defender taking a couple of steps back, they jump a few steps back and bombs away.........of course after the 22 seconds of dribbling. Sweet! Rudy has a lot to do with this Rocket Fans
HOOD basketball!? The offense WAS NOT the problem! You're saying why didn't Rudy pull Francis aside for not passing the ball, I don't know, because he saw Francis passing the ball? Francis had 9 assist. Why didn't he rip the team for not passing the ball and lack of ball movement? I don't know, maybe because the team WAS moving the ball around? They nearly had 20 assist as a team what else do you want from them? The team had 97 points, the problem is the defense gave up 104 points.
Rudy wasn't the one giving up wide open jumpers last night in the third quarter. The sad part is that when the Rockets miss the playoffs again, it will be Rudy that gets run, and not any of the players...
I don't think they "gave" them up. The Sonics were on fire in the third and Payton had a career night. Give them credit, they are playing excellent TEAM ball and they're on fire. It's gonna happen. 1 out of 82...
I'm not bashing the rockets at all, just telling the truth. So......please take off the "Red Rocket colored glasses" Steve stats looked really good on paper, but the freakn ball was not moved around like it was suppose to. What game were you watching? The 1st half was the only time the offense looked as if motion was apart of it. Don't give me that mess about 97 points....they fail at team basketball last night, defensively and offensively TAKE OFF THE RED GLASSES!!!!! They are blinding you from the truth.
I watched the first half of last nights game from the upper prom ($10. seats) and the second half from Row G behind the rockets bench. At one point I saw Rudy call Time out, draw up a play on the board which involved passing the ball into the post some back cuts and ball movement etc... the ball was passed in bounds to Moochie, who passed it to Cuttino, who cranked up a three point attempt with a guy in his face. When he missed... Rudy turned around and you could see the disgust on his face. I don't know what the answer is but it's not all Rudy's fault.
Doesn't it seem odd that many players have "career" games on us. Nobody plays any D except Eddie Griffin and yet he hardly plays in the second half.
Sjack, Hood Ball? Neighborhood Ball? Neighbors share the ball. Pickup basketball players know that the ball must be shared to keep winning. These players have never met, don't know the level of experience or motivation of their new teamates. The object is to win. They don't have a $4mil/yr drunk telling them what to do either. I agree with you. Rudy is lost and doesn't make adjustments. Nate outcoached him with superior ball movement.
It sounds like Cuttino is a problem. He talks the talk but can't walk the walk. But it's Rudy's fault that he continues to let players who don't listen to him get 45 minutes of playing time.
If the Rockets miss the playoffs again this year, then Rudy T deserves to get run. This would be the 4th year in a row. Unexceptable. If you can't get through to your players any better than that to get them to start playing as a team, start playing defense, etc. then you are an inept coach, period.
As the soup commander-in-chief, I'm sure he's feeling enough heat I think the only thing Rudy didn't try in the 3rd was to try some low post picks to get Kenny isolated on a guard. Then he could back him up for an easier score. (Note that Sea has some big guards.)
4th game of 82. He has time to get them healthy and playing together. He will. It's going to take some time, but if they can stay above .500 for the first 20 games that should be plenty of time.
They did try several defenses. It's hard to defend 77% shooting with a lot of it out at the three point line... Offense wasn't the problem, unless you are talking theirs...
