Sure Yao stunk it up...but was having MoT AND eddie in at the same time (who both injured themselves earlier in the game) for HALF of the 4th quarter better than having Yao in there?
There are some fundamental flaws with Cuban's logic. First, the Rockets outscored the Mavs last night on fastbreak points 16-13. Secondly, the biggest criticism most experts have of the Mavs is that they lack a low post presence to be successful during the playoffs when the game becomes more of a half court game. Lastly, Yao's presence only slows the team down if they let it. The vaunted showtime Lakers fastbreak was anchored by a 40 year old center. I have felt for over two seasons that Rudy substitution patterns flat out stink.
Surely, Rudy can't be a complete bonehead for one little rotation mistake (although he makes it time and time again). Rudy is a bonehead for other reasons: 1) Can't teach his team to set a simple pick, or run a simple pick and roll. Even the double high post play looks crappy as all hell now. This is a direct result of Rudy's coaching, imo. It is a solid play. Steve needs to stop lollygaggin around out there, run his man solidly off the pick, every time. I can't remember the last time I saw a good pick set by anyone on the entire team. 2) Can't teach his team basic defensive fundamentals. His defensive rotations are good, but we some of the worst close out defense guards in the NBA. I learned how to do that in 6th grade. Amazingly, Steve, Cuttino, and Moochie, still thinking running full speed out to the guy on the perimeter so he can fake the shot and drive buy you is good defense. 3) Can't enforce a simple passing game. Yao is open on the pick and roll with Steve every single time. You have ot pass it to him. Yao going to the basket is just as deadly, if not more so, than Yao with his back to the basket. He seems more inclined to dunk, and he knows what to do with a rotating defense. 4) He can't get his team to manage the shot clock worth crap. If the ball goes out of bounds with 3 seconds left on the shot clock, a coach has to let the players know (any coach), and they should have practiced it enough times so that they know this doesn't mean get it to Moochi or Mobley or whoever, to massage the ball somemore so that you shoot it at the very last second. 5) He is generally very bad out of timeouts. Sometimes the team actually plays worse out of a timeout, and most of the time, the play the specifically run following the timeout ends up running the shot clock down, and see #4 for why that is a problem. 6) His rotations, as alluded to in this thread, are awful. See the following thread for what I'd like to see rotation wise. 7) He doesn't improve a player's game directly. Mobley, Francis, Griffin, Taylor, Norris, etc, etc - not a one of these players has improved considerably in any of their problem areas (Mobley jacking up too many shots, Francis' assist-turnover ratio, Griffin's lack of an offensive game, Moochie's tendency to dribble, dribble, dribble, Taylor's tendency to shoot jumpers too much and inability to rebound, etc, etc). Shouldn't a coach make their players better. 8) His assistant coaches aren't anything special to think of. Dallas has Del Harris as an assistant. And Donnie Nelson ain't bad either. It's like they have 3 head coaches over there. Can anyone think of any coaching accomplishments any of our assistants can claim? The list could continue, I'm just too tired to keep writing...
Awe man! You removed "FU*K" for the more appropriate (PC) "HECK." That is sad....bring "FU*K" back. Please?
Mr. Cuban: The Rockets had an easier time against the Mavs last season because the Mavs are simply better this season. Can you comprehend that?
