I have no problem with analyzing a game, in fact, I think that this forum is perfect for that. However, the tone of anger in this thread and many like it makes me think that many of these posters are off their rockers. It's kind of like the experience that someone gets in the customer service industry where the customer sometimes gets angry for no pratical reason(a practical reason being wrong food or disgusting facilities or something). I get angry when we do stupid things, yes, but expecting perfection is unreasonable. There is no reason for posts and threads that are built by anger without anything to back it up. Francis not getting 10 assists per night is not a reason to get angry. I'll leave it at that.
The weird thing about the zone was that it worked so well at times that it worked against the Rockets. The zone forced Portland into bad shots, but they were laying such bricks that the rebounds were bouncing back outside the paint into the hands of the Blazers. Maybe if we are going to play pack the middle we need to make the rims softer?
I'll concede that Ming looked a little lost in the Zone but the zone itself worked well against portland who was forced to brick outside exclusively. Rudy pretty much got the idea from Dallas who used it to shut down the Trailblazers in the second half of their game. I think eventually the zone will be a great defensive tool against weak outside shooting teams like Portland or Phoenix and Ming will thrive in that system.
Nobody picked him apart, we just said that the zone worked and he called people cheerleaders and said don't blow your cheerleader smoke this way and whatever. Comments like this doesn't help: <i>This thread was supposed to illicit intelligent commentary on whether or not the zone was working. I didn't think it was very well.</i>
The best thing about the zone the Rocks used (yeah, there were a few rough moments, but they were solid for the most part) was that it seemed to put them in a 'Team Defense' mentality that carried them the entire game. They started talking more (which they don't do nearly enough), and seemed to be serious about being in the right positions, particularly in getting Ming in the right positions. The zone really seemed to 'wake up' the team on defense, maybe because they hadn't really played it all year. It'll get better.
I'm confused. In Feigen's recap in the Chronicle, he says that the Rockets "ditched" the zone after a sloppy defensive first half and "locked up" the Blazers from the start of the second half. Which is it?
what's sad is that a zone could even possibly be effective in the NBA. that is the depths to which overall shooting ability has sunk in the league. if you tried a zone (if it had been legal) 15 years ago you would have given up 120 points per game.
grummett, imo, AT is most definitely right, and as you pointed out, Feigen confirms it. The zone sucked. And Rudy scraped it at halftimef. <b>There was no significant use of zone in the 2nd half.</b> The 3rd Q lineup of EG, KT, Hawk, Mobes and SF played nearly the entire 3rd Q and got us back into the game with man-to-man. I'm convinced that the reason the zone sucked (it's a 3-2 with Yao at the top) is becuase Yao is not a very good roving defender. He doesn't command much of the paint, and the opps are slitting the zone on penetration way too easily and getting layups and backdoors. btw: Kudos to Rudy for scraping the zone and starting Hawkins in the 3rd. That not only got us back into the game, but we won the game with that strategy as well. Our man is making heavy use of fronting, to allow weakside help to have more influence...and it is working.
Thanks HP. I was thinking that was the case but didn't have the tape to prove it. Ming is just too soft right now challenging shots for a zone to be overly effective. I remember Sabonis in particular was getting real easy lay-ins or jump hooks from 8 feet and in.
The zone defense didn't seem that bad but it wasn't perfected. Ming looked lost in the defense but I think it would be nice if they used the zone defense a little more because it kept the inside post weak.If the Rockets had a better zone defense I think we could have had a better run. But playing the zone defense against the Sonics would not be a good plan. JMO
Just want to point out that this basic idea is probably why the Rockets will never run too much zone. I don't mean that there were long rebounds, but rather I mean a zone, at all levels, typically leaves a team more vulnerable to offensive rebounding. What you need to run a good zone is very quick, agressive rebounders (sir Charles would be a good example; we have KT, Steve, and maybe Griff who could do this, but that's it), and a lot of training to find people to box out from zone positions. Temple basketball in college gives you good examples of both, but those guys work on over and over from day one.
Yes I have noticed that too. We almost exclusively front the low post player. I thought fronting KT on Wallace was very effective and Griffin did a nice job too. It's not that the Rockets just front the man but they seem to make a strong effort to front them very tightly and agressively making it very difficult for them to get the ball. I think Rudy Realizes that our front court is quick but not necessarily strong... I mean it's easier to back down on Eddie and KT than it is to try to pass over them and with weak side help even if you do manage to get the ball past you have to deal with our shotblockers... The defense is coming around and the whole team play is greatly improving and just think we 're still missing Cato and TMO two over are better defenders and Mot is still getting the cobwebs off.... I think we would have beat Indiana if we would have played like we did last night. The only team that legitimately beat us was Seatle and they had to shoot lights out and Payton had to have a record breaking game to do it. Don't want to get too excited, it's still very early but I think I smell playoffs...
One last thing I've been thinking about this, and it may just be due to Ming's quirks, but it almost seemed to be more of a match-up zone. Ming would be D-ing his man up almost up at the free throw line but would be looking back to see who he could switch to under the basket. It almost led to him not keeping up with the ball. Again, this may just be due to Ming's overzealous marking of his man...i don't know. But it certainly also contributed to the penetration they were able to get (and thus easy shots).
Old Man Rock, I'm pretty sure I read Rudy say that the idea of fronting was based on Kenny being so good at it and Griffin's weakside help making the lob all that less possible or effective. I think Cato is doing an admirable job fronting, as well. one minor disagreement is that I don't think Kenny can be backed down very easily. He was keeping Sabonis off the block a couple sets last game. He's deceptively strong, imo. The idea of fronting for Kenny that I gathered from previous Rudy comments is that many frontline guys can shoot over him. So fronting allows Kenny's speed and great positioning to deny the ball, or at least eat up clock,,,and if they do complete the pass, you still have Griffin's help D guarding the bucket. AT, I agree about Ming not keeping up with the ball. You notice his head spinning sometimes looking for where players are versus the ball. It's like he doesn't "feel" where he and other players are, yet.
Yes I do agree with you KT is an amzing defender that is not easy to do anything against... even back down.. Last night he was slapping out every loose ball and making it difficult to do anything against him... His quickness and ability to guard bigger players reminds me a bit of Rodman... I like him on the court whatever position that is. Also the only 2 teams that have beaten us Indiana and Seatle or number 1 and number 2 in their conferences. And we could have won those games if we played like last night... And the other thing is it looks like we have a lot of room to improve. All and all it's a good time to be Rockets fan...
I think Calvin and Bill said the same thing during the second half -- ditching the zone and going to a man-to-man helped them claw back into the game...
I noticed Ming is a little lost in knowing when to switch on the screens and when not to. Ming seems to switch on every pick he sees and I don't know wheter it is a good switch or a bad switch. Which gives Mings defender posting up against the person who switched. Im about to confuse myself so, I just hope the Rockets continue to play well
