Yes, I do, big time. Memphis can no longer be taken for granted. Yesterday at Dallas, they played very well for more than a half. They are energetic and confident. If Memphis has a Cato anchoring the middle, they will contend for a playoff spot next year.
Overall the team just looks LOST Offensively they're predictable and dysfunctional. Over and over again they 1) get across halfcourt with about 17 seconds on the clock, 2) Francis gets trapped and puts on a dribbling exhibition and then, 3) they are faced with a desparate sit'n as the clock winds down. And opposing defenses easily dictate who will or will not take shots too many times. We don't push the ball, we don't trap, we don't play with energy. Why don't we play in-your-face defense like the Spurs?????? Coaching. They don't really TRY until they are too far down, put forth a belated valiant effort, and then find a way to lose or at least save face. In short, the team is unmotivated and lacking leadership an direction. Why? Coaching. And defensively, we are slipping - witness opposing FG%'s which are rising as the season progresses. THIS TEAM IS POORLY COACHED AND MAKING NO PROGRESS. They are young & undisciplined and need a strong hand from the bench, and are not getting it. Looks to me like they have quit on Rudy, or just ignore him. I love Rudy, but RT IS NOT RIGHT FOR THIS TEAM & he is getting outcoached night in and night out. The results are out there for all to see. We have the talent, we just don't have the orchestra conductor. I'll say it again, they simply look LOST AND UNCOACHED. D R
Our offensive system would work if we actually had more than one person on the team who could shoot!!!!! Fine.....it is part Rudy's fault. But our players make a lot of stupid turnovers too. They need an oncourt mentor.
Assists to TO ratio can be improved if you work on it. As some people mentioned, even Jason Williams improved his dramatically and I don't think it's related to him handling the ball less.
Dakota:- I have been plugging this possibility since before the season. I know that a team with two Guards that think they are the best players and in the elite of the NBA( when they are not) and a potential Great Center, just won't work! to add into this mix is a Shooting Guard trying to play Point Guard, it wont work either!
I think Francis has a lot more potential than Jason Williams. Is he making the best of his potential to the benefit of the team right now? I am not sure. Is it his fault or is it the coach? You be the judge.
I agree Steve has greater potential. Both players have hot heads. But I don't blame Steve for the team performance. If I remember correctly, Steve hasn't had a REAL mentor within the team to teach him how to fulfil his potential. Sometimes, he plays up to his all-star bill. Othertimes, he is lost and nobody seams to be able to get him back.
the reason you bench mobley is to give the second unit a pop. It isn't a slap in his face, it just points out the redundancy in the starting guards games. Also, with Mo in the starting unit, if you left cat in there would be no scorers off the bench. Your second unit would look like this MOOOOochi Hawkins Rice Eddie Cato that would be one hurtin offensive team, but at least Cato would rebound all the bricks that Eddie shoots. with cat coming off the bench, he would still receive starters minutes, but would be the main focus of the second unit.
I hold both the player and the coach accountable for the lack of savvy, discipline.... whatever. Rudy continues to boost Francis' confidence without limitation. "Francis has the potential to be the greatest player ever at his position". Blah blah blah. It's like talking about winning the Nobel Award of Playmaking when someone is still in the elementary school for point guards. It's counterproductive. Remarks like these only cloud Francis's mind so as to not have an objective look at himself and works hard to improve accordingly. However, Francis' problem is not only being reluctant to identify his problems, he hasn't showed much savvyness as a point guard. After four years of pg training, the only way that Francis is averaging 6 assists is because he plays 41 minutes a game. On 48 minutes basis he ranks 28th in the league. Jason Kidd gets 8 assists in less of 5 minutes played per game. The situation is a little complex right now. Rudy's stagnant and predictable system and pompous attitude reinforce the stupid play of the guards, yet the guards didn't show that they are smart players when given the green lights to do whatever they want to on the court. The problem triangle of the Rockets are not their role players but Rudy, Francis and Mobley(the only one that's showed he can adjust). Blaming role players cant' shoot when they don't touch the ball to get into a groove is lame. Les has to be determinant to undergo a major overhaul on this team, which he should've done years ago.
I've noticed, and how, SJC. Jason Williams has become a very good pg, from being a very bad showboat on a very good team. The guy is playing very very well and much more under control. I think his efficiency ranking is somewhere around 9th, up from around 23rd. Steve needs help, and how. He needs to get rid of Cat and his influence, and get a demanding, teaching gamer to crack the whip.
DOD, your post still doesn't address the fact that scoring point guards have rarely led a team to a championship. Sure the championship teams' point guards didn't have to score, but that seems to be more corroborative of the idea that it takes scoring big men (or MJ) to win championships. It's not far-fetched to bring up the personnel of the other championship teams because they all, with the exception of Zek, seem to show that the primary ball handler was not also a major scorer. Sure, it's not an absolute truth, but history says we'll need a much more talented team to win it all (your point) and we're not going to win a championship with a score first point guard (JB's point).
Rudys not the problem, if you look back at the two championships you will see all the players knew there role very well. The players the rockets have now are not playing there roles, Mobley is the biggest example he is an ass. They are of low IQ not just basketball IQ everyday IQ.
What should we do? Start Maurice Taylor? Start Glen Rice? Start both? Play Yao Ming and Kelvin Cato together? Play Terence Morris? Begin playing and developing Bostjan Nachbar? Start experimenting and testing? Or continue our hunt to make the playoffs? Or hire a new coach? Do we resign Posey? Which free agents can we sign? Tell all our players to study the art of basketball? Get our players to start playing defense? Get our players to start practicing their shooting? SIGN a shooter? GET OUR PLAYERS TO KNOW THEIR ROLES?!? OR ALL OF THE ABOVE? I didn't put "Get rid of Yao Ming" or "Get rid of Steve Francis" because they aren't going. But Steve either needs mental help...as well as physical help.....or he just needs someone who can shoot. Why don't we do what others do to Yao Ming? You know how guards easily get past Francis and then draw Yao Ming's good help defense and find his open man who either easily lays it up or dunks it or makes a wide open jumper. Why don't we do that?
Nachbar has a left groin injury right now. I'm not sure if he has reaggravated his old injury or if this is a new one. Unfortunately this will slow things down for him even more. I'm a bit surprised why T-Mo isn't playing more.He did a pretty good job against Utah at home but since then he hasn't done anything.
You said "probably" based on the assumption that Francis would be a pass-first PG, be able to get the ball to those guys. What useful a Worthy, or a Jabbar would be if your PG don't get them the ball? No one doubts Francis' physical talent, it's his total floor game, the ability of running the team, makes hime a worse PG.
Actually guys, I think JWill has a good chance of being a better PG then Steve. Jwill is an excellent passer, who has tons of court savvy, he just tries the fancy pass too often. At least he is trying to pass though. DD
Dr of Dunk, I don't quite understand your post. Those legendary teams you mentioned don't need a Steve Francis. They just need a role playing PG who is willing and know how to pass the ball then they would win championship easy. You put Francis on anyone of those teams, either 1. Steve doesn't get it, still shoots all the time like a superstar and the team wouldn't win anything or 2. Steve gets it and is willing to be a pass 1st shoot 2nd role player, the team win everything but then he wouldn't be able to put up his 20 ppg and wouldn't be considered a superstar. So did you apply that should our team get more talent, Francis should and would play like a role player for us to win a championship?
Gino is making the non-playing on Nachbar a major mistake especially if we do not make the playoffs. We can go on and on. I have to agree with Dada. It really is time for Rudy to move on to something else and free up the organization. It is proven that the changing of players are not bring appreciable improvements so the change of coach has to be seriously considered. Next year there will be a major injury and the whole thing starts again. If someone told me that the rockets' best move was to run a slow offense with Francis, Mobley, Moochie, Posey and Hawkins on the team, I would say that person is smoking something. That has to be one of the biggest errors of the season.
For all the talk of Francis not being able to be a pass first PG, I will always think of the All-star game this yr..... it just seems to me that Francis can pass indeed..... I think is just the matter of confident he has on his teamates.... of course, there's no comparison of our team to the all-star team.... but as far as accounting for an assist, it depends on how u set ur teamates up and whether they can hit the shots or not..... Francis seems to have no problem setting up Kobe, Duncan and KG.... why he has so much problem when it is the Rocks team? Don't tell me that all-star game don't play defense.... they seems to play a lot more defense than what they use to do in the previous all-star game.... when u pass to a teamate when he is wide open and he miss the shot, and it doesn't just happens one time.... it is the same way all the time... (yeah, it is EG and Posey), I believe u will try to do more urself indeed.... Francis do pass to Cat, Rice and Ming (don't deny that, he is getting the ball to Ming way more than what he give in the first few months), its about trust..... I know u guys will come in and say that a PG should make their teamates better..... give me Kidd, I doubt he will make EG or Posey looks a lot better..... Kidd averages 2 assists more than Francis, if only Posey and EG can knock down 2 more shots a game, they will be even..... yeah, stats don't tell anything, but it is true that Posey and EG shoot like a maniac..... even they have all the time, and extremely wide open, they still can't hit..... plus, their streak seldom come......
