the worrisome direction coach RA leads this team to

first of all the "backcourt" consists fo the guards only. there's teams with weak "backcourt" defenders and 1st tier shotblockers that are good defensively like:
turkoglu, nelson, scrub. vc is better this year.
and teams with decent defenders in the back but weak defense like:
Prince, Stuckey, Rip

defense is still most closely tied with the bigs, with:
orlando: dwight
boston: garnet, perkins
lakers: pau, bynum
spurs: duncan
cleveland: varejao, hickson, others.
milwaukee: bogut
charlotte: diaw
houston: YAO

 

Yao is not going to improve our defense that much.

Last year, even with Yao AND Artest, we had slipped somewhat defensively.

Next Year - with Yao older and probably past his peak, no Artest, and Battier slipping with age - I think we'll be somewhere between 10-15 defensively.

The question is can we become a top 5 team offensively to counteract that. If so, we will be ok for the regular season.

But to be a champion, we need a top tier defense and a top 10 offense. I am not sure RA can do that.

 

A quick point about blocks/forced misses vs. charges taken...

Blocks or defense that otherwise leads to a miss results in only a missed FG attempt and the opportunity to secure a defensive rebound. I don't have any stats at hand to back this up, but I imagine that about 30% of those rebounds end up going back to the offensive team.

On the other hand, a charge taken results in a foul on the offensive player, a turnover for the offensive player (which results in the defensive team gaining possession 100% of the time), and essentially a missed FG attempt on top of that.

It doesn't take much to see the clear advantage of taking a charge over simply forcing a missed FG attempt, even though it doesn't have a direct effect on a team's defensive FG%. So for a team like the Rockets, who lead the league in charges, I'm sure there are much better stats to gauge defensive effectiveness.

 

Don't believe the hype. A blocked shot or intimidation is more important than a charge. Look at the way ibaka changed the game. When there is a goal tender at the rim, it changes the way teams attack. I've never seen anyone pump fake to sidestep a charge. If you want to know what a shot blocker can do, go look at denver-sonic 94

 

Just off the top of my head, I recall a play where Ibaka blocked Taylor and then Scola scooped the ball up and laid it in for 2 points.

Had Ibaka (or another Thunder player) taken a charge instead, Taylor would have received a foul, the FG would have been missed, and the Rockets would have relinquished possession.

Is it nice to have an intimidating shot blocker roaming the lane? Of course it is. That's not my argument.

Is the end result better when you stop a shot attempt through contesting/blocking it, rather than taking a charge? Clearly not.

Don't believe the hype.

 

i didn't read much of the discussion so my apologies if i repeated anything.

Just to put things into perspective... i recall that coaching and management decided that, for the rockets (this version) to have any chance to win this season, they need to be an up-tempo team (ala golden state). They needed early offense when the defense was not set. That and the loss of a 7'6 center to anchor the defense has lead to the team slip in defense. If that is the only way to win with this version of rockets then how can you blame the head coach and managemnt? (who has by many predictions overachieved with this team.)

i expect the tempo will change next year. I'm hoping for a sort of hybrid tempo - a half court oriented starting lineup and a sort of up-tempo bench.

secondly your title is horrible.

 

Didn't Rick Adelman, not RA the sun god, lead the Rockets to a game 7 vs the Lakers last year?

And I think you get the coach and gm mixed up.

And I think you don't see the big picture.

Next year, this team will be loaded with talent and chemistry.

 

Defense is my biggest concern for this team and needs to get address this offseason, we have enough scores we need toughness and good defenders plain and simple.

 

yao, mcgrady, deke, alston and aging battier.
It needs to get fixed

 

If players do their job, scola wouldn't have gotten the ball and laid it in. They weren't following the ball, they were taking pictures. I understand what you're trying to say and I've read morey's theory on that, but a presence at the rimis different than hayes taking a charge. Guys will keep attacking and keep attacking wiht a guy taking charges, but when the ball is swatted the other way or altered its another entity. Also, when you have a shot blocker and guys start pump faking, it gives the other players time to recover or dig the ball inside. The lakers are good defensively because they defend with their size. The pistons used to defend with their size also. There is a huge,huge difference.

 

Come on what? You should get off Phil Jackson's **** and start thinking straight.

Chicago: Michael Jordan + Rodman + Pippen + Ron Harper off the bench + Toni Kukoc + Steve Kerr

Lakers: Shaq + Karl Malone + Gary Payton + Kobe
Different year: Shaq + Kobe
Last Year: Ariza, Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom
This Year: Artest, Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom

Give Adelman a "Jordan" or a "Kobe" and see how many rings he can win.

 

You do realize that for the good part of the season we had no interior big man taller than 6'9 and no I don't count Andersen as a big man, the scrub is a defensive liability and a lot of times, an offensive liability as well. Not only did we NOT have any bigs over 6'9, our tallest guy Scola is hardly known for above average D. Our best defensive big is Chuck Hayes who is the height of a SG. Also, we lost Artest who IMHO is a much better defender than Ariza this season. There is also the fact that Yao is missing. As crappy as he is in shot blocking, his sheer size in the middle deters opposing teams from trying to take it to the rack. You can't give a chisel, hammer, and piece of paper to a calligrapher and expect anything decent back. Way to only look at the small picture OP.

 

Ever Since Yao arrived, the Rockets FG% allowed has never dipped below top 10 (unless he was hurt). The roster has changed significantly around him.

Give credit when its due. His size simply makes other teams miss and far likely to take it to the hole. He doesn't even need agility, stick his arms up straight. With Yao on the team, every coach's defense would be better.

 

or give him a Clyde Drexler and he can make it to the Finals..

oh wait...

 

Wow.

I'm sure our complete lack of shot blocking or at a minimum, the intimidation factor has absolutely nothing to do with our defensive numbers.

Neither does the fact that we're fast breaking more and crashing the boards less.

Nor does the fact that 2/3s of our team financially has been MIA most of the season.

Cool story, bro.

 

I agree with the OP - we need more "parameter" defense...

 

If this was about the direction RA was leading the team, why have they still been a great defensive team his first couple of seasons with the team? This is about having a ridiculously small lineup.

 

No Yao, lots of injuries, lots of roster turnover.

Come on folks, this is just not a decent comparison.

DD

 

Did anyone else find the contrast between post and user name funny?

 

I think people need to realise that the previous backup centre for Yao is Mutombo, who I guess most people would agree is a solid defensive player to say the least.