cuz tmac is playing. u never heard these complaints when tmac was out everyone was poor defensively last night except for hayes.
So, if the Rockets have no identity and an identity is needed to succeed in the league... What identity should the Rockets have and what do you propose they do to get there? Maybe that's a more interesting topic for discussion. Personally, I like the Rockets to be a team that can physically beat on the other teams on both ends of the floor. The one guy that defines the Rockets, for better or worse, is Yao Ming-- a 7'6'' 310 lb guy who likes to bang but lack footspeed. You gotta build from that-- adding physical good defenders who can cover his weakness and other physical guys who can go to the basket so the opposing team has to deal with mismatches all the time and get tired and bruised by the end of the game. '' How do they get there?
It seem that our identity is "Nothing is easy". All those easy lay-up, open perimeter misses, and lack of defensive energy make life harder than it has to be. If only our guards shoot better %, we'd be a threat.
I'm not sure the Kings trade Ron Ron but I'd love to have this guy on the team. The only worry is, he's good when he's normal, and when he has a headcase attack, he's horrible for team chemistry and control.
A high number of assists doesn't mean that the Rockets are playing Adelman's offense. By contrast only four players reached double figures and only three took more than 8 shots. What really bothers me is that Scola only got six shot attempts despite shooting .500 on the night. It sure looks to me like the Rockets are still playing a hybrid system--I don't remember seeing a whole lot of pick and roll in Sacramento. The problem is that I'm not convinced that a hybrid system is going to cut it against elite teams. Isn't this an exact replay of the team strategy that resulted in a sub .500 record earlier this season? I thought the consensus was that 2 on 5 basketball wasn't going to work and that the solution was a balanced attack. Distribute the ball. That's all I have to say to the Rockets.
Zone defense is designed to thwart an offense like Adelman's because you dont have a "man" to set a screen on. There are 2 ways to beat a zone defense: Penetrate and dish, or shoot over the top. PnR allows this by creating a temporary hole in the zone. You can either continue driving(which the Rockets did a lot of yesterday) or pass to the soon to be open man when the defense rotates.
I'd buy that but the problem is that it just wasn't the Seattle game. We've been seeing a whole lot of pick and roll in a bunch of other games too--and this was while T-Mac was out too. I know I'm not the only guy to comment on this. The Rockets are running out of season, and I really have to question why they're not further along in implementing Adelman's offense. Can they really make some noise in the playoffs, assuming they get there, running a system that's half Adelman, half JvG?
They didn't play Adelman's Sacramento offense in Golden State or Portland either. Geoff Petrie brought his college coach Pete Carril to Sacramento to help Adelman with bringing the Princeton offense to the Kings. Adelman didn't use the Sacramento offense in his first 8 years of coaching with the Trailblazers and Warriors. He customizes a hybrid offense to the team he has.
sorry but to the op, i know i might get flamed for saying this but... GIVE THE TEAM A BREAK. we have a new coach and new players and an entirely new system.. you look at the suns, spurs, mavs, jazz, detroit and even the lakers ( im sure there are plenty of other teams that i didn't list) and compare their records to ours. how long has those teams played together? was it half a season before they all at championship level? uhh give me a freaking break, i know this board is open for opinions and for the love of.. STOP MAKING THREADS RIPPING THIS TEAM. its the same junk over and over, you guys are always talking about how either yao isnt clutch (which i know he's not but come on if the entire cast is shooting bad and he's carrying the load for 30 minutes of the game already do you really expect him to score the next 10 points in order for us to win?!!?) and tracy isn't that great of a leader (a leader non the less, no he won't be able to play the role that LBJ plays on the cavs) and our team isn't that great we're still holding our own against the teams out there in the league. just be happy we aren't in miami's position. i say wait til after the all star break if not next year to see if this team can really be as great as we've been hoping it would be.
I am very frustrated with this team, and I don't want to be. I had so looked forward to this season and all the new players. Since the championship years, the ONLY Rockets team that I thought was really fun to watch and inspired me as a fan was the Sura-Barry team that took the Mavs to seven. I loved that season. Last year looked good on paper, 52 wins, but actually was pretty boring. I never really connected with the team as a fan. I am frustrated with the current team because: 1. They don't shoot well, which is extremely frustrating. Missed lay ups are just ridiculous. 2. They don't make their free throws. Absurd for a professional team. 3. They are sooooo unathletic. The starting lineup has got to be the most athletically challenged in the league. 4. They don't defend as well as last year. 5. The PG position is like a weight tied around the team's neck. Rafer is foolsgold. When he starts loosing minutes he has a miracle week or two. He is not starting material especially in the West. This is just stupid. 6. The starting lineup is also stupid. So offensively challenged, that TMac (when he is playing) and Yao are essentially going two on five. 7. I have no confidence in Adelman, none. I don't care what his history is. I don't think he really knows what to do with this team. The team looks disorganized, out of sync, at times, utterly lost. 8. The team lacks fire, intensity, will, tenacity, all of it. 9. They win bad, they lose bad, they just look bad most of the time. 10. Yao is very skilled, but has likely hit his peak, and with the current supporting cast is going nowhere. 11. TMac has passed his peak. 12. The organization doesn't seem to have a realistic grasp of where the team is or what to do. Points of encouragement: Landry, Scola, Brooks. Unfortunately Scola and Brooks are as inconsistent offensively as the rest of the bunch. I can't believe that Francis, a former All Star and James who averaged over 20 points a game shooting in the high forties two seasons ago can't help this team. This whole situation is really ridiculous. Something has got to change.
I think it's a misconception that Adelman ever intended to implement a real Princeton offense at Houston. That said it doesn't seem likely to me that Adelman's happy with an offense that doesn't feature passing and ball movement. The offense is ultimately going to be some kind of hybrid. What it's really supposed to look like is kind of tough to figure out since the Rockets only seem to follow Adelman's direction every other quarter. I posted something on this exact subject in the "Rockets playbook" thread.
Something has got to change. A victory stealing from a bottom team in a uggly game verifies your points. The 20M guy can save the game, why he did not do it earlier?
Fan loyalty is earned. Some teams inspire confidence, some don't. I am as true a fan as anyone on this site, otherwise, I wouldn't be here. When I see the Rockets play I am looking for Rudy T, Calvin, Moses, Elvin, Hakeem, Ralph, and company. They don't come here any more, and their successors aren't carrying on the tradition. When Landry, an inexperienced rookie, hits the floor things get more interesting and exciting. Why?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2008.html Scroll down to Opponent Statistics. The last column is our defensive rating. Right now, you could name 4 teams that are effectively tied for second (Rockets, Spurs, Hornets, and Pistons) by this statistic.
