Everyone knows that I'm the resident pessimist, now that ZRB seems to be more optimistic than ever... With that being said, I will honestly evaluate different aspects of the Rockets, after 20+ games. If you know my posting history, I am a straight-shooter who is not quick to compliment, unless warranted. Francis- Went off to that really fast start, then has kind of been off and on. As stated before, he is a 2-guard being forced into the PG role. He does not have a PG mentality, nor does he have PG skills, yet he is forced into this role. Moreover, his leadership skills are as lacking as pounds on Calista Flockhart. He is a non-PG in basically every fathomable sense. In an ideal world, he would be the SG for the Rockets. He IS NOT a star player at the moment. He is merely a GOOD player. Why only good? Because VERY RARELY will he convingly outplay his PG counterpart. The stars like Kobe, T-Mac, Duncan, etc will outplay their man 75% of the time. Francis' horrible defense allows lesser PGs like J-Will to go bonkers against the Rockets every time out. Opposing PGs probably can't wait to feast on Francis' lack of defense. If Francis wants to prove he is a PG, it's about damn time that he throws passes that are not errant alley oops. Or perhaps it's time to dump the ball to Ming. The 2 things Francis has done best this year, are away from the ball, with his spot up shooting, and his give and goes with Yao. On the positive side, he's cut down on his ISOs. Mobley- Seems to be the same score-first score-second player. He is a nice player, but is hardly a STARTING SG. Doesn't do enough without the ball to warrant the 40+ mins a game. Moreover, his offensive skills are reptitive, as its similar to Francis. I will give him credit for playing pretty solid defense, he at least tries. I would like to see him function without the ball more. Rice- Really the only 3 pt shooter we have who plays any (Boki). Doesn't provide much offensively. Appears to be the unofficial team leader, as he is the oldest player on the team, to my knowledge. Rice seems to be feast or famine (no pun intended), as he will sometimes provide 15 pts and a strong outside shooting presence, or he will register a 10 min, 4 pt game. At this juncture in his career, he shouldn't be a starting SF ala Walt Williams. On a positive note, Rice is the Rockets 2nd best post-up player, after Yao. Griffin- I've been disappointed with how little he's improved over the last year. I won't blame him, since it could be Rudy's fault. Right now, he is essentially Robert Horry. Rockets fans are fooling themselves if they expect EG to be a Rasheed Wallace or Tim Duncan, guys who have an offensive arsenal that greatly dwarfs EGs. Like Rice, he can be a huge boost, or a huge dud. Consistent outside shooting, and a strong inside presence is a must from EG. Thus far, he's been up and down like the Dow Jones. I will be happier than a pig in $hit, if EG ever becomes a good starting SF/PF. Yao- Started off slowly, which is expected with the lack of practice time he had. RIGHT NOW, he is arguably a top 3-5 center in the league. I would love to see him play more assertive, as in demanding the ball inside from a PG who I will not name. He already has the best turnaround jumper for a center in the league, which is pretty much unstoppable. Yao should be the focal point off the offense, not only because of his ability to score, but also with his ability to pass and find the open man (Sac game). There is no excuse to not give Yao the damn ball 75% of the time. If there are players who do not want to follow suit, then they are probably better off playing on a team full of malcontents like Portland. Defensively, Yao has been fairly good, as he changes a ton of shots. Ticky-tack fouls must be avoided. KT- Just when I thought he couldn't be more of a blackhole from last year, KT has proved me wrong, and thinks that he shoots better than 100% on those ridiculous spinning layups he attempts, that usually get blocked, or don't even come close to the rim. He is a good offensive player, but the majority of his points do not come within the flow of the offense. If I'm the Rockets I either trade him, or just let him rot on the bench. It's about time Rudy takes a stand on the ISO bull$hit. Benching KT would send a message to Mobley, Francis, and Mo. MoT- Why does a 6 ft 9, 270+ lb PF insist on shooting 20 foot jumpers off the dribble? I don't really value a PF who is incapable of rebounding, playing defense, or scoring inside. Moochie- As much as I dislike him, all in all he's done ok. He is accountable for losing the 1st Clippers game, with his horrible defense on Dooling, as well as countless turnovers and missed FTs. I can't expect much from him, since he's a backup PG. However, I would like him to play just 1 second of defense. T-Mo- I'm not really sure what exactly he brings to the table, other than wasting a #1 pick for him. People say that he plays defense, but I don't really see it. He will get an occasional blocked shot, but that's really it. Offensively, he might as well not be on the floor, as he just gets in the way. The next open 3 pt shot from the corner he hits, will be his first. I would be surprised if he is on the team after this year, as long as GM Steve Francis doesn't interfere. Cato- Relatively speaking, he's played great for a backup C. He still can't catch or hold onto the ball though. If he could, he would easily average close to 10 ppg just off of alley oops. Cato is the one Rocket who Francis makes better. Cato gives the Rockets a big body and 6 fouls. Boki- I really hoped/thought he would be able to log 15+ mins a game as the backup SF. I just pray that he's not another Dan Langhi. Hawkins- I love this guy to death. Sadly, he doesn't fit Rudy's "system" which requires his players to not play defense, and to jack up bad shots. Hawkins plays within himself, and provides great defense. Why he doesn't get 20+ mins per game is beyond me. He is a role player who knows what he can and cannot do, something that is sorely lacking on the team.
This is very sobering, indeed. But, then, so have the last two Rocket performances been. I hope it ain't this bad.
kidrock8, great post! Agree with most of the stuff you said. Why the ball is not in Ming's hand 75% of the time is truely beyond me. I hope Rudy was just trying to prove the point of bad things happen when Ming cann't get the ball. I didn't even release Steve's defense could be so bad in the last two games against J Williams and Miller. He is very altheletic, has hearts, play hard, get lots of rebounds. But why half of time he just follow the opposing PG to the basket? I also did not understand why let Rice to be the post guy in the entire 2nd half??? Hello? There is 7-6 guy out there and has a league-best FG %???
IMO, the problem with Francis is that he's too flat footed on defensive. The best defenders are the ones who are always on their toes, the position that best allows them to go from Point A to Point B. Moreover, he doesn't do a good job of using his arms, ala Bruce Bowen, or to a lesser extent, Rick Fox. The arms provide the defender a much wider base, for the offensive player to attempt to go around.
I agree Francis had a horrible defensive game. I also agree with most of your assesments, although I do think T-Mo will be the starting SF for this team next year. Here's one thing I want to mention and I want to hear comments: When Mobley was out, the Rockets looked good in losses, I.E., played a better flowing game. When he's playing, we're winning, but we don't look as good. Is it worth playing him or not? Maybe he should become the 6th man again? Remember when we first started him he said it doesn't matter if he's starting or not as long as he's playing? But then again, there's no attainable player in the league suited to being a 2-guard on this team. At some point though, one of our F's is BOUND to heat up, and that's when we'll start to look much much much better.
One more note. I think Francis is trying hard on defense, but he just doesn't know HOW to ]play defense right now. What I'd like to see is the Rockets bringing in a backup PG next year who's knows as a great defensive player. Same thing at PF for Griffin. Someone who's known for being tough, tearing down rebounds, and playing lock down defense.
Tremendous job KidRock8. This is why you are one of the knowledgeable Rockets fans on the BBS, and one of my favorite posters. Read every bit of it. As for Mo T, I think he can be an effective player if he gets the chance to play long munites every game. That means even if he misses his first three shots, keep him in there. His shots wil eventually fall, unlike KT's. Many people bash his softness, which is understandable, but I am sold on MO T because the Rockets went 45-37 two years ago with him in the starting lineup, and that was with an old Hakeem Olajuwon. Now the Rockets have Yao, I think Yao and Taylor could be a good combo because Mo passes the ball to Yao unlike KT who needs the ball to go 1-on-1. Plus I've seen Mo shoot a few jump hooks this season as he was backing down in the low block, and it appears to be a fluid shot. Nothing but net on those shots also. I'd like to see Mo use it more, to determine if it is indeed effective. I think KT is a ok offensive player in that he racks up some points, but your exactly right, his points do not come in the flow of the offense, and that hurts the Rockets more than benefits them. Combine that with the fact that KT cannot hit a jumper this season, and you have a player I can't stand. Everyone says the Rockets have depth at the 4 this season. Should it really be called depth when basically all three PFs are not playing that well? MO T inexplicably can't get off the bench. EDDIE GRIFFIN has no post up game, nor can he isolate, and basically stands out at the 3 point line. He has not been a difference maker at this point in the season. He is playing like a 3 man right now, blocking a few shots and shooting threes, just like Horry did. and KENNY THOMAS just plain sucks That's three lower than average PFs. I don't call that depth, I call that a lack of talent.
Sane- I would have liked to somehow have gotten Travis Best at backup PG. Having 2 of the worst defensive PGs in the league in Mooch and Francis, kills us every game. Also, HOW in the world do you envision T-Mo starting for us at SF? Just by default, or because you think he's good? I have never been impressed with him at all.
Everything you said sounds right, except one thing: "[KT] is a good offensive player, but the majority of his points do not come within the flow of the offense... It's about time Rudy takes a stand on the ISO bull$hit. Benching KT would send a message to Mobley, Francis, and Mo." Come on, don't you think it's Rudy who believes in the ISOs? KT is there by himself, everyone else is just spotting up. No picks are set, not cutters are moving. Even the Mobley ISO has returned, with him getting the ball around the elbow. Great post, but it's time to incorporate Rudy's coaching into your posts!
Sane, you must really like Morris for some reason, if you think he is going to start. I personally think T Mo is garbage that is clogging up the Rockets roster. Ever notice how every one of his bricks go high up in the air. He doesn't use his legs.
Thanks for the compliment, and I agee with MOST of what you say regarding EG and KT. With Mo, 2 years ago, I will say that he gave us a quick start in the 1st q, but he would always fade away. I just don't like the idea of having Francis, Rice, and Mo in the starting lineup for defensive purposes. IMO the best starting lineup for the Rockets would be: PG- Francis (I wish SG) SG- Hawkins (Yes, Hawkins. Do we really need another guy in the starting 5 who must have the ball in his hands to score?) SF- EG or Rice (Spot-up shooting purposes. Start EG or Rice depending on matchups. If we are facing smaller SFs, then start Rice, if we are facing a team with a big SF, then start EG.) PF- Mo or KT (Doesn't really matter to me either way. If Mo REALLY can't function well, coming off the bench then start him. KT appears to be consistent off the bench or as a starter.) C- Yao (Of course)
I used to think the ISOs are mainly a product of Rudy. However, there must have been 10324098342809 times over the last 2 years (roughly how long we've been using the ISO minus Hakeem/BArkley) where Rudy has this "What the hell?" look on his face after an iso that led to a bad shot. Either Rudy is not good at telling his players what to do, or the players aren't listening. Either way, the lack of communication is a concern.
I would rather Francis put up 30+ pts per game and the Rockets lose, than Yao Ming have a good game and the Rockets win. Why you ask? Because Francis is my favorite player. Everything else can take a backseat. I just with that Ming's selfish play as an uppity rookie would stop costing Francis victories.
The thing with Morris is, when I saw him in summer league and preseason, he looked very comfortable with his shot. It looked like he wasn't thinking about it so much. It looked good, he looked confident, and they were going in I believe. then he went down for the rest of preseason and some of the season. It looked like he lost his shot. It's not as bad as last year, no way, but it's not fluid anymore. When he has his shot going, you can't complain about T-Mo in any area. He is, not incredible but great at D. high energy, great D. Long arms, good positioning with his legs actually. With zone, he's the prototypical excellent defensive player. The reason I think he'll start is because, Rice will be dealt. He'll have a decent year, and there's always a team looking for a 1 year @ 10M contract. We also have other things we'd like to trade, like Moochie Norris. In a semi-large deal, Moochie Norris, Glen Rice, and MoT can net us 2 nice pieces. A vet PF and a vet PG. We then either let KT walk, or sign and trade him for picks or something. Our defense shoots up, our team gets younger and older at the same time, we're much higher energy, we don't have a long jam, and we're contenders. I'll use TyHill as the ype of PF I'm talking about, and Avery Johnson as the PG I'm talking about. These are only examples though: Yao Ming/Cato TyHill(20 minutes)/Griffin/Cato T-Mo(22 minutes)/Boki(22 minutes)/Hawkins Mobley/Hawkins Francis/Avery Johnson (12-15 minutes) That's a team I can easily envision going past the first round, and with some luck, past the second round. It has all the elements, no rookies in the starting line-up, no rookies in the backups, and has been t the playoffs. It also has players frmo championship series', and a player with a ring. Avery and TyHill won't think twice about telling Francis or EG that they ****ed up. That's what I wanna see. Also, that team is, defensively, one of the best in the league, has a tremendous bench, has high percentage scorers at 3 positions, with Clutch players, and scoring machines like Francis and Mobley. Rebounding, blocking shots, no problem here. This team is one miniature trade away from solidifying their seat as contender for years to come. It's attitude we need. The type of attitude that Oakley, TyHill, Avery, Anthony Mason, and Micheal Jordan brought.
Did you feel this way after the Kings game? Over the first 20 games, Steve has consistently outplayed his opposition. The Rockets defense has been absolutely brilliant, and second-best in the league. These last two games have represented a complete collapse on the part of Steve, and EVERY OTHER player on the team. They have individually and collectively had the wrong attitude. The rest of the season, they've been fine. It is still early yet, and the Rockets are still above .500. As pissed off as I am about this weekend from hell, I am not going to let it change my perception of this team.
You're definitely right ZRB, we're just discussing ways, or players we could bring in, to avoid such mental lapses. It really bothered me that we lost against a sub .500 team on our homecourt. This team is better than that, they had an off night, we just don't want it to happen in consecutive games or as often.
There is no other point guard in the league that I would rather have than the Franchise. You haters can kiss my ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kidrock, I agree with most of your points. However, about Hawkins, I am very glad to see less of him now, because I could not stand the bad shots he would take. I thought he was supposed to be a defensive specialist? He would take so many ugly shots instead of getting the ball to Steve or Yao. The guy has no offensive skills, he could still help the team defensively but I don't want him jacking up shots like he had been doing.
kidrock- I agree with many of your points. Other parts I do not agree with have made me reflect and re-evaluate my opinions. Sane- I like your posts- good thoughtful insight... ZRB - always great notions.... I also had written off Terrence Morris- we gave up a future 1st round pick for him to Atlanta. I thought this was crazy at the time, and was not impressed with his play last season. This season I was impressed in the pre- season and in summer league play that I saw with his athletic ability, shooting, rebounding, and defense. I thought we might have a "Otis Thorpe Lite" on our hands. A good -consistent Small forward who could defend. He has not been the same since the injury. Maurice Taylor- an enigma for me.... He could hit that 18 to 20' shot and light it up in the 1st quarter his first season with us. He would always get in quick foul trouble, and Rudy would have to pull him. I think he is a nice fit with Yao and Steve. I do not know what he can really do since the injury - recovery. We have not really seen him play. I have no idea how he really will fit in with this team. I do not know if we should invest the time in playing him for a potential "chemistry reward"? Griffin- another dilemma for me. When we traded so many picks to get him - I was thrilled. We needed a big man so badly. How did any of us know we would be blessed with getting the pick for Yao Ming???? Now I do not know if we should invest the playing time to see if he can fit with Yao and Steve. Frances- I really like Steve - we are really lucky to have him. When we got him- it was like getting Yao- we had not had a point guard in so long. What a talent, what a player..... Seeing some crazy - stupid - redneck skinhead - Jason Williams - (did I mentioned horribly over rated?? ) have such a good game against Steve the last two times we met him is severely disappointing. I wish J will was still on the Kings. I do not know if we improve by trading away Griffin or Taylor, as I doubt we get much for them. I lean toward trying to develop them - develop chemistry with Yao and Steve. I wish we had Greg Anthony as a back up point instead of Moochie. The point and Center are the two hardest positions to fill. We do have immense - long term talent in these two spots we can build around. Sorry to have rambled, the kid rock and Sane posts have really set me thinking. I do not have the answers, and really do not know which direction we should go. I do know that defense has brought us this far- we need to stay grounded defensively.
