Too many one-dimensional players on the rockets roster

So does Rondo.

 

And didn't the Pistons win again with Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, and even Mike freaking James, among others? In fact, I recall they beat a Lakers team fronted by Kobe Bryant and Shaq.

I suppose these might be the exceptions that prove the rule, but still...

 

[QUOTE ] Originally Posted by Ramathorn006
I ll probably get bashed for this but our biggest weakness in our starting line up (if Yao is healthy) is Martin. He relies heavily on getting to the free throw line to be productive.

Now think of the big picture.

In the playoffs, referees are not going to call those ticky tack fouls Martin will probably get during the season.

Martins defense will not be able to hold his own against Kobe, Manu, Melo.

Our team is missing that bull dog. Just how Ron was and Tracy back in the day.

Kevin Martin is soft and its gonna suck when the playoffs come and he cant score because the refs are not calling fouls for him. He is the definition of one dimensional.
[/QUOTE ]

He's defense is definately weak, but I dont think wanting to get to the free throw line is a weakness. Remember Wade in his championship run. It seemed like every time he attacked the basket he got to the free throw line.

 

The majority of the players in this league are one-dimensional. The small percentage of players who arent are called "Superstars".

 

If Boston is so "two-dimensional", why were they ranked 15th in offense this year? Heck, the Rockets were 16th. If being average at either side of the ball is all it takes to be considered strong at a dimension, it seems like the Rockets would qualify as being 2-dimensional this year. They were 16th in O and 17th in D. And that's without any interior defense at all.

 

I would say that the 2004 Detroit Pistons were an exception to that rule, right?

In 1989 & 1990, the Detroit Pistons didn't have Aguirre and Dantley on the same team. In fact, during the 1988-89 season, the Pistons traded Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre just before the trading deadline.

 

Too many one dimensional players on many NBA teams, not just the Rockets. Good 2 way players are paid more so unless we want to have the Mavericks' payroll, we'll have to cull players who can play good team offense and defense to overcome their individual shortcomings.

 

This lineup went to the finals twice and won a championship

Center: All defense, No offense - As 1-D as a player can get
Power Forward: Head case, takes too many jumpshots - versatile but not superstar
Small Forward: great defense, raw offense - 1-D player
Shooting Guard: Can only shoot - Kevin Martin with no 3-point range, 1-D player
Point Guard: Scoring point - Improved version of Brooks, but still a scoring point. 1-D player

 

RA's offensive system is proven to put players (even role players) in spots where they are at their best offensively. That's why even role players shine in his offense. Defensively, he is hoping our players can be coached up to be better both individually and as a team.

In the current NBA, with the rules favoring the offensive player on the perimeter, PGs and SGs will regularly blow by their man. What you need is good rotation and a strong interior defense to defend the basket. RA did say what we didn't have last year with so many new players in was repetition in practice.

That's all we can ask for from our players. We know their character and work ethic, their unselfishness and their no-excuses mentality. If Bosh and other FAs don't want to come to Houston, can you fault DM for that? I love our players. I'll take my chances with them and the other pieces DM will bring over this summer.

 

I am not talking about what they were in the past, I am talking about right now, and right now what they have defensively is hight defensive IQ, because they can´t rely on being quicker and stronger then others, they have to be smarter.

And this is what guys like AB and Martin have to understand, if you don´t want to give 110% physical effort defensively so that they can be fresh to be an offensive weapon ( what 90% of the superstars do), they have to be smarter defensively

This is why I prefer guys like Ariza then guys like AB, because i know that Ariza will score 15 7 7 and 2 steals with the opposing SF dropping 10 and AB will have 30 0 7 with the opposing PG dropping 30 on him

I am not hatting AB or Martin, but knowing that is easier for them to have the mentality to play great D, then is for Ariza to suddenly have amazing offensive talent, it bugs me how great offensive talented players refuse to play not great D, BUT AVERAGE D

Lets hope they improve on that

But as i said this thread is absolutely true

And please don´t say that Scola plays above average D, that is just not true at all, Hayes plays above average D, but he is too small to guard some PFs, but I will never forget Hayes playing defense on Garnett and Boozer, not this year, but it was just brilliant

There are only 2 guys that are average or above in both ends, YAO Great O, average D, Ariza Average O, good D

PeAcE

 

I don't understand how people can say Martin is one dimensional and hold up the Celtics as some kind of gold standard when Ray Allen and Kevin Martin are very similar players compared to each other.

...besides - look at the Celtics and Perkins is basically a big bodied defender and nothing more. Allen is not a good defender, Pierce is okay but aging, KG has lost a step, and Rondo is very good....but ultimately it has nothing to do with their individual skills anyway - they just have a great defensive system in place similar to the one we had when JVG and Thibodeau were running the show. Hell, our best JVG defensive year was played with Francis, Mobley, old Jim Jackson, Cato and Yao - certainly not a collection of defensive aces.

You don't need a collection of two way players to get to the top, you need a system where individual weaknesses are minimized by the play of the team as a whole.

 

BOOM

That is what i said, not great individual defenders, but a great defensive system, you only forgot to give some credit to the players because they have it, high defensive IQ, they all have it, to many years in this league.

 

I hope so too, but the Rockets' hands are tied with issues that are out of their hands. Mainly, Yao Ming can't stay healthy. You really can't contend that much when your best player that you're trying build your team around keeps getting hurt.

We actually need another franchise player to build around, but there's another problem. Those don't grow on trees and getting one without having to wallow in many lottery bound seasons is pretty hard. If you are trying to get said franchise player via trade, you will most likely have to trade major depth for that player. If by free agency, said player has to want to come here. That's why all the Bosh threads, even though he is not what I consider a first tier superstar, he has the skills that many teams covet.

Morey, for all his magic that many of us imagine he has, can't just snap his fingers and create a more well rounded team at the drop of a hat. It takes gradual time and IMO he is making progress.

It's not like his goal that he presented to Les is "I plan to make a middle of the pack team and hope to eek into the playoffs just to tease the fans." Actually he predicted already at the start of season that our season would play out like it did but in the meantime has made moves for the future.

 

Man but quite honestly I dont think the refs respect Martin the same they did as Wade. Wade has that "Flash". Martin is more finesse...Kinda lulls you to sleep.