I started to write this while watching the game in the early 4th quarter against Sacramento thinking we may end up losing, but... My comments still apply. --- The Rockets are one of those rare teams that will likely play quite differently at the midway point of the season than they do at the start. With a very tough opening schedule and a lineup filled with new faces, it is no surprise that the team has had some struggles early and probably will continue to struggle for a while. However, the combaination of improvemed individual play and team chemistry will make this a much tougher team come January. Here are some of the main reasons why: Defensive Rotations Up until last season, the Rockets had been a poor rotating team defensively for quite a few years. During the championship seasons, this was their greatest strength as a defense. It is impossible to stay with teams one-on-one and more and more teams are trying to exploit variations of the pick-and-roll with increasing effectiveness. In order to play solid defense, the Rockets must improve their defensive rotations. Tonight against Sacramento, you could see times when players would miss a rotation and a King would be left wide open. Webber had numerous shots from the elbow when Bibby went around a screen from Miller and Yao showed on Bibby to keep him from getting an open shot. The play requires that someone rotate to Miller while the next man over moves to cover Webber. This part of their game will improve dramatically. Van Gundy is a stickler for defensive rotations and understands that, in order to be a good defensive team, the Rockets must rotate effectively. They improved a lot last year and this team will continue to get better particularly because they have the potential to be big at multiple positions negating some mismatches on a switch. Assist to Turnover Ratio In the last two games, the Rockets have averaged 23 assists and only 16 turnovers. Compare that to the first two games when they averaged only 12 assists, but had the same 16 turnovers. Because the Rockets will continue to run a lot of screen-and-rolls as well as post up on offense, they will probably be in the 15-16 range in turnovers, which puts them middle of the pack. However, they MUST improve on that 14+ assists per game number and they will. T-Mac is showing himself to be not only unselfish, but smart with the ball. The point guards also seem to share that accumen. T-Mac, in particular, seems to see the floor from every angle and consistently makes smart decisions. He is patient and unafraid to give up the ball. Those qualities make him the ideal guy to handle the ball 80 percent of the time and kudus to JVG for spotting that early. The team just looks smarter this year as a whole. They don't take nearly as many shots with the shot clock running down and appear to make the right pass most of the time. Their turnovers have come as much from their inexperience playing together as they have from mistakes. That gives them a great chance at becoming a much more efficient basketball team. Easy Baskets Improved passing means easy baskets and that is something we've seen more of already this season. The Rockets will improve their ability to get easy baskets simply because of the heady play on the floor by the guards and because their forwards - particularly Taylor - are excellent passers from the high post. Almost every shot McGrady takes looks easy, but his first step and ability to get to the rim is just devastating. That will open up the floor for guys and give them easier shots. I can guarantee you that some of these guys have never seen wide open shots like the one's they have already gotten this season. Veteran Leadership Nevermind the fact that McGrady has been in the league seven years. This team now has a balance of young and old players - something they haven't had since Barkley retired. The mix of younger players like Yao, McGrady, Lue, Nachbar and Taylor with older veterans like Ward, Mutumbo, Jackson and Howard is ideal. It means less pressure when the game is on the line and more experience dealing with whatever comes their direction. This is a combination we haven't seen with the Rockets for a while and the reason they will be a more stable and solid team over the long haul of the season. Defensive Size vs. Quickness This is not a fast team and it has some lateral movement problems particularly in the paint. But, this can still be a very quick team on the perimeter and, just as key, a big team up the middle. As the season goes along, expect JVG to put more on-the-ball pressure with Ward, Lue and McGrady near halfcourt. This will be particularly true of teams with quality guard play. The Rockets were the best team in the league last year at taking away an opponent's first option on offense. This season, JVG will look to improve upon that by also taking teams out of their rhythm. In addition, our defense up the middle will most certainly improve. With Mutumbo coming off the bench, Yao's 7'6" presence and smart players like Howard, expect the Rockets to continue to improve shutting down the lane to opposing offenses. We've already seen Deke's impact early. That will dramatically help Yao because teams will shy away from the lane knowing that there is little dropoff defensively when either center is in the game. That means fewer fouls on Yao just on the fear that he'll block the shot. The combination of quickness on the perimeter and size/shot blocking in the post can definitely help make up for some of the overall team speed problems and these are both areas that will improve throughout the season as the team becomes more comfortable in JVG's defensive schemes. Inside-Out Game We have only scratched the surface of Yao and T-Mac's potential on the floor together. Against the Kings, we all saw McGrady take over, get shut down and defer to Yao who took over. We haven't seen that kind of inside-outside threat since Dream and Glide. What makes these two all the more dangerous is the fact that T-Mac is a great ball handler and both are outstanding passers. That combination, as they improve, is going to be magical. The ability to put the ball in the hands of a 6'8" guard and let him run the offense while his 7'6" center roams the paint is something no other team has ever been able to do. The closest we've ever seen to this kind of combination is Magic and Kareem. I'm not going to compare McGrady and Yao to maybe the best guard-center combination in the history of basketball, but given the lack of this kind of skill throughout the CURRENT NBA, it bodes very well for the Rocks. What is all the more impressive is the fact that both players, even at such young ages, understand how to involve teammates through the art of the pass. This is tough enough to find in a guard who can score 30 a night and barely break a sweat, but finding that ability in a center mixed with the scoring talent and size of Yao is almost unheard of in professional basketball. Pay attention to the inside-out action in these games. We may very well be watching one of the great duos to every play the game in their infancy. --- As I said, this team has the rare ability to see dramatic improvements in its overall game throughout the course of the season. Add a big, penetrating guard like Sura to the mix in December and it gets even better. This is going to be a team that struggles early but has a chance to be very, VERY tough come springtime.
The thing I liked about last night and tonight with T-Mac was that he knew exactly what he had to do. Last night he knew he had to shoot the rock and be more of a scorer, and tonight he knew Yao was hot and deferred to him more in the end, that's the sign of a real baller. I like the fact that eventually teams are gonna have big big problems deciding who to double team when both players are going like they were tonight. I think this team is gonna be able to beat you in more than one way, which is a sure sign of a deep playoff team. A lot of teams can only play one game (ex run-&-gun) and if they can't do that, they lose. I think the Rockets will eventually be able to win games on the offensive end and the defensive end. Oh, I agree with Jeff. We will get better.
Don't forget poise under pressure. I was expecting the team to collapse in the third, and then again late in the fourth, but they pulled through (though missed FTs continue to be a concern for Yao)
I wish we had IQ tests of every player on last year's and this year's rosters. Short of that, the best evidence is videotape, and it indicates we've gained a collective 100 points.
Here's my 2cents. 1. Yao and TMac should have the most shot attempts on this team. They both had 20. We won. 2. Bobby Sura is the X Factor, once we get him back he brings us an athletic guard who won't get pressed like pinstripe slacks. 3. Role players knowing their role. Once our role players figure out that they are ROLE players. we would be more efficient. 4. Mutumbo. His D is crucial so teams wont try to dunk on us when Yao is out. 5. Tmac's passing. once Tmac quites acting like Kobe, he's going to be unstoppable. 6. Power Forward: Mo Taylor is our best powerforward. This is why JVG starts him. The 'other' power forward should focus less on offense and other skills he has better than Mo. Like Rebounding and maybe passing. This aint the Magic, he will never average 17 7 in a Rockets uniform.
This is why I'm so good. Most of everyone here is the BORG and think with the collective mind. I'm freeing your minds. I'm giving you logic and emotion. I will never submit to the collective!
Only solid? It is a great post! Lurking here for two years now and one of the best posts I have ever seen.
Great post. I think one of the main differences between this year and last year is that when Yao is shut out of the game by fronting defenses, we had no other means of scoring. This was because these same fronting defenses acted as a zone defense which also happened to be the best defense against Mobley and Francis penetration. As you saw last night, TMac picked the Grizz apart on his own. Then tonite, the Kings decided not to front Yao and he picked them apart. As far as the greatest duo part, it's all up to Yao. We know what McGrady can do. Yao has to continue to be agressive.
uh huh....right..... i agree here......good point......right on..... makes sense......i was going to post that.......... you've read my mind........huh, all great minds do think alike..... excellant post, i don't know what else i could say. BTW, why did I get booted from the chat room in the fourth quarter? I didn't do anything. I can't believe I missed the comeback. It must have been nuts in there.
I agree with you Jeff. We still need a big, bruising power forward who will intimidate, board, and hit the mediocre jump shot. And the sooner our point guards start picking up at half court the better. It is their only chance to have an impact against the opposing teams point and keep them under 35 points.
I kind of wished the Rockets had gotten Dale Davis. I believe he is rotting on Golden State's bench. He would be a nice stop gap for the Rockets this year.
