The Rockets have been playing great ball recently, but one thing has been very clear through the first 9(?) games: everyone is forcing TO's out of the Rockets. Steve Francis, Yao Ming and Cuttino Mobley turn the ball over under pressure. Who can they pass it to? Kelvin Cato or Jim Jackson. When we pass to Yao, we hope he keeps the ball. It seems Yao has worked through his TO problem, but in the last game, he looked a little like his old self. Let's hope it's not the norm. We all know that Steve Francis is one of the most TO prone players in the league, despite his mind-numbingly low assist totals. Cuttino Mobley doesn't TO the ball as much as these guys, but he doesn't pass as much either. Safe to say, his asst/to ratio isn't that great for a former PG, someone who attracts double teams, and someone who has two better offensive options on his side. Being without Pike and MoT really hurts us, because these guys can get the ball and just shoot. They don't turn the ball over much, they shoot as soon as they're open, and they make a high %. Basically, they are regularly on the receiving end of assists, and don't really turn the ball over. I'm glad we kept Toronto, who are unbeaten at home, at 101 points through 4 quarters and double overtime. However, this TO problem is getting VERY serious. It's troubling. I'm not saying we trade, although I'm not saying we shouldn't. I want to know what your thoughts are on alternatives to reduce the TO count, and your thoughts on why exactly our starting line-up turns the ball over so damn easily. I believe it's because 4 of them hold on to the ball for long stretches, and the 5th (Cato) isn't really someone we expect more from. What do you guys think? Can we survive the season like this? I think we'll be forced to bring MoT into the starting line-up, reduce JJ and Mobley's minutes, increase Pike and Boki's playing time. Would that help?
