Working on the game plan

daywalker02 · Dec 29, 2011

Long after the day’s practice had ended, Chase Budinger, Goran Dragic, Jonny Flynn and Samuel Dalembert launched halfcourt shots, competing but also reminding themselves of the days when NBA practices were much less of a special occasion.

In a season crammed with games and few chances to work out the kinks on the practice court, the Rockets had returned from their season opener in Orlando for two precious days of workouts.

By the time they reconvene for similar sessions, it will be 2012 and they will have played three more games and the early stages of the season will be rapidly taking shape. Success, beginning with Thursday’s home opener against the San Antonio Spurs, might be determined by the work done in those vital and now relatively rare days making repairs.

“It definitely helps,” forward Terrence Williams said of the Rockets’ final two practices of 2011. “You get to see your mistakes in the Orlando game. We’re a better team (than on Monday) because it’s hard to assess your team when you’re playing in a preseason game. When you play Orlando, or any team for that matter, in a real game, you get to see what you need to correct and what you need to do against other teams.

“I definitely think this is a better team than it was last game.”

No rest for the weary

They will have to be. Thursday’s game against the Spurs begins a stretch of three games in as many nights, with the Rockets in Memphis on Friday before returning home for an early New Year’s Eve start against Atlanta.

With the one game’s worth of video to identify the corrections needed, the Rockets hoped to prevent the opening-night defensive breakdowns and get more movement out of the offense. But the Rockets also had to step back to mix in center Samuel Dalembert and forward Patrick Patterson as the pair went through their first practices of the season.

“I think we’re better than we were opening night against Orlando,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “How much are we going to be able to carry over? Again, it’s been a really disjointed, kind of funky camp. Like (Wednesday), Patrick came in and we’re trying to teach Sammy the offense. It feels like we’re always rounding first. You think, well most of the guys know it, but if one guy or two guys don’t know the offense, you have to run it for them.”

In the teams’ second preseason meeting, the Spurs pounced early, running their offense rapidly to expose holes in the Rockets’ rotations. Though the Rockets had some strong defensive possessions in the season opener, on other occasions the Magic similarly spread the floor and exposed huge holes in the defense the Rockets spent the past two days trying to plug.

Many of those corrections are the sort of steps typically taken in the preseason, especially after a coaching change. But with the compressed preseason schedule, the key will be how rapidly those steps will be taken in the regular season, particularly with so little margin for error in the schedule through the opening weeks.

Focus on improving

“We’re better now than we were before,” forward Luis Scola said. “But you’re going to get better eventually every game a little bit. The pace that we get better is what matters. … We need to use the games and the days to get better regardless of if we have practice or not.”

They’ll move on to the “not” part of the schedule with just one practice in the next 11 days. Teams that can shore up issues at shootarounds and video sessions might make the most of the compressed schedule, but Thursday the Rockets will see if two days of practices were enough to earn their first win.
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2011/12/rockets-hope-to-make-most-of-rare-practices/

Burko · Dec 29, 2011

it does sound like we are horribly underprepared... But I suppose a lot of other teams will be in the same situation.

flamingdts · Dec 29, 2011

I think if we get PPat back we might be able to fill up some of the gaps in our defense.

He lacks the height, but has always demonstrated good positioning and help defense.

I'm more worried about our minute distribution at this point. There just isn't enough room for all our players.

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