Newsflash !! It AIN'T the offense !!!!

I agree that our defense is crap at times, but our offense is in much much much much much much much worser shape.

We're actually 9th in points allowed per game...some teams that we're ahead of in PAPG are the T-Wolves, Spurs, Mavs, and Bucks.

For like the last week I've noticed Cato play pretty decent defense, we only start to see layup drills from the opposing team Kevin "Arr Arr" Willis enters the game. He does work hard on the boards, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that he's been pretty bad on defense.



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I couldn't agree more. Sometimes it looks like our guards are playing defense like they can't wait to be playing offense again. Cat and Steve are quick enough to be good defenders. I would think that Rudy puts at least some emphasis on it, so what the hell is the problem? And with Cato and Griff on the squad why the hell aren't we using some zone? Those guys were made for it.

 

How about that. Another Rockets loss, another DaDakota thread stating what is wrong with the Rockets. Look, if we have Steve and Cat, or even just one or the other, we win this game. We win this game, and there is little reason to b**** about anything. Sure, the Rockets defense isn't great, but Jason Williams couldn't miss tonight, and he wasn't getting wide open looks all night because the Rockets D was bad. He was getting open looks because he was taking wild shots, most of which he usually bricks.

Defense takes time to develop. Dream was our defensive anchor when he was here. He also happened to be our offensive anchor. That was nice, and it tended to spoil us.

But look at it this way. Think of 3 up and coming, young teams that should win a LOT of games and some titles in the next 5-7 years (not the Lakers). Sacremento, Dallas (debatable), and Milwaukee. All three of these teams wins by outscoring, not outdefending the opponent. It works for them, and it can work for us.

Now, I agree that it is important that our main 3 guards should learn to defend on the perimeter better (and on the drive too, although Cuttino is pretty good at denying the drive), but that is something that takes time. Not having a significant defensive center presence can really exaggerate poor defensive guards, too.

Give them time.

 

The reason we are 9th in points allowed is because our offense slows the whole game down. We always dribble away 20 seconds of the shot clock off. We play as if we were a great half court team, but we are not. We are bad on defense and struggle to score in the half court offense. So why do we slow the game down? We need to play up tempo like Dallas and Sacramento. That is what suits our team best. We ran against Dallas and blew them out. Why did we stop?

 

<B>Look, if we have Steve and Cat, or even just one or the other, we win this game. We win this game, and there is little reason to b**** about anything. </B>

Maybe, maybe no. Remember, though, that Memphis was also missing Swift (their #2 scorer) and Dickerson, their best player from last season.

 

Nope, not me.

 

Look, if we have Steve and Cat, or even just one or the other, we win this game. We win this game, and there is little reason to b**** about anything.

There is no excuses to get blown out by the Grizzlies. Every team has injuries. Good teams learn to win even with injuries.

 

I understand, I was just pointing out that criticism that is doled out based on this game is being done in circumstances that poorly represent what our Rockets team can really do. Swift and Dickerson are good, but is there any real doubt that the Grizzlies are better than the Rockets when everyone is healthy?

Also, DaDakota, NO TEAM "brings it" for 48 minutes a game. They all have lapses, they all give up runs and play better during certain streaks. If they didn't then they would be robots.

 

Jesus, people, you are not reading me carefully enough (or, perhaps much more likely, I am not expressing myself well).

I am not making excuses. I said before the game that we should win, and that if we didn't it would suck. We had the talent to win this game. I was merely trying to point out that, if we had Steve or Cat, we had a MUCH better chance of winning this game. If we win this game, then we probably wouldn't be reading the threads stating "what's wrong with the Rockets." I feel the frustration just like everyone else, but I find it hard to sit around speculating on what needs to be changed when 3/5's of our projected lineup is in street clothes.

 

The offense blows.

No team with this pile of crap of an offense is capable of winning, no matter what kind of defense you play.

 

Thats because the only offense involving Griffin is that stupid play where he sets a pick and then he just jacks up a 3-pointer. Thats the stupidest play that you can run for this guy. I think he needs to be playing his own game more often. If we started running the floor a lot more often Eddie would be a lot more involved and averaging more ppg. I can't believe that Rudy has refused to adjust the style of the team to confront the new defensive rules. Like some of you guys said, the only way that you can play really good ball nowadays, is if you push the tempo. Look at the Bucks, Lakers, Kings, Pistons. There are teams coming out of nowhere, ie. the Pistons, because they have become really good fast breaking teams. The teams that were in the playoffs last year that arent that good at running have dropped out of the picture, ie. the Jazz and the Heat. Hopefully, Rudy will eventually see the big picture.

 

Griffin is a great post up player and Rudy needs to run more plays for him posting up and being near the basket. He had his carreer high in Seattle because he was posting up and getting involved in the offense, not just standing back and shooting 3's.

 

Dakota, thank you for reiterrating what I was saying in the chat a couple of weeks ago. The Rockets defense absolutely stinks!!! While it may not seem so by the points allowed stat our defense shows no intensity whatsoever. We aren't rotating quickly enough to the weak side, we aren't fighting over the picks and we are constantly being broken down by opposing guards. This all directly translates to our poor offensive showing. Fast breaks usually come from strong defensive stops. We are relying too much on the opposing team to simply miss easy shots rather than force the opposition to take tough shots.

For instance, how many times did J-Dub get an open look after his man didn't fight over a pick?? How many times did the man from the weak side sneak in the back door for a layup or easy jump shot?

Too often for my tastes. Defense is the name of the game. Play good fundamental defense throughout the game and the offense will come.

 

Are you sure about that? You didnt seem to agree when I said the same thing against Sacramento.

Anyways, there really isnt an excuse for tonite. Yeah we are missing our three best players, but Grizzlies were also missing Bryant Reeves, Stromile Swift and Michael Dickerson.

 

You can't just blame the guards for walking the ball up. Surely Rudy could TEACH them to run the ball. I doubt that they deliberately walk the ball up if Rudy tells them to run it. Rudy just never tells them to run. He is center's coach, not a guard's coach.

 

I recognize the PPG and PPGAllowed stats flaws, I just wanted to find a place to put my pictures...

Anyway, I really enjoy seeing Tierre play the point in place of Moochie. Tierre does make quite a few mistakes, but at least he speeds up the tempo of the game and is active on both sides. Moochie must light up a bowl or something before he plays because he does everything so slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly...