This is rough. Sure Roy can keep up the basic principles but can he adapt like Bzdelik did when GSW was slipping screens and any other tactics teams will use to combat the switching? What's Battier up to?
Maybe the conversation went like this.... D'Antoni (couple of years ago) Hey Jeff, want to come work for us. Jeff: Really I was thinking about retiring. Mike: We have a good team and Les is handing out long term contracts. Jeff: Well maybe, but it would only be for a couple of years. Mike: That's fine, I'll take what I can get. Two years later.... Jeff: Hi Mike, I'm 65, the IRA is padded and I think I'll hang them up. Mike: I have a plan B, but I'd love for you to stay. Why don't you sleep on it and see if you change your mind. Just let me know by training camp. Jeff: OK, but i doubt I'll change my mind. Wife is pretty set on it. Couple of days ago... Jeff: I'm sticking to my plan. Best of luck to the team, tell them to listen to Chris. Mike: Sad to see you go but have a great time. Say Hi to the wife for me. Clutch Fans: What a dick! Clutch Fans: My butt hurts! Clutch Fans: There has to be another move. PS: Give it up on the training facilities. It was clever the first time, but lame now.
I hate losing Bzdelik, but think of this... the Warriors became a good defensive team when Mark Jackson was the coach. When Steve Kerr came in, that didn't change. They remained a good defensive team because the players knew what they were doing. The foundation has been set, and it's the players who will make it work.
Guys, aren't we a tad over reacting. Agreed, Jeff Bzdellik helped transform our defense to an elite level but guys, don't you think the players that executed the offesive scheme should get some credit too? We still have most of our guys back. They shouldn't regress to the extent that you guys are fretting. Heaven is not falling guys. In fact, I predict that Rockets' defense will improve despite Jeff Bzdellik's departure. Granted, we lost Ariza and Mbah a Moute. Let's not forget that Mbah a Moute was persona non grata last year given his many injuries and Ariza regressed a bit last year due perhaps, to over usage. Yet the Rockets did well on defense. Are we to ascribe all the Rockets' defensive fortunes only to Jeff Bzdellik? I would think not. He was good (Jeff that is) but the players and other personnel not named Mike D'Antoni have some say to the improved Rockets' defense. Even he, D'Antoni that is, bought in to the defensive scheme of Jeff Bzdellik. So, let's all take a seat, relax, and behold the 2018/2019 Rockets. Yhis is not the time to start drinking the media cool-aid. I'm not a pessimist as many of you are on Jeff Bzdellik's retirement. His departure will have, if anything at all, a negligeable impact on the Rockets defense this coming season. Guys, these Rockets will be great and if you blink, you might miss them and their flight to the NBA championship orbit.
GS didn't have the roster turnover the way hou just did during their transition either. particularly on the defensive first side
We will probably be fine in the regular season, but as another poster alluded to further up, that series against GSW was such a high level of basketball, the defensive co-ordination and adjustments made by both teams every game we're insane. Will we get that without our main defensive guy? Sure CP and PJ can lead from the front in terms of hussle and iq on the court, but what happens in the days between games, when Mike and the coaches are huddled in an office rewatching the game a hundred times and figuring out tweaks and changes?
not really an overreaction. the rockets lose a couple significant pieces on the defensive side to be replaced by unproven guys on that side of the ball and losing the defensive coach that put it all together is actually a pretty big issue. especially one with championship aspirations
The national media won't make much of it, but the loss of Bzdelik feels a lot bigger than the loss of Ariza & Luc. From Berman's tweets it seems Brase was added as a last ditch effort to get Bzdelik to stay to help carry the coaching burden. I HATE that this is last minute. I was comfortable with the Ariza & Luc losses BECASUE the Rockets still had Bzdelik. I figured he could hide Melo defensively and make him effective. Sure we have CP & Tucker on the court to direct people. But the game planning and the adjustments in the game are important. That is Bzdelik. If the Rockets defense falls off this season, we aren't going to know if it is the Ariza/Luc losses OR Bzdelik not there pulling the strings. I guess we'll see.
I certainly appreciate his efforts in improving our defense over the last couple of seasons. But this retiring right before training camp foolishness is some B.S.
Like @Pat alluded to above, the only thing we know for certain was last minute was the announcement. Professionals tend not to just up and retire all of a sudden at an important time in their employers' business (Buffalo Bills players excepted), especially older guys. Jeff B. seems like the kind of guy who would give plenty of advance notice, so I'm guessing Tilman/Morey/MDA have known this was a possibility for a while. Don't forget one critical aspect to all this: Bzdelik was on our staff for TWO years, and that first year we weren't world-beaters on defense. Improved, sure, but not great. It wasn't until we brought in CP3, PJ, and Luc that we got REALLY good. If Ennis can pick up the slack for Luc's departure and if whoever calls the shots for us on D can just manage not to f$#k it up, we'll hopefully be okay.
It could have been told to the team prior and everything was kept quiet until now for whatever reasons. Like maybe he told only Morey and MDA and then now tells his agent and whomever else for Woj to leak it. I am not happy with this, but how much I am going to be worried will be based on his replacement and of course how much (if any) the defense regresses next season. The players are different but outside of Melo you could make the case that the players we got are better defenders if not as well known names as Ariza and Luc. Overall it is a downgrade of course but it really comes down to the players holding each other accountable and we have guys who do that. The schemes though will take a hit unless again the replacement is just as creative and forward thinking.
Jeff has spoken about retirement in the past. So I don't think it is a total shock, although one more year would have been ideal. I remember him discussing it last season, so it was something that was known for awhile. The Rockets promoted Matt Brase to pick up some of the slack, but his background is mostly in scouting/game preparation. I haven't heard anything internally but MDA does not like huge staffs, so I would be surprised if anyone else is brought in to coach. Roy is popular with the players and works hard, I just question if he is ready to run the defense for the second best team in the NBA with the offense we have.
Yeah, it sounds like from Berman's tweets that Brase was brought in "as a last ditch effort" to keep Bzdelik to "lessen the load." Now it appears Brase will do the game preparation like @Nook said and Roy will handle the "in game adjustments." It remains to be seen if Roy is up to the task. I am not worried about CP and Tucker holding things accountable on the court. Just they "in game adjustments" that need to be made for this defense to REMAIN a top 10 defense. Going into the season, a big storyline was the Melo integration. Now, for me, it will all be on "can the defense" remain top 10. Can Roy pull the strings.
Like everyone else, I'm shocked, and being shocked and worried about our defense with a change this big at this late date isn't an overreaction, in my opinion. If we (the organization) knew this was going to happen for a while, it certainly was well hidden. I wonder if Morey and MDA are as surprised as we are. They'll likely try to tap down speculation that this came out of left field regardless of what actually went on behind the scenes. One of the reasons I didn't worry a great deal about Trevor and Luc moving on, with Ennis and Anthony coming on board, along with more minor additions, was the presence of our outstanding defensive coach to keep that defense adapting and working despite the changes in personnel. That confidence in our defense continuing to be in the upper echelon of the league is now an open question without an obvious answer.
