The Rockets and the Use of Screens

Great thread. That's my observation when watching our game vs Grizzlies. I intentionally counted screens used, and noticed how they used screens most of the time, and it's hard to guard. On the other hand, we rarely set screens and it's stagnant offense.

 

I know the Rockets rank 5th in offensive efficiency. I wonder how much of it is transition, and how much is half-court. Does anyone have that split? Their half court offense does look pretty ugly by the eye test.

 

I am surprised by the data, including the HOU and #29.

Lack of Screen and mid range shot make the offense predictable.

 

What do we know? Synergy data:



~18%

 

It's not my thread.

 

Our offense is the (continuing) evolution of Morey's valuation of 3-pt and transition basketball, along with the severe youth and question marks of the early McHale teams, orientated around a talented ball handler. First it was Dragic, and then Harden.

The offense will get more technical and flexible when the team settles and finds the right ''settings" for a multi-championship run. Morey is a genius at organizing chaos as seen by the progression of assets, personnel, and offensive schema wrt to the Rockets over the years.

Do you really think billionaires, hall of famers, future hall of famers, and an analytical genius cannot figure out a ball-hopping screen offense ala Pop et al.?
I know you guys like to dissect these details, but sometimes you have to realize the offense is what is for a reason, and that reason isn't that the Rockets Org is incompetent and needs to hire yourselves to the staff.

 

How can I flag that as offensive

 

very good point. would be interested to see.

 

You can clearly tell we don't set too many screens when you actually watch the game. These stats just confirmed our eye tests.

Visibly Asik had been setting more and better screens than Howard. Some of these screens were actually crushing the opponents running into him. I don't know why Dwight doesn't do them. Maybe to protect himself from his back injury?

 

Asik is the only one that sets decent screens. Dwight is horrible at it for a center of his stature.

 

I know it's hard to see on TV, but if you actually go to the games in person, it becomes pretty evident that screens are a huge part of what the Rockets do.

Spoiler

 

And we have Harden. Probably the most similar player to LeBron in the league as far as offensive skillset and role.

 

If nothing else, that chart validates my repeated claims that the Rockets have easily set the fewest screens of any half-court offense in the league.... Unless the team has great players who can perform individually, an offense like that makes the job so much easier for the opposing defense... Not to mention making the point guard assignment that much more difficult. (Along with the "layups and threes" strategy, this is the biggest thing holding back Jeremy Lin. And conversely, it's scary how Aaron Brooks' assist numbers have just skyrocketed since leaving the Rockets and joining the Nuggets. Screens in the half-court sets make a whole world of difference.)

This also shows how fortunate we are to have James Harden on our team... He really covers up and bails out the fundamental deficiencies in our half-court offense. One of only 3 or 4 players in the entire league capable of doing that.

 

Shout outs to everybody that knew this without the stats.

 

Asik and Dmo set screens more often.

 

This team is constructed as an ISO team. Harden needs to stop waiving off the picks. harden, Brah! Not everyone can score at will like you. You know you can greatly improve your midrange game by using the pick and pop allah mcgrady. This sick crossover and shooting the midrange isn't that efficient. How many times have you seen Harden demand the ball from Lin as he tries to set a play then dumps it back at him with nothing to do? Our first qtr looked good last night, we were able to beat everybody one on one (ISO) but as the game wires down we are all tired. We need easier buckets. NOH kept running at us with picks

 

Portland & spurs will do it all series, that's all playoff teams do the 4th quarter, people here think the perfect plays need to be called up by mchale. but every team but us will go old school pick & roll & pick & pop when the game is on the line... we just have to hope our 3s are falling, jury is still out on morey ball in the playoffs

 

That's why every team has their non star players go off on us. They get everybody going. This moreyball stand still isn't going to work. I was scratching my head, asking myself why are we losing, at suite half drunk. Our players didn't looked tired but looked lost offensively. Our defense is terrible too.