Watching the first half of the Milwaukee game, I realized what a departure it has been from what was once had been the identity of this franchise - our suffocating team defense. I don't know if it was the Van Gundy/Thibodeau schemes and teachings or if it is a change it attitude (or talent/ego?), but it is obvious that the Rockets no longer deem the art of stopping the other team as a priority. I see a lot of familiar faces out there and some great individual efforts, but nothing to suggest we could lock down an opposing team from scoring at will. Unless they, as a team get back to the mindset that it takes individual sacrifice and necessary effort in order to succeed as an elite defensive unit, then I'm not sure that we'll see a championship with this team as it's currently comprised. Given the Rockets' obvious talent, it's difficult to understand why they continue to not pay enough attention to the most basic of basketball skills. Go Rockets! -Turbo
Rick Adelman has always been considered an offensive minded coach, You can go ask his Kings' team. I'm sure they were pretty good defensively, but they were not as elite as the JVG's Rockets on defense. I thought Adelman was going to be a good coach but for the offensive end, I felt like that was what needed to be changed because JVG's offensive playbook was extremely obvious and I wanted him fired. Maybe it's time to turn to a guy like Avery Johnson
Today, I am seeing Rafer doing a HORRIBLE job on Sessions. Just last play when Scola got a loose ball call... it was because of Rafer. Rafer didn't box out Sessions, (completely) and just let Sessions get the rebound with Scola. Unbelievable... the amount of times I've seen Sessions go in to the paint. Horrible perimeter defense.
our defense lacks intensity. taht's what you get from a laid back coach who doesn't demand excellence in details. his team will often have concentration issues and only play hard occasionally.
1st half: Yao 3 fouls, Scola 3 fouls, Landry 2 fouls. Peremeter players combined for 4 fouls. Seems they just let everbody drive by easily with 0 resistence.
Definitely the ideology. JVG showed that you don't need to have elite defenders to play good TEAM defense. Hell, he had Maurice Taylor, Steve Francis, Cato, and Cuttino looking like a steel curtain out there. It would be one thing if this team was elite offensively, but they're not. They're a half-court team that doesn't execute all that well. Might as well take the time/effort to maintain their defense.
If I was drinking something at the moment I read this, I would've spit it all out and ruined my computer. So true, yet so hilarious!
The problem is motivation. I bet all the Rockets players thought they were going to get an easy win tonight. Adelman doesn't know how to get his players ready, that's why we lose to scrub teams. If we had someone like Kobe or KG it'd wouldn't be on the coach since those guys set the tempo for everyone. Instead, we have passive leaders and it is up to the coach to get the team ready to play.
JVG for assistant coach? RA could get the best out of role players, because role players know they can't beat their opponents of the same position without team ball. The Rockets however are different, we have players that are above average role players, and superstars. The Rockets needs someone who is willing to yell the **** out of anyone who isn't doing their job. I know JVG isn't a rookie minded coach, and Landry and Brooks and even Wafer would probably not be where they are now with JVG, but JVG rewards good players and punishes bad. Whoever players better, gets the starting spot (Juwan Howard and Hayes)? RA is stubborn in the way that he makes weird substitutes. JVG is stubborn in the way that he rarely changes his gameplan, keeping things simple and easy to read. Though what JVG does do is get all the isos out of our players, and that is something like the Celtics offense.
No shot blocking. Previous years you had deke in there when Yao went to the bench. Now you have landry and scola protecting the paint. Scola and landry are terrible on defense. Rick is sacrificing defense for offense. No more chuck and deke we get scola and landry who both are slow on rotations and pose no interior D intimidation.
When u go from a detailed oriented coach to a laid back fifure it out type, in time the team fails. In SD going from martyball to turner and parcells to phillipps. The first yr is still carryover, but the next was a disaster. The attention to detail and intensity along with adelman not playing deke behind yao are reasons this team struggles on defense.
64 points to the Bucks in the 1st half.. the bucks... wait wait.. you don't understand.... the BUCKS.. THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS..
This doesn't explain everything but it's a part of the problem. Adelman just isn't in control of the team and too many things slip by. The lack of effort on defense is an indication the players are quitting. The lack of concern from Adelman by keeping the starters in so long in the 3rd quarter and allowing them to get kicked 20-7 in 7 minutes compounds the problem. There is no accountability on the players from the coaching staff. Tracy has been a dead man the entire game and should have been yanked and sat after 5 minutes. Disgusting.
v.3, I'm just saying when u go from task master to players coach, u might be cool for a yr, but it will fall apart. The pistons haven't been the same since they fired brown. Bob Hill was fired and pop took over. When u fire a control freak, u should replace him with one.
