[PBT] Playoffs are coming but Rockets not slowing down pace

konver5ation · Mar 29, 2013

Some Rockets love on PBT by Kurt Helin, lock if posted.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/playoffs-are-coming-but-rockets-not-slowing-down-pace/

The Houston Rockets play at the fastest pace in the NBA 98.8 possessions per game (via Hoopdata). And while it’s not yet a mathematical lock, we can say the Rockets are going to the playoffs — they are the seven seed in the West, three full games up on the eight seed Lakers and 3.5 on the nine-seed Jazz.

One other thing we know — come the playoffs the pace of NBA games slows down. Teams are more cautious with how they use possessions.

But the Rockets are not playing that game — they plan on trying to run past whichever team they face in the first round, coach Kevin McHale told the Houston Chronicle.

“We want to impose ours on them,” coach Kevin McHale said of the Rockets’ style. “It’s really important that we do. If they impose theirs on us, that’s to their benefit. They’ll play better walking it up and throwing it inside than we would.

“It gets a little bit more (slow-down oriented). Teams get a little more conservative. They send one less guy to the offensive glass. But they can’t stop you from running. I can’t go up and grab you. You can run. You can’t grab people, so how can I stop you from running? They want to stop you from running. How? You just got to do it.”

Yes, but if teams are back on defense, if they harass the rebounder to slow the outlet pass, they can take away some of those running opportunities. And the easy buckets dry up.

I’m not a guy who believes you can’t win with a running style — you just have to have enough talent and enough role players who fit the system, same as any style. Go watch the Showtime Lakers. The Rockets problem right now is they don’t have quite enough talent — they are building a potentially very good team around James Harden, but they are not there yet.

By the way, I am rooting for the Rockets to pass Golden State and get the six seed (they are one game back) and for the Nuggets to surge up to the three seed. I want Denver and Houston to have a first-round track meet.
Click to expand...

I think Playing the Thunder would perfectly showcase the potential as well. Dwight Howard with a good back likes to run, Kevin Love ran at UCLA, hope they both tune in to our round 1 matchup. Kurt is right, we need more talent, plain and simple.

konver5ation · Mar 29, 2013

Proper hyperlink:

PBT: The Playoffs Are Coming But Rockets Not Slowing Down Pace

Forums

[PBT] Playoffs are coming but Rockets not slowing down pace

konver5ation Member

konver5ation Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!