15 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: Detroit Pistons 116, Houston Rockets 105: Missing defense, missing offense, missing everything
By: Paul McGuire

The (Insert Team Name here) beat the Houston Rockets by (Insert Score Here). This latest loss was due to (poor shooting/poor defense/poor rebounding/all of the above/a rabid ferret being stuffed down James Harden's shorts). The Rockets fell behind in this game by a margin of (28) points and let one of the worst offensive teams in the league shoot (53 percent) in this game.

 

No, we here at Red94 do not have a template here to describe every single one of these losses. But at the rate things are going, we should probably get around to making one.

 

To be fair, tonight wasn't quite as humiliating as those losses to Brooklyn or Dallas. Houston got out to an early lead, but gave the game away late in the first and during the second quarter as they did not play any defense. But after falling behind by such a ridiculous margin, Houston went on a run thanks to some Ty Lawson bombers and Dwight Howard dunks. The Rockets closed the gap to 84-80 with over 10 minutes left. But then the offense just ran out of juice, as it varied from "Marcus Thornton does something" to "James Harden does something."

 

Back during the wilderness years between Yao's fall and Harden's rise, a common criticism of Houston's players then was that the Rockets did not have a lot of two-way players. Kevin Martin and Luis Scola could not defend, Chuck Hayes could not score, Patrick Patterson could not rebound, and so on.

 

Right now, it is pretty much the same thing. Bickerstaff used Harden and Thornton towards the end for their scoring ability, but neither player knows how to defend. Pat Beverley and Trevor Ariza were on the floor late to defend, but neither can score (and Pat completely failed to stop Reggie Jackson tonight, who went off for 31 points). And given how discombobulated the Rockets look overall, this means that Houston has been playing two or three on five on both ends of the court.

 

And the Rockets players seem to know this, because the body language of this team has a whole is terrible. The terrible three-point shooting has shaken them. Now, nearly every player hesitates when they get that open three, which gives the opposing defenses time to recover. They are not pushing the ball up the court. I have seen Bickerstaff yelling at Harden to do just that quite a few times over the past few games. And as Bill Worrell observed, this team is just not giving any hustle or effort on the defensive end.

 

Harden, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, shares a lot of responsibility for Houston's abysmal defense (especially so when he does things like this.) But it is not all about him. He was not guarding Reggie Jackson, nor Andre Drummond who added 24 of his own and just manhandled both Howard and Capela. While Harden is not setting a defensive example for his teammates, defense is a team thing first and foremost.

 

And Houston is not playing like a team at all.

 

But on a more positive note, a moment should be taken to praise Ty Lawson for tonight. Lawson hit three three-pointers in the second half to help jump start that Rockets run to close the gap, and just took care of the ball while not doing anything stupid.

 

If Houston is going to turn things around so that they are not a laughingstock, they need Lawson. Everyone knew at the end of last season that Houston needed another playmaker aside from Harden, and that this was especially true after Josh Smith left. While Thornton has been a pleasant secondary offensive option and dropped 18 points tonight, he is really hit and miss. He looks for his shot first and foremost, and when he's off, the result is incredibly ugly.

 

The Rockets need consistency and a reliable, steady hand aside from Harden. Thornton can't do that. But if Ty Lawson can get out of this slump and not look like the worst player in the NBA, then the Rockets can look respectable as they get a second offensive creator.

 

Respectable. Not championship level. Though then again, I guess no team looks championship level, because every team is just competing for who gets to be second place to the blasted Warriors.

[Willk]

There is nothing wrong with losing especially if the team is not as talented as the team they are playing, but not giving any effort is not acceptable. When will this team be embarrassed??? They seem to not care at all about wins and losses. It seems like they just waiting the game to end so they can get off of the court. The rockets have to be the most unlikeable team in the league.

Also, where is our dear leader Dork Elvis? He was everywhere last year. TV, radio, social media Morey was there. He definitely enjoyed all of the attention last year. Where is he hiding this year?

[slick shoes]

I am going to give you my best Louis CK on this one. Here goes:

 

Of course James Harden is a great player. Every player has slumps and he is just going through one of those currently. He'll find his shot again and all will be right again in Rocket land....

 

But maybe James Harden no longer desires the small market fame of the Houston Rockets and is attempting to play his way off of the team. Do well enough to keep your stick up, but screw your current team over by driving them into the ground forcing a change. He left OKC because he wanted to be "the man" on the team and make "the man" type of money and has enjoyed that while he has played here for the most part. The bright lights of Houston no longer seem bright enough. He needs a bigger stage. He is a Los Angeles native and currently dating another high profile Los Angeles resident. The Los Angeles Lakers’ franchise player just announced that he will be retiring after this season opening a spot for “the man” on that team as well as “the man” type of money. Harden gets to live in his hometown and play for his childhood team all the while making assuredly the same (if not more money) and being close enough to his lady friend to ensure that she doesn’t wheel off with Lamar Odom.

 

Keep in mind I have no basis for any of this scenario, but I did think the potential situation was rather interesting. Let the Carmelo comparisons begin.

Edited by slick shoes, 01 December 2015 - 01:16 PM.

[majik19]

Someone mentioned the 5 stages of grief... I think I'm at acceptance. Somehow, impossibly, we are a terrible team. I have accepted that. 

 

One thing to keep in mind with our struggling offense - good defense can help create good offense. When the opposing team puts the ball in the bucket more, than means more half court sets for our offense - definitely our weakest point. If we could stop allowing other teams to score at such a prodigious rate, then maybe we could get more transition & semi-transition easy buckets on the other end. 

 

I think, for this team to turn it around, it's going to have to start with effort on defense. Maybe a better scheme. I repeat what I said in the Shoutbox - we should've fired Bickerstaff, not McHale. It's interesting that, in pro football, you frequently see coordinator get axed when one side of the ball underperforms. You rarely see that in the NBA. 

[adonneus]

Someone mentioned the 5 stages of grief... I think I'm at acceptance. Somehow, impossibly, we are a terrible team. I have accepted that. 

 

1. Denial: They're just rusty from the summer. They'll start winning soon.
2. Anger: What the hell! It's like they don't even care out there! Harden, get it together!
3. Bargaining: Here, basketball gods. Take McHale. Not our 2-seed!
4. Depression: Why even watch the games? They'll just lose again...
5. Acceptance: Well I'm used to being a fan of not-that-great teams anyways. At least there's no pressure now!

I'm there as well. It was hard for a while since it just seemed so unbelievable that we could be this horrible after such a stellar year last year, but here we are. The pressure's off for me to keep justifying why we suck. Maybe something similar will happen for the players.

 

Last year, they frequently needed that underdog mentality to play well, and sooner or later, they're going to have to realize that they are becoming the underdog in nearly every game they play. If that's the only hope we have, however, I hope the loss of McHale's inspirational leadership style doesn't throw that possibility out the window as well!

[Willk]

I am going to give you my best Louis CK on this one. Here goes:

 

Of course James Harden is a great player. Every player has slumps and he is just going through one of those currently. He'll find his shot again and all will be right again in Rocket land....

 

But maybe James Harden no longer desires the small market fame of the Houston Rockets and is attempting to play his way off of the team. Do well enough to keep your stick up, but screw your current team over by driving them into the ground forcing a change. He left OKC because he wanted to be "the man" on the team and make "the man" type of money and has enjoyed that while he has played here for the most part. The bright lights of Houston no longer seem bright enough. He needs a bigger stage. He is a Los Angeles native and currently dating another high profile Los Angeles resident. The Los Angeles Lakers’ franchise player just announced that he will be retiring after this season opening a spot for “the man” on that team as well as “the man” type of money. Harden gets to live in his hometown and play for his childhood team all the while making assuredly the same (if not more money) and being close enough to his lady friend to ensure that she doesn’t wheel off with Lamar Odom.

 

Keep in mind I have no basis for any of this scenario, but I did think the potential situation was rather interesting. Let the Carmelo comparisons begin.

I think you do make some good points. I do not know for sure if Harden wanted to be the man. I remember him stating last year that he was unsure if he could be the man when he got traded to the rockets. I definitely know he wanted to be paid like the man. I do feel he genuinely liked playing with Westbrook and Durant.

It is very possible that Harden wants to play in LA. Obviously, his girl is there. He is from there. You could get a nice haul for Harden (Clarkson, Randle, Hibbert, picks + filler). He may very well demand a trade during the offseason, who knows what he is thinking. However, like Jalen Rose says, Campaigning and Champaigning is significantly more expensive in LA then in Houston. We all know how much Harden likes to go out. I do think Harden would like to play in LA, but I imagine the majority of the league would also like to play in LA too. You do not need to play in NY, LA, or Chicago to get massive endorsements anymore. However, I would not be surprised if Harden demanded a trade.

[Willk]

Someone mentioned the 5 stages of grief... I think I'm at acceptance. Somehow, impossibly, we are a terrible team. I have accepted that. 

 

One thing to keep in mind with our struggling offense - good defense can help create good offense. When the opposing team puts the ball in the bucket more, than means more half court sets for our offense - definitely our weakest point. If we could stop allowing other teams to score at such a prodigious rate, then maybe we could get more transition & semi-transition easy buckets on the other end. 

 

I think, for this team to turn it around, it's going to have to start with effort on defense. Maybe a better scheme. I repeat what I said in the Shoutbox - we should've fired Bickerstaff, not McHale. It's interesting that, in pro football, you frequently see coordinator get axed when one side of the ball underperforms. You rarely see that in the NBA. 

I 100% agree that playing good defense can help a struggling offense. By forcing misses or turnovers, it could lead to easy buckets on the offensive ends. That is true for most teams. It seems that this team is so lethargic and maybe lazy that do not want to run. There have been many transition/ semi-transition moments this year where the player who had the ball would decide to walk or jog the ball up the court instead of attacking early before the defense would get set.

1 100% agree that JB should have been fired instead of McHale. This also happens in baseball when the first person fired is either the batting coach or the pitching coach and then the manager. The rockets should have hired Thibs as the defensive coordinator.

[cointurtlemoose]

Whereas there might have been disagreements before between McHale and players (cough cough Harden), maybe now there's fallout from the firing between players that approved of the firing and those that didn't??

 

Idk, I'm just trying to understand where we're at... Because so many of our issues seem like intangibles: effort (as much as we all criticized McHale's catch-all coaching technique of "we just gotta play harder"), on court chemistry, even body language...

 

There are really no concrete reasons why we're losing. I mean, yes, turnovers, rebounds, poor shooting, poor defense, etc etc etc... But those seem like the symptoms and not the cause. The cause seems more intangible. This is why I speculate about locker room issues, or it's even why I speculate about James Harden's ego/psyche, or the effects of his love life, good riddance... How did I get here?? Haha.

 

You gotta just laugh at this point.

 

And I agree, I'm at acceptance too. We are bad. It doesn't mean we won't improve over the next 60 games, and it doesn't mean we won't make the playoffs. But until further notice, we are a bad basketball team. We can stop being surprised at being bad.

[rockets best fan]

1. Denial: They're just rusty from the summer. They'll start winning soon.
2. Anger: What the hell! It's like they don't even care out there! Harden, get it together!
3. Bargaining: Here, basketball gods. Take McHale. Not our 2-seed!
4. Depression: Why even watch the games? They'll just lose again...
5. Acceptance: Well I'm used to being a fan of not-that-great teams anyways. At least there's no pressure now!

I'm there as well. It was hard for a while since it just seemed so unbelievable that we could be this horrible after such a stellar year last year, but here we are. The pressure's off for me to keep justifying why we suck. Maybe something similar will happen for the players.

 

Last year, they frequently needed that underdog mentality to play well, and sooner or later, they're going to have to realize that they are becoming the underdog in nearly every game they play. If that's the only hope we have, however, I hope the loss of McHale's inspirational leadership style doesn't throw that possibility out the window as well!

I'm at DEPRESSION. I  am still baffled by want I have been watching. JB is not the answer. something is going on in the locker room. I don't know what it is, but the result is what we are witnessing. the Rockets are doing a good PR job keeping it under wraps, but sooner or later something will break. there is no unity. this team is fractured. there is some kind of infighting among the players. this team plays like they don't care. too many different agendas.

[Willk]

I'm at DEPRESSION. I am still baffled by want I have been watching. JB is not the answer. something is going on in the locker room. I don't know what it is, but the result is what we are witnessing. the Rockets are doing a good PR job keeping it under wraps, but sooner or later something will break. there is no unity. this team is fractured. there is some kind of infighting among the players. this team plays like they don't care. too many different agendas.

I wonder if Bill Simmons is correct. He stated on a recent podcast that many NBA players view the Kardashians as the ultimate prize. With Harden getting Kloe, there may be some jealousy in the locker room.

[thenit]

I wonder if Bill Simmons is correct. He stated on a recent podcast that many NBA players view the Kardashians as the ultimate prize. With Harden getting Kloe, there may be some jealousy in the locker room.

 

I can't understand the obsession of that family, and Khloe is in the bottom rung of that clan. Why would anyone be jealous of being seen with that family, thats where talented people go to die. Even Kanye is losing his touch, designing a regular t-shirt that sells for 200 bucks. Same one you can get for 99 cents at the dollar store.

 

But it does seem like fame has gone to his head, and his attitude and focus is wrong. I hope its just a phase and slump, but I've see other players in slumps, but at least they gave 100% every time, he is only doing it on one side of the floor. There are so many vine videos of him not even trying on D for this season ONLY. I remember when someone made a youtube video last year, but everyone can make that over course of a couple of season and make a guy look awful or great on highlights, but this is just the past 10 games. Its worse than the first year in Houston. 

[thejohnnygold]

I don't know what is going on.  I don't know if any of this speculation has any merit at all.  It's kind of amazing how poorly we are playing.

 

I can say that if I were on this team I would be livid.  If these guys don't turn it around they will look back on this and see that they squandered a rare opportunity--an opportunity to be the best in the world.  Who is at fault?  Who knows?

 

Like it or not, this is James' team.  He is the only one who can stand up and say, "It's my way or the highway".  Not Dwight.  Not Patrick.  Not Trevor.  Not even JB.  Right now, James' way seems to be that of an entitled prima donna.  His antics have reached heights unknown--he's gone past ludicrous to plaid.

 

 

He stops playing before a play is even done to plead for foul calls from officials or to cast blame on a team mate for not doing whatever he deemed should have been done.  Meanwhile, there is a lay-up line occurring on James' watch.  I imagine the marketing rep from Adidas who gave James $200M is sweating his job right now.

 

I can tell you that I can't remember ever being embarrassed by a Rockets team--ever--until now.  That's on the players.  Yes, our schemes suck.  Yet, I find it difficult to believe the coaching staff refuses player input on such matters.  If they felt it was that bad would they not beg the coaches to add more?  I started to see some kind of wheel movement in the Detroit game, but it looked awkward, forced, and confused.

 

I still can't believe how much blame Morey is taking for this.  I just don't see it.  Sure, Ty Lawson was a risk, but did anyone--even the truly skeptical--think he would be this bad?  If we want to point the finger at Morey, here is an easy one.  Let's trade Isaiah Canaan (an ideal fit for our system on a sweet contract) for KJ McDaniels (who is forbidden from playing for no apparent reason), and then spend 12x as much for a player who is producing roughly the same as Canaan is right now for Philly (at least % wise).

 

Morey, who realized defense wins last year, brings in 2 offense only players this off-season to replace one of our best defenders (J.Smith).  All the more reason KJ needs to be out there--defense.

 

Nothing makes sense right now.  For years, the plan was evident.  The method made sense.  Now...I don't know.  Some sort of madness has descended upon our team and is affecting the whole organization top to bottom.

 

In other news, D-Mo looks huger than ever and I am excited to see how he is playing once he gets back on the floor.  LINK

[majik19]

In other news, D-Mo looks huger than ever and I am excited to see how he is playing once he gets back on the floor.  LINK

 

Maybe we should just rebuild around that!

 

kidding, obviously... <cries> 

[txtdo1411]

He stops playing before a play is even done to plead for foul calls from officials or to cast blame on a team mate for not doing whatever he deemed should have been done.

 

You know, I don't know if I have ever seen anything like that play before. It was highly unlikely that he was going to be able to stop them, but at the same time you gotta play that through. I don't know what his deal his. He has spurts of being that incredible player I remember, and then spurts where he just looks out of it. I believe there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than what we know. Whatever it is, I sure hope it is resolved soon, so the team can back to having fun and playing for each other again. 

[rockets best fan]

I wonder if Bill Simmons is correct. He stated on a recent podcast that many NBA players view the Kardashians as the ultimate prize. With Harden getting Kloe, there may be some jealousy in the locker room.

any man who would consider a Kardashian a prize is a fool. not the kind of girl I would take to meet MY mother  in fact I have always desired to travel the road less traveled not the 4 lane highway if you know what I mean

[Willk]

any man who would consider a Kardashian a prize is a fool. not the kind of girl I would take to meet MY mother in fact I have always desired to travel the road less traveled not the 4 lane highway if you know what I mean

I would pass on Kloe too. Not my cup of tea.