The next time a Rocket boxes out on defense will be a first

by grungedave on Jan 24, 2010 11:48 AM CST in Random Commentary Comment 16 comments

As we begin the 2nd half of the season, there appear to be three immutable truths about our home team:

1. The 2009/10 Rockets are the classic underdog/overachievers.

2. Daryl Morey is like a genius or something.

and

3. The next time a Rockets player attempts to box out on defense... well... that will be the first time.

The game last night was painful. I was watching the Rockets. But the Rockets were watching the Bulls. Especially on defense. There was no ball movement. No player movement. And certainly no defensive rotations. And boxing out was a foreign concept. A lot of this can be chalked up to the fact that the Rockets are simply exhausted. I am not denying this. The problem is that everyone on the team - from Aaron Brooks all the way down the bench to Brian Cook - they all know that the Rockets have to out-hustle and out-effort the other team to win on most nights. When things like this happen, the results are what we saw on Friday night against the Spurs. Which is good.

But when the Rockets don't play with any energy? Well.... that's when the good guys get run over by inferior teams like the Bulls. The Rockets made Brad Miller look like a God. Not the God but a God. Imagine if Joakim Noah were playing. Hell, the Rockets made Vinny Del Negro look like an actual legit NBA head coach! That is blasphemous!

In other words: Randal Graves worked harder at his job than the Rockets did at theirs last night.

(The NBA: Where the Rockets spit water at life!)

What really hurts me though is the complete absence of boxing out on defense. Even the famed Luis Landry duo has mostly stopped boxing out. Instead of finding a man and sealing him off away from the basketball... both Scola and Landry are trying to defensively rebound like NFL free safeties - find the ball and go get it. The problem with this is that Scola isn't very fast. Or very tall. So the opponent just out-races him to the ball. With Landry, the opponent often is able to get position on him and box him out first. Which is just wrong.

Meanwhile... Trevor Ariza is still stuck in his bizarro happy place where Shooter McGavin is banging his mom. So he's a bit too distracted to try to rebound. (3-14 FG? 1-7 3pt FG? Stop shooting!!!!)

The All-Star break simply can't get here fast enough.

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Well put

I often used to think that Von was one of the few Rockets who didn’t box out, and figured we’d focus on it more this year without Yao. Apparently not.

Now, time to celebrate a very Natty Birthday.

The Dream Shake ...on Twitter.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak

by Tom Martin on Jan 24, 2010 12:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Trevor Ariza has taken 14 or more shots...

In ALL of our loses this month!

Coincidence? I think NOT

by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Jan 24, 2010 2:44 PM CST reply actions 2 recs

Other than Battier

One of the good/bad things about Shane is that he always tries to find someone to box out. Good he’s boxing out,bad in that he’s usually so busy looking for someone to box out and in doing the boxing out,can rarely seem to get the rebound.

Kind of suprising to see how much run Chase got last night. Off memory he seemed to play almost all of 4Q. Alot of Chase and Ariza last night. Get the feeling we’re going to be seeing more Bud on the court for rest of season.

by Tisbee on Jan 24, 2010 3:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The tragedy is, Ariza’s the fourth-highest paid player on the team, and the second-highest paid ACTIVE player.

I need some Pepto Bismol now.

by DribbleHooper on Jan 24, 2010 9:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Ah, ATL

This is the game earlier this season that REALLY showed how little we box out with that last second tip in dunk in the final seconds by Josh Smith. Hopefully we step it up tonight.

by RedRowdy420 on Jan 25, 2010 5:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That was

a completely, terrible game. I attended the game but 6-7 minutes into the 4th, the little kiddies that me and my friend were with wanted to look at the team shop. Such a disappointing game. Let’s bounce back with a win against ATL!

by typhoon.infamous on Jan 24, 2010 10:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

When to sub...

I think that Coach Adelman should think about making some more strategic substitutions during key moments/possessions at the end of games. If we have timeouts remaining, there should be no problems with putting an extra rebounder (I.e. Dorsey) in the game in crucial posessions, then calling a timeout once we have the ball to take him back out of the game in favor of a better scorer (I.e. Budinger). It’s just with the roster the Rockets have, utilizing different players strenghts at key moments late in games could go a long way in getting more players involved and all of their best talents in the game when they could make a difference.

by ReverendRocket on Jan 24, 2010 10:25 PM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Remember

This is a rebuilding season. We’re not expected to win every game. I know it’s hard to remember our expectations from before the season started, but no one projected us to have a winning record at any point this season (save the people that subscrive to TDS)..I’m pretty sure Adelman is discovering which groups he likes best on the floor, at what times, and what better time than the regular season? Let it be. Losing sucks, of course, but what certain groups do on the floor at certain times (such as late in the 4th) will really help us next year and so on and so forth.

by RedRowdy420 on Jan 25, 2010 5:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

losing I can handle...

lack of effort I cannot accept.

by grungedave on Jan 25, 2010 7:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Quit being pessimistic

We put forth the effort, every night. Everyone works hard, its just a complicated situation.

by RedRowdy420 on Jan 26, 2010 11:04 AM CST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Our boxing out and our rebounding

has been completely atrocious this entire season. In fact, I should probably mention our free throws as well. I miss no name players like Larry Smith who could some how manage to find every rebound and claim it for us.

by Out of Place Rocket Fan on Jan 24, 2010 10:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hey hey now

Our rebounding hasn’t been that bad.

by RedRowdy420 on Jan 25, 2010 5:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ariza did make that beautiful tip in dunk and a few clutch steals.

by VBG on Jan 25, 2010 3:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

And that's his game.

He does it well.

by RedRowdy420 on Jan 25, 2010 5:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I love the Randal reference...

but there is a problem with both the coaching and play of Trevor Ariza. At some point, TA himself should notice that he’s missing DAMN NEAR ALL of his shots. One time, maybe, when we’re getting outrebounded by a Joekim Noah-less Bulls team, perhaps put in Joey Dorsey (who was leading the D-League in rebounds before he got the call).

I think Adelman is a great coach, but when something’s not working (ie: getting the boards Saturday night) he needs to know when to hold ’em AND when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away, and when to RUN.

by bigalshouseoflove on Jan 25, 2010 3:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs