Of all the problems that have surfaced for the Rockets during their 9-9 start -- defensive intensity, lack of athleticism and slow absorption rate of a new offense to name a few -- one seems to stick out above the rest.
Why can't anyone not named Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady score?
The Rockets made key additions this offseason that were designed to add scoring punch and bolster their depth, but there has been little payoff so far as the team nears the quarter mark of the season.
While Luis Scola and Steve Francis have shown recent signs of life, consider that:
Shane Battier, a career 45% shooter and 39% from long range, is hitting an anemic 38% of his shots and just 1 of 3 from beyond the arc. In games where the team defense lapses, Battier looks almost useless.
Bonzi Wells, a career 46% shooter, is knocking down just 35% from the floor. In an ironic twist, Bonzi scored more efficiently when he was packing down a dozen cherry-filleds a day under Jeff Van Gundy.
Mike James, a career 43% shooter, is pulling off just a 37.5% clip. This comes just eighteen months removed from a season where James scored over twenty points a game, hitting 47% from the field and 44% from long range.
Rafer Alston is... well, scratch that -- that's normal, but even Skip's 26.9% three-point shooting is lower than any output of his career.
In fact, the Rockets as a team are hitting just 31.1% of their threes (4th worst in the league), down from 37.3% last season. The best three-point shooter on the team so far is James at just 35.5%.
And this is the offense that is supposed to make scoring easier?
You can bet that new Rockets coach Rick Adelman and new GM Daryl Morey were counting on a bumpy start, and their goal is to be clicking on all cylinders in April and beyond rather than November. Wins in Utah and Phoenix and at home against the Spurs show that the ceiling for this squad is high.
At the same time, I don't think anyone is too thrilled with seeing all of these guys go in the tank at once.
The Rockets poor start in 2004-05 should give them hope. Van Gundy, like Adelman, had to deal with change. In T-Mac's first season in Houston, Van Gundy's Rockets started out 6-11 before "clicking" and going 45-20 the rest of the way.
On the other hand, that late 2004 start may be a signal to today's supporting cast to find their niche quick. After the "Big Two", four of the team's top 5 scorers from that 17-game stretch, Jim Jackson, Maurice Taylor, Tyronn Lue and Charlie Ward, were traded (or in Ward's case, injured) within 6 weeks.
If things don't change relatively quickly, don't be too terribly shocked if we see a deal by the Rockets later this month.
