ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Pistons 10/31/2012

yeah, if that player is dwight

 

My impressions:

1. Harden is for real! I also believe he is better than Westbrook.

2. I now appreciate Delfino's veteran presence in the team.

3. Parsons needs to work on his ballhandling. He looses the ball way too much when attacking the rim.

4. People i don't want to see in the game at any time: Douglas, Cook and Marcus Morris. I'm guessing Mchale wanted to give Cook and MM some burn to see how they played and sadly they did not do well.

5. MMorris is not a power forward.

6. Lin is a much better defender than people give him credit for.

7. Defense really improved in the second half. Very intense.

8. Greg Smith played like someone that belongs in the NBA. Needs to be more careful with the fouls.

 

lets not get crazy here...this team is a good team...but have a lot to prove to get even into the playoffs...

 

harden is a winner...lin is a winner...we have changed the culture in houston...long way to go...but it's a start, i'm excited

 

James Harden (37p/6r/12a/4a) and Jeremy Lin (12p/8a/4r/4s). yeah hes serious. are u ? respect the beard

 

should we have kept Livingston instead?

 

I can't imagine what you guys are talking about. Lin's +/- was +23. Did you see what happened when he was out during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Pay attention to what happens on defense when Lin isn't in. The announcers talked about it, were you not watching?

 

The second unit certainly has their work cut out for them. Need to solidify the 4. Is Morris really our 2nd 4? Harden was great, but you cant rely on him for 37 points every night. I really thought we had lost this one early in the 4th. Delfino was crucial in the 4th. Douglas needs to settle down and make some shots. Cook looked lost.

Great win though. Pistons not a great club. This effort would have fallen short against most playoff bound teams. Still, winning against lesser teams is important. Have to say, Harden surpassed my expectations. Thought maybe 22/6/6 or something like that. Not 37/12/6.

If Morey's next star performs like this, watch out!

 

Great win!

Really fun one as well.

Really hope they give Machado a shot at back up PG. I don't see how he can be any worse than Douglas who almost cost the team the game.

 

Any thoughts on Asik's play?

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>James Harden is the first player in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 12 assists in first game with a new team.</p>&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/263828368385003521" data-datetime="2012-11-01T02:22:39+00:00">November 1, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

I hate to say it, but cutting Livingston may have just cost the rockets the playoffs.

 

I know that was against Detroit but DAAAMN. That was gorgeous! THAT was a debut. Welcome to Houston James!!

 

Harden was the guy I was really hoping we would get in that draft a few years ago.

But wow, the guy is a beast, even more than I thought, and I thought he was gonna be pretty good.

Is Smith's ankle is messed up, I guess we will have to see TJ or Aldrich or mayyybe DMo, those guys playing backup 5 by committee.

I was not too pleased seeing so much of Morris. The guy simply has yet to ever give me the feelign that 'Our guy can beat their guy' when talking about Morris. Maybe that day will come, I would love for it to, but it ain't here yet.

Parsons is solid of course, but the way he plays, he is going to have to take a little time to learn all the favorite moves of his teammates in order to be able to get himself in position for his put backs and big time plays.

Lin is progressing. I can see where he is going to be really good, once he gets up over that hump of finishing at the rim, and getting better confidence on his jump shots.

Asik looked to me like he got a little gassed, which is understandable, seeing as how this was really his first NBA game with anywhere near these minutes, yeah he has had a small handful of starts, but not even in those in Chi was he expected to help carry the team like he is here. He's going to be very very solid.

Delfino.. ok man, you just keep hitting those shots and playing heads up. We can live with you getting those minutes if you are productive. Good job after a shaky start.

Douglas? Ugh. I don't know, man. Machado may start getting some looks sooner than later, but I don't know if he is going to be any better. Backup 1 is probably going to be our weakest spot, at least early in the season.

Bottom line - when Detroit looked like they were going to start putting the hammer down and run away with it, the Rockets showed a lot of fight and spirit, and that is exactly the kind of team the other guys in the league are NOT wanting to play against.

I give them a solid B+ for their first game out, ESPECIALLY considering Harden has been here, what, three days now?

Wow.

 

For the first time they've ever played together, it was ridiculously good. Both made some stunning passes as well.

Harden had a beastly stat line.
Lin had a good stat line which would have been better, but the refs got him into foul trouble really early with some really crappy calls.

When they were on the court together, they pretty much did whatever they wanted against the Pistons D.

 

for me the only thing we need to work on is our bench

 

Totally agree, except for defense in the 3rd, it was all the 1st and 4th quarter that we had good offense and good defense.

 

Lin had some defensive lapses during the second quarter, but this team isn't the same defensively when he's on the bench.

 

I think (hope) the second unit will be MUCH better when Jones and D-Mo get into the rotation. With Delfino, D-Mo, Jones, and errr insert point guard here not named Tony Douglas, I believe the second unit will be better solidified.

 

He was cut for cap flexablity reasons. He is much better than Douglas.