All is good Saleem. Mostly I post positives to counter the tons of negativity here on Clutchfans.....when I go negative on the team it’s in hopes of getting it back to the team. Like “Shots across the Bow.” I feel the team as been motivated since my parting shot. If the team is going to be small it has to out hustle and out perform other teams. Too often this season the Rockets have been small and out hustled by teams equally as small and by bigger teams. Now I see the team getting out and fast breaking better.......not looking so small plus old. Believe the Tucker/Faried/Capela set up has helped our defense/rebounding. Now the Rockets have won 4 in a row since that Lakers mistake, CP3 now looks like CP3 and the Rockets are within a game and a half from 3rd and 4th seeds going into tonight’s action. Rockets being 3rd or 4th seed is huge. Denver: don’t take Denver for granted, esp if they get home court advantage on us. They are 27-5 at home, 3rd in ORtg, 11th in DRtg, 6th in defending the 3-pt line (34.2% opponent 3P%), 1st in TRB allowed (41.9), 1st in DRB by opponents (32.2), 6th in ORB by opponent (9.6). Murray (6’4”) and Monte Morris (6’3”) are not big PG’s, but helped make CP3/Gordon/Rivers look slow and old. Malik Beasley (6’5”) Gary Harris (6’4”) Will Barton (6’6”) Torrey Craig (6’6”).....not all big guys but very athletic and fast and made our team look older. Millsap (6’8”) Trey Lyles (6’10”).......two players that give them versatility such as Small-Ball play. Don’t need to mention Jokic and Plumlee......the games may be lost if the Rockets can’t match intensity of the players mentioned from Murray to Craig......add Isaiah Thomas who has played 5 games as an X-factor giving them possibly more speed. Rockets may have won only 1 or 2 games if they kept playing like they did vs Lakers and stayed 5th seed or worse. Blazers: people shouldn’t under value the trade for Rodney Hood. Since then the Blazers have gone 6-2 with wins vs: Spurs, Warriors, @Nets, @76ers, @Boston........losses to @Mavs by 1 pt and @Thunder by 9 points. Tonight they play a very good Raptors team in Toronto. Lillard/ McCollum (6’3”)......offensive players have now added some size to help gloss over their defensive flaws. Hood (6’8”) Harkless (6’9”) Evan Turner (6’7”)......bum, but a bum with size that can help get rebounds or tap ball back out. Aminu (6’9”) Jake Layman (6’9”).......this guy has developed lately for them. Small numbers for the year until recently: January he played in 14 games......22 mins.......37% (3P%)...........12.4 pts per game. February he played in 9 games.......24.9 mins....41% (3P%)...........14.6 pts per game. Tucker did a great job vs Durant in GSW. Because Tucker is so grounded I expect the Warriors to game plan accordingly to get the ball to Durant closer to the rim or in ways that free him up from Tucker. I’m hoping that the Rockets can add House and have him eligible for the playoffs. I believe the Rockets chances improve exponentially with the addition of House. Gives Tucker some help from another guy with size and strength as a SF. I’m honored to call you my Clutchfan friend saleem. Truly respect your knowledge and viewpoints. Go Rockets!!
I learn a lot from your in depth analysis and astute observation, indeed the challenges are becoming greater. There is no room for error at all. Health is key for our Rockets. I have been worried about injuries and lack of young veterans who can play well consistently. Rivers and Faried are helping us, but we need House or someone who is ideally better than him, as a swingman. Capela is struggling especially on defense. All these things are alarming. Morey moved Knight and 1st for Shumpert. It was the best trade possible for him, but unnecessary from a basketball point of view. Tilman is doing less than even Les. I hope the Rockets will try to organize themselves and refocus on defense. That's the best that I can expect for the playoffs. Our guys have to grind it out. Thanks Apache, for your great kindness. I too am honored to be your clutchfan friend. Go Rockets!!
On a good note, moving Tucker to SF temporarily helped open up his 3-pt shooting. In the last 4 games Tucker is shooting about 59% from 3-pt land. Sometimes wrestling with the taller PF's takes a lot out of him I'm sure. Austin Rivers is finally feeling better at his wrist and is starting to make 3's. Faried is about 38% from 3 in the last four games....but on 0.8 attempts. Harden will need help if the Rockets are to succeed in the playoffs. CP3/Rivers/Shumpert/EGo/Tucker/GG have to make their 3's and out hustle the opposition. Rockets can win while being out rebounded....but we have to hit 3's and out hustle the other team. Purpose of being a smaller team is to out run the opposition. But when teams are bigger or slightly bigger and they still out run us.....then that will probably be a losing proposition more times than not. Playoffs will present better and smarter teams than the regular season gives you game in and game out. *Side note: I don't expect Boogie to play much against us. Teams are attacking his defense every play he is out there. Much like what I expected and told Holic.
Great points, much appreciated as always. Honestly, I hate having to over rely on threes, because of lack of overall versatility and height/ length. It gives me a deja vu feeling of 0-27 despite Harden's brilliance and Chris' return to form. EG's injuries and subsequent poor shooting is a big setback. Defense is much weaker too than last season. Got to grind it out. Defense first has to be the philosophy, but we need better players. We need Ariza but he is not available.
So true. As you point out “nothing derails a championship run quicker than injuries.” Let’s hope everyone is healthy going into the playoffs. Past few years I feared Portland very little since they were two smallish guards, a Center and Aminu playing out of position as a PF. Not much on substance in between guards to Center for Portland. Seems like Houston has gone a bit backwards to me by imitating the Blazers in a sense. Guards of CP3/Harden, Capela and Tucker trying to man the PF position. With Faried playing some PF, it allows Tucker to move to SF. No longer having to do all the dirty work against bigger and stronger PF’s. May have allowed his 3-point shooting to loosen up. Blazers have learned from their most recent past. Brought in Rodney Hood for some length and the emergence of 6’9” Layman to go with Harkless allows Aminu to help out at SF/Wing. They are a more balanced team now. Having the third seed in reach is very important for the Rockets success in the playoffs. Currently, if third seed, would start off vs Utah with home court advantage against them. I would expect a first round victory over the Jazz....then let’s see if Denver mile high altitude will be a factor as their home court advantage. I see them as athletic and balanced. May the Rockets continue to win.....now and in the playoffs.
The Joker struggles against rim running bigs plus he is in the High pick n roll with harden every time. I think we get them by taking away certain advantages namely ther Joker bringing the ball up the floor and double teaming him and Murray. No turnovers against them is another problem but we can beat them and they know it.
I think start Faried at 4 and put tucker to 3 can beat warriors more easier. As cousins will stay under the rim and other teammates guard at the 3 point line in this game. We can grab more rebounds easily. I think MDA should use house instead of shampert
The rebounds number is 44-31 in the warriors game. This is the main reason lose in this match. In the 3rd game, Faried plays 33 mins, this game he just plays 13 mins. This is the main reason that Houston loses in rebounds. I suggest start Faried at 4 and move tucker to 3
Get Gordon out of the starting lineup. Small ball against the Warriors needs to die now that they have Cousins. Either go Faried/Tucker or Tucker/House. We already saw Faried/Tucker beat the Warriors even without Harden (and Cousins did play that game and was a disaster). Hope MDA is smart enough to see that.
Dude . Farried sucked this game . THATS why he only got 13 minutes At no point while watching the game last night was I wishing that farried get subbed in
Agreed that we need more rebounding, but disagree with your recommendation. Faried gets lost too often on defense. I don't trust him against a motion offense like the Warriors. House/Tucker at the 3/4 allows us to run our switching defense and space the floor on offense without getting destroyed on the boards. Gordon could go back to his super-sub role and give us punch off the bench. My worry is that Gordon has finally broken out of his slump, and moving him out of the lineup could get him out of rhythm. But this rebounding issue will persist unless we can a change, so I believe it's worth the risk.
I lover Faried's energy & hustle plays... but we got destroy pretty bad when he's on the floor against the warriors & our rebounding game sucks... I also hope Harden knows how cut down those breaks he kept shooting. Wish he would've shared the ball & drive & pass it to an open guy instead of just keeping out lead or deficit further.. Sometime, players are just off & that's when i hope he can do other things like drive & get the call or drive and kick out to open guys...
Yeah how did he not play in a game where we clearly needed a big? I’d be pissed if I were on the team, but also if I were Morey. I’d call him in the office and say like what’s up, I get you a big who has produced yet you refuse to play him?!
