Having a team "figured out" means more than a lopsided loss. Having the opponent play zone and dare the Rox to beat them with 3s isnt them "figuring out" the Rox lol. That's literally what the Rox want them to do cuz then they can bomb with 3s. If the Rox hit at an average 35% then they would have won not just this game, but the the previous 5 games as well. That's not "figuring out" the Rockets. Unfortunately the Rox have lost most of their 3 pt accuracy, some optimistic posters here claim variance but I think it is FATIGUE. Small ball defense takes a lot out of you and while the first few games showed how glorious it can be, the last 5 games are starting to show it is unsustainable with a small rotation. Pringles is experimenting now with a varied lineup but it may be too late, the wear and tear on Harden, Tucker and Roco have already happened. Ideally he should have done a Kerr and played the 5 man death lineup only during 4rth quarters. If he wanted 4 quarters of microball maybe he should have expanded his rotation with everyone getting 25-28 mins max. But as we all know Pringles is prob the worst coach in the NBA when it comes to roster mgt, he cant keep track of all his guys on the court and manage their mins properly he always runs them to the ground. The recent success have given me some hope on MDA, but this slump has shown me he still the same ol' coach who couldnt get it done in PHX. Rox shouldnt retain him after this year and get somebody better. Hell I'd even take Becky Hammond at this point.
Not a schematic issue at all. Of course the Skip Bayless’s of Clutchfans will come out and pound their chests.
This... the wings don’t have the confidence yet to shoot wide open 3’s... they will settle in eventually. The system has not peaked yet... be good if we get it going by playoffs... we can beat any team if we’re hitting those 3’s.
Shooting 35% from 3 makes a huge difference over 17% from 3. Those missed shots become long rebounds turned into fast breaks down the Rockets throats. 70 points at the half projected out is 140 points at the end of regulation. Notice that: Boston ended with 111 points (W) Knicks 123 points (L) Clippers 105 points (L) Hornets 99 points (L) Magic 106 points (L) Thank you opponents for letting up off the gas on us.......or maybe the Rockets play enough defense in the second half to make it look like a game.?!. If teams use the same philosophy in the playoffs......we are going to score 150 points a game to their 120. No, I think our target is Denver (Jokic) sitting at 3rd seed. Rockets are currently 6th (1/2 game behind OKC and 1 game ahead of Dallas). If Denver falls to 4th then we hit 3’s again and move ahead of OKC for 5th.
On Missed Shots - Harden should just run back. He never does. That is one of the things I am bothered by That said. I think on Offense we need more people to score. People can talk motion .. . long two . .. mid range. . what ever but the reality if 3 out of 5 people on the court cannot hit those shots its a f*cking wrap Rocket River
Yeah the opponents don't score as much in the second half because we are already blown the f out before the first half ends.
Harden needs a center. If MDA continues to play small ball, Harden needs to change team and Houston will lose in 1st round
This part, I will agree with. I mean...thats the only way I can explain it? Dude's look gassed....idk. Thats the only thing that would make any of this make sense.
This worries me more than the shooting. During the win streak, our improved defense was how we won games in which we didn't shoot well. And you don't need rhythm or a "good night" to defend effectively. You just need focus and effort.
