ClutchFans Game Thread: Celtics @ Rockets 2/11/2020

WB doesn't care whether something is his or another dude's, if you looked at him calling the guys including James into a huddle it's not like he is deferring to anybody. And WB was pretty much old buds with a ton of guys in OKC like Steven Adams and Ibaka (before he got traded), Roberson and Schroeder. He saw most of those guys from their rookie years lol.

Wish I knew how he had a change of heart lol. Maybe getting traded made him realize stat hunting was futile or maybe he knew they were going nowhere when KD left so he just focused on stat padding. Now he has another superstar so he reverted to "old Russ" that was focused on actually winning something.

 

?

 

It is all about match up and scheme.

People like to **** on Morey and MDA, but they both will adapt their style and scheme to account for the strengths of their players.

Fans take it for granted, but a lot of coaches would not be okay with the amount of changes and adaptations that MDA has had to make.

MDA isn't a perfect coach, but he is certainly pragmatic.

 

Nah it has nothing to do with hustle and energy if you watched his games in OKC WB would let his opponents to get their shot off so he can get the reb if they miss and then their center and pf like Ibaka and Adams wouldn't go get the reb, they would box out their man so WB can sneak in and get the reb. Once WB got 20 or so pts he would just start chucking shots up so if they clank he can get the rebound too it was pretty ridiculous there were lots of youtube vids breaking down all the shenigans he was doing and how OKC was enabling him.

WB was always working hard the difference is he was working hard to stat pad then and he is working hard to actually win games now.

 

Melo the key to a championship formula confirmed!

 

The rules were different back then.

 

The mark of a good MDA team is one that wins games against tough opponents even when shooting poorly from 3.

Also, keep in mind that the Celtics are one of the 2-3 best defensive teams in the league and the best perimeter defensive team in the NBA.

Marcus Smart is also likely the best perimeter defender in the NBA.

The Celtics defended the perimeter exceptionally well......... that is about as good as the Rockets will see all year defensively on the perimeter and they still dropped 116 points on them and almost dropped a 40 on them in the 4th quarter.

This was arguably the most impressive offensive performance by the Rockets this year under the circumstances. The Celtics have the personnel to match up very well against the Rockets........ the Celtics played very well defensively, the Celtics got back in transition, they closed out on the Rockets shooters, Smart hounded Harden.... the Celtics rotated well..... they did everything like they are supposed to...... they limited second chance shots by the Rockets as well......... and it did not matter..... the Rockets dropped 116 points on them..... Harden and Westbrook combined for 20 points a quarter and the Rockets dropped 38 in the 4th.... and 70 points in the second half.

So people can complain about the missed 3's...... but that really isn't the issue.

 

yup
before and after 10-15 games into this season, nobody knows what exactly russ gonna bring to this team except for his uptempo game quite predictable. when 25-30 games passed, it occurred to both front office and players we gotta have a tweak here and there, all sorts of wild guess came up with it.
imho, only after RoCo joining in, 4 games played, media and fans begun to understand:
1) russ is a freak in the paint / loosen up the paint


2) while russ driving in the lane, he can do this, and the beard dun't have to dribble dribble (make it simple)

3) while russ and the beard got chemistry, it's horrible

4) while team D is there (small ball gonna intrigue that)

5) we are few pieces away now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed: hackless, bolden and a legit C on board soon (house need to come off the bench, he is not a eligible starter)

 

I do not care if they are a 3,4,5 or 6 seed this season. This year is different, it is about actual match ups because every single team in the Western Conference is vulnerable. The key will be avoiding those 1-2 teams that can knock you out. It is important to finish playing well and healthy...... at least one of the home teams in the WCF will lose in the first round, I would not be at all shocked if two of them do. There is a lot of parity this season. The Lakers have the best record but are very vulnerable.

 

Ive never seen him in the D league but I thought I heard Bullard mention he shot 3s when he first started with the vipers. Could be wrong. If that’s the case wouldn’t they want him to be a stretch 5? Which leads me to the thinking that he simply isn’t good enough. Reminder that They talked about acquiring Deandre jordan or Tristan Thompson. This would mean that they don’t think hartenstein is enough to win. The coaches and player development people probably see that he’s not that good. We did see flashes of him being a very good and serviceable player grabbing boards and couple of double doubles but he isn’t an elite defender or rim protector the likes of capela and has issues moving his feet at times. But my point is simple. At least he can bang with bigs and grab boards and keep guards out the lane giving rest to Covington and PJ. This decreases wear and tear and helps rebounding or when we can’t handle the other teams bigs like in the suns game.

 

There have been 2 teams not a top 3 seed to ever win a ring. The 1969 Celtics were a 4 seed. The 1995 Rockets were a 6 seed. The 1995 Rockets were a "completely" different team, talent wise, after trading for Clyde. It is not the same as trading for RoCo - RoCo isn't Clyde, obviously.

Never say never... but that's a tough stat to go against, imo.

 

Harden has been hurt for over a month.... and hasn't complained once and has played when most players would not.

Have you seen any signs to believe that Harden has any problems with Westbrook's increased usage?

Stop talking out of your ass.

 

It is a tough stat to go against...... how many teams have won a title without a center?

There are firsts, and the league has changed a lot in a very short time...... I have never seen the game evolve as much as it currently is in a short period of time.

Obviously I would rather be a 2-3 seed, but I am far more concerned with who they play and the that doesn't necessarily mean avoiding the top seeds like it would almost any other season.

 

I'm somewhat less concerned with who they play... because to win a ring they have to play 4 solid teams, and increasingly solid teams. The only caveat to that is the scenario where you get deeper into the playoffs and the other team has some random injuries - see Raptors last year. In short, they're going to play 3 of OKC, Mavs, Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets - would I rather them play the Thunder, Mavs and Jazz than Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets...? Yes. But there's reality to consider. The first path isn't possible, in reality.

As for the non-center stat ... certainly relevant. I'd argue the GSW effectively won with small-ball, Hampton 5, center-less type lineups. But in any case, it's relevant. So they're going no center, adding a 4/5 seed makes it that much harder. They're not going back to a center team. All the more reason that it's put up or shut up time.

 

So what is the injury exactly? MDA certainly doesn't say, nor does James. Yours is just as much speculation.

 

Very fun game last night! I look forward to watching this team more now.

 

Yep, it really was. James and Russ' 78 pts made them the dynamic duo. Covington, Tucker, and House did their part hustling and contributing for sure.

 

I still don’t understand why people don’t fact check their own posts.

Because this just is not true.

On the season Harden averages a little over 17 drives per game.

Over the last 15 games he’s averaging 15.5 drives per game.

Slightly down. But to claim he “basically doesn’t penetrate” is the opposite of what’s happening.

 

I love how we've put Westbrook in the best position to succeed with the spread out offense. Watching him attack the basket all game long is a joy.

 

He's always relied a lot on getting fouls on drives, and is a master of throwing up the arms with any arms or touches, to get to the free throw line. The calls haven't been as frequent as in past years. Now we see a lot more missed and blocked shots, and James standing around arguing with officials instead of getting back on defense. Last night was an exception. The free throws and calls were definitely coming for us.