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[SB Nation] How swapping in Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul changes the Rockets

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Deuce, Aug 23, 2019.

  1. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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  2. amaru

    amaru Member

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    Decent read
     
    Patience likes this.
  3. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    Good article. Cliff notes:

    MDA has been excellent at half court offense, but he has not had to play with 2 non-shooters on the floor. Hell, playing with one non-shooter on the floor feels archaic. It's going to be fine when Russ has the ball. I think we have to seriously consider a heavy dose of Russ handling the ball to start the season. Buys us time to figure out what to do when Westbrook and Capela are both on the floor with Harden.

    Ultimately I think we move Capela for a shooting 5 rather than trying to bandaid everything. If our 5 could shoot, we just have Westbrook set picks for Harden when Harden has the ball, and you have a team that will likely break all time offensive records again.
     
  4. lionaire

    lionaire Member

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    Closed the tab when I saw that gif. Never want to see it again.
     
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  5. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    This cluster**** play was etched in my head when I made peace with the trade.
    [​IMG]
     
  6. RocketsFido

    RocketsFido Member

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    Westbrook will make our fast breaks deadly again
     
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  7. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    Well, lets hope it works...

    DD
     
  8. Russjr2

    Russjr2 Contributing Member

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    Having Russ pushing tempo will help us get some easy baskets instead of going against a set defense every trip down. I can’t wait to see him attacking defenses in transition.
     
  9. dkim1984

    dkim1984 Member

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    Use Harden to tire them out and Westbrook to break them.
     
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  10. DreamShook

    DreamShook Member

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    Russ' relentless attack is going to be a problem. Even the people apprehensive about the trade (me) can say that this is what was missing next to Harden's elite methodical old man game.
     
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  11. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    Tucker should've taken that shot. And Green didn't even look to Tucker once he reset.

    I remember yelling at this play in real time. This was a death-knell moment. You see these in many Rockets series, where you know our supporting cast can't handle the moment.
     
  12. amaru

    amaru Member

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    I was livid at the coaching staff on this play. NBA player don't know how to correctly run a 3-1 break?
     
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  13. HillBoy

    HillBoy Contributing Member

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    Yeah but deadly for whom?
     
  14. psaman17

    psaman17 Member

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    I remember watching this and wanting to choke Gerald Green. DUde's dumb as a rock and should never handle the ball in transition.
     
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  15. psaman17

    psaman17 Member

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    Its a good read but like all Westbrook related articles, it always comes down to one thing. How his inability to space the floor will hurt us in the halfcourt.
     
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  16. Sajan

    Sajan Member

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    Because the two wing players who ran the fast break STOPPED when they got to the 3pt line. Like they hit some kind of force field...
    geez. I am all about shooting 3s but man..sometimes just play a simple 3 on 1 and get a layup.
     
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  17. amaru

    amaru Member

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    Exactly. It just screams poor coaching to me but hey....it is what it is.
     
  18. JayGoogle

    JayGoogle Member

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    I don't worry about the offense. Russ becomes an issue if he's not having the ball or if he's not moving without the ball, both of these things can change and at least Russ has shown that he can move without the ball so maybe it can be a thing here. CP3 just couldn't beat his man anymore with good consistency anymore.

    What I worry about is on defense. CP3 is still at his age a better defender than Russ. Russ has those Harden moments too where he just has a complete lapse and lets guys run by him off ball.

    I think the offense will be fine though but the defense right now on paper scares me.
     
  19. psaman17

    psaman17 Member

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    No this is strictly a Gerald Green forgot to run with his brain moment. NOthing to do with the coaching staff. Mike Dan tony was livid after this and pulled GG right after.

    After Green had the ball, in a 3-1 transition, he had several options. He could

    a. Pass the ball to Gordon who is running to his left for a wide open 3
    b. Wait until Tucker gets to the corner and pass him the ball for an open corner 3
    c. keep pressing to the basket and if stopped pass it to one of his teammates for an easy transition layup
    d. stop like an idiot and give the ball to Tucker early so PJ can't do anything with it

    He's played with PJ for how long? Green should know that PJ Tucker doesn't shoot that top of the key 3 well. WHAT A ****ing idiot.
     
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  20. amaru

    amaru Member

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    I remember Mike being livid. Either Green had a brain fart or they just don't run these kind of scenarios that much in practice. Hopefully you are right in that this was just a case of Green shifting into stupid.
     

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