Simple Truths

Ball movement seems to work every single time. For some reason when we start catching fire and the ball movement is excellent it stops. I can't tell if Doc is adjusting or if players are too complacent after a good run.

Its weird

 

Your right on. This team gets by on talent. But they are really flawed. Morey got the first part done, by getting the 2 stars. Now he has to finish the job and build a championship TEAM.

 

7) Kevin McHale

 

1st fix the attitude problems.... we just cannot play like this

You do not fight enough, Rockets

 

2,4, 5 are truths that were self inflicted by design.

 

The simplest truth: we have just not put up much of a fight and put in the effort and this starts with your best player in Harden. When you're 'leader' does not defend, what do you expect from the rest?

 

Simpler Truth:

1. The Clippers played the first 2 games without their best player. A player who is much, much, much better and important than the 2 "starters" we lost. We should have destroyed them twice.

2. In the third game, again their best player was injured and played minimal minutes.

This should be the simplest truth. 7 times.

 

FIRE McFail is the simplest truth

 

5 star thread. Agree with all, except for 2). If Harden played the best he played this season we'd be ahead 2:1.
Key reason is indeed injuries to DMO and Bev. Difference between having 2 and 3 lockdown defenders next to Harden is day and night. Bev also brings toughness and balls we lacked in last 2 games. Jones is 0-2 from distance and Smith is 1-9. Having stretch 4 was big part of our game entire season, that's why we used to put DMO at center and go small, to streth out even more and have 5 people who can shoot 3, opening lanes for Harden to get to the basket and get fouled. DMO ended season as our 2nd best 3 point shooter. Without him we don't have bigs who can shoot which allows Clippers bigs to camp under their basket and give no space for Harden. Which is why even Redick has no problem guarding him, since James is forced to settle for long shots.
Loss of DMO and Bev is reason we should not get upset about losing to Clippers. Spurs lost to them too. We made it to 2nd round. We ended 2nd in regular season. It was a good season, great one, if you consider all the injuries. We need to be realistic.

 

McHale is the main reason.

Because... Match up, Match up, Match up. It's all about that and the Coach failed miserably at putting the Rockets into a position to win.

The Clippers is just a bad match for the Rockets because they take the greatest strength of the Rockets away (Harden inside game) and one of the Clippers strength (guard shooting and plays) become even stronger against the Rockets (Harden inability to guard any 1 and 2).

Yet, when given the opportunity, McHale fail to hack Jordan so he sit. And when the Clippers went to a 3 Guards line-up using their BENCH, McHale doesn't rest Harden and use our bench to counter defensively.

G2 win is due partly because of McHale adjustment, but also because Harden had to sit out the 3rd Q due to his foul troubles. It just happen that's also the reason the Rockets played great Defense through that 3rd Q. It's wasn't a move by McHale, it was a gift to him and yet he didn't recognize it at all.

 

I want to said that even with 2 stars down and handicapped, we still have enough talent to win, but with McHale, it's very hard to believe.

 

I like your list but I would start with

0) Defense. Teams are shooting a very high % against us in the playoffs. Our offense is ugly but fine enough. 100 points should win a playoff game, but our opponents are regularly 110-120 (or more). That's just an impossible model.

Maybe your point #1 is the main reason our defense is so bad, but we're just not really challenging people with a playoff-type of gritty D. The fall off from even our regular season defense is pretty galling.

 

the Rox decision makings didn't think ahead, when they gave away Jeremy Lin

 

I'm tired of coach's complaining about flipping effort in tje playoffs. These players give effort everybody got on the rockets game one because they didnt give effort. It's the playoffs the rockets gave effort! It's our offensive and defensive strategy vs. the other team. Player match ups, making shots, and coaching talent.

 

Its obvious that we should start James at the one, McDaniels at the two. Mcdaniels and Ariza can switch back and forth to cover shooters. Its a very obvious adjustment. Use the whole bench McHale, otherwise what do you have them for

 

I do too as long as Mchale isn't part of it, because we do have the players to contend, without coaching it goes for nothing

 

Another reason is there's no #2 scoring option. Howard isn't the player you can give the ball in the post and expect points. Howard has been doing ok overall compared to Jordan (both rebounding and blocking shots well). Majority of Howard's points are from alley-oops. I'd like to see the percentage of points he got from the post.

Without a legit #2 scoring option, this team will continue to struggle in the playoffs.

If Morey wants to continue with the plan of layups, 3's, and FTs, then he needs to get players that are able to make layups, FTs, and legitimate threats from the 3. Our "bigs" can't make layups, jump shots, or FTs. We don't have any 3-point shooters that other teams fear.

 

Reality: Harden is a regular season star. His game depends on drawing fouls and scoring huge points in free throws. In the playoffs, that tactic gets limited. He becomes a facilitator and the rest of the team is not talented enough to compensate. We need a sharpshooter that can score consistently. DMo and Bev. don't fit that bill but they would have made a huge difference in this series.

 

We need a secondary creator and 3 point shooters, plain and simple. Against the clippers we are shooting 28.62% from 3. If you are going to commit to morey ball you have to have good shooters, that is the one simple truth.