You are absolutely correct about nerves being a factor for most of our players. Are expectations to high? Having said, the first game is history. Settled down and play like a team that dominated the entire league.
Anderson and Luc will be back soon.... everything will be good Ariza missed so many shots, yet was team high +8. Rockets in 4.
Yes. Do you remember what Chris Paul said happened before his first photoshoot in a Rockets uniform? He said he threw up he was so nervous before the pictures. I think this makes it even more important to get CP3 in a good rhythm during the playoffs, we know James can get into a rhythm, we just need CP3 to pick up the slack when James melts.
The playoff's is a different monster and you know this. Let's remove ourselves from the regular season and truly think about how far we made it last season and the season before when we switched everything. Let's history doesn't repeat itself.
I've been thinking about it and maybe its because CP3 was always used to being the hunter, not the hunted. He hasn't gone into the playoffs with the expectation that you should win every game. Still doesn't fully explain his behavior, but that may be part of the different mentality he has to adjust to.
I though the zebras were atrocious in their calls towards Minnesota, most of the calls should have been no calls. I though PJ did a decent job on Teauge except for the first foul, the rest of them should have been no calls. I would fault Tucker for not realizing the calls to stop playing so physical. What I don’t understand for some years is how does everyone on the team go cold at the same time. Only thing I can think of is that we run Harden ISO so much that players don’t get in a groove without getting touches and easy baskets on cuts or midrange. Our bench has been consistently getting murdered or staying even against opposing benches, even though our bench should win every time. I know key players have been out, but there is a reason why we are considered a deep team. Bench needs to play better D on some of the scrubs that are lighting us up.
He has always had the ball in his hand for the entire game before he joined the Rox. Besides being a first rockets playoff game, he is still adjusting to playing the 2 gaurd with Harden playing the 1. The other part about Chris, he needs the mid range and floaters in the paint to keep the defense honest and get the bigs lobs. Harden is bigger and finishes better at the rim, so he has more options (layup or lob). Chris needs mid range or lob. Once he starts taking and hitting the mid range, it will open up his game and the bigs.
These guys aren't nervous, sometimes you just shoot poorly. Just because you shoot 37% from 3pt doesn't mean you won't shoot 27% sometimes and 47% other times.
The Rockets shot 47% overall from the floor despite shooting 10-37 from 3 and still won the game. They also were outrebounded. If the Rockets 3s fell at their normal season level of 15 tonight then they would have won this game easily. I'm not worried. You don't adjust to things that work so far, only when they adjust do you go to your backup plan. Right now switching is a part of their defense and their 3s will fall (outside of Harden) I expect next game to be a blowout by the Rockets and this Game #1 WIN would be an afterthought.
James Harden played like a god Chris Paul played like **** Trevor Ariza I don’t expect much from PJ Tucker played great D tonight Clint Capela played like a future HOF’er Eric Gordon was rusty due to time missed Gerald Green was being Gerald Joe Johnson got some much needed rebounds Nene Hilario was ok
Sometimes teams switch the defense for double coverage on James. They plant one guy in his driving lane ( another to cover Clint) and have another to drift two rockets. Okc used it big in THAT game. While this makes it one pass away, it doesn't mean crap when the other team figures out the cold player and we don't pass as often to build rhythm in game. I noticed cp was more aggressive following through taking and making a couple mid range shots in the 4th. He needs to commit to that rather than looking to pass first. Teams will try to force the ball out of Harden's hands. If Chris passes it to the wings, it pretty much validates the other team's gamble while reducing time on the clock to make something out of it. It's almost like he's learning what harden went through two years ago. It might look like he's deferring, but if he's trapped, then it's more getting bailed out than deferring. It's these little wrinkles other teams use to overload Harden to make him beat them while taking out the other guys to make the rockets more one dimensional
I agree with everyone that Paul overall didn't play well. But we have to give him a little credit during the end of the game when they were sagging back on the PnR with Capela he hit a few needed buckets from mid range to keep us in the game. Something I wish Harden did a couple of times when he was so wide open but dribbled back out. I think on one of them he got stuck and took a very bad conetest fade away shot.
The Rockets offense is read and react. 1st game, Rockets got done what they needed to do to win. They made adjustments and so will the Rockets. I expect to see better ball movement in game 2. It will be the CP3 spectacular. James made a statement tonight. CP3 said go out there and redeem yourself, I got your back. CP3’s turn in Game 2.
Need to get EG the ball more and also need him to be more aggressive CP will be fine. There was a couple plays where he took Teague down low and he was able to get an easy shot.
Y’all wouldn’t have seen this unless you were at the game, but EGO was hitting everything in pre-game and halftime!!!!
