ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 11/18/2015

so refreshing too hear something other than "we need to play harder"

 

This team played very hard...and were essentially trying to will the ball in. They played hard...and were driven the entire game. But quarters 1-3 NOTHING went down. Then the 4th quarter happened. The team started making buckets...AND continued their intensity on defense. Brewer missed a bunny at the rim...and then gave the team a much needed defibrillation with that prayer 3 off one leg from 30 ft...There is NO reason this team cant play this hard all the time. Yes it can be tiring, but at some point the bench will start gelling well. That is NOW Lawson's responsibility. He needs to effectively maintain the team's offensive output when Harden needs a break.

When you play hard all the time, you build character and GOOD habits. You shoot better...get into rhythm with shots, and the activity spreads like wild-fire. We MUST play an elite level of defense. We scored 35 points in the 1st half...35...And we still found a way to compete and steal a game we had NO business winning. It started on the defensive end. Sure enough, the team started catching breaks...and they started making shots. Maybe the fire is lit...maybe a miracle shot can redefine a season. Play hard and watch this city embrace you...wins and accolades usually come soon after..

 

Agreed. he said, "the guys who said they would play harder, played harder."

 

Probably the most important win in franchise history in the month of November.

 

First of all, the Rockets tried to get the ball to Dwight plenty of times tonight. They ran a ton of pick and rolls and threw the ball up toward him with zero chance of success... which led to some turnovers. Then they tried to feed him in the post, which led to some more turnovers.

Let's be honest, most of Dwight's success comes off of offensive rebounds or passes to him when his man overhelps. Those don't happen when you can't spread the floor.

If the Rockets want to score in the post, they need to give it to Harden down there (at least until DMO gets back).

 

Harden looked incredibly comfortable in the post, he reminded me of Barkley down there. Good luck getting around his size/strength and if you double he can pass. To me, if Dwight wants to play the post, and he should, he needs to work on his dribbling. His vision is good, his shots a good when he's in position, but his ability to dribble out of danger is nonexistent.

 

One was a play off game. The other is at the beginning of a disappointing season.

I think that playoff win had more to do with some players just going off out of the blue vs anything the coach did tbh. This team is still not 'well' but I though the rotations made more sense. I thought Harden played more team friendly ball, the defense was better. They got down to a bad team but fought back. I also liked the adjustment of having Harden post up and keep working there later in the game. They didn't just keep bumping their heads against the wall. Lawson wasn't playing well? Come take a seat.

Listen, still a long way to go, but I like what I saw.

Will they build on it? I don't know.

 

Defense and effort won the game tonight; McHale was right after all. As Brewer said in the post game interview, it's all about making shots. Thankfully, the Rockets defended well enough to stick around until their shots started falling.

Very sad to see McHale go, as, despite the widespread negativity towards him in this board, the Rockets were very successful under his helm. Hopefully, this works out in the end and it all was upper management thinking that McHale's tenure had run its course and the slow start was just an excuse to upgrade the coaching position.

Harden, keep hustling on D, player!

 

WTF happened? This one was over. I turned it off.

 

No issue with any of that.

My concern, big change equals big emotions. We'll see if any of this carries over the next couple weeks. To me, this is all about the players and nothing to do with the coach.

In fact, i think McHale was overlooked for Coach of the Year last year for taking a gimpy team as far as he did. It was pretty incredible considering he started his part of his season with Tarik Black playing real minutes.

Nothing changed from McHales mentality in the last five months. You could argue that is the issue, I suppose. To me, the more logical explanation is the team just doesn't give a **** this early in the season. Les, who has a large financial investment here, ain't got time for that and axed an asset to prove he was serious.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

 

My main problem with Dwight in the post is that he always looks like he's guessing on a move to make. When he does that, it usually ends up in a turnover, or a really tough shot.

Then there is the Dwight that catches the ball with an idea in mind, and he instantly goes into it. No waiting, no guessing, he makes his move with confidence... that's the Dwight that needs the ball in the post.

The problem is knowing which one you are getting.

 

EXPOSED!!! get your fandom up.

Real talk: I would have turned it off too If I didn't feel like this was going to be the last time I watched the Rockets this season after and L. I was taking Clutchfans off the Bookmark list.

 

This is totally irrelevant and I don't care...but I like JBs tone on the bench.

McHale was so often buried on the bench and again I'm not faulting him for that...I just liked seeing the coach pacing the sidelines like that. Again, I know McHale is older and has a bad hip so yeah.

 

And then uninstall Internet Explorer.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pjj9newZBp0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Typical McFail sycophant logic. The success of the Rockets team last year can almost exclusively be traced back to Harden balling out of his mind, not because McFail did some brilliant coaching job. Just because the newest Lamborghini car can run 300 miles per hour with 500 pound fat guy in the driving seat, doesn't mean that 500 pound fat guy is in any way helping the car to run faster.

When Harden plays well, we win. Harden blows, then we lose.

It was simple as that and this simple rule still holds true to this day. Is has absolutely nothing to do with McHale's coaching prowess. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

 

Why surprised, quote was from DD.

 

Where is that gif of brewer as Mr. Peanut?





Great win. I am so happy about this win!

 

One called him the monopoly man. Then he became a legend.


http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=9723763#post9723763

 

So no coach then?

Everyone understands that in game coaching is only a percentage of the job, right? We don't see 90% (?) of what goes into a head coaches job. So to say McHale is horrible at his job is only judging him on the percentage you can see. I'm not defending McHale as much as I'm fighting against poorly informed opinions and proclamations.