ClutchFans Game Thread: Thunder @ Rockets 5/3/2013 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 6)

It's not about missing games to legit injuries during the regular season.

This is the playoffs. If you aren't in need of surgery, you need to be playing some sort of role.

Harden was sick and overall didn't shoot well, but he kept playing and didn't defer to others. That is a sign of a guy who will do what it takes to win.

I don't need fake warriors who won't play hurt in playoff games and do whatever it takes to win. Lin was never a favorite of mine but after the playoffs he can count me out as a believer. I want competitors. That is what separates the average from very good in this league. Effort. Jeremy hasn't show me that.

 

If there was a better point guard on the team do you think Harden would still be the facilitator?

 

in order for real rockets fans to move on to discuss the game, why don't we just conclude that Lin cost us the series especially game 4 and 5. Now it is all clear up for LOF, LOH, HOH and LOH. real discussions can take place here.

 

You are the epitome of the kind of fans Jason Friedman talked about on his podcast. Disgusting.

 

Who cares about your book???

Glad you are not the GM. And yes, you are not so what you think doesn't matter. But it's your opinion and you are entitled to it.

 

LOL...who are we to tell if a player is ready or not ready to play. Even the great Derrick Rose is sitting out....having a fever is different then not being able to move your arm. Why be a liability for your team?

 

Actually yes. Harden was the facilitator even when he was playing with Westbrook Lin's inability to handle the ball consistently doesn't help though.

 

listen, by the end of the day, Morey knows best. In him we trust

 

So that was what OKC would look like if Scotty Brooks went full Durant and used Westbrook as a spot-up shooter: Almost no easy baskets inside and 92.85% dependent on shots outside the paint falling. OKC seriously looked like HOU out there. I am not liking OKC's chances this playoffs without Westbrook. Their chances of winning through pure outside shooting against teams who can get easy shots up close will not be good. OKC is not elite playing this style of basketball.

I foresee no improvement next season if McHale insists on playing this style of basketball by choice. If we didn't go away from this "just move the ball" iso offense for a stretch this season, we wouldn't even be in the playoffs. The only reason the last few games were even close was because OKC was forced to play the same style after Westbrook went out and they had nobody else who could move the defense. If we play this style of basketball full time next season, we will win fewer than 45 games and probably miss the playoffs.

One last complaint to wrap up this rollercoaster season: Garcia cannot stay in front of anybody. The only way to hide him on defense is to commit to doubling whomever he is guarding so that he can get right in his guy's face without worrying about the player driving by him. This means we can only put him on Durant. Once Garcia got into foul trouble and McHale pulled him off Durant, whomever he was guarding was just wide open to shoot every single time and Durant recognized this and just kept feeding whomever Garcia was "guarding" (I used that term loosely). That was like watching Gasol abuse Delfino in the post all over again. Fortunately, Morey will probably make sure that's an error McHale will never make again.

At this point, I am not sure what to expect next season, so I guess we will just have to wait and see what Les and Morey will do.

 

I beg to differ, Harden can shoot. CP3 is obviously the best floor general in the game.

Could you imagine

CP3
Harden
Parsons
----
Asik

Obviously the 4 is still a question mark, but with CP3, we would take things to another level.

 

Just got home from the game. Haven't read anything in this thread. But I have something I want to say.

The three biggest reasons we lost this game tonight were poor coaching by McHale (leaving Harden & Asik on the bench to start the 4th was atrocious), improved perimeter defense by OKC (they did a better job of getting up on our outside shooters than earlier in the series), and the Rockets leaving OKC perimeter players open finally caught up to them (they had been fortunate for OKC to have poor shooting the last few games).

Also, I have seen so much Lin bashing. It really is quite ridiculous. Beverley played like crap tonight. Why aren't people piling on him with the same negativity?

I want Lin starting at PG next year for this team. Beverley brings some things to the table, but Lin is a greater offensive threat and much more versatile.

 

Totally agree about Asik.

 

I believe Asik missed a game due to broken nose. This occurred during the first half of the season.

 

Yes, you know about injuries.

Tell me, if you cannot lift you arm or shoot, are you going to "go and help the team" when clearly playing hurt would not help your team.

I counted you a non-believer long before the playoffs. I think you are the only one on this BBS that thinks JLin should have played hurt because that was the man thing to do.

Anyone want to agree with this guy?

 

for the record, Lin never blame anyone but himself. I'm not so sure about Mchale thought.
True. He hasn't earned **** in your book. but you cannot blame the loss of this series on Lin. You can't just single out a player and say he cost us the game. Go back and read this thread again and see how many people blame the this loss on Lin. Clutch fans are ridiculous.

 

Hmm I didn't really watch much OKC games back then but I assume that with Durant and Westbrook on the team, Harden would have to play off the ball and wouldn't be iso'ing every play.

 

Greg Smith was garbage the entire series. OKC feasted on him every single game.

 

Yes, it's in his blood and playing style so he's going to want the ball in his hands. Harden is a lower scale version of Lebron James....Lebron James being the complete player.

 

anyone short of cp3, yes. he's not a true shooting guard. he has no off the ball game.

 

Maybe, just need a pg with a strong enough personality to call him off.