You're honestly the worst poster around right now. The two guys who really stink it up from the line won't even be playing during the playoffs. Get a grip. Howard/Dmo/Smith Jones/Smith/Dmo Playoffs = shorter rotation and those four bigs are good enough. That is one of the deepest front lines in the entire NBA
GO get a refund on your degree if you got one breh :grin: 15/0 = infinity 0/15 = ZERO , ZILCH, ZIP, 0
We don't need all of our bigs to become better free throw shooters but we absolutely need one or two of them to because right now none of them are. And hack-a-whomever is being used almost like never before; it's like the shame went out of it. Of all of our bigs I'd say D-Mo is the one most likely to improve but I'd have him, Jones, Howard, Smith, and even Dorsey shooting hundreds a day leading into the playoffs. Motiejunas can shoot the three and he has a great touch and feel for putting the ball in the basket. This is mental with him. It is with Dwight too. He makes them all the time in practice and shoot-around. I feel like I've seen Jones make a few lately that he might have missed in the past and I think he's most likely to successfully employ mind over matter. This is a real Achilles' heel though. Any team that really wanted to could sit our entire, very deep, very effective big man rotation any time they wanted to right now. Of the four guys that are going to eat up all of our meaningful 4/5 minutes I don't want to see any of them shooting FT's with a playoff game on the line.
Worst to Best of the bigs: 1. Capella-0 % 2. Dorsey-25 % 3. Smith-53 % 4. Howard-53 % 5. Motiejunas-60 % 6. Jones-61%
Coaches in the West Playoff picture that most likely will employ Hack a "Houston Big" - Most likely To least likely: 1. Doc Rivers (has religiously done it essentially every game we've played them) 2. Greg Popovich (Wrote the book on it) 3. Terry Stotts (his whiny personality was quite evident in the postseason) 4. Scotty Brooks (Uses this more than people know) 5. Rick Carlisle (Uses it occasionally, but his team scores enough) 6. Steve Kerr (Rarely had to use this strategy this year considering how the blitzed most teams in the league) 7. David Joerger (the most likely to find ways to stiffle you and force the miss rather than give free point attempts)
I wish the free throw troubles were limited to the bigs. Even Harden has missed key free throws at the end of recent games. Today Ariza, Brewer, and Terry all missed free throws at the end of the game that could have put the game away. I hate to say it, but I think there is a very good chance the Rockets will lose a game or games in the post season because of missed free throws.
howard seems to have gotten his act together.. he gets atleas 1/2 ft which is decent given he does occ get both
I agree with most of what you said, but this shame thing. Shame should sit squarely on the shoulders of players that can't do what middle schoolers can - hit free throws. I see no shame or problem with employing intentional fouls if opposing players aren't going to perform. Like Rick Barry has suggested, you should be embarrassed and ashamed if you can't consistently hit a decent % from the line. Even if that's in the 60s for big men, you keep the hack-a-whomever strategy off the table. It's pretty simple, Misters Dorsey, Capela, Howard, etc: shoot your goddam free throws underhanded. There is no excuse. Not worried about Motiejuejue and Josh Smith - both have the capability to hover between 60-75% with regularity.
Yea. It scares me. Popovich is a master of using hack a whoever. Did it to shaq in 08 to defend against the 3 and it worked. I cringe seeing Howard or Dorsey at the line. Howard we need. Dorsey can serve water in the playoffs.
only way that Dorsey or Capela enter the game at all is if two of: Howard, Smith, Jones, or DMo get into foul trouble. I really don't see that happening... anyways even if it does, it will be unlikely that the other team is also in the penalty during that stretch of a few mins that would allow them to hack-a-dorsey/capela. I'm more concerned about the FT shooting of Smith/Howard... they are much more likely to be hacked than Dorsey/Capela...
Our style is very beatable in the playoffs, and good coaches find a way to exploit it in a 7-game series unfortunately.
Yup and it obviously has not been addressed by the coaches. Have these "professionals" make 1000fts at 60% or more before they can leave the gym. It's not like Dmo can be trusted and at least Dorsey grabs rebounds.
