Memphis would've beaten the Warriors if they were healthy and had a tad bit more offense. The Pelicans could've beaten the Warriors but they lacked the playoff experience to close games 1 and 3...Rockets have the experience and a tad bit more offensive power than Memphis & now the Warriors face the Rockets with a healthy Dwight Howard for the first time this year. Should be a fun chess match of a series
It'll be a issue. If Bogut is just going to flop on Dwight's post up's the refs are going to hear about it in the post game and the next set of refs are then going to be looking for it. It's like when the Clippers complained about Harden's FTs and next game he got nothing. You're right, he got away with a lot of it for most of his career but this is his first time on a big stage and the Refs know it is a big stage. The last thing they will want to do is make it seem like they are out to get one team. Continue to flop and get Dwight in Foul trouble and that's exactly how it will look. You'd have a point and a good point...but we just beat CP3 and the Clippers. Again, you will say how will the stop Curry/Klay and I'm asking you how will they stop Harden and Dwight.
damn i dont like how Chuck and Shaq get on howard but at least i get laughs from them here and now. ESPN just plain boring
Bogut isnt gonna stop Dwight from being on the boards. D12 just outrebounded the league leading rebounder and a long Chandler Howard might have mutiple 20/20 games if the Houston play dumb and get blown out
Just to be clear Bogut doesn't flop as much. He pinches/ twists arms / hard screens/elbows. The refs won't catch on them, at least I will be shocked if they do more than once or twice. He knows how to do it without the refs noticing and has been doing it for ages. And if the rest of the playoffs have been any indication - or the history of the playoffs - the refs allow physical play and don't just suddendly get smart and punish dirty sneaky vet players who know how to do it under their watch. But I think they may be more careful about Green's flops. I don't know if Bogut will handle Dwight but don't underestimate him just because he isn't athletic. As I posted above though, Bogut's playoff injuries is like waiting for the sunrise. You know it will eventually come.
We'll just have to agree to disagree. Because what you've mentioned does not compare to a 3-1 defect. Or losing players like Bev and Dmo for the remainder of the season, or T Jones and D12 for over half of it. Or the Cavs losing Love in the first round, and Smith for two games in the second. Or LAC losing Blake for extended time for a staff infection of all things. And all those teams fought on despite. That's real adversity. GS is a more than a formidable opponent, but you're putting the p*ssy on a pedestal.
what? ahahahah nice expression. I will copy it from now on. No they have not. And they are the most healthy team in the playoffs - so far. But the " they are not battletested" is wrong as well. They have been.
Yeah, he gets away with a ton of that stuff. He doesn't flop a lot I agree, but going against Dwight it certainly seems to be one of the things he'll happily try. I don't think the refs will go for that this round, guess we'll see. As for the dirty play who knows how Dwight will respond to that. Dwight has bouts of frustration but the funny thing about it is...he'll be frustrated for like 2-3 mins and then after it passes he'll play with a laser focus. It reminds me of game 6 where he was beyond frustrated and then just closed that game by completely dominating the paint.
Dwight has historically dominated Bogut. We need to play smart and try to shut down everyone not named Curry. He will get his, but focus on slowing down others so they don't get theirs.
4 keys: Limit turnovers. Play fast. Stay in front of Klay Thompson. Pound the paint relentlessly. Use everyone. Come in waves. From start to finish.
Well the Griz took two games from the Warriors while banged up. We can beat those guys. Bring the fight, one game at a time.
GS is stupid good in transition both ways. You cant let them just run all game, you have to control the tempo. I say let Steph and Klay get theirs. Employ the 5 on 2 from the onset and lock up Green and Barnes and the role players. Rockets have momentum heading in. Confidence and the bench is playing out of its mind. Good formula.
Prior to this season, we always had numbers on the Warriors. Dwight didn't play in two of the four regular season games against them this year and his body was not right in the first two. I believe Josh played two while Dwight was out and he was not the Josh Smith we are seeing right now. We can do this.
I noticed a few too many turnovers on offense by the Rockets today - they will definitely have to watch that going forward. You give the Warriors those opportunities and it could be too much to overcome. I thought Clips failed to capitalize on those early and it put them on the back foot all day - Rockets can't rely on Warriors doing that to keep them in the game. Rockets will need to keep their scoring percentages high including FT's. They will not be able to afford too many slow quarters like they did in the first 5 games this series. Man, I'm nervous about the next series...
In my mind, they are the toughest series and ... IF we can beat them ... Oh baby. But nothing is impossible, have learned that from this series. If anything, is that team mentally tough, more tough than the Clippers? Let's test them.
