<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Rockets remind Matt Barnes of the Clippers from earlier this season and last season. <a href="http://t.co/caSnwNrDJM">pic.twitter.com/caSnwNrDJM</a></p>— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/598225211352158208">May 12, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> This is their fourth season with Paul and also with 50 + wins. Second year with Doc Rivers. Lost 2-4 last year in the second round. Lost 2-4 in the first round the year before that. Lost 0-4 in the second round before that... This is Houston's second year with 50+ wins. This is their third year with Harden and second with Dwight. Lost 2-4 in the first round last year. Lost 2-4 the previous year also in the first round. If people are upset because this team isn't a true contender..because they didn't reach the finals or even conference finals...well, you expected them to take a HUGE leap forward. They need to walk a little more, after crawling the last year or two. They'll learn from this, make adjustments to the roster, maybe fire the coach eventually, and then they'll start running. The only thing that is a bit concerning is that Dwight isn't getting any younger. Hopefully, they can pick up that third impact player to help him out. And that being said, i hope they're ready tonight, because the Clippers have talked a lot about getting some rest.
Nice way of trying to make it look as if we are fine and we will be well on our way to win big. I humbly disagree...at least with this core. We need to add a big piece if we want to win a championship. Howard and Harden won't get it done.
but they had a head coach to turn the madness into cohesiveness. If Phil, give him some f'n credit, jackson never shows up to L.A, kobe and shaq would have imploded before 2002. coaching matters.
this means nothing and pretty easy to say of course when they're winning. with all the playoff experience on this roster there's no reason the rockets should have been destroyed like they were in the last two games.
I a) don't give a damn what an a$$hole like Matt Barnes has to say b) am not dissapointed so much from the losses as from the lack of spirit and fighting the team has shown all series long. They didn't come out to fight at nearly any point of this series.
This is a positive quote as it makes it seem like we just need to put it together but we have a championship contending core. I would disagree though, we especially need a new coach and more players.
You disagree because you didn't understand the OP or didn't read it. We're not fine if we just keep everything the same and just let time pass. We still have to make adjustments, much like LA did. The point is, it's a process for everyone, but for some reason we want our success to go from the first round to hanging banners.
For me its not losing but how they are losing. No effort or motivation. As a fan it hurts to see your team just give up. I really hope they learn from this.
Still need the right talent, not just experience. I hate how it's going down, as much as anyone else....but we've always had trouble against LA. We're basically facing our worst matchup, next to GS, who happen to be great offensively, are coming off a series that gave them a HUGE confidence boost, and we're missing two key guys. This could have been a competitive 6 or 7 game series any other year.
4 out of 5 rockets starters have already been to the finals, plus brewer. this isn't the 1st go around and howard/ariza/smoove are about to turn 30. three more years of mchale and this team ends up a never was.
i agree but getting beat the way they have been has definitely been unexpected. especially seeing a playoff rookie like rivers have his coming out party
I always believe every loss just calls for a better future, it's necessary to the Rockets growth as a team. However whats bothersome is the little things that impede that growth (lack of motivation, lack of effort, no leadership). If they let the little things like that bring them down, what is there to look forward to when Im watching his team?
So a new coach and a few players, like guards who can shoot and do something with the ball off the dribble? Guess who that was 2 years ago?
I'm not singling you out as this opinion permeates through a lot of clutchfans. It's not completely wrong either, because at points in the game, the players become dispirited and try to go for home runs on both sides of the ball. That said, the team discipline has been lacking way before the Clippers series. I don't know who to blame and I don't know if McHale and this group can solve it by next year. But the Rockets are a team that can execute on a high level on defense and offense: crisp rotations, good challenges, good box-outs on one end and crisp ball movement, good penetration, and good shooting on the other. They just don't do it consistently. Throughout the playoffs, they just haven't played consistently well on both ends. It's not just the Clipper series. The Rockets are the worst 3pt shooting team left in the playoffs. They are ranked 11th out of 16 and all the teams below them are eliminated. The didn't execute consistently vs. the Mavs either; the Rockets just out-talented them. The Rockets playing at their best on both ends are a coin-flip to win vs. the Clippers imo. They are both immensely talented teams, but the level of teamwork and execution is much higher on the Clippers side. This was evident in the Spurs series. The Rockets probably need better shooters (or betting shooting from the current players), but the Rockets certainly need just more time to gel and improve playing as a team. There's too many breakdowns and missed plays and missed assignments. And the Clippers are crushing the Rockets every time that happens. The Clippers are already sometimes successful when the Rockets play perfect D, but anytime there's a mistake, the Clippers are pouncing on it. Having fire and being able to play smart team ball are separate things. Of course I've seen the moments where the passion looked gone from some players, but getting to that point was different. The Rockets were trying their asses off and still getting boat raced to double-digit deficits. They're just not consistently smart enough as a team yet.
Well, we at least know Smith likely won't be back, per Cyberx. Ariza is on a good deal, could be dealt. McHale could be fired this summer, who knows...i just think people understimate how quickly change can happen. Remember what everyone was thinking here 4 years ago or even 3 years ago?
Have they been together? As the Leaders of those Teams Dwight is the only one what comes to mind .. . and strangely enough he the one playing the hardest Rocket River
What have they won? who cares what the worst starter on their team has to say. He's talking about rest already, they haven't closed out jack. Did we remind him of the "earlier this year Clippers" when we won game two? Wonder what he'll "tweet" after they lose tonight?
