ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 10/27/2017

Hawks-Bulls Thursday

 

It was an aggressive hedge. I wouldn't necessarily say such a hedge renders the pick useless, as it's somewhat just double teaming harden. It renders Harden's drive useless, yes.

Counters: Slipping the Pick or 3-man PnR (with side, ram screen and drag man)

MDA's Counters to hedge are slipping the pick (especially Capela) as we saw Ryno do and picking for the picker, which I often called a 3-man PnR last year and posted a lot of vids. Our most common is that 3-man ram screen coming from the wing by a Big or Ariza. That is awesome because it is also an extra drag man to the rim, while Ryno pops. I've even seen us use two picks for the picker, with two pop men, if you can believe that.

The side, ram screen with drag man is highly effective and so is just slipping the damn pick, but the later concedes the Harden drive

Counter: Spain PnR

Another is one everyone says is great, especially since it has a sexy name, but it proves to clog the lane too much, so isn't all that great for Harden as the side ram screen is, but known to free EGo for a 3 at the key.

It is The Spain PnR

Now watch everyone say that's so sexy and we should run it more. We did at least once last night with Bobby picking, but I find this often just clogs too much and takes Harden out of the play

The Spain PnR is a ram screen by Ryno or 2 for the 5 at the Nail. It is also used in ICE defense of Capela, or when they are stunting a hedge. That is you pick the Blue Defender (if ICE) and the nail defender (if stunting the hedge).

 

Thank You!!!! Hate to miss Rockets games but it’s the World Series. Either way I don’t feel like I miss much because I can always just check Ashleyem’s game assessment and get all my info from there. Did you know how awful Ariza is?

 

I'm thinking more about a caveat that works even with 2 men running a plain jane PnR. Like maybe hitting a cutter that's not involved seeing the rim is unmarked. Or driving from the opposite the pick side. The momentum of the hedger is pretty significant, so you should be able to go at their side. If they close it down, they should be out of position for a short spell. Ball handler would have the same options, drive/dish to shooter/pass to roller.

If I'm MDmA I'm having my practice squad throw that at the PG over and over and figuring out a reliable strategy to get an advantage.

 

I know how awful @ashleyem 's analysis is. Does that count?

 

The hedge is a very common defense of Harden. It didn't work last night. I think MDA is like 5yrs ahead of us this and invented the counters

not following. There is a 5 in the land, in 41-High.

When Ryno runs a 41-High with Harden, Capela is parked at the rim, pinning the rim protector in place.

You might be thinking of the 45-angle cut when the hedge with a stunt

 

Thanks for acknowledging your weak assessment. If you are watching every game and coming to this conclusion, then you should revise how you're coming to these conclusions. They are out of touch with factual data.

 

Think we can package her for Melo?

 

So when the PnR picker is Ryno. Ryno can set the pick and stay in the area while Harden looks for someone cutting to the basket. Likely the cutter would be the wing on the same side the hedging defender is coming from. I don't think Capela was on the floor for the example video clip so I was just using that as an example of personnel in my mind.

Either way, the hedge looks like it slows down the play enough to allow the defense to adjust to any counter, but I do think you can attack the stunting player as they move toward Harden.

 

Let's use the same terminology. The stunt is a third man, who tracks passes from the double team of Harden. The hedge guy is not referred to as the stunt man

I mean, yeah. Many teams are countering a hard doubling of the dribbler by weak side action. We also just killed CHO with quick passes around the horn and some drive and kicks from off men. We killed that hedge

I don't see last nights game as a problem with a hedge defense

I guess I view the discussion to be implying MDA faced something he hasn't seen before, much less that it worked. If that's your point, neither are true, imo

Note: a doubling of Harden takes the ball out of his hands. The best counters are to keep the ball in his hands, especially when Ego is resting too . Until we get Paul back, the defense is doing aggressive hedging for the sole reason to take Harden out of the play. Soft hedges to slow Harden it, as you said

We'll see much more weakside action counters when Paul is back

Yes we can say other teams can kill that with cuts and weakside action, but the Rockets without Paul drop in efficientcy significantly when Harden passes out of a double team. That's what the defense wants.

So, MDA primarily counters by simply slipping the pick, and to ways that actually directly prevent the hedge so Harden's drive is still there, which is our path to our most efficient outcomes of PnR plays,,,i.e. Layups, oops and FTs

 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat

 

Ryno shutting down Dwight while scoring 20. Melo taking a contested off balance three for the loss for OKC. Astros holding on. What a great day for Houston sports.

 

I hear you blow.

@don grahamleone see the bold. There's your issue.

Reading this, I get your point. You're wanting a weak side cutter. Another idea is a flare.

When finding ways to optimize the rockets offense @heypartner aka heydud will defend against it heavily. If you can't tell he's a shill by now, idk what to say.

Also, to the point of the Rockets offense. Gordon hitting contested 3s bailed us out. Harden, too...if that's how we'll survive we're ****ed. Remember the Hornets were out of gas on those aggressive chasedowns. That I expect. If any team tries that, keep swinging it. Give it a few possessions, they'll have to do some subs.

But when the aggressive hedge comes, and it did sometimes in the SA series we had no real bailout besides the pass out and reset back to Harden.

SIL

 

So why do you think it's okay to waste everyone else's time? Especially since you can't be bothered to learn the bare minimum required in order to have an intelligent opinion?

Furthermore, "Ariza is trash" IS NOT an opinion, because it can easily be proven as either true or false. An opinion would be something like "I like the color red," or "Trevor Ariza is my least favorite player."

"I don't waste my time learning about basketball."

Lol, never thought I'd see that on clutchfans..

 

Why asheley so dum

 

No Memphis game thread yet so posting here. Good report on Ariza.

Ariza was scheduled to be reexamined next week in Houston, but experienced no pain in his sprained left foot in Charlotte. He went through shooting drills Friday morning and was on the active list and in uniform

 

Weird to see ariza even injured. Dude is bulletproof

 

This one is super late but better late than never

This is a top 5 plays vs the Hornets, Eric Gordon went in for the highlights in this game!

Enjoy guys! Let me know what you think.

 

Don't even call me a Lin fan. Worst humans on the face of the Earth. I still get PTSD flashbacks of when we had him and Lin fans turned the Toyota Center into the Taiwan Center with Taiwanese flags. Made me sick.

Also, this regular season routine that Harden does to get paid is getting old. These stats are nice and all but I'm not interested in stat padding, I want to see team domination regular season and particularly in the playoffs. So until that happens, yes trade him while his value is high and bring on the youth movement. That next generation NBA players that we don't know about yet are out there. Gotta find them and use our high picks to draft them.