ClutchFans Game Thread: Warriors @ Rockets 5/14/2018 (Western Conference Finals, Game 1)

Hell, stop getting back cut into oblivion. Harden was terrible on and off the ball defensively, all game.

 

I stated this yesterday and still feel the same.

Limiting Klay is the key.

I think Houston’s formula to win is sound.

They let KD beat them(which he did) which wasn’t the problem. Letting Klay Thompson shoot so many open shots is the issue. They took Curry out of the game by repeatedly attacking him on defense which was great.

The two Rocket wins, Klay had 8/16 points.

Limit Klay and you beat the Warriors.

 

At this point in time he is what he is and there's not much that can be done about it. He more than makes up for it with his offense. We just have to live with this and hope it does not prove to be fatal. Their biggest problem as a team is that MDA's system does not appear geared for the rigors and intensity of playoff basketball most especially with regards to the defensive side of the ball. They are facing a team that is gunning for its 3rd NBA title in 4 years and it will take a supreme effort from everyone for them to prevail. I expect the next game to be an all out war with CP3 being more involved running the point.

 

wish MDA or harden would watch this bs.

 

After a night to just think about the game, I believe that James and Paul understand...that what has helped win games against the Timberpups and J*zz is NOT gonna work against this team. Infact the offense really has bogged down and failed to generate great shots. Something Klay said last night was so important, and watching Kobe break down Lebron's game 1 against the Celtics was also important. The great dynasty teams all found a way to get GREAT shots. Period. It doesnt matter that you have an all world scorer like James Harden. It matters that he gets EASY buckets. The Rockets have made this hard on themselves. Having two elite PG's on ONE team should generate better shots...PERIOD. It starts with them trying to figure out how to attack the switch

 

let's be honest... it looked like Kevin McHale was coaching this game....

 

the hail is EG talking about. he got plently of shots. and i have 0 confidence when he puts the ball on the floor

 

Its common sense tbh

 

I'm usually the first to rail against ISO ball, but iso ball didn't kill us. It was the role players and bench being gun-shy and terrible when they did shoot, and a serious lack of driving to the basket (which was largely successful when we did do it.)

 

Outside a few wide open threes, I felt like we played Klay and Curry fine. But you can't just allow KD to rise up and hit jumper after jumper on you. It's too easy and it allows everyone else on the team to focus their energies on defense. You also need to be physical with KD. Same with Curry. I'm a big Durant fan, being a Longhorn, but he's pretty fragile and can be pushed around fairly easily.

 

Cleveland

 

Ariza and Moute are just as much a stick as Durant and PJ is too short

 

Am I the only one who's proud of our team? Yeah, we lost. But we could have had much more to complain about.

• Crowd seemed to be on time and loud from the start.
• No choking from Harden, he played amazing. He's not a great defender but the effort was there.
• We forced the Warriors into their last resort- iso-ing Durant. Maybe impossible to stop. But it's what they go to when they're uncomfortable.
• We didn't let Draymond bait us into anything cheap.
  
• Game was fairly reffed.
• Iso ball worked. In fact, the Warriors mostly played iso ball.
• There are improvements to be made in the coming games. But I think our team played well enough last night to beat 99% of playoff teams in NBA history.

 

MDA sits too much

 

Let's bounce back from the loss a must win game Let's Go Rockets

 

The role players will never be good when you play ISO ball when you play a good team. You need play the team ball, move around to get a open. The role players need tough the ball more before getting hot hands.

 

Good stuff for sure!

 

I skipped reading the last 30 pages of this damn thing because so much of it was a replay of comments during the game. Here's what bothered me, but with a caveat. I haven't watched the game a second time, which I usually do.

- Our bench didn't show up. All season long, our bench was one of our strengths. Heck, I remember reading how Golden Shite's bench had been weakened, while our bench had been transformed with the off-season acquisitions. I don't know about the first part of that, but our bench was transformed and dramatically improved. It showed up during the regular season, but for this series? They took a collective nap, playing their worst at the worst possible time. I don't know how you "fix" that. Maybe we should look for the shrink that gave lectures to Redford's team in The Natural. Sure, his character walked out rather than sit through them, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

- We need more ball movement. It'll help our guys get in a rhythm more if they are more involved in the offense, and make us less predictable. I recall more ball movement during the season. What happened to it?

- We need to play Green less and have a quick hook if he isn't hitting his shots. Green's defense is a sieve and too often he has frequently had tunnel vision when he gets the ball, ignoring obvious passes that would either give us a better shot, or lead to another pass that would give us a better shot. Done quickly and confidently, as it should be, it's only taking a few extra seconds. Green simply doesn't get it. When I really got pissed off with Green? It was late in the game on the perimeter and the game was still within reach. Harden was depending on Green to set a pick and tried twice to get one from the guy and Green was clueless. Can't set a pick? Really, Green? It quickly led to a turnover that some here blamed on James, but I blamed on Green.

- Gordon has a point. There's not enough ball movement, as pointed out above and by others. Gordon also has a problem besides not hitting his shots. He isn't driving to the basket like he did so often during the season. It's a strength of his that he should go to when the shots don't fall for him, or even if they are. Keep the opposition's defense with more to worry about. It might even lead to Eric hitting some of those open looks he's been missing if he's in a rhythm. If nothing else, he's likely to go to the line for two.

- Nene? I really like the guy, but he's simply too slow going against GS. Maybe he can find another gear at some point, but I would rather see Black in there bulling his way around. It certainly worth a try.

- Anderson. He seems to be useless. In fact, I was surprised that he was on the court at all during this game. This isn't the time to attempt to cure his complete lack of confidence. He had two previous series where he couldn't locate his confidence. To hell with the guy unless it's garbage time. Like Green, if you put him in and he can't make a trey in his first 3 attempts, pull his ass out. That's assuming he makes an attempt. The guy keeps passing up open looks. That certainly isn't Green's problem. Green shoots if there's a glimmer of an opening. If he hits it while ignoring other more open options, he looks like a genius. Far too often, he doesn't look like a genius. Like Anderson, quite the opposite.

That's all I've got for right now. I'm working on a "morning after a ridiculous loss attitude adjustment." Just one last thing. During our last series, we were stunned by the Jazz at home, losing one of two. What did we do? We won on their court. So where does that leave us? We must win Wednesday and then take a game in Oakland. We can do both with this team, and when we do, it gives us back home court. So like Utah, who weren't chopped liver, let's take back home court. The series is still way up in the air. There's no need to panic. Besides, the great crowd that finally showed up, letting the world see what Houston fans are really like, deserve better. Far better. It's up to the Rockets to not let them down, starting Wednesday. I still have faith in our guys. Let's do it.