What I'm hearing is D'Antoni can't get his team up for the big game. He can certainly rub it in their faces after a big loss, though. Maybe that's what it takes with this group? Everyone should be down on them right now. They should take it to heart and show more of it next game. These slow starts are absolutely atrocious in a playoff setting. In a lot of ways, this just looks like the same old Rockets with Harden trying to do too much while much of the rest of the team pulls their disappearing acts.
Tucker > Beverley. This is CP3. He’s the vet. He needs to keep everyone else in line. Him and Dantoni.
Harden started the 1st quarter lazy on defense & making lazy turnovers. Boxscore stats don't show how lazy guys can be
Yeah, if we do bring in another star-level player in the off-season, it needs to be someone who's fearless in the playoffs.* * Yeah, I'm talking about THAT guy.
This. This loss is on the coaching staff and the players on the team. This had nothing to do with the crowd or the media or anything else. The Rockets for 2.5 months have learned that they can win a game by playing hard for a single quarter. It went from the Rockets thinking they could just outscore everyone...... and learning that will make you good but not elite. Then they learned if they defended well, they didn't have to explode all 4 quarters. Then they figured out they would win 90% of their games playing a single half hard...... then they started winning 90% of their games when only playing a single quarter of really good offense and defending down the stretch. The Wolves series wasn't a wake up call. They screwed around in every single one of those games and won in 5. The Rockets were not going to beat the Warriors by playing one quarter or even a half hard....... now they are learning the Jazz are playing hard and they will slap you if you don't respect them. The Rockets had zero respect for the Jazz going into yesterdays game.
It's Inconsistent Defense and Lack of Ball Movement. I know we are No1 in ISO but that doesn't mean it works all the time in the Playoffs when only a couple of guys can effectively ISO on this team. Some of those guys just dun have good enough handles and are heavily reliant on PG harden and CP.
Look, none of this crap will matter if we win the chip, but yeah, the lack of effort at times is just disappointing. I mean, WTF are they doing on defense? Ingles isn't quick and has a slow release on his shot, yet we give him open look after open look and he nearly scores as many points as Harden. Just shameful. I'm sure it probably won't happen again but it's a reflection of the character of all the players on this team that we continue to be so lackadaisical and unfocused. Leaving open shooters and not being able to nail an open shot tells me there's an issue of concentration. Guys just have trouble staying locked in every game and it's frustrating as hell.
I'm still waiting for the 1st complete game of the post season. Seen a few good quarters .. need 48 minutes each night .
Lol at you quoting the the cumulative record like that means anything in the playoffs. We are tied 1-1 with an inferior team because our coach admitted that the team didnt take the opponents seriously. If you think that's not an indictment of the leadership of this team then you are delusional.
oh it doesn't mean anything? are the rockets still playing in the playoffs? is the series over? have the rockets been winning more times than not? it doesn't mean they won the 1st round in 5 games? whats lol worthy is all the whining and crying you're doing. add another one to the list
It was frustrating seeing Gerald Green pull up for three 5 seconds into a possession, Ryan hesitant to shoot, EG forcing up shots instead of creating contact. I know those aren't the main reasons we lost but its stuff like that just gives the other team an advantage
They walk the ball up the court and play at a slower than needed pace. They don’t get any fast breaks. This is completel onndantoni . He knows we need to play faster but won’t do anything about it.
I wasn't aware that the wins from the first round carry over to the second. Silly me. I guess the Pelicans shouldnt be too worried about being down 2-0 by your logic then because they are still 4-2 overall, right? I have a funny feeling you can't quite grasp the meaning of "cumulative" or what that means in relation to the playoffs. It's ok bud, you'll get there one day. Keep trying!
