Don't see it. Our front-court would get destroyed, our interior defense is atrocious and their passing/chemistry is on another level.
Imagine how bad we would have smoked golden state on opening night without soggy p's ridiculous output
People need to realize that without Ariza, Anderson and Tucker shooting a combined 3-15, the Rockets likely would have had a real chance to win that game, and we can't count on the Rockets starting forwards to shoot a combined 20% from the floor (you said field, but I have never seen a basketball game played on a field) much longer. I don't know if the Rockets are in the same class with the Warriors or not, no one really know unless they meet in the playoffs. However this idea that Green was hot was something special is false, the Rockets as a team did not shoot especially well. They shot 34% from 3 and under 60% from the free throw line.
The "problem" is KD amps them up so much more defensively. I'm not sure they need him at all offensively. And when I say not sure, I mean they don't. I think they've won 19 straight games with Curry but without KD, now. But KD's ability to focus on defense, where he ahs the length and athleticism to be disruptive, especially in today's small-ball, switch everything defense, makes them more than "close" away. That said, if you could turn Anderson into Draymond Green light even, then I'd concur with close. The best I've seen in that regard was an Anderson-Ibaka swap proposal. But not sure why the Raptors would do that, really, unless for whatever reason Ibaka isn't fitting in? He was suspended for 1 game for doing something against the team rules that Casey described as "beyond the line of what’s acceptable in culture", whatever that means. Some kind of altercation with a staffer. And it's not like Ibaka is what he once was anyway. But he can at least play defense, hit threes (at this point, basically at the same % as Ryno, albeit 2 less attempts a game). Probably not for this thread, but would Ibaka, Jonas, OG for Capela, Anderson, Tucker (filler to make salary work) be of interest to either team? Raptors are always "meh" on Jonas, and Clint is definitely better, but I wonder how much of that is just perfect fit for Clint. Plus Ibaka/OG > Anderson/Tucker (Tucker's been overlooked horrible of late)
True, though they only shoot 36.6% from three as a team as is, which basically means they would have made 1 more of their threes, helpful, but not difference maker. Haven't done the math, but I "suspect" that they shoot worse from three against better defenses, and at home (because of Ryno)... so all-in-all Green and the forwards shooting probably cancelled each other out and they were, offensively, about at their averages given the competition. Harden not hitting 80%+ of 10 free throws definitely impacted the FT %. Capela and Tarik were a combined 2-8. They scored 114 points. Problem was defense more than offense - especially that 2 minute-esque stretch early in the 4th where they gave up open layups, offensive rebounds and repeat shots (eg. Klay's 3). Defense aside, if the Rockets can hit 40% of threes in a series with the Warriors, sure, then they're more than close. But if I'm thinking about what's more likely in the future, be it one or multiple game in the regular season or playoffs, and its Gerald Green going crazy, or the Rockets group of Ariza, Anderson, Tucker, Luc having an off shooting night, its definitely the later.
Kenneth Faried. The Rockets need a high energy big that can match up when we wanna go small. He can run the court, he can rebound & finish about the rim. I believe he'll match up well with the Draymond type guys too
Expounding on this, in 26 regular season and playoff games since the 2013-14 season against the Warriors, the Rockets have shot over 37% from 3 against the Warriors 6 times. They've shot under 33% 17 times. The other 3 times were the games from 33% - 37%. Conversely, in those 26 total games, the Warriors have shot over 37% eleven times (9 over 40%), and under 33% seven times, and 33%-37% eight times. I'm being somewhat arbitrary, but just chose >37% as "really good", 33%-37% as solid/average and fine, and under 33% as "not good". Rockets 23% Really Good 12% Solid/Average 65% Not Good Warriors 42% Really Good 31% Solid/Average 27% Not Good Every year and team is different, and so far this year the Rockets have done better than normal against the Warriors in the three department. Last night was their 9th best shooting game from 3 against the Warriors in the last 4.5 years... It was also their 4th best (!!) game overall in terms of overall FG% against the Warriors in that time span. They were 25-39 from two (64%!!), the best they've done against the Warriors. So, yeah, kind it was a great shooting night for the Rockets relatively speaking against the Warriors. (FTs noted... 3rd worst FT% against the Warriors in that time span... though also 7th fewest FTs taken so not a huge impact). Their 114 points is their 5th highest against the Warriors in the last 4.5 years.
I love the Rockets, but I am willing to admit that the Warriors are on a different planet. When they turn up, there isn't a team in the NBA that can stay close. They play lock down defense and can drop 140 any night. The game was close until the 4th...And the Warriors said, lets take care of business... and win by 10. The issue stems from NO one having a meaningful way of guarding and scoring with them. NO one has solved the Warriors offensive game plan...Kerr has taken the secrets he learned from Greg Popovich and Phil Jackson and created an offense that has maximized their talents. But they became great because they have a emotional, intelligent GLUE guy that allows superstars to be better than they are individually...Draymond Green. Green alone is NEVER gonna lead a team to a title...but he has THE personality that demands excellence from his fellow teammates defensively. Durant is playing defense...Kevin Durant. Curry isn't as bad as he was early in his career...Klay Thompson is just fundamentally sound. Suddenly you have 3 elite offensive players, playing high level defense...And when the superstars play defense...so do the other scrubs on the team... Right now the Rockets have figured out HOW to score...but the part of winning is the ability to score at the right moments AND prevent your opponents from scoring. Till Harden gives his 100% on defense and till the Rockets can address a massive weakness at the PF spot they will not close this perceived gap... We think we are at the 2 yard line, but the truth is that we are MUCH farther away from the Warriors.
Absolutely, unequivocally false. On what planet is a guy who accounts for like 50% of a 55+ win team's total points LESS valuable than a guy who joins a 73 win team?? Harden is leaps and bounds more valuable to the Rockets than Durant is to the Warriors. Also, it was a 5 point game with 4 minutes left, after we had held multiple leads of 5 or more points throughout the game.....how is that not close to winning? We were missing 3 KEY rotation pieces, and still held our own. The gap is definitely closing.
Durant "he can't win with those cats" who left a WCF team to bandwagon with a 73 win team and ended up winning less?
I didn't say that the Rockets shot especially well. With Green, we shot basically our average for the season which is 36%. My point is that we have major deficiencies in the construction of our team when compared to the elite, especially with our depth and front court. We don't match up well with their bigs, and we don't seem like we can sustain injuries to any rotation player. Ryno and PJ have both regressed significantly in the last 10 or so games since the injuries started and have shot <30% from three. I don't think getting lucky by signing an unreasonably hot Gerald Green should give us a false sense of security. You are right in saying that we won't know how we match up until the playoffs, but I don't like our chances unless we're 100% healthy. The Warriors, on the other hand, can be competitive with more injuries. I said field because I was thinking field goal percentage. But yes, I have also not seen basketball played on a field.
if we're gonna talk about law of averages we shot threes almost 3 percentage points less than our season record and warriors shot threes more than 4 percentage points less than their season record if they add durant they have another elite scorer if we add harden we have another elite playmaker and elite scorer. that means more drives & kickouts plus cp3 becomes a bigger 3pt threat we're also missing LMM he can minimize KDs damage I'm not saying we'll beat them for sure but it's an uphill battle with our 20M stretch 4/spacer shooting 25% from the 3 for the past 10 games and not even defending/rebounding well
I don't think the two teams are "close." In fact, they are worlds apart talent-wise. As currently configured, GS likely sweeps the Rockets in a seven-game series. Like I wrote before, the GS bench is a playoff team. Draymond Green is a jerk, but he is a dominating presence that makes GS virtually unbeatable.
It's like you're forgetting we're missing our best overall player, and 2 key rotation pieces. Sweep?? Give me a break. If we have a healthy squad, WE have a damn solid bench just like they do. Outside of GS, I don't think there's another bench that even touches CP3, EG, LMAM, Green, Tucker, and Nene.
