1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

What we have to do to have a chance to defeat the Warriors

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by basketballholic, May 11, 2018.

Page 1 of 4
  1. basketballholic

    basketballholic Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2013
    Messages:
    17,516
    Likes Received:
    4,171
    1. Be very focused.
    2. Come out of the gate with lots of energy.
    3. Hit our three-point shots.
    4. Play really hard
    5. Control the boards.
    6. Don't let Anderson play unless he's hitting shots.
    7. Keep our turnovers down.
    8. Don't lose any home games.
    9. Outscore them.
    10. Play super hard in crunch time.

    Ha. Did I get all of them? Probably not.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    On a more serious note, just a few insights:

    For us to have a chance we:

    1. Need the luck of good health. We cannot afford to lose anybody in the primary rotation due to injury. This means Paul needs to have healthy knees, Gordon's back to hold up, Luc's shoulder to be good, Harden not to be sick or concussed, and nobody to go down with any movement-limiting injury.

    There is simply no margin for health issues in this series. Just one will likely doom us.

    2. Exploit CP3 vs. Steph matchup early and often throughout the game/series. We need to iso and post up CP3 on Steph constantly. Because.....CP3 is the better player. And he'll be able to then wear Steph down on both ends of the court.

    3. When the Warriors go to death lineup, we've got to counter with a matchup that forces Draymond to have to defend a perimeter shooter and leave the paint. We cannot stand around playing pick-and-roll with Draymond in the paint. We cannot iso him up against the ball. Both of those are losing recipes. Gotta force him to defend a great spot-up shooter that will burn him when he leaves to help. And that spot-up shooter cannot be Ryan Anderson because Anderson gives it all back and then some defensively. It's gotta be somebody else that'll catch and fire automatically. Gordon, Green, Harden. For us to have a chance this series we gotta make Draymond as stationary as possible on the defensive perimeter.

    3. We'e going to have to run pick-and-pop with Harden a lot more than we did in the regular season versus pick-and-roll. Running pick-and-roll against the Warriors is playing into their hands. They're the best PnR defensive team in the Association.

    4. Stay out of early foul trouble and delay getting into the bonus as long as possible. I know this one almost fits into the first list. But it's too important. We have to play somewhat tentative defensively early in the quarters. So we can be super aggressive defensively late in the game.

    5. Need to get a great defensive performance out of one of Capela, PJ, or Luc defending Green. Somebody has to defend Green in the post without fouling excessively and/or giving him the store in the paint by scoring which then necessitates defensive help, which then leaves a shooter wide open. Somebody has to handle Draymond defensively without help. If Draymond either scores in the teens on efficient possessions OR gets his assists above 5 a game against us, we're probably going to lose the series. We have to find a way to make him inefficient offensively, get him outside and live with the results out there. Letting him get what he wants inside is a recipe for losing.

    6. Force KT to put the ball on the deck as soon as he catches it. We need to allow the catch. Every second he has the ball is less time that Steph and KD have it. And that's a good thing. Let him catch it. Close out hard on him as soon as the pass is headed his way and turn him into a dribble driver. Live with those results.

    7. Do not allow Steph and KD to walk/run the ball up right into a three-point pull-up jump shot. That means we gotta meet them at half court, apply defensive pressure, force them to throw it over the top and scramble around. The worst defensive play is when an opponent allows them to slowly walk the ball up unguarded and launch basically a set shot from 28. Those are like bunnies for those guys. Have to turn them to their left and if they're gonna launch at least force them off balance and fading to their left with their shooting hand exposed to the defender.

    +++++++++++++++

    These are just a few fundamentals thoughts. No great revelations. But key things that we have to do to have a chance to win this series.
     
    #1 basketballholic, May 11, 2018
    Last edited: May 13, 2018
    hou$tonScrew$tonTX, Beardaholic13, hakeem94 and 9 others like this.
  2. Daddy Long Legs

    Daddy Long Legs H- Town Harden

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2016
    Messages:
    10,984
    Likes Received:
    13,588
    Capela is the key
     
    #2 Daddy Long Legs, May 11, 2018
    Os Trigonum, Rudyc281, BigMaloe and 1 other person like this.
  3. bulkatron

    bulkatron Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2014
    Messages:
    3,425
    Likes Received:
    2,110
    I thought Carmelo was the key
     
    #3 bulkatron, May 11, 2018
    J Sizzle likes this.
  4. chinesemamba

    chinesemamba Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2018
    Messages:
    248
    Likes Received:
    346
    I thought his name was Brickmelo
     
    #4 chinesemamba, May 11, 2018
    hakeem94 and bulkatron like this.
  5. heypartner

    heypartner Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 1999
    Messages:
    63,510
    Likes Received:
    59,002
    Yes, we must make Curry play defense. Note that aside from making him defend PnR and bigs if they switch, and Paul in ISO, he is going to be chasing Gordon a lot, since we stagger Paul and Hardens minutes so much. Gordon relieves Paul at six minute mark in both 1st and 3rd, either Curry sits with Paul or he's chasing a fresh Gordon.

    And we also have plays to ISO Curry on Harden. If they switch everything on the perimeter, we can force a Curry switch onto Harden anytime we want, as we saw in the regular season.

    I don't get this at all. Green is not a low post player; he a perimeter passer in 5-out motion.

    And if we can get GSW to use him as a goto scorer or clogging the lane asking for passes in the low post, we have won the series.

    I am so confident that GSW will not adjust their offense to use Green in the low post (and it will be to our advantage if they do), that I will test Anderson more in this series if we are having trouble getting Green out of the paint on defense.
     
    #5 heypartner, May 11, 2018
    Beardaholic13, hakeem94, Deuce and 3 others like this.
  6. MystikArkitect

    MystikArkitect Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2006
    Messages:
    14,208
    Likes Received:
    23,115
    Constants:

    Durant, Curry, Harden, CP, Capela, Draymond

    Wildcards:

    EG, Swaggy, Klay, West, Ryno, Iguodala

    I’d put it simply: if EG can match Klay, this series won’t be a problem. Klay isn’t immune to slumps. I hear Warrior fans complain about him all the time. He’s due for a stinker series and this will be the first time they need him to be consistently great for them to win. If he’s not they’ll lose.
     
    #6 MystikArkitect, May 11, 2018
    DavidRocket likes this.
  7. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 1999
    Messages:
    37,270
    Likes Received:
    13,733
    Fixed (in bold).

     
    #7 Ziggy, May 11, 2018
    Os Trigonum and topfive like this.
  8. Soneca

    Soneca Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Messages:
    377
    Likes Received:
    861
    Gerald Green will be key, hurts to type that. He must allow us to not go 9 deep. Anderson and Nene cannot see the floor, we must switch every pick without leaving Nene or Anderson against their shooters. For that to be possible, Green has got to be a focused on D as he's never been is his career. He'll have to keep it togheter on D for 15 min a game.

    Not one thing will lose or win the series for us, but not having Anderson on the floor will be a necessity.
     
    #8 Soneca, May 11, 2018
  9. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    99,387
    Likes Received:
    49,098
    All theory and I doubt they can learn it by heart.

    It all depends on how well the Worriers move off the ball and they move off the ball the best against other teams.....so yeah.
     
    #9 daywalker02, May 11, 2018
  10. JMAD21

    JMAD21 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    4,288
    Likes Received:
    870
    This is probably an unpopular belief, but I don't think we win unless Anderson plays, and plays well.
     
    #10 JMAD21, May 11, 2018
  11. Daddy Long Legs

    Daddy Long Legs H- Town Harden

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2016
    Messages:
    10,984
    Likes Received:
    13,588
    Gerald green vs nick young.

    Each one of those guys can check in and win the game for their team or check in and blow the game for their team.
     
    #11 Daddy Long Legs, May 11, 2018
  12. pharmplayer

    pharmplayer Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2009
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    182
     
    #12 pharmplayer, May 11, 2018
  13. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    99,387
    Likes Received:
    49,098
    I think 3 games of out 4 potential wins, they got to have premium luck.....the shots have to go in, charges have to be taken, no real foul troubles, no unnecessary ejections and altercations with the so called Donkey, passes have to be crisp and ISO moves have to be made well.

    Also 80% of hustle plays have to be won, protect defensive boards as usual......block parties.

    Tucker, Ariza, Prince Luc, Green and potentially Rhino got to have exceptional games on Offense and good games on Defense.

    This is tough while hoping GSW has a couple of dud games.
     
    #13 daywalker02, May 11, 2018
    Last edited: May 11, 2018
  14. pharmplayer

    pharmplayer Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2009
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    182
    As long as #8 above holds, all else can go wrong.

    Dont lose any home games and we WILL BEAT THEM. GUARANTEED!
     
    #14 pharmplayer, May 11, 2018
    Rockets4Life13 likes this.
  15. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2001
    Messages:
    45,954
    Likes Received:
    28,047
    He has to be a net positive considering he's a defensive liability with injury problems.

    Yeah...if him and ego can join the flow of the offense, we'd be in prime regular season mode.
     
    #15 Invisible Fan, May 11, 2018
  16. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2000
    Messages:
    27,762
    Likes Received:
    22,752
    Joe Chee!

    we're going to have to live with donkey getting open 3's and hope she shoots under 30%. same goes for iggy.
     
    #16 pippendagimp, May 11, 2018
  17. mike2k132

    mike2k132 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2009
    Messages:
    4,060
    Likes Received:
    3,551
    Honestly I think if we wanna make them earn every inch n give us the best chance to win, u guys aren't gonna like this but limit clints mins. Honestly cp3 harden ariza luc n Tucker is what I would roll with. Every player would have to be accounted for
     
    #17 mike2k132, May 11, 2018
  18. Newlin

    Newlin Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2015
    Messages:
    8,809
    Likes Received:
    11,197
    This will do it every time. No need to overthink things.
     
    #18 Newlin, May 11, 2018
    BowlingBaller likes this.
  19. basketballholic

    basketballholic Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2013
    Messages:
    17,516
    Likes Received:
    4,171
    Green is a playmaker. And he makes must of his plays going to the basket and in the paint. You can say it isn't classic low post play. Because it isn't. He so good in the low blocks that defenses collapse on him before it turns into a true post-up, which opens up everything else.
     
    #19 basketballholic, May 11, 2018
  20. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    26,927
    Likes Received:
    30,539
    I disagree, I could see D'Antoni playing Anderson at the 4 and Tucker at the 5 when Capela and Donkey Green aren't on the court, if he's feeling crazy. (Albeit for a short amount of time if Ryno is refusing to shoot the ball.) Anderson isn't any kind of a defender but he can rebound when he's motivated.

    This series is going to be about all-firepower, all the time.
     
    #20 napalm06, May 11, 2018
    BigMaloe and Soneca like this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 4

Share This Page

Style
ClutchFans Dark

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Rockets Content

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now