ClutchFans Game Thread: Clippers @ Rockets 10/26/2018

"YOU THINK!" -CLYDE DREXLER

 

No he wasn't, u must not have watched many Rockets games last year.

 

Nope, Melo is the mvp, for the opponents tho.

When Melo is not on the court, our defense is much more solid.

 

LOL! Knew exactly who y'all were talking about before scrolling back to see. Haha, I can just picture EG with that look on his face throwing out his hands.

 

Except its not true, he was an excellent finisher last year, holy moly.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sp...s-Takeaways-from-Rockets-loss-to-13341153.php

1. Time for switch on defense

The Rockets did not want to change the way they defend. They believe in the switching style. It is the right defense to play in the current NBA. It is the right defense to face the Warriors.

It just had not worked with the current roster. Not at all.

That was always going to be a possibility if Carmelo Anthony had to play large minutes and he played nearly 39 on Wednesday in excess of 34 on Friday. But it has not worked for Michael Carter-Williams and has not be right for James Ennis III.

Teams have effectively picked out poor defenders by setting screens, getting switches and torching them. Anthony on the perimeter and Carter-Williams and Gerald Green at the rim have struggled. Anthony has made plays inside. Carter-Williams and Ennis, when he returns from his hamstring injury, can be effective on the ball. The Rockets can make the roster they have work.

Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni, however, had to acknowledge after the game that the style and philosophy that was so right last season is wrong this season.

The Rockets were right to try that defense, given the league's move emphasis 3-point shooting. By switching, they kept defenders on shooters and the one part of the Rockets defense that has been good has been their 3-point defense, allowing the third fewest 3s per game and the eighth-worst 3-point shooting percentage for opponents, even after the Clippers lit them up on Friday.

The Rockets, however, allow the second-most points in the paint in the NBA mostly because they have been turnstiles when switching.

When they beat the Lakers, however, a key to the win was having their best defensive asset assigned to one player and dialing back on the switching. P.J. Tucker generally stayed on LeBron James and held him in check, contributing in many ways to James' 1 of 7 shooting in the fourth quarter and the Rockets' lone win.

The Rockets were not about to ask slender guards to stay in front of that freight train, so as much as possible, they had Tucker do it. Against the Clippers on Friday, they even had Tucker pick up guard Lou Williams to try to slow him. They discovered, however, that Tucker cannot defend everyone.

At this point, they will have to move to a more traditional defensive approach, sticking with matchups, showing on screens, relying on their other strengths, as the Thunder did with Anthony against the Rockets last season after the Rockets had effectively targeted him on switches earlier in the season.

That might not be ideal for facing the Warriors, but the Rockets are a long, long way from worrying about that. For now, they are turning ordinary offensive teams into the Warriors, and that has to be repaired first.

That will have to begin with changing their defense to suit the players that are playing more than those they are replacing. It will still have to include switching. That will be especially true when Harden comes back, given he defends well in the low post. Late in the shot clock especially, the Rockets will want to keep defenders on shooters. But they can only give up so many layups before changes have to be made. It's time.

2. Finding range on offense

Little will be said about the Rockets' offense, given the issues defensively, but it has not been nearly effective enough to keep up with the scoring that has been allowed.

That could be viewed as a good thing. The Rockets are 1-4, but at least one issue is certain to be fixed.

The Rockets will score. Even in the blowout loss to the Clippers, they put up 113 points, though that did include 30 in the final nine minutes after the Clippers' lead reached 24. Still, they can be certain that offensively, they will get going.

For now, it's another problem. The Rockets did not have Chris Paul for two games and when he returned on Friday, he made just 3 of 13 shots. Eric Gordon, who has started the three games without either Paul or James Harden, went 3 of 14 and has made just 32.5 percent of his shots this season, just 23.1 percent of his 3s. Playing three of the five games without either Paul or Harden had made Gordon's shooting crucial and he has struggled badly.

The Rockets were the top-ranked offensive team in the NBA until the final day of last season. They are 21st through five games this season. Their defensive issues impact the offense, but the struggles are not all because of the failings on the defensive end. And it is not because of the addition of Carmelo Anthony or departures of Luc Mbah a Moute and Trevor Ariza. That was the preseason narrative and the easy explanation for the bad start, but that's not the problem on the offensive end.

The 6-of-27 shooting they got from their Harden-less starting backcourt on Friday is an aberration. In many ways, it is a credit to the defense played by the Clippers, with Avery Bradley particularly strong on the ball. But the Rockets also missed wide-open shots and another bunch of layups.

They can expect far better than that without changing much of anything, which these days, passes for a reason for optimism.

3. Carmelo getting comfortable

Carmelo Anthony got his first start with the Rockets and after all the talk about whether he should start or come off the bench, his place in the rotation suddenly seemed irrelevant.

Maybe it always was, at least while the Rockets were shorthanded. He had played nearly 39 minutes off the bench on Wednesday so being on the court for those first few minutes was not going to lead to more playing time.

Anthony, however, did start well on Friday. He scored 11 points in the first quarter when the Rockets stayed within one. He gave them scoring with James Harden out that they had to have.

He also cooled off considerably, scoring just six points in the second and third quarters combined. But on this team, Anthony should not have to put up 11 points per quarter or anything like that.

Even if he goes back to coming off the bench when Harden and James Ennis return, a change that for now seems unlikely, Anthony seems increasingly comfortable in the Rockets offense and with the shots he can get. Those skills remain, though there never should have been any doubt about that. A few games carrying an extra load with one of the top scorers out could serve him well when Harden and Chris Paul are once again playing together.

In the meantime, the Rockets need anything he can provide to the point, no one will ask in the next few days if he is starting.​

 

Players just haven't bought in to the defense, we obviously know it works when executed well. Some adjustments should be made to hide Melo better, but no reason why they can't continue what worked last year when he isn't on the floor.

Coaching staff is totally clueless here. It's gonna be a long season.

 

How was Gary Clark doing?

 

What's disturbing is how badly they lost. If they lost close games without 2 starters then you can say we're fine, but this is concerning.

Still, 2 starters out plus 2 potential bench contributors also hurt.

 

anyone? how he did vs clippers last night?

 

its not disturbing that they lost , or how badly they lost, what is disturbing is that you are disturbed by it

 

Exactly man. I don't get why people were surprised with our defense being bad at first. If just one player doesn't do his part in the switching then the whole system is screwed.

 

Haha, but he did have that look like someone who needs to go to the bathroom really bad, and was squeezing his cheeks to hold it when he threw his arms out, frowning at the ref. Just watch this year and you will laugh.

EG, if you are reading this please forgive me for putting it that way, but I couldn't describe that look any better.

 

Hahaha, damnit, you are funny.

I'll say this do you ever laugh whenever he screams for a foul? His voice is hilarious.

 

LOL! Honestly I never even noticed the voice. I think I've always been too focused on that face he makes.

 

That was a team that quit. Against Utah they fought and had not harden got injured we could have won but last night they just quit

 

He has nothing to be happy about, get coaching again, Coach!

 

They should not .

Hartenstein is just plain better than either .