MDA will be forced to play at least 9 players, even in the playoffs. Small ball requires players to spend a lot of energy on defense. It's defense by committee cause that's nobody back there to clean up someone's mistakes. I like it!
As long as he has the right players, cannot play just anyone. Tyson and Harty are rarely going to see court time now.
Westbrook is the reason, but he is also the answer. His ability to track loose balls is otherworldly. That is a major part of defense.
Notice how the typical "Rockets fans" aka Harden haters in here quietly slipped out once the Rockets locked in the win.
Is this the longest game thread we've had this season that's not 90% b****ing? A little positivity is good for the soul.
its funny because the TNT crew said at half time the rockets would tire out. this kind of reminded me of the clipper game. russ just kept on pushing the rock down their throat and they just couldn't keep up late. idk if we could play this style without him because james is not an energy guy. its so much easier to take advantage of the defense when they are trying to hustle back.
We are evolving to this style because of Westbrooks limitations, as well as strengths. He is not a 3P shooter, so we need to create wide open driving lanes to rim. That is why there are always 4 shooters around Russ on the arc at all times. Lob threat like Clint works with Harden/CP3 because they are dangerous 3P shooters and can draw out post defenders from.rim. Like Clutch succinctly said, we are witness to a new evolution of Rocketball. NBA will embrace too eventually after Rockets run the rest of League into the ground. Too much fun!!!
interesting kentavious caldwell-pope said after the game he didnt agree with the coaches decision to go small in the 2nd half. pretty much benched mcgee and howard. its pretty cool we made the #1 seed in the west adjust to US, and they still failed.
Christ..... the first half , Webber and Albert would not shut up about the rockets being small, we get it
It worked. Trading 3s for 2. It’s that simple. That supple. The Rockets won’t tire because they don’t need to defend. It’s a trade off. Cut and dry. But the flaw is the same flaw we’ve seen the last 3 years... When the defense gives us the 2, and guards the 3, we can’t buy in and we start taking contested 3s. Barkley was on point. This is how to beat us, frustrate us. So I don’t worry about the d, but I do worry about not being able to execute a 2 point strategy. How many times did we see Harden not take the floater last year when it was right there to be taken. Gifted. Wrapped up. But we always went back to the 3. My only concern was that we gifted them the post and still let them have wide open triples. It really should be one or the other.
