The problem with ACTUAL analysis is that it wouldn't fill a show and wouldn't be controversial in any way so wouldn't get ratings. Media analysis of Rockets last few year: they're chokers, GSW get hurt Rockets/Harden still can't finish, what about Iggy in response to CP3 hamstring, what about KD going down, etc. ACTUAL analysis: Steph, Klay, Dray is the trio. That trio won 73 games. With or without KD, that trio is better than Harden/CP3 and anyone. It's an all time all time dominant team. If Rockets don't win this year it won't be because of small ball, or Harden and Russ... it will be because of the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Jazz. Guys, the Clippers have Kawhi, PG, Lou, Harrell, PBev, Morris, Shamet, Reggie Jackson, Zubac and JaMychel Green. Green might be the worst of those 10 players, and I'd still rather have him then Jeff Green or Carroll, two buyout players the Rockets will add. And even with that Clippers team, they still might not be the best team in the West ... as of yet the Lakers seem better. It's not because of choking, small ball, something "not" working, or whatever... it's because they have more better players. This is almost ALWAYS the case. When it's not, there is usually some unforseen circumstance. Last year, the GSW were without KD AND Klay in the Finals. 3 years prior, Draymond got suspended and Bogut got injured. Etc. Even in cases where there isn't some random injury, if you dig deeper, there are "reasons". In the 2004 Finals, Pistons upset the Lakers. Turns out the Pistons were VERY VERY good and deep team. And the Lakers were having chemistry issues. Lakers had better top end talent, Pistons caught up with overall talent. As is, only something like 20% of playoff series are upsets. And since 1988 there have only been 7 series where the underdog was +500 or more. This was out of 459 playoff series through 2019. In other words, upsets are fairly rare, and big upsets are extremely rare. Oddsmakers will often be off on a couple of teams in terms of preseason predictions. There's always that team or two or three that is a good 5-10 games better or worse than they predict. But there's a reason most thought the Lakers and Clippers were top contenders in the preseason, and they are!
Reaching the finals is based on the following: 1. Keeping the offensive player in front of you (James/Russell) 2. Contesting the shot (James) 3. Boxing out (James/Russell) 4. Defensive Rebounding (James/EG) 5. Making wide open 3s (House, PJ, EG, Covington, etc...) 6. Getting to the rim and scoring (House, Covington, and EG) 7. Pushing the pace (James, EG, and Rivers)
I would rather have RoCo, Tucker or Demarre over JAM. Rockets will wipe the floor with Clips, just like they did the Celts. Quote me on this.
Truth. Mbah a Moute was huge for the Rockets in 2018. And he is the direct response to the "but...but...Iguodala" herring. That season Luc was for the Rockets everything Iggy was for the Warriors, until that recurring separated shoulder rendered him unplayable in the playoffs.
The comparison was based on the fact that JAM is the Clippers 10th best player. RoCo or Tucker are our 4 or 5th best player... IF EG is healthy and playing well... if not those guys are our 3rd/4th best players. So sure, one would REALLY hope you'd take those 2 over JAM.... and why their names weren't brought up. Rather it was JAM vs. Jeff Green or Demarre. I don't think its a huge gap... they are all kind of ho hum type players, but I'd rather have JAM... better rebounder.
I like Demarre over JAM, better defender. But base on pure talent, athleticism and size Green is better too. On any given night, Green can explode for a shyte ton of points. Neither JAM or Demarre can provide that.
You know... that's fair, and you may be right. I might be overvaluing the rebounding... I just still think the 5 out would work better defensively with a bigger stretch defender. But willing to be proven wrong, and you're right that both Green and Demarre have higher offensive output potential. Just not sure that's our main need anymore.
Bring him back! The center we've been waiting for. Just towel wave from the bench and occasionally go in for a flagrant foul
Here’s the thing. the lakers and the clippers are real threats they are really good. but their not the GS teams of the last 5 years. rockets were the only team To even win more then 1 game against them in the playoffs when they got KD. Lebron with kyrie got 1 game when they were hot from three. Lebron by himself with love I guess got swept (won big money on that lol) Forget the records right now that doesn’t even matter in the WC this year. we’re playing atleast one of the LA teams. We match up fine with both because nobody matches up with us. we’re playing a different brand of basketball then anyone. like I told my brother I think we’ll do well in the last 25 games possibly win 18-20 of them. but all I care about is figuring out rotations staying healthy and fresh and gaining the chemistry. We have the team now it’s final imo I don’t see anymore pickups coming. get the chemistry with the new guys get the rotations down and EG back in a bench role playing well. Insert Carroll who I think will return to his hawks days that got him paid which will keep tucker and Covington’s min down. and we’re good. thabo doesn’t have to play anymore which is good and maybe green gives us some athleticism and rim rolling from a smaller player maybe in a draymond green type roll way. I keep hearing we’re not deep from a lot of media but outside of the clippers. but we’re deep for how we want to play. our aggressive switching d is going to be a pain in the ass for every team. scoring is not a problem. Russ and James are damn near avg 70 ppg combined without Clint in the lineup and we’re 12-3 with only a few games with Covington and no games with Carroll. rockets went all in and tried something different and perk is right we can be in the finals. The other way with Clint would have been the same as years past. Competitive in every game but end up losing in the 2nd or 3rd round. this team is weird but in a good way we have above avg shooters everywhere besides Russ it’s crazy and they all can switch and D up bigs because bigs don’t post anymore. It’s actually a very smart strategy by the rockets and I give Morey MDA and Tillman credit for doing it.
Most get that the Rockets were the No 1 Underdog in history even. Thing is why haven't we been able to build a perennial favorite?
If GS didn’t have KD those three years I’m sure the rockets have 1 ring prob no more than that but I think they get 1. and I think we have been seen as contenders for a while just never the favorite. And a lot of that has to do with GS being possibly the best team ever and then the media loge for lebron. look at Giannis? The nba media says he’s the mvp their going to win 60+ game for the second year in a row and it’s still “the title runs thru LA” Media is all about Cali it seems in sports nowadays. I lived in Cali for a long time and I loved it at first but as I got older, that place sucks and I don’t say that because I think Houston is the best place ever. (I do think it’s a very good place to live tho) a lot of my family is from NY and that’s were I would personally want to live but I have a child and family here also. but the rockets have and will always be my team even when I do decide to move one day that won’t change I was born in houston and I’ll always love this place. but F Cali a lot of those ppl live in a bubble from their.
More from Perk on 610: https://spacecityscoop.com/2020/02/20/houston-rockets-kendrick-perkins-takeaways/ “I think adding Jeff Green gives PJ Tucker a chance to not play so many minutes. Green is going to come in and play right away [because] he brings length and athleticism. Jeff Green is 6’9 so he brings the athleticism and he’s capable of knocking down the three, so when you want to stay small you can sub him in for Covington or PJ Tucker. So he’s going to play right away.” “Carroll is an insurance policy, in my opinion. You’ve got guys that are already playing pretty good in House, Eric Gordon and Rivers, [not to mention] Thabo Sefolosha [who] has been playing great for them ever since they went small. Carroll is an insurance policy in case someone gets hurt or if someone is just struggling and [you’re forced] to go to the next man up. “
Cont'd “Well it’s the same thing, you just have different scorers. You had Steph, Klay and KD and now you’ve got Russ and James. And Russ is probably the most athletic point guard in NBA history. And then you have James Harden, who is averaging 36 points per game. It’s right there with Golden State. The only concern I have is whether PJ Tucker and Robert Covington can anchor a defense like Draymond Green could. Because what alot of people don’t understand is that Draymond Green played the five in college so him transitioning to an undersized five in the league wasn’t new to him. “I’ve been more impressed by the Rockets defense. Ever since [they got rid of their] center, their perimeter defense has gone up a notch. And I love Robert Covington and PJ Tucker..” “What the Rockets are doing with this small ball [strategy] is they’re saying ‘try and stop Russell Westbrook in the paint.’ In his last 11 games, Westbrook has 270 points in the paint. The last person to do that is Shaquille O’Neal….no one stops him from getting to the paint. And I like it. It’s fun to watch and people really can’t guard [him]. They really can’t stop [him].”
On Giannis beef with Harden “I saw those comments and nobody scored on James so that [strategy] didn’t work. They tried to pick on James but nobody scored on him. Everytime he got the switch, he manned up and got a stop. But Giannis has been lashing out at James. That’s the second slug he’s shot at James in the past week. The first time he said he didn’t pick James because he wanted somebody to pass him the ball. I’m like wow, you’re steady shooting slugs James’ way huh? I wonder if they’ve got some type of inside beef going on that we don’t know about.” On MDA extension “They’ve got to make it to the Finals. They don’t have to win it but they’ve got to make it to the Finals. The Western Conference Finals isn’t good enough. [They] have the most dynamic backcourt duo in NBA history. I’ll sit and wait if you can name a better duo than James Harden and Russell Westbrook that started in the backcourt together in their prime. You can’t name one. So now D’Antoni has to make it to the Finals. He doesn’t have to win the championship but he has to make it to the Finals.” “I’ve been very critical of Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey for the small ball when they had a center, but I’m telling you I’m becoming a fan of this. Since they traded Capela, [I’ve been] watching what they’re doing, and I’m a fan of this. This is dangerous. What they’re doing right now is they’re saying ‘stop James Harden’, who is the best [isolation] scorer in the league, and ‘we’re going to space the floor, surround him with shooters and have another former MVP in his prime out there.’ I love what the Rockets are doing because they’re saying ‘we believe in this, we’re going all in, and try and stop these two killers we’ve got over here. These fashion kings over here.'”
Rockets Title Chance “I’m telling you I’m not counting this Rockets team out. And I would not be surprised if they happen to be in the Finals because they are really doing something different and I just don’t see how a team can adjust to that. If they are hot and they reach their ceiling, its going to be a problem.”
If he's better than Gordon, that means we now have one of the worst contracts in the league, or one of the best.
