ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Pacers 12/23/2021

They didn't drink carrot juice

 

wood is such a weak player. Teams know this and attack him. His perimeter defense is terrible as he always moves a step or two back of where he needs to be against a player outside the 3 pt line. When he raises his hand it’s too late at that point to affect any shot.

 

How did they lose this one? It started with the final shot in the 3rd qtr, Iso for Dj of all people. Then for the 2nd night in a row, Pacers zoned and it's like HOu had never played basketball before. Kept passing the ball around the perimeter while Sengun was being unguarded. Finally Turner happened.

What were Wood and Green arguing about? I was only able to lip read part of it.
Green : "why tho'"
Wood: " He fouled me."

Nice game for Green. 5 more points and he'd have as many points as Evan Thabeet's last 2 starts.

 

We just don’t have enough shooters

 

First I'm thinking, it's the second night of a back to back on a road trip, the guys are tired and not on top of their game, it's ok to lose. But then I see our rookie come back from injury scorching hot and neither the coaches nor the players make any effort whatsoever to get him the ball in the moments our offense is stagnant. This is frustrating, hopefully at the deadline We'll shed the me-first vets and have some semblance of team play, because this is getting very annoying to watch, regardless of the score.

 

Wasn't' just Theis...

You had Tate, Theis and Wood all on the court together...

That's three defenders who are going to be either in the paint or Sagging off their man...

Not to mention KPJ and Green weren't exactly 3pt snipers either.

None of those guys are good floor generals or really great passers either.

Plus KPJ was turning the ball over like he didn't want it.

Plus you had House getting a bunch of minutes...No brooks in the lineup...KJ wasn't playing...Matthews wasn't here...

Those early season lineups were a mess.

People trying to pin it all on rookie Jalen Green less than a quarter into the season either had an Agenda or don't know what they are looking at.

 

What’s happened to our “Gary Bird”? Got his contract and disappeared on us. He should no longer be starting. Come off the bench and try to hit some 3s and be a spark. That’s probably his future role anyway.

 

that will only work if that bigger guy can shoot 3’s or Sengun learns to. Otherwise we are right back to the clogged lanes. As much as I love Sengun, he needs to either be able to get respect from the outside or learn to rebound and man the middle defensively. He can’t play the perimeter on defense and the middle on offense unless you find a perfectly complementary big man to pair with him … and other than maybe Mehmet Okur, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone like that.

 

I get the ball movement, and I dont mean just this specifically but it feels like teams find open looks against our D on the perimeter constantly & even tho we switch to zone at times, the rotations and help seem to come late almost all the time, compound that with poor rim protection & I think that's a recipe for disaster on the defensive end, it feels like we give up 120 pts a night on the regular

 

Slowed us down, Silas?

 

Problem with Sengoon is shooting overall, he is even bricking the midrange now.

You have to get something going here other than hook shoots and fakes.

Steal CWood's skillset for a change.

 

Wood is such a sorry player.

 

More like "Kelvin" Bird!
Although I'm not sure who plays the "fat Shawn Kemp" role.

 

"Well, aside from that..."

 

Is it just me, or does it seem like Jalen's release point on his shot is higher now?

Seeing more Eye-Forehead level release points and less around the nose-mouth.

 

I mean, Sengun's shown plenty of flashes of being an outside shooter. I think he projects as a playmaking stretch 4 based on his current game. If he was going to be a 5 and be anything more than a role player he'd have to get a lot stronger and a LOT better at rebounding. I think it's far more plausible that Sengun develops a good outside game and we can get a paint protecting 5 than Sengun becomes the paint protecting 5 and we get a stretch 4 elsewhere.

 

Yeah the constant breakdown of our man defense is an absolute joke, which causes the help to come early leaving open shooters at the perimeter, and teams with big, physical centers absolutely feast against us in the paint & rebounding -> M. Robinson, M. Turner, Mcgee, Valciunas to name a few. Part of it is Wood is too weak to defend the rim against them & Sengun is either not in proper position or fouls usually

 

Gary Bird really fleeced Fertita for $8mil... Good job my man!

 

I hate to be the "I told ya so guy" but its needed in this forum because of some of the reckless talk surrounding Green when he was gone. It was never his fault he needed more spacing and it was Theis like I said the entire time.