ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 10/31/2024

Ime implicitly trusts FVV's veteran perimeter D and on-ball leadership. Players love to play for him because he has these relationships. But I think Fred's current funk—epitomized by his 0-9 from 3-point range against the Mavs—suggests that signing RS has cast a shadow over Fred's shoulder and that he is having difficulty coping with it. Deep down, Fred knows RS is the one.

I must applaud Ime's tactics for trying to create teamwork—like playing FVV and RS in the backcourt together—so they aren't competing for minutes. But everyone knows RS is the heir apparent at the PG spot. Those limited possessions when they share the court are painful to watch. FVV initiates the offense. RS functions as the safety valve, the last possible person to touch the ball. Fred is looking at everyone else first. The player tracking numbers bear that out. RS had five touches in his five minutes on the court against the Mavs.

Maybe after we log another ten games, these dynamics will get better. Perhaps down the road, the Rockets will have a lead, not unlike in this last game, and RS will check in, and FVV will take a short rest. I'm envisioning a lineup like RS/Jalen/Amen/Eason and Adams, which should be fine defensively. Either Jalen or Amen can bring the ball upcourt.

In the meantime, let's get RS on that Matrix table and download as many things as possible.

 

Ime giving Jalen the keys and saying "take us home" late in the game was surreal.

 

I would like to see Ime use a John Stockton/Howard Eisley type of split with Fred and Reed. In other words, give Reed a nice chunk of first quarter minutes off the bench in place of Fred (not with Fred), and have Reed on the court about 22 minutes a game.

 

Reed: “I know kung fu.”
Adams: “Show me.”

Coach: “Dammit Steven, stop plugging him into the Neo thing?”

 

Klay 2 of 9 from 3.

 

yeah but its not like it was good efficiency though so DS still has merit with his point.

All this tells me is, we NEEEEED to be more efficient as a team. This cant be the norm and expect to go places.

 

Had a feeling it wouldn't be a wire to wire double digit win. Rarely will a team like Dallas go cold/get locked down for a whole game. You're gonna have to be able to trade buckets.

In a previous post I said Jalen wasn't a player you could consistently give the ball and clear it out.
Well last night was a huge step in that direction. A highlight reel response to every Mavs push. The flip shot and-1, and buzzer beater 3 to put them up by 6 had me out of my seat.

When was the last time to Rockets had both a perimeter and post go-to scorer? Yao and McGrady? Kevin Martin and Scola?

 

Stay Classy Dallas keep paying for Chandler Parsons.

 

https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/11/onoff#tab-team_efficiency

Who had Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green being the team's MVPs for the first couple of weeks to start the season and Fred being the LVP on their bingo cards?

Brooks is showing a trend of starting the season good. Doubt he sustains this level of play but if he does it might limit some of the minutes for the young dudes but at the same time increases his trade value. A trade before the deadline might be ideal because last season he fell off hard post ASB

 

Really looking forward to when Jalen starts playing good after the ASB this year...

 

up 19 in fourth q. and team is pulling off Sengun to play faster. why? this coach has a lot to learn. u slow the game down when u r up 19. what did brilliant Ime do? Speed team. and the lead went down to 3 in less than 10 minutes with jalen dillon fred amen etc.

 

Wasn't he injured post ASB?

 

Losing the big lead was expected.

But the big lead wasn't expected.

And the win definitely wasn't expected.

Rockets shooting efficiency is worrisome but they can at minimum rely on their defense assuming they are giving effort. Green might be getting a tad clutch.

 

He was unplayable at times because his defense & he's also been wildly inefficient, the main gripes you used against Jalen last year. So now Sengun's the inefficient chucker with low basketball IQ

 

Whatever you say, Richard.

 

We had like a 60+ game sample of Jalen being inefficient and bad on offense at one point last season. That's statistically pretty meaningful. 5 games means almost nothing. (I mean, it's part of the larger sample, but it's way too small to predict anything in most categories.)

 

The efficiency last year was because the pace was slow. We're playing how Ime wants to play and now Sengun's suffering. Why? Because the pace is faster. This is why we won 11 games & Jalen prospered.

 

Leadership, sure. Perimeter D.... ehhh. Better than RS at this point and more savvy? Sure. But he's often beaten off the dribble, as he isn't exactly quick.