ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Pistons 11/10/2024

I would like Jabari Smith to hit his corner threes with some consistency.

 

What an ugly game. But at least it's a W!

But damn that was some ugly ass basketball...

 

Watching the highlights, loved watching Sengun snatch those two crucial offensive rebounds at the end. He bullied first Harris and then Stewart, two 6-8 forwards, to get them.

 

More like 6-10th seed with 11th seed a game behind. Let's wait with judgment as it is still early, but the offense Ime is running is very far from excellent

 

Watching the replay. These refs are assholes

 

I am convinced you cannot start Tari without Amen. FVV and Tari are not compatible because FVV plays too slow and only goes fast when he goes for his own shot. Also energy wise, Tari needs Amen.

 

Trade for Ausar Thompson.

 

Dana Brown is the Astros GM.
Juan Soto could happen since Jim Crane and Scott Boras are in Talks with Alex Bergman.

 

Did you like the clean block Cade did on Sengun?

 

I love this team and having more Tari and Amen has been amazing. Im cautiously optimistic, still concerned about our offense and about our play against contenders. Last game a couple of guys said Knicks and Mavs should count, fair point. But OKC and GSW games can also count as warning signs.

Love the commitment to defense on this team.

 

If anything, our lack of shooting thus far gives me even more hope. I think we’re in a slump as opposed to an average, and we’re still winning.

 

hopefully, you're correct. Because 20% from threes is sickening.

 

Man Tari has been amazing since he came back from injury..we are so packed with talent, other teams are just drooling

 

we are on a slump but we’ll have e slumps more often than other teams probably

 

For the vibes.

 

Wins are fun, but this game was a chore to watch

• Rockets offensive gameplan:
  • Sengun 1:1
  • Let FVV do whatever he wants
  • Hope Jalen can get past his defender from a standstill

• Jabari's getting some of the most open shots on the team and still can't convert. He already shoots a flat arc, but it was looking really flat yesterday. Had some pretty bad misses leaving it short with no chance of going in. He's shown improvement in his game except for the one thing he's supposed to be great at. It's only been 10 games, but its looking rough.
  
  
• A lot of Reed's on-ball possessions lead to nothing. I'm sure a decent part of it is due to the offensive system (or lack thereof), but he's also getting bothered by defenders too easily. They get in his space and he'll frequently pick up his dribble or pass it off. I think expectations were too high as far his immediate impact, but he flashes an understanding of doing the little things that contribute to winning.
  
  
• Tari Eason is very good at basketball. They don't win this game without him. He and Amen locked up and frustrated Cade in the second half. Most consistent shooter on the team right now? If it weren't for Amen, he'd be the best defender. He's really excelling in his current role, and has improved on all his weaknesses in a relatively short amount of time, which leads me to wonder if there might be more to his game.
  
  
• Not the most flashy game for Amen but his defense always shows up. Was getting clobbered at the rim and the refs weren't calling it. Always a get a kick out of that diagonal jump from the baseline for a dunk/layup that he consistently does. Currently a 77% free throw shooter. I figured the 3 ball would be a multi-year, low success rate experiment, but if he keeps that FT percentage up, it starts looking a little more realistic.
  
  
• Jock is not that bad. For a 3rd center, maybe even above average! But I still get really annoyed watching him play. Idk why.

Rockets can get away with smothering less talented teams with defense, but when it comes to contenders that turn things into a shootout, or even mediocre teams that get hot, thats when things get ugly. Hopefully some of that is remedied by players like FVV and Jabari breaking out of their shooting slumps, but what i'm seeing offensively is concerning.

 

The core is 22 years old, we improved 20 games last season and were 29th ranked in offense before Ime.

This isn't like a Harden team with all vets, there will be growing pains and incremental improvement each season. Our offensive growth season to season is excellent. Fans just get impatient and expect title contending offense right away, it doesn't work like that typically.

But yes, I agree we can wait until the end of the season to see where we land.

 

Good write up.

On Reed, I don't think he's getting what he wants. He wants either an open three or a way to exploit aggressive defenders. Even if he gets a screen to get around an aggressive defender, the paint is clogged. I don't think he's going to force things. I don't think he's going to be a guy you want with the ball with 3 seconds left.

On Jock, he was bad to start the season, but has looked better (defensively mostly) in the recent games. Up through the GS game, it was not nice offensively or defensively.

 

Let's Go start a winning streak against the Wizards tonight! Reed Sheppard hits multiple 3's. We see how the offense runs without Fred. Tari gets 30+ minutes for once.