ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Thunder 12/14/2024 (Vegas)

Amen should start over Jalen. Also I cant express how disappointed I am in Sengun. No Chet and this is how you play?

 

It’s been obvious for weeks that Amen should be starting and guarding the opposing team’s best player from the get go. Can somebody explain to me how FVV gets 40 minutes while Shooting 1-11 from 3 and Amen plays 30m and that is one of the higher minute games for him. Ime needs to be called out more than the players at this point.

 

TS% starting backcourts (for the most part)
Brunson: 61.9 | Hart: 69.9 (Bridges: 56.3)
Garland: 61.8 | Mitchell: 57.7
Holiday: 56.5 | White: 62.2
Tyus: 61.3 | Booker: 58.2
Luka: 56.5 | Kyrie: 62.5
Schroder: 58.8 | Cam Thomas: 60.6
Fox: 57.7 | Monk: 58.2 (Huerter: 54.4)
Ja: 57.8 | Bane: 54.7
Harden: 55.4 | Powell: 63.8
Murray: 53.1 | Braun: 65.4
Rozier: 52.7 | Herro: 63.9
Conley: 52.2 | Edwards: 59.1
Haliburton: 56.5 | Mathurin: 59.4
SGA: 62.6 | Wallace: 50.3
Lillard: 62.6 | Andre Jackson Jr.: 50.3
Curry: 62.1 | Podziemski: 46.2
Paul: 59.1 | Castle: 49.2
Ball: 56.4 | Josh Green: 55.2
Barnes: 55.3 | Dick: 55.4 (Agbaji: 63.7)
Suggs: 55.0 | KCP: 53.6
Cade: 54.6 | Ivey: 54.2
George: 53.2 | Sexton: 60.2
Giddey: 53.2 | White: 57.7
Simons: 53.8 | Sharpe: 54.0
Maxey: 52.2 | Oubre: 53.2 (McCain: 58.9)
Young: 53.6 | Daniels: 50.7
VanVleet: 50.4 | Green: 52.9 (before tonight’s stinker)
Carrington: 49.0 | Poole: 58.6
Dejounte: 45.1 | CJ: 53.9
Vincent: 43.2 | Reaves: 57.1 (Russell: 53.8 | Knecht: 59.6)

 

FVV needs to play well for us to have a chance against the better teams in the league
AND WE CANNOT have Alpi struggling all game. Give some credit to the Thunder, but honestly the majority of what I saw is him missing shots he should and usually makes. He was just off for whatever reason.

 

Nah Amen and Jalen should start. Why should Jalen sit when FVV played worse than him? Jalen is the 4rth best perimeter defender on the team the Amen and Jalen backcourt would be athletic, lengthy and dominant defensively at least.

FVV has been a total scrub the entire season if he isnt hitting his 3s he is useless.

 

Toronto fans were happy Fred VanVleet left. Fred is a undersized SG. Scottie Barnes wants the ball more, Fred wants his slow half court style. Toronto I think is regretting in a way. Bad Record again.

There was a play Amen Thompson running ahead on a Fast Break wide open. Fred dribbled and didn't pass. Wasting Fast Break Points instead of chucking a Half Court Shot.

Fred VanVleet I think should play off the bench Next Season if Reed Sheppard excels and playing and dominating his 3 point shot. Fred knee injury has slowed him down. The Rockets need to play more Aaron Holiday. Reed Sheppard spot up minutes with Amen, Tari, Jalen, Sengun.

I have no doubt Reed Sheppard can pass down floor for a Fast Break Amen Thompson or Jalen Green.

 

Did the Rockets win?

I have not checked the score yet.

Fear The Deer

 

Jabari’s shot form looks way better right now compared to earlier this season and his numbers reflect that. The arc is back. We gotta get him involved more

 

Get real….Reed is a big time bust. Rockets ROYALLY blew it by not taking Edey. Steven Adams sucks as a backup and we will regret taking the useless Sheppard for years to come.

 

There is one very good thing I can say about this whole cup ordeal. It proved that the Rockets are one of the top 4 teams in the league. AKA Championship contenders.

 

That's a shame about the Rockets. Rockets fans can celebrate the fact that the Rockets participated.

ABC and everyone else is ecstatic with the Milwaukee and OKC final.

 

Nah its worse than that.

Amen is our 2nd best player and doesn't even play 30 mins, 27 mins per game.

I wonder how many teams has their 2nd best player coming off the bench.

I don't care who has to be benched, FVV, Brooks, or Jalen, but Amen should be playing 30 mins per night. It's clear to anyone that watches a Rockets game how much he impacts a game but we playing around with him and having him earn minutes he's already earned.

 

Not surprised. As hard as Sengun plays once he's guarded as a number one option in this league it will be easier to neutralize him. That's why others need to step up.

 

Then you know nothing much about SGA, dude is 26 that is right but he also played like 30 games respectively in 2 seasons.....

Effectively reducing his mileage, he also came into the league late due to him playing late for Kentucky.

At 20.....the age thing does not compute with SGA in this case, he is a later bloomer.

His mental aspect is that of a 30 year old, and his physical aspect could be 24 year old.

 

OKCs game plan was exactly that. Roll over and double and sometimes triple Alpi (or at least show it) when he touches the ball, make “someone” else beat you and let SGA do his thing.

 

Fred and Jalens shot really makes the Rockets have to work up hill the whole game. Something has to give with one of those two, can't have them both shooting stinkers on the same night regularly.

 

Well he's a gifted passer but theres no shooters to pass it to.

 

Pretty much this! I’d like to add:

7) Taking out Brooks and Sengun and replacing them with Jabari and Holiday at the end of the 2nd quarter resulted in 2 if not 3 baskets for Shai because Holiday could not guard him and fouled or just could not contest. That’s on Ime! Tari was playing well, do not get it.

8) I liked Adams first stretch, but when it was obvious he was not going to go out there and rotate to 3pt shooters, they took advantage and just shot wide open threes and made them. Then at some point our team decided it was necessary to leave Dort open - boggles my mind - by collapsing with 3 or sometimes even 4 guys on Shai. I get you respect the man, but come on now…

9) Brooks was our best 3pt shooter and he was questionable. That cannot happen. I feel like practicing offense might have really gotten in their heads, they just seemed hesitant and in their heads in that 1st quarter and we were lucky they missed. For us it’s common to be bad, but Sengun missing those easy ones, guys just being short with it was really odd. Maybe it’s being in Vegas, having the jitters.

10) Passing, I don’t know what we’re thinking, but we passed so often to someone who was being surrounded by 2 if not 3 guys and particularly Jalen Green again very sloppy with it. If he doesn’t tighten up those handles in the off-season, he will never be more than a glorified athlete.

11) Lunging at shooters, STOP IT!! I know we were hyped and wanted to prove we could play defense, but jumping at shooters by several guys in one sequence in the 3rd was just wild. Also I love Tari, but those fouls on 3pt shooters, WTF dude….and the one challenge where he fouled was just frustrating as hell. It was the typical they don’t call a foul so they give the ball to the opponent type of deal. And even if it wasn’t, why risk a challenge in a game where you really need it on something trivial like this?!

I do have to say the refereeing was inconsistent as hell. Obvious holding, grabbing and taking the ball away is not called yet some other ones where they didn’t even see anything, but look at the reaction to call a foul, is just not conducive to guys knowing what to expect. We get held so much on rebounds, but Sengun got called out by his coach for asking for fouls there so now we gave the refs even more of an excuse not to call those. Thanks coach.