ClutchFans Game Thread: Jazz @ Rockets 10/8/2025 (Preseason)

Reed causes enough turnovers to justify his minutes despite his challenges in defense, imo. Reed will get more minutes than Holiday because even now he has a better feel for the game.

 

Kevin Durant and Jalen Green are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of ease/difficulty in getting a bucket.

 

Thanks for the breakdown; I wasnt able to catch the game. Did Amen look more comfortable playing the lead guard/on-ball role?

Agreed Holiday has always been an undersized 2-guard, not a combo guard or point guard. He’s great off the bench to shoot it and play respectable D, but you don’t want him initiating or running an offense.

 

He's going to give us 82 games of sg efficiency. I'm not used to this.

 

Just having KD there is going to make things so much easier for our other players. He's one of those rare players where not only do you have to have somebody on him like glue at all times, that player also has to be tall/long enough to challenge his shots effectively and has to be a good defender. Those are the guys who would usually be on Alpi or Amen, sometimes as part of a double team. Those two will feast getting to go 1-on-1 against mediocre defenders.

 

Lol at Ace trying to guard KD. That’s bbq, smothered and baked chicken

 

I would not call Amen or KD the most durable but yes, those 2 would be reeling in lotsa Wins.

 

Honestly, KD just makes it so easy for everyone else, even when he's not doing anything. His gravity is will let Jabari, Reed, Tari--****, even JD Vance and Aaron Holiday get tons of open looks.

It also seems like the ball is popping a lot more on offense than last season. Much as I loved Jalen and think he made strides as a passer, he wasn't always the quickest decision maker and neither was Dillon. Now, with a bunch of shooters and Alpi unlocking another gear, I think Ime will be able to get a lot more creative on offense. I literally cannot wait for the season to start...

 

Yes, he was running some pick and roll, but was mostly not initiating. Just by cutting and giving the ball up to Sengun and also KD.

Btw our fans are pathetic. Cannot even show up for KD’s debut...

 

Didnt even show up when the Rockets were winning 60+ games....you think theyll show for preseason game even with Durant?

 

Gotta say number 30 doesn’t look right on Clint

 

I like that KD will get the Rockets some points from the midrange. He doesn't care where he is, he'll get a bucket anywhere he wants.

It was something I didn't like about the Rockets taking away from James Harden. I preferred it when he was also scoring from midrange before the Rockets were all about 3s and layups.

 

We are underrating his playmaking. When he has the ball he towers over everyone. I'm like oooh so many players he can pass to.

 

Harden getting away from his midrange game and never going back to it is one of the most mind boggling things I’ve seen a superstar do and I’ll never forgive Morey and MDA for it. Harden with that 14-15 mid-range means we get past the Warriors in 2018 playoffs.

 

Kevin Durant's Rockets debut provides glimpse of what could be NBA's next great trio
Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson combined for 52 points and 20 assists on Wednesd
By Brad Botkin


Do the math, and that's a combined 52 points, 20 assists and and 14 rebounds on the night. Barring injury, all three of these guys could be All-Stars. But again, more than that, it's about all the different things they do. This isn't a situation like Durant and Kyrie Irving or James Harden or Devin Booker, where they are all, for the most part, on-ball scorers who occupy similar areas of the floor.

Thompson, the all-world athlete and perhaps the most uniquely gifted player the league has seen since young Ben Simmons, is nothing like Durant, who in turn is nothing like Sengun -- something of a Nikola Jokić lite. With Sengun's ability to handle the ball and orchestrate offense from any spot on the floor, the pick-your-poison two-man actions with Durant stand to be deadly.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...limpse-of-what-could-be-nbas-next-great-trio/

 

And if Jabari and Reed turn into 40% 3pt shooters, this team is going to be so fun to watch.

 

Jabari certainly can get there this season. Reed, perhaps not that much.

 

Reed just needs the minutes and reps. I'm not worried about him, he will get there.

Playing with the starters will accelerate his development.

 

It's hard to say.

A guy like Amen who started out as a bad shooter would need time to work on the mechanic.

Both Jabari and Reed were good, even great, shooters. They don't have to learn the skill. They just need to overcome the mental barrier. Jabari takes longer than I expected. Reed should be quicker, hopefully.