ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Clippers 12/23/2025

yep. Now we have no one. Literally no one that can take a defender off the dribble consistently

Green shifted defenses with the dribble drive. He also played great defense on opposing SG and SF.

Brooks wasn’t great but could get to the paint and had a pullup j. We essentially lost 2 guys for a guy that specializes in 3s and mid range pull-ups

 

He gets blocks once in a while but he is by no means a great defender. His awareness is lacking often gets caught up in ball watching or he cheats towards another player instead of staying with his assignment. He has very loose on ball defense but gets away with long arms.

 

I wasn’t being serious and it’s next to impossible to trade Durant after he made such a big deal about coming here because of Ime. If it was possible to trade Durant, the Bucks would probably be the only taker, because that’s the best draft picks they could receive for Giannis. In hindsight, the Durant trade was a mistake because of fit. Most everybody, myself included, thought he would provide spacing and be the closer we needed. In reality, he destroys spacing because he needs and wants the ball exactly in the same part of the court that Amen and Sengun need it. He also screwed up our defense.

The only viable solution with Ime’s inability to structure an offense is to trade for a ball handler that can shoot and relegate Durant to spot up shooter and late shot clock option and move Amen (I hate this) to forward. No way I trade Amen, Jabari, or Sengun. That leaves Tari, Reed, Adams and picks to get it done, since I don’t believe for a second that FVV would cooperate on a trade away from his best friend.

 

Yeah this isn't a "fluke" this team just isn't what they were made out to be.

 

The amount of times KD gets the ball wide open at the 3pt line just to dribble it into 3 guys or lose the ball is infuriating to say the least. He's shooting 43% from 3 but somehow it looks like he never wants to take them.

 

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I’ve noticed that as well.

 

i didnt like it from the beginning and saw all these issues. The trade of 2 starters one a SF and one a SG for a SF when our team was stacked at SF and lacking in guards made little sense to me. The key is balance. We do not have a balanced team. The trade created holes and deficiencies in the roster and lineup

 

He’s not a great defender, he’s a good defender, and he’s certainly not the issue you’re making him out to be. Plus our defense DB replacement DFS hasn’t even played yet.

 

One thing I have learned since being a lifetime Houston sports fan is how to cope with DISAPPOINTMENT. There has been a lot of it.

 

He just did what i explained here last night.

 

Same. I’m just chillin right now. Things will play itself out….

Cancun in April

 

Green couldn’t, we saw that pretty clearly in the playoffs

 

The post season Green averaged 12ppg with games in the single digits, being completely taken out.

that is the only thing that matters, the RS is impoerant to the point you don’t make the post season if you’re ****.


People having too much revisionist history about Jalen. He’s a weak and mentally soft player

 

That’s misleading to center his season to one playoff series when he did this his 4 years here.

 

I never said he was great or that we shouldn’t trade him. The point was our team was balanced with him and brooks and that combination is better than KD and okogie or Sheppard. If you look deeper this team has structural issues. The way it was built and the personnel we have and the sets we ran made it predictable to defend and we saw this in the playoffs.

 

It’s not fair but it’s the harsh truth. Having a mediocre playoff series is one thing he just had a complete Fultz level mental collapse.

unfortunately those things are much more serious than the big lights or missing shots etc

 

The thing is what will turn out in the end, is that the players were more motivated last year compared to this year.

Udoker also sharper.

 

it just doesn’t look right. Most people can see it. The defense is just so loose. Brooks locked down their best player and Amen and company fed off this energy. JG did well enough to stop their guards from getting in the paint. When we were on we put the clamp down. Just not the same. But this is what the organization wanted. They gambled and now here we are

 

This is why i have to constantly remind myself that sports gotta be the dumbest hobby on the planet. Why am i getting embarrassed the rockets have lost to all the worst teams on the planet? am i playing? there is no real benefit to watching this bullshit. outside of having community with other fans, friends and family with a shared fandom of a team, there is no real benefit to watching this stupid **** if it isnt your job or your not making money off of it.

maybe i need to start gambling on games then i can truly be locked in.

 

you're 100% correct.

remember its all entertainment at the end of the day. If you're pissed off the next day and still obsessing over the loss (I have before) not the best way to follow the team