ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Kings 1/11/2026

I don't think it is unreasonable for upper management to expect Amen and Sengun to step up. They expected these two players to step up, and they have, the problem is they play poor in the clutch. Upper management also did not have a crystal ball to guess that FVV would tear his ACL before the season started (yes @J.R. I know he isn't the key to the championship so back off with your passive aggressive posts lol).

Upper management did screw up going after DFS instead of an actual shooter. They also screwed up going after Capela in the spirit of this stupid double big line up that Ime is under delusion that it is really good. Those are two players that combine for $20M. I would aggressively pursue a shooter instead, because Ime is clearly not going to play Reed.

 

Remember in the off season that people thought Durant would be a luxury when added to this roster?

It turns out he's the only part of the engine that's working. This car is a lemon.

 

Well game was 2pt game and it ballooned up to 12pt game within 3min. You can make excuse for what he does for 30 mins but it is fact that he blew the game open at the end well and that plus poor defensive rebounding but that two straight three after TO is hard to recover in the late 4th. With the offense we got, we wouldn’t catchup to that deficit even if we secure the rebound

 

Doesn’t track. Reed was -4, Amen was -13. If Reed is a turnstile and Amen is a wall, then how do you explain the results?

 

No he isn't he is the problem with the engine, he is trying to do HIS thing and it is killing the flow for everyone else.

DD

 

No team meetings. Team meetings is the sign of a white flag in my opinion. Please no team meetings.

 

It's been said that playing on the road makes it hard to practice and the road schedule.

Honestly their only hope is they just shoot better.

 

Lamelo

 

Rockets other than KD shot 15/86 from 3 in these three games. That's 17.4%.

 

Who are you going to believe, what actually happened, or this one guy's eye test?

 

Wait Holiday as the starting SG? What crack is Ime on honestly?

 

This team lacks fire and passion.

As good as KD is and I still think he is a great player, he wasn't the right acquisition for this team, it just ****ed up the chemistry and Ime's coaching style. Last season everyone had everyones back, when **** got chirpy the rockets got even more chirpy and made things escalate into a skirmish to unsettle teams. This season there has been hardly any of it. Ime needs dogs out there, he needs some menaces some villians.

 

Ime has put together a rugby team plus KD and Reed, who he obviously doesn’t trust. Other teams have basketball players, we have the scrum.

 

I will not panic. We had a bad stretch like this last year at this time. When we lost to the nets twice, and the Knicks when Fred was hurt. I dont know who it was. I do known it was on one of their east coast swings in the beginning of January. Oh well, but this team has some glaring issues. Maybe it is Udoka and his stubborn approach on his tight rotations. Jabari Smith needs to be moved to the bench immediately that is a fact. I'd rather see JD Davison and Jeff Green get some burn then Aaron Holiday and Jabari Smith. The Rockets need to quit playing zone. They are not good at it at all. If you can't play man to man, you dont need to be on the court. That is including everyone Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith, Sengun, Aaron Holiday. The Rockets defense has been atrocious in this losing streak.

 

That seems like an advanced yoga level stretch.

When he sits down they turn into dust. They are passing up open shots or rushing into triple teams and not passing on other occasions. Either the offensive coaching or the whole collective just seems extremely low IQ recently.

 

Dave and Dubose talking a bunch of bs. Haven’t said a word about coaching

 

Whats done is done. Personally, I think the Rockets doesn't have a good mix.

Sengun - is offense, no defense
Jabari - who knows
KD - Jump shooter
Amen - the only player worth while
Reed - no defense
DFS - why bother, disappointing
Capela - waste of a contract
Holiday - just a 3rd string guard
JD - needs to get some PT
Adams - role player, rebound and defense