ClutchFans Game Thread: Spurs @ Rockets 12/10/2012

Nice spread on shots taken. Every starter had at least 10 shots. Team committed only 14 TOs, and blocked 8 shots.

 

Nice to see Lin back to form, but should've pulled a Toronto, instead of the double crossover.

Oh well...win some-lose some. :grin:

 

No! Our best line-up tonight had Morris in it instead of PPatt.

 

What a disappointing day. Great game from Lin and Douglas, but damn.. Rockets just collapsed at the end as usual.

This is so frustrating.

 

there was like 15 seconds left...

 

Love Calvin Murphy's comment "Lin is a PG Harden is a SG let them play their position".

 

Duncan hobbles around is in the paint not guarding his man comes over the back for rebounds and refs turn a blind eye to his play and let him get away with it.

 

Well easy enough to do on Calderon. Danny Green is another thing coming. But still - would have liked to see actual ball movement on last possessions (Chandler Bang!! clutch 3 would have been amazing).

 

paging jil and smiegal.

 

Harden does not have to have the ball. He should get a touch on most possessions but there is no reason they can't do things to get him easier looks ( like what they tried with kmart ).

 

This is the basic truth.

Lin is an instinctive PG. Let him play his position and he'll be fine. Have him play SG and it gets ugly.

 

Don't think that's the case. Its more like our offense gets worse due to various reasons (fatique?) and we continue to play our crappy defense.

 

Lin and Harden are going to have to figure out how to play together. Lin had a great game tonight, but it was basically Lin iso ball. Basically the same plays for Harden were run for Lin. They can both get their points, but can they learn to play together and as a team?

 

They're the youngest team in the NBA. It's expected against a Spurs Dynasty

 

Everyone agrees except the coach.

 

When the coaching staff finally "experiments" with Lin at the PG position and Harden as the SG they will pat themselves on the back and call themselves geniuses. Right Now its:
Harden PG
Douglas PG
Delfino PG apparently
Lin SG

 

Even though Lin was a no show in the 4Q it was great performance overall for him tonight. He made them pay for those TOs with all those transition points.

We can also finally lay to rest all these posts blaming the coaching. They're embarrassing to read. They make the rest of us seem ignorant.

The Spurs had to respect Lin and were guarding him on the perimeter which opened up the lanes for him. In the 4Q the Spurs didn't respect Lin's shooting as much. The still had a guy up on him on the perimeter but he was semi-slacking off and hedged towards/funnelled Lin into Timmy near the FT line. Basically a variation of the same hedging defense that's been shutting down Linsanity.

With that space Lin needed pullup jumpers to make them pay and respect him again that but all he did was dribble and pick up.

 

Liking this. If Lin can keep playing like this Harden will be even more deadly. Harden is a versatile player, he can adapt better to playing differently than Lin.

 

Lin played a great game tonight. But even though he did, the guy he was guarding got a triple double. So maybe the Lin only fans will give Harden a break the next time James has a great game but his man scores a bunch like in the Dallas game. I doubt it, but it's something to think about.

It was nice of Lin to step up tonight. He had an all around great game. I wish we could have gotten the win. Tony Douglas did play some great Defense tonight as well. It makes sense why the coaching staff would want to put him in for defensive purposes.

I love Harden and hate it when Lin only fans try and trash James because they feel it has to be one or the other. I understand the urge to wish Lin to play poorly to shut those guys up, but it isn't worth it. Lin is a great young player who's only going to get better.

Even if I was a Lin only fan, or a Harden only fan, I'd still wish the other guy well in every game, but it's better for either of those guys for the team to get as many wins as possible. Sadly sometimes the Lin only fans seem to be really short sighted. For this team to be the best it can be, we'll need both Lin and Harden competing at a high level, and one of those guys to pick it up for the other one when one isn't having their best night.

 

Watch and learn from SAS and NYK's ball movement, young Rockets!