ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Hornets 1/9/2013

Lin needs to shoot the jumper.
Lin needs to shoot the jumper.

Annnnnnnd

Lin needs to shoot the jumper.

 

He will please just be patient.

 

Is Asik hurt, because we were getting out rebounded in the 4th and probably could have used him doing the dirty work because Patterson and Morris definitely weren't getting it done.

 

it was just one of those games where not much was going right. Funny thing is nothin much was goin right for the Hornets for 3 quarters then Mason came in and torched us. You can't win them all and as long as the players learn from their mistakes.

I also felt like the players need to learn that when refs aren't giving calls, that they have to play a more team orientated style of ball with a lot of motion, ball movement and cutting to find that open guy for an easy mid range 2

 

Problem is we don't have a second option. When Harden has an off night, we don't have anyone to step up =(.

 

People could say the same about Yao.

 

Actually this is false...we almost always have someone step up. Today is just an aberration. Everyone just needs to get over it. Back 2 backs require way more discipline to handle the amount of fatigue, etc that Torocan referenced earlier.


Honestly, I kind of expected it...Young teams historically do poorly in B2B situations. Too lazy to find stats.

 

you need to watch the game instead looking at stats. it was a close and low scoring game for both teams until mason made 2(or 3???) 3s. w/ our poor shooting night, it was too much to overcome.

btw, officiating was horrible. the worst one was against lin when he attacked the rim and scored. the replay showed nothing illegal but normal body contact btw lin and hornets' center. i can't believe the ref called the offense foul.

 

I'm not surprised. We're a high-octane group that needs to bottom out once in a while.

 

DMo can't possibly have played worse defense than Morris. Would have liked to see him out there... TRADE OUR MEDIOCRE PFs!!!

 

I'm usually fine with Mchale so this is a legitimate question...

In a slow paced game, where rebounding was a major question, to offset New Orleans bigs.....is there a good reason Greg Smith only played 6 minutes last night?? he had 2 fouls quickly but 6 minutes??

 

i guess the coach wanted bigs who can shoot long ball to spread floor so our guards can attack the rim since hornets didn't do anything but clogged lane to prevent our guards from penetration. unfortunately, if bigs miss long balls, the strategy doesn't work at all.

 

It was a situation in which he should have trusted Asik and Smith to get rebounds and also to be able to work from the low post. It was a grindout game and McHale should have made the adjustment instead of going small. When we go that small, no one fears our "bigs" (Morris/PPatt) cause all they do is take jumpers. For Lin/Harden to properly penetrate into the paint, they do need capable rollers even on the level of Asik (Smith is better). But whatevers, a loss was coming at some point, NBD.

 

this is a learning process. coaches are learning how to manage a grindout game. they are not used to that.

 

I've loved the Harden/Smith (even lin/Smith to a lesser degree) PnR. He sets solid screens and if harden wants to dish it off, he just needs to throw it near Smith and its an automatic 2.

 

I agree that there were lots of bad calls. But you have to win in spite of that stuff instead of making excuses for it, especially regarding calls in the first half.

Both sides were complaining about the refs last night. But the side that wins complains less.

As for fatigue on a back-to-back. That's life in the NBA. Not an excuse. How will this team do in the playoffs when the games are more brutal and fatigue sets in? This wasn't 4 games in 5 nights. And it wasn't a long trip - we're talking a half hour flight. You aren't going to get an easier back2back then this all year.

What I saw wasn't a team that was tired - we played with plenty of energy. I saw a team that was taken out of it's comfort zone by the opposing team's physical and trapping defense.

 

We don't match up well with NOH. Any team with big men who can block shots will give us fits.

 

The teams just need to go figure out thing.

I don't understand why no one is attacking the rim beside Harden. Why they prefer to go for 3 instead of easier 2.

While I am Lin's fan, he needs to do more. He needs to attack the rim. So what if you get a few misses or get block. If Kobe can do 2 - 20 and come out alright, I am sure you will do fine doing 0-10.

 

i don't think you watched the game, did you?:

 

i contribute our loss to these reasons:
stupid BS calls from refs that favored home team most of the game;
NOH end of bench rotational player went off at 4th and shot 6 for 7 (3 for 3 from 3pt line)
back to back

I say let's forget about this game and move on