ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 1/30/2013

too.

i am always thinking staying own game plan is the key to win games. i would like to see we can force other teams to match us instead the other way.

 

I don't know what you guys are talking about with this momentum mumbo jumbo. From the highlights up until the 4th looks like Rockets and Nuggets were dead even with Lin in. He wasn't gonna get the W for the team so McHale had to make an adjustment.

 

from LOFs, LOHs, or both?

 

If Lin and Harden are both resting, then the backcourt should be Douglas and Beverley.

Delfino should never play SG. Rockets lose too much speed and quickness with Delfino in the backcourt. Douglas clearly operates best alongside Lin or Harden.

 

Yeah especially since Asik is an elite rebounder and solid defensive player you would think you want opponents to match that more often than going small.

 

When Lin is playing well, he should play more minutes. When he is playing poorly, he should get less minutes. He shouldn't get 31 minutes every night regardless of his performance.

 

McHale seems to think a PG is someone short, can dribble and hit an occasional 3 pointer. The way I look at it is Lin and Beverley are PG's and Harden and TD are shooting guards. Certainly Parsons and Delfino are not PG's. I think the key to being a PG is to look to pass first and shoot second - it's a mentality. When you have TD in there alone or TD with Harden the offense often stagnates, other people handle the ball too much trying to create and turnovers increase. Why you would take your starting PG out with 7 minutes to go in the 3rd Q and 2 minutes to start the 4th Q when you're playing a WC team you are involved in a playoff battle game is beyond me. I saw a play where TD got the outlet pass and 2 Rockets were downcourt wide open and he didn't see them - just kept dribbling. McHale was also too slow to put Asik back in and Denver had no trouble getting to the rim. True a big part of the loss was Gallinari getting hot and hitting consecutive 3 pointers over Chandler but with better coaching the game would have gone to the wire and we might have pulled it out.

 

That's why you need to watch the games, not highlights.
Too many people only watch highlights or even box scores and they dare to make the comments already about how the games win or lose, amazing.

 

most likely not. hey, but we can make asik one-day version of DREAM. just make him a low post offense beast to samsh those dwarfs.:grin:

 

I have to agree with Clutch that a big factor in this loss was 7 TOs in the 4th quarter. I can only count 6 TOs from the boxscore with Asik leading with 3TOs, Harden with 2 TOs, PPat with 1 traveling call.

Coaches have been saying all along that TOs is a big problem. McHale confirmed it by calling it 'self-inflicted' loss in the post-game interview.

It's not fair to force or let a tired Harden to shoulder the scoring load when he was struggling with his shots tonight (2 points with 1-6FG in 4Q on Lin's assist). Lin helped with the most scoring load (13 pts with 5-7FG with 2 assists) while Delfino and Parsons contributed 5 pts and 4pts.

But unfortunately it's not enough to stop Denver with Gallinari's hot shooting (12pts with 2 lucky back-to-back 3PT shots).

So the biggest question for the coaches are:
1. What to do with Asik's 3TOs in the 4th (7 TO total)? Will they ask PPat or Greg Smith to help out?
2. What to do with Harden's 2 TOs in the 4th (6 TOs total) and scoring drought on the nights that he is tired and struggling? Will they dare to make changes as Calvin Murphy called to let Lin (1 TO total) orchestrate the offense as the PG and make Harden to move without the ball for easy scores?

Again, let's not make this Harden vs Lin, TD vs Lin but what's best for the Rockets. Don't make Harden look bad with 6TOs and keep shooting when he struggles. Let the offense flow through Lin as the PG when he plays well. And vice versa.

As Calvin Murphy said, play Lin as PG and play Harden as SG most of the time. Perhaps 70%-30% ratio and reverse if Harden has a hot shooting night. And hold all players accountable on their TOs.

 

Phil Jackson won 11 NBA championships with players such as John Paxson, BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper and Derek Fisher playing the PG spot.

Miami just won a championship with Mario Chalmers at PG. Chalmers is defense, some ball handling and 3-point shooting.



None are pass-first.

 

The "pure pass-first" point guard rarely wins a championship in this league.

Sorry John Stockton and Steve Nash.

 

so you blame DM on signing lin?

 

Lin doesn't perform as well in extended minutes or when he has fewer days rest. I"ll take good performance in 31 minutes (like last night) over lesser performance in 41 minutes.

Maybe Lin will improve his conditioning this summer so he can maintain a high performance over 48 minutes and in back to backs.

His conditioning isn't there yet, in this, his first full season as a starting NBA point guard.

 

Thank you, Clutch. I overlooked that one.

 

i had a very strange feeling, a bad feeling, when the game started. the 1st shot rox tried was a spot up either 3 or long 2 from lin. of coz, he missed. during a first few possessions (3 or 4), lin pretty much dumped the ball to harden. harden was our main guy to initiate our offense. i don't know what happened. i still believe lin is a better pg to start with. i am not sure if you agree with me on this or not.

 

too many 2012/2012'ers up in here posting. smell you fools later!!!! lol

 

ok a silly question. does anyone from the management or coaching staff actually read all 3,000 comments posted on this thread and take any notes?

 

I do think Lin did an excellent job being aggressive and passing in the first half/early 3rd quarter. Shows that he doesn't have to score to be effective in helping us win.

The collapse wasn't because Lin was in or out of the game...it certainly doesn't help when he is out and not able to set-up guys but he makes mistakes too - but rather a complete failure on both ends of the court to protect and defend the ball.