ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Thunder 4/24/2013 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 2)

OK, so Lin was weak on a lot of his rotations!

Can you tell me more about our defense on Game 1?

Did you watch the game? smh...

 

Not if the Harden/Howard/Parsons/Lin dynasty forms.

 

What? No, Lin is the fastest rotator on the team! He plays team defense in shutting down penetration and in the post better than any other player on our team save Asik. That's been our defensive philosophy since Day 1. I'd like it better for him to stop playing help defense and staying in passing lanes or shrinking the floor with his rotations just to shut you guys up about something you have no idea about but Lin wouldn't do that.

Jeez, do you even no what kind of defenses we run? Or where Lin is supposed to be in in defensive situations? Or why Bev's and TDs up in your grill defense doesn't work against quick elite guards and that is why Westbrook blew by Bev so often yesterday? Jeez~

 

Just trying to get a feel of how you judge defense since you thought Lin's defense was terrible due to his rotations so I wanted to see how you rate Harden.

But I expected you not to answer it. LOL

 

yeah don't understand it either. i think people just look at box score at the end of the day and realized WB almost had a triple double. scoring wise, i saw him score two quick transition points off of lin, and a 3 with lin's hand in his face. other than that, bunch of contested jumpers that he missed. he did blow by bev a bit, but then again, bev was on him more than lin was.

fisher did hit two big threes with lin helping once on a big and another time on bev because WB went right by bev into the paint. WB kicked it out to fish and lin didn't close in time.

 

For the rest of this series I'm hoping we play good defense, move the ball around, and keep our guys out of foul trouble. Every atom in my body wants the the Rockets to win; however, if the Thunder take as out (as is the probable case) the Longhorn fan in me wants Durant to get a ring.

 

Since we hit the absolute bottom in game 1, there is no where to go but up.

I am predicting a win!

 

I disagree. Lin "over-helped" when/where he shouldn't have, and left his man Fisher for wide open 3s. That's just an example showing you how inexperienced and sometimes undisciplined Lin is at defensive end.

 

There are a couple of very simple rotations and close outs Lin just doesn't make for whatever reason. Half of what you wrote in the first paragraph doesn't even make sense. Seems like you are trying to sound like you know what you are talking about, but not doing a good job.

I would put together a scouting video, but I am pretty sure LOFs would still choose to live in their own reality and ignore Lin's glaring deficiencies.

Lin's defense was not terrible, it just wasn't good.

Harden's defense is bad, probably the worst on the team, outside of the rookie PFs who just plain don't know where to be.

 

They really want it:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Thunder closing in on two-hour mark at practice. How many times can Scott Brooks say, 'Game 1. Do that again."</p>&mdash; Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/326754496388689920">April 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

I don't care if we lose. Jeremy better bring it or he's gone in the offseason

 

The solution is simple. Lin should have the ball in his hands and Harden should spot up. Our offense always looks the best when this happens.

 

Lin's defense on Westbrook was fine. Lin's overall defense including team and on other players was not very good.

 

Jeremy isn't good enough or confident enough to run the offense right now

 

How many times does this need to be said. Harden can't play without the ball in his hands. He didn't in OKC, and he's not all of a sudden going to here. Lin and Harden have the same problem only difference is Harden is a way better player than Lin.

 

... he did...

and Harden isn't Lin. His offensive game is so much more complete. Don't underestimate his powers...

that is all....

 

Lin could barely bring up the ball without turning it over. he was isoing just as much as harden last game too.

 

Actually no, he didn't. He ran the offense as the main man off the bench, and even when he was with the starters he ran the offense a lot.

There's a reason Westbrook only averaged 5 assists that season.

Nice try though.

 

Harden was indeed the playmaker of the team, but that did not stop him from excelling at the catch and shoot.

You can find the advanced stats on Harden's catch and shoot percentages in OKC yourself. This has been discussed thoroughly in the beginning of this season.

Nice try to you also.

 

Also, not that Mchale is right about everything, he might just be right when he said this of Harden:

"He can drive it. He's got the ability to shoot it ... to beat you off the bounce. I think he's almost unguardable off the catch."

-Taken from ESPN article after the OKC defeat to Rockets in February.
Link to quote here:
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278524