Looking way too into it. The next thing he says is "We have a game on friday." so it sounds more like he's saying "Bad games will happen, 82 games so we need to get over it and move on."
Hate to say this but a long-term worry is Lin playing back to shape, Parsons with a chronic back condition, Harden's feet being chronic. Harden's game is suffering. Parsons and Lin were playing great but we'll see what they are like when they are back. Hope they are at least close to how they were. Hope Parsons is back at least to play limited to 20 minutes Friday.
We need to look at why we turn the ball over and how the **** does a team with Dwight concedes so many layups . The turnovers tonight were converted by the Suns into points and the majority of those turnovers were dumb plays like travels by Casspi or Howard offensive fouls/3sec calls or the guards throwing bad passes. Terrence Jones needs to start protecting the lanes a bit better as well.
I think Harden can be contained by opposing defenders if they give him space to go right, because he almost always goes to right and then comes back to left. I think Harden is worse going to his right than Lin is going to his left. Harden has to learn to go left. Also, he's still immature in how he behaves after the loss. That's not the leadership which wins anything.
Last season, there were a couple of games with Harden and Parsons both out and Rockets won, if my memory's right.
Because most of their layups were off of our turnovers, just like in the Jazz game. I rarely see Dwight getting beat for layups when he plays man to man defense, it happens mostly after bad turnovers that leads to fast break points.
The Suns were on a BACK 2 BACK, and were out running the Rockets for crying out loud. The last 2 games are so beyond Chandler and Lin's absence. This deep, talented Rockets team can't get past the freaking tanking Jazz and the tired Suns without them? really? They are not the 2 max cats for crying out loud. This one is mostly on James. I can forgive all the bricks, off shooting nights happen, but not the continuous pathetic lack of defensive effort and awful body language. No leadership whatsoever. But he is young, I hope he truly is learning from this. Not every player does though.
This is very disconcerting. Parsons is the team captain, but in an interview, he said he is not trying to take over the team (not his exact words of course). On the other hand, Harden has said multiple times he has no problem being the guy and to lead this team. But his attitude, physically and verbally, will only instill doubt in his teammates. Doubt is one of the worst things a leader can instill in those he intends to lead.
Yes, but the transition defense like the Jazz and the second half of the Spurs game was bad to. I said on the page 3 in this thread that the Suns are good when they run and the scouting should have been telling the team to. Yet it was a open court drill out there.
THIS. The starry-eyed fanboyism goes beyond one segment of fans. If we need Parsons or Lin to beat the Jazz and Suns, then maybe our "superstars" need to get better. Because if they blameless and can't possibly have done more then this team is doomed. Might as well go get Melo and enjoy the trainwreck. imo - Howard may have peaked but Harden certainly has not. I think he has more potential than some of you do.
IDK two star players playing or not if you ranked the players on this team by value you were essentially missing #3, #4, and #5. Bev and Jones maybe starters but they're pretty limited. We believe we have depth but that many key guys being out is tough to overcome.
Team needs to get Asik traded and get a player that can help now and not some damn pick that is not a guarantee. At least I get to watch the Vipers down here in the RGV. Tomorrow at 11 more 3's will be flying.
at Harden's comment. I know players have bad games but he had his head up his ass for most of this game and really didn't bring much to the team tonight. And as far as Howard's comment, he kind of looks like a hypocrite with the lack luster efforts he's had the past few games. Neither one of these guys are good leaders. Not good from your best players. Both need to grow up.
I'm not even that sold on Beverley being a defensive PG. I think at this point even McHale knows that Beverley cannot defend screenplays. I think Brooks actually played better defense overall than Beverley tonight. I have to give it to Hornacek though, he really held his ace in the hole until he really needed it and didn't show his hand to give McHale time to react and bench Beverley. They barely screened Beverley through most of the game, and when they really needed it, Hornacek went to it a few times in a row to win this game: Rockets making the comeback... (75-74 Phoenix) 6:45 Morris screens for Bledsoe on Beverley -> Jones switches, Beverley is late on the switch, Casspi helps on Morris free run to the basket, leading to wide open drive and basket by his man Tucker. (77-74 Phoenix) 6:04 Morris screens for Dragic on Beverley -> Jones switches, Morris easily shoots over Beverley in the paint after the switch. (79-74 Phoenix) 5:32 Never recovered in transition, Frye layup, not Beverley's fault. (81-74 Phoenix) 4:48 Frye screens for Dragic on Beverley -> Howard switches, Dragic fakes drive on Howard and steps back casually for the open 3. (84-74 Phoenix) 3:50 Frye screens for Dragic on Beverley again -> Howard switches again, Dragic dances around Howard and draws the foul. (Phoenix wins) Coincidence Hornacek went screenplay after screenplay after screenplay after screenplay vs. Beverley when the game was on the line but not before? Doubt it. He was probably holding it for a crucial stretch so McHale could not adjust in time. Coincidence that McHale switches on every single one of those screenplays against Beverley? Doubt it. He didn't switch for the other guards and Beverley wasn't exactly good at guarding bigger players. McHale probably knows just as well as everybody that Beverley can't defend screenplays, but McHale is so dead set on the guy he was willing to completely change the defense to cover Beverley's defensive gaping hole (unfortunately, the remedy was worse than the disease this game). Was Harden killing the offense on that losing stretch? Yep, and Beverley was killing the defense. Talk about irony. They may need to start Brooks until Parsons gets back. Beverley's lack of playmaking is becoming a huge liability with Parsons out (and his defense is vastly overrated).
