ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 12/12/2013

The excitement I had for this team has worn off. I'm pretty sure I know what they are...just a middle of the pack team that has defensive issues and not enough overall consistency to take the next step. I don't see this team getting much better.

 

I'm going to get into the argument who is better btw. PB and Lin and who should be the starter anymore. From the way Lin was playing and his body language, you can easily see he is frustrated in a big way and he is struggling bad. I hope it was just due to being back from the injury. But I am afraid that this is not case. I will take an aggressive Lin with turnovers any day than a passive Lin trying to make a safe play. That's not his game.

The young man is quickly losing his confidence and it seems that he doesn't know how he should play and what is his role on this team anymore. Partly, I blame this on Lin himself. Stop being a nice guy. I know he is trying to prove that he is a team player and trying to please everybody. It is kind of like DH on lakers last season. Stop doing that and be selfish sometimes. To be successful in nba, you got to have some swaggers and balls. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there. Just play your game. You are already on the bench. What more punishment (yea, I said it) you can get!!!!

More blame should go to the coaching staff and FO for mishandling Lin during off season and this season. Way to turn an improved starter and a young playmaker with potential into an average bench player!!! Only happens in Houston.

 

Yea, the bench was bad last night, but so was Parsons... He was useless out there. Howard did his job (offensively)... But I think last night should have been a night that both Harden and Howard should have been more selfish and played more "Buddy Ball" (just mainly looking for each other since Portland wasn't double teaming anyone)...

But I'm putting the blame on Harden... On a night like last night when everyone else was throwing up bricks _ he should have had 20 plus shot attempts instead of running around trying to get assist. We needed heavy HERO BALL play from him last night.

 

What _ you expect them to go undefeated...??? Good thing from last night is Howard found his post game. I'm hoping last night wasn't a one time thing...

 

We played against one of the hottest teams in the NBA and we lost by 7. I mean, it's really not that bad when you think about it and it's only December?

 

We got 3 for ten from Bev. He is a starter.

 

still hate to lose to them because we are also on the rise.
I acknowledge them being a better team.

We got to get better

 

Robin Lopez on this team helps them a lot. I almost want to trade them asik for Lopez, even though we are getting the worse end of the deal, at least lopez would play back up for us instead of a pouting Asik. It would make them even better but that would only effect us when we play them. I haven't researched the contract situation, I'm just saying, Lopez was killing us on the pick n roll.

 

this team is still missing a lot before it can considered a true contender. as far as the roster, we need 1 more veteran wing bench player…..garcia is too inconsistent. we need a backup for dwight……greg smith is too poor defensively. we need a starting point guard. beverley shows great flashes at times but is just too mediocre an offensive player……and lin does not fit with harden. and we need a coaching staff with an actual halfcourt offense and a disciplined program on D. i'd really be surprised if we make it out of the 1st round unless asik yields us another significant piece, whether it be directly or via secondary trade at the deadline.

 

I said in an earlier post that Sampson cant Coach period. He IMO shoulders most of the blame in this loss.

 

I agree with you on this 100%al pimpn.

 

It can come back in hunt you when seeding is concerned.

 

Maybe Sampson has to shake the rust off too like Jeremy lol.

 

I don't Portland is really overrated. Rockets just played lazy.

 

Asik would have helped on LMA but not sure if it would have made the difference in the loss. Ready to move on from him to see how we can shore up the holes we have thus far.

 

He would have made the difference because he already did when they beat them earlier in the year in Portland. Rockets still should have won without him though.

 

Dwight is overall better than Asic, but we still have the same problem as last year when Asic went out, if Dwight goes out for a rest then our defense goes down greatly and the other team goes on a run unless we are hitting at a high rate from 3 to compensate for the surge by the other team.

 

People need to stop claiming that Blazers have had a soft schedule. They are pretty legit it to me and play team ball with good designed set plays

 

Which is really why Asik is needed by this team. When he was healthy or at least willing to play, we had very good rim protection and it was the guards who burned us. Now that Harden seems to be trying on D, we wouldve been unstoppable if Asik gets his **** together and tihnk of winning a ring first.

 

True _ but Beverley locked up Lillard like his probation got revoked. He made a high powered point guard a non factor _ he did his job... And I cut TJ a break too because LMA is a freaking beast PERIOD...

Parsons was chunking up bricks like he was trying to build a house when he should have been trying to make sure Harden and Howard got more shots since he was off... And Harden was running around passing the ball like he was back on the floor with OKC with KD and Westbrook. There will be some nights when Harden has to pick up the load and be SELFISH and take 25 shots and try to put up 40 _ and last night was one of them... That's his job and he didn't do it... Yea his defense was decent but the team with the most points wins... Those are the rules...