ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Kings 12/15/2013

Is there something going on in the team's practices that are causing all these injuries? Seriously, I've never seen a Rockets team this snakebit since the Barkley-Drexler-Dream era and that was an old, aging group. We've had a foot injury nagging Harden all year, Parson's back spasms, Bev's pulled pectoral muscle, Greg Smith's knee, and Lin's leg and now back. I won't count Asik since he's missed a lot of games likely due to pouting just as much as injury, but this is getting to be almost comical that a team this young is so banged up.

 

that is true and a concern for him and b-ball teams.

 

HOward needs to step up and so does Parsons. If beverley is supposedly the right fit, be better start producing. Getting humiliated by the Kings close to getting demoted in the NBA, the way Beverley played tonight. He needs to rebound quickly.

 

Yes! Thomas looks great tonight. Got by our defense and hit threes, passed well. I thought I was watching Lin.

 

Beverly would not be a starting PG on any team in the NBA. He's a Norris Cole type of guy - do your hustle role and don't screw up

Anyone expecting him to shut down opposing PG's night after night and put up 10-15 PPG on decent FG% is tripping. He would be schooled by elite PG's in the playoffs (CP3, WB, Parker, and maybe Lillard). If he's the starting PG, he better offset the inevitable abuse by contributing on offense

 

Heat have championships. Houston teams usually flop.. sports that matter.

Rockets CAN turn it around, it just sucks being in a hole so often and underachieving.

 

Lin is the PG the team needs to play well. I don't care if CF don't like his fans or don't think he's worth the money or hype, he can do what Isiah did tonight on most nights if he has a similar usage. He may turn it over a bit more, especially when he has those spazz out turnover spells, but he'll make a lot of similar plays. Harden has to share the playmaking and I don't accept Harden is the man and the PG and it's his team nonsense. A better Rocket team utilizes both of their playmakers and Harden has plenty of time to play make without over dominating in that area.

 

The entire team actually in terms of this year...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If Jones is out, 10 of Rockets 13 active players would have missed games with injuries or illness. Howard only guy to play in every game.</p>&mdash; Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/statuses/412342018593943553">December 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And Lin played all 82 regular season games, the timing of his injury was just unfortunate.

 

Very similar player but a lot smaller.

 

zero ball movement on this team, it's painful to watch Harden and Howard try to make unassisted scores

 

It's an educated opinion. The 2nd unit needs playmaking. And with all the great offensive PGs, Beverley ' D is needed with the starters.

 

Lin does make other players better. He makes Garcia, Casspi , useful weapons with his penetration and dishing. BUt that does not matter. McHale will keep Lin as the 6th man and Beverley will continue to play with Harden on the Starting unit. Hopefully PBev can step up and prove the doubters wrong. So far he hasn't

 

Substituting Lin for Beverley wouldn't make much of a difference, we'd gain an average playmaker but our backcourt of Lin and Brooks would be the defensive apocalypse instead.

Terrence Jones struggled with the flu, an energy guy with no energy is not an overly useful player.

You can't just keep subtracting players and expecting amazing performance.

 

Still an opinion non-theless. I don't see him as a tony ALlen type player. He's not long enough or strong or quick enough to bother the better PG's in this league. Chris Paul or even Thomas. Beverley did well on Lillard and Rubio though. Beverely as a Starting PG will have higher pressure and raised expectations. He better start producing like he did with the warriors. He played well that game.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Harden says ankle &quot;very, very, very painful.&quot; Not sure if he'll have to miss time. Has to see how it responds.</p>&mdash; Jason Friedman (@JasonCFriedman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonCFriedman/statuses/412401174491303936">December 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hopefully Harden doesn't miss any games, but if he does hopefully they let his ankle heal.

 

yep, he's a developing player who's shown flashes, such as the big shots at the end of the GSW game. but let's not forget he's still averaging 10pts and 2 assists on 41% shooting. and his greatest strength, pressure defense, is inconsistent at best.

 

He's had 2 separate injuries this season and got hurt in NY. It's not just '13-'14 Rockets thing, it Lin.

 

HA ha ha, Lin doesn't make other players better. That's what Linsanity was and he is a much, much better player now than he was then. You really don't know Lin's game to say he doesn't make other players better. He has plenty flaws but that's one of his strengths.

The McHale system was fine. Bev started, Lin came in with Harden, Bev and Lin played awhile, Harden and Bev came back and then he felt out how it went to see which guards would be in the game. Lin was playing well, Bev was doing well, and Harden too. Then injuries happened and we haven't had all 3 guards enough around so AB came in and did a really good job for the most part.

 

Please stop with the Heat comparisons. They're the 2-time defending champs, were 2 wins shy of a 3-peat, have the best player on the planet, are intentionally resting Wade during the regular season, and are all but guaranteed a berth in the Eastern Finals thanks to the pathetic state of that conference.

The Rockets can't afford to blow these games because they'll need home court in as many rounds as possible if they want to have a prayer of emerging from the West. This Conference is so brutal that out of the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Blazers, and Rockets, at least one of those teams is guaranteed to be out of the playoffs after the first round. And only two of them can make it past the semifinals. There's no margin for error.

 

Sorry guy, my rant was wrong. I misread you. You can cancel my last post.