ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Spurs 12/25/2013

If Lin can consistently play this type of man to man defense, he can get his starting job back.

 

Bev follows the ball all the time. If the ball is shot he runs to rebound ,and he is good at prdicting where the ball will fall. However, he leaves his man consistantly when the ball is put up. Thomas blew him away because he followed the ball and even backdoored him once that I saw.

 

I just think this team is so much better when healthy... too bad we haven't been fully healthy yet this season. If Asik ever mans up and everybody else gets healthy, we're going to be really scary when Bev gets back.

 

Beverly's defence has been far from consistent. His effort has been consistent but his actual defensive effectiveness? That's very debatable. He has also barely contributed offensively. His ceiling offensively seems to be around Lin's average.

You can make an argument that the bench needs Lin. Though his minutes can be staggered to achieve that also.

But there is little objective doubt that Lin has been by far the better basketball player this season.

Of course he is not going to re-sign and Morey knows this so he is most likely gone by the trade deadline.

 

I prefer him to come off the bench. Why because:

1. Needs the extra punch to come off the bench
2. Make the bench actually worth a damn
3. Free will to take command and orchestrated

 

Could be. One thing is young players usually have a stretch of bad games at times. T Jones is really young and had a great stretch followed by a bad stretch and maybe he's picking it up now for another nice stretch. Some CF posters don't believe in that but if management just let's him play through mistakes, it's possible he can develop into a star. He has skills and a decent mental approach to the game. The starting 5 of last night's game could be an all-star starting 5 in 2015-2016 if somehow they stay together.

 

its BS people say we need Lin to help the bench ! harden or Lin can help the bench really just always have one of them on the floor at all times, and play them together also. Starting & ending games.

Harden is more efficient when playing with Lin because teams have to adjust with 2 playmakers on the court. It's hard to guard imagine us facing the mavs & they have 2 mota Ellis's at pg & SG, that's a nightmare ! Rockets are lucky to have them both in back court, good pickups by morey!

When asik comes back it will be even better, having him on floor when Howard rest rebounding, playing D & setting those screens for Harden & Lin which was our bread and butter all last year.

 

Jeremy doesn't start due to his play. It was a decision made by the head coach. Jeremy's D has been mostly solid the whole season. Last game he didnt' make a lot of errors on offense or at least was on the same page with the pass recipients and his timing was down and didn't get burned or gamble too much on defense. Jeremy has to prove absolutely nothing AFAIC. The coaching staff will play him as they please because he's adaptive and somehow gets in there and does whatever job they assign him to.

 

Meant to say his not starting is not due to his play but coach's decision.

 

Don't think so the train has already left the station. It would end up hurting Beverley as well as chemistry and our bench will continue to suck with bev on the bench. Not to mention Mchale would need to give up some of his pride.

 

Ha, you understand Lin got those pre-injury numbers off the bench right?

 

I would prefer not to see that type of harden if his shot isn't falling. Too many times we have seen him isolate and miss those shots in which case I would rather see team ball instead of hero ball.

 

That's not true. Lin's numbers were pretty much consistent whether starting or not pre injury and due to injuries of Bev and Harden, Lin started a good amount of games where he had big games.

 

I don't expect this word from a basketball forum!
However,

 

I think the one thing young players have the most difficulty with is having a consistent motor and giving consistent effort every night during an 82 game season. I see TJ struggling with that at times. Some players never develop that consistency which allows them to be an impact player through most of the 82 games in a season.

The one thing that has made Chandler so great is that you basically know what you are going to get from him from game to game. Chandlers effort is always where you want it and you have to hope that TJ's effort ends up mimicking Chandlers.

Jeremy struggled with consistency last year and has had a few games this year where he kind of disseared but you can see where he is getting more and more consistent. People tend to forget that he still hasn't had two seasons worth of rotational playing time yet. Jeremy has been more consistent this season and when his cinfidence is high he is an impact player that can take over games. Once again I think it mostly comes from consistent playing time and learning how to give consistent effort over an 82 game season.

 

I think the performance of this team in games like this says a lot more about their playoff potential than the snoozers they play against the bad teams.

I'd much rather have them play well against good teams and suck against the bad ones than the other way around. Because then we'd have a Texans 2011-2012 thing where they get in the playoffs only to get crushed by a team above their stratosphere.

 

Thank you Rockets!! Great game.

Had to spend Christmas in Indy (humbug after that loss to them). Funny thing is the next leg of our holiday in San Antonio with my folks.

Vacationing in enemy territory is A LOT easier with a win in our back pocket!

 

I love looking at the other teams board after the Rockets beat them.

 

Knowing how sturbborn McHale is, he will send Lin back to the bench.

Basketball wise, I actually don't mind Lin coming off the bench - if he is entrusted with the playmaking role. what i cannot stand is in away games, always hearing comments like : Lin is demoted, or he has lost the starting job to Bev...and blah blah blah.

Those comments demean Lin, and don't sound fair.