ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/20/2014 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

I think harden's an excellent player, that said, i was baffled by his decision making in the overtime, he's been so decisive and clutch all year....at the end, when he went for the step back, it looked like he didn't pull hard enough to get the necessary separation

 

Shaq knew it and offered his fair comments on what a dominant centre need to do. Howard's bad start affected the game so much! It is so difficult to find the reasons why he couldn't dominant Lopez right from the start. Harden's poor performance at the end and Howard's struggling at the start of the game both hurts a lot. But the latter is much more critical.

 

These guys cant play d because they are in foul trouble. Mchale has to trust his bench. Asik still had one more foul.

 

I think you're being unfairly critical.

Bev did as well as could be expected on Lillard. Good offensive PG's are always hard to single cover, especially once you have screens and picks in play. That's more of a team defense issue than anything.

The risk of injury is a fair point. His aggressive style means he takes a lot of contact and is subject to retaliatory fouls. Combined with his recent meniscus injury, there was a somewhat elevated risk.

And yes, foul trouble is always an issue if the refs decide to call it tight or he's up against a savvy veteran.

However, that doesn't detract from him being a very good on ball defender. Could he be smarter about it? Sure. However that isn't something that happens overnight. It's only his 1st year as a starter, and you can't shortcut for experience.

 

This really tells some truth.

 

Can we get some veterans on this team that can carrythese guys when things get rough? And no, I dont call Garcia a mother ****ing veteran. I mean real hard nosed veterans who kno what to do in the playoffs and stay calm and clutch when the time comes.

 

James took the lost on his shoulder at the post game interview and rightful so. He make 8 out of 28 attempts. This team lives by harden, die by harden.

 

You cant front aldridge so it is pretty difficult to deny him the ball. Howard cant defend him and jones is too small when he is fresh. Just start asik next game so he does not get it going early to the rim. Make him a jump shooter and if he misses his first few he might not demand the ball so much and he will start passing himself. D-mo is lanky enough to contest his jumpers, but the only way to find out if aldridge eats him alive in the post is trying it a few times.

 

+1 ....spot on analysis IMO.

 

He's just a role-player. No one good perimeter defender is going to make much of a difference since our overall defense sucks so much.

Our defense hinges moreso on Dwight and Omer. I have no idea why Asik was not put in late in the game when Dwight was out.

 

Just stop the hype of Bev. being Ace stopper or Wolverine.
It is so embarrassing.

 

if howard was still in howard would have been there.

 

Ha, yep I agree....and the ROLE he plays is an IMPORTANT one....to guard Lillard and bring ENERGY to the team. Please share who matches PB's energy ? Our DEFENSE ? What defense ? I saw several times when putbacks were done right over DH and Asik. We definitely don't "guard" the perimeter" haven't all year. I guess we see different games when we watch.

 

I was listening to CSN so didn't watch TNT. what I meant to say at the end was all we needed was a rebound at regulation to win the game. We should have had a BIG lineup in. asik howard jones to box people out.

 

Shut up

 

You have to sub your bigs and make sure they are fresh against portland. They are relentless on the boards. I did not expect aldridge to be this much of a problem even when i called him the best pf i the league. They are too strong where we are weakest (pg and pf, batum taking away easy fast break points from parsons, and mathews making harden work defesively) and i knew that coming in. They crash the glass and we suck at simply boxing out and commiting a few guys as a team to make sure we get the rebound. We only need 2 guys to run the break. Chandler needs to step in and make sure we get the board while dwight and asik are focusing on boxing out. It will help them a great deal.

They dont seem to give howard any calls in the post. He needs to focus on out backs, alley oops and getting blocks to get it going.

 

We do not box out well as a team. That said I would have liked a Howard,Asik, Jones.

 

Great minds think alike !!

 

this loss would be a lot easier to take if Bev didn't go down

 

If bev can't go next game, they need to do to Lilliard what Portland did to harden; put the ball in lin's hands, give him some screens and make Lilliard work on defense. Bev made him work on offense but he didn't need to play any d on bev. Lin is not gonna stop Lilliard, but he can make him work on the defensive end.

And our pick n roll d is horrible with Dwight covering the pick setter. It's been that way all year. He's just not a smart pick n roll defender at all. Much rather have asik or dmo playing pick n roll d.