ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Raptors 3/30/2015

Sadly, our team practices seem to focus on more 3s than FTs.
Player - FT%
DMo - .602
Smith - .500
Howard - .530
Dorsey - .263
Jones - .635
Capela .000

Awful FT% numbers.

 

Are you present at every practice, even before and after?

 

Capela's FT % is unacceptable.

 

Abysmal.

 

WHAT.THE.****.IS.THIS.

Spoiler

When Damian Lillard can get a shot off in .9 seconds and you're stumbling, bumbling, fumbling around and all you can get is two desperation heaves by Trevor Ariza.

 

No, I'm not, but that's why I said seems to.

But looking at some numbers, it's not a big leap to come to that conclusion.

Josh Smith is having his season lowest 2.0 FTA per game with regressing FT%. In Atlanta, he shot about 70% from the FT stripe. While it has regressed in the past three years, if he practiced, he should be able to bring it back up to at least 60%. He's matching his career high 3PTA at 3.3PG (extrapolate minutes and he's way past career high) and has his career highest 3PT%. It looks like Smith practices 3s more than his FTs.

Other players we acquired from other teams having career highs in 3PTAs are Brewer and Ariza. Terry, despite his more limited role, extrapolate his numbers and he matches his career highest 3PTA with his lowest FTA.

Our system is fast break for a layup or 3. When we're in a half court set, we shoot a 3. We take the most 3s of any teams. It's not rocket science that our team stresses the 3 ball. I don't think it's out of line to theorize we don't practice our FTs as much as our 3s.

Regardless of what we focus on in practices, our FT shooting needs more emphasis.

 

PATHETIC

 

Unacceptable and impossible to win big with this. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was this bad.

 

Second game of a back to back on the EC missing Jones, Bev, D-Mo and Dwight and almost pulled it out.

I was mad at that Utah stinker but this? Would love to see pretty boy Steph lose 3/5 his starting lineup and pull out a road win over a quality opponent.

Health = more important than the seed. Honestly I'm cool with 3rd, 4th or even 5th if it freshens Harden up. How is he going to last through the WCF or Finals?

 

Well at least we don't have to face Rudy gay on Wednesday...

 

I'm really getting tired of Josh jumping in the air in the paint before deciding to try and pass.

 

Jason Terry should be passing that ball to Harden. No excuses. I don't know how a 37 year old veteran can choose to pass to Ariza, a guy who can't create his own shot, dribble, or pass, over MVP candidate James Harden. Just... wow.

 

Just like Lin... lolz.

 

It puzzles me that this team's ideology is based on three things on offense (layups and easy baskets, free throws and three pointers) and yet, (apart from Harden) we aren't good at any of those things!

Layups and Easy Baskets: Even though we are one of the best teams at scoring in the paint, a lot of that has to do with Harden's drives, finishing ability and overall relentlessness at getting to the basket and that we are a good offensive rebounding team. Overall, our team lacks any consistent finishing around the rim, especially in the perimeter and anyone not named Howard (and now, Capela... I guess). Brewer is the only perimeter guy other than Harden that can finish with any sort of regularity and a quarter of the time he goes in way too wild or loses the ball. It's frustrating to work hard for a layup then watch Smith, Dmo, Jones, Ariza, etc miss little bunnies because they rather flip it in the basket than dunk it through. Harden is the only guy that gets to the paint and converts layups consistently.

Free Throws: I can't be the only one that doesn't get jealous of other teams that have big men that can shoot free throws, right? How come we always have big men that shoot horribly from the stripe? Every other team seems to have some bigs that shoot above 70% from the foul line. We would be lucky for our big men to reach 55%... Even our perimeter guys miss far too much (or rather, miss at the worst times) for my liking. Once again, only Harden seems to be the only consistent free throw taker and maker on this team.

Three pointers: How can a team that shoots the most three pointers be mediocre to horrific on some night? How come we can't ever surround James and Dwight with real three point threats? We rely on the three point shot for more than 27% of our offense and yet, our best three point shooters are two 37 year olds who are much closer to retirement than being key parts to a championship team (I really like Terry and Prigs but let's be real here, they are too old to be considered major contributors even though they have to be now with Bev out). I do think Ariza is much better than what he has been this season though and I'll take his defense even if it means 35% three point shooting. Again, only Harden seems to be our best three point shooter.

What I italicizes is our biggest problem. Harden can't be our best finisher, foul shooter and three point shooter while having to be our best playmaker at the same time. I know every one wanted a playmaker at the trade deadline but bolstering up our three point attack and finishing around the basket were just as important, in my opinion.

 

Need Prig's to close out games now. Terry cost us the game. So did Ariza.

But I don't know what the heck Ariza was thinking shooting that 2 times. Seems like he wanted to hear his name one the MVP list instead of Harden?

First Ariza doesn't want to guard Derozan... but now he wants to be the hero and try to tie the game. If he could have just guarded Derozan on that last play, all the rockets needed was to get an easy 2, and Harden would have delivered by driving to the basket. Either making the lay up, or getting fouled.

 

these are nba players....

 

i gotta give the raptors some credit. even without my boiz lowry & hayes they battled the rox. fortunately there are two good things to be noticed from this loss, capela is beast and johnson brings that bev intensity on d. god bless da vipers

 

Rewatching the last posession, what in the world was Ariza thinking? With about 9 seconds left, he could have easily given it to Harden; James was moving towards him, asking for the ball and yet he burps up the worst shot possible.

 

I think he freak have no idea of how much time Houston have left.

 

You just knew Josh would go back to his old ways next to Dorsey, should've kept Howard at least optional for 5 to 10 minutes, but I guess Ariza was allowed to do whatever he wanted, McHale was standing by watching it happen?