Basically you're saying our offensive talent is less than last year & not enough against the Clippers this year, and the defense talent is not showing up. All season, when our defense clicks, our offense does as well - why is the defense not showing up now? I think it's lack of execution - they know what they're meant to do but are not putting in the effort to do it
It's a combination of things, but since I had to go with one, I chose the coaching being nonexistent. McHale doesn't have a gameplan. It's obvious because the team is coming out every night and playing the exact same way. The 2nd quarter collapses keep happening. The weak effort on defense has been constant over 8 playoff games. They keep getting killed on the PnR and allowing opposing guards(including scrubs like Barea and Rivers) to get into the lane anytime they want. They constantly get beat down the floor for easy layups and dunks even after made baskets. These are problems that should be corrected immediately when they rear their ugly head. Instead, here we are halfway through the 2nd round and they still plague the Rockets. I can accept poor shooting, the occasional game with bad turnovers, missed foul shots, and inconsistent officiating. That goes with the territory in the NBA, especially with the Rockets. But to go into playoff games looking unprepared and uninspired starts with the coaching. McHale just doesn't have it in him to be that kind of leader. He's an ego manager. Not a strategist. We desperately need the latter.
Easy; I've been a sports bettor for over 5 years and I know the ins and outs of it all. This is why 95% of sports bettors are losers and Vegas and the bookies are filthy rich. Fans and bettors overreact to a game as use the last game as a guide to bet the next game. The Rockets are underdogs by +7.5 for Game 4. Everybody and their moms will unload their money on the Clippers thinking they will get the blowout win. But, Vegas and the refs will disappoint these bettors to rake in millions for them. Rockets will win Game 4; not just because I want them to, but because that's the way the crooked world of sports betting is.
Missing 2 starters. In the second round, and in the West, that's just too much to overcome. Also doesn't help to have a team philosophy that revolves around 3-pointers when our role players can't consistently hit them. Lack of D-Mo as a stretch 4 here really hurts. Still in all, it's nothing that can't be fixed. Use our picks this year to draft a PG and a wing, then go after Kevin Durant next summer.
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, I think that the Rockets seem contempt and happy to be in the second round. It was a wonderful season and we captured our division despite all the injuries. Harden is pooped. He is so tired after carrying the team for 81 grueling games. That's the only explanation I have for lack of defensive effort. And in offense he over dribbling the ball.
My theory: This is because in the regular season, teams don't have time to prepare to specifically beat a team and exploit its weaknesses and in the playoffs they have plenty of time to do so.
You guys are all wrong. We lost because we didn't play hard enough. We would be up 3-0 if our guys would just play harder and play with more effort.
We need to get some elite 3 point shooters on this team. This will make our "system" flow so much better.
Defense, and role players not stepping up at all. Not only have Ariza, Brew, Jet, Smith, and Jones been not playing well, but the majority of that group every night has just been plain bad. They just cannot seem to hit any shots. That seems to be the difference between us and the clippers at some points. They get open looks and knock them down seemingly every time. We get open looks and brick them consistently.
I completely agree. Those three first quarter plays practically guaranteed the outcome of the game for me. The plays I am referring to are pick and roll Paul and Griffin. HOW THE HELL DO YOU LET GRIFFIN GET AN OPEN DUNK THREE FREAKING TIMES FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE??? This is the best dunker in the league and sweet Lord...
All the things on your list and more. A total "brain fart" of colossal proportions. Plus, they are clearly more talented.
No fight + losses of Beverly/Dmo are hurting us big time. Dmo would make Blake work on defense, and he is a great positional defender. He may not stop Blake in the post, but he won't be as lost as Smith/Jones have been this entire series on defense. Terry/Jones/Ariza/Smith/Brewer have been useless this entire series. Brewer has just been putrid. Maybe i'm biased, but when the game slows down he's a useless player. His defense has been bad all year outside of playing the passing lanes/picking his man's pocket. He can't hit an open shot to save his life. Then we have Jones/Smith who have been useless on both ends this series. Terry/Ariza aren't hitting open shots (Terry did last game, but still). Clippers are a bad matchup for us. It's been that way for the last several years. We could've taken the Spurs, but Clippers just matchup very very well vs us.
Injury to key players - DMo & PatBev We're not the same team without PatBev's defense. And DMo was a very important role player.
I do feel that we are the more talented team. Come on - Dwight (defensive stalwart, offensive force), Harden, Terrence Jones (great rim finisher and help defender) and Ariza starting and Josh Smith and Brewer coming off the bench?? Exploit something!! They have DeAndre who is a total offensive liability - no post moves at all, Blake (tremendous - I'll give them that much), JJ Reddick - jump shooter, no defense, Barnes - scrub who shoots threes, and Paul/Rivers. We can't complain about injuries because their leading PG is hobbled and we aren't even playing well with him out. Too many turnovers from Harden - he is a great SG but as a primary ball handler with 3-4 turnovers a game... get real We are regressing to ISO ball way too often. ISO ball is predictable - Harden dribbles out the clock, drives and shoots or does a risky last minute pass. He has been doing that very well but as a main option when we go through droughts?? Once Harden gets another weapon - good man on man defense, then we will be unstoppable. He has improved this year but the wing defense is awful and Reddick going off after that great Game 1 analysis posted on clutchfans.. that is just ridiculous.
You didn't even list the best option - Clippers are an awful matchup for Houston, and that the Clippers are real damn good when healthy (unlike our team).
LOL The answer is defense. How is that not even an option in the poll? It's OBVIOUSLY defense. We're giving up 116 a game!
1) Talent level is not enough - no 2) Coaching is nonexistent - no 3) Coaching is reactionary not proactive - yes 4) Unfair reffing of the Rockets - allowing physical play on Dwight, not calling the arm swipes on Harden drives - sometimes 5) Injury to key players - DMo & PatBev BIG yes 6) Passive attitude of players of individual player - sometimes 7) Lack of execution - players don't do what coaches tell them - no The true reason is other than they are not stopping anything on defense is that the Rockets are just not hitting their shots. We are crappy offensively even though Harden is continuously setting up players for open shots. We start hitting more open shots and start defending we start becoming the Rockets we know we can be.
