Lebron himself is both faster than our small players while simultaneously bigger and stronger than our big players. Also AD is very quick. AD and LeBron nullified our entire small ball advantage on offense because they are quicker, longer and stronger. Meanwhile we get so tired out fighting with them down low
I love small-ball D. It's beautiful. The idea isn't wrong, but it needs better personnel. More guys in the 6'6" to 6'9" range, fewer in the 6'3" to 6'6" range. The key is to acquire the longest possible players who can shoot and can defend guards.
Before the series started I said that the Lakers would be the one team that could compete and kill our small ball. Because their small ball still consist of 6'8-7'0 guys like LeBron, AD, Kuzma and Morris. Add the fact that I didn't count Rondo playing lights out. After the first game adjustment that I knew they would make by taking Mcgee and Howard out the lineup, we were done.
It was differently a mistake to run an adjustment as the premise of the team. As long as we learn from it we will be better for it.
You can most certainly win with 7-8 6-4 to 6-9 guys. Anyone that thinks otherwise is an absolute moron. Also, Austin Rivers is soft. He was cringey gun shy in the playoffs, and quick to blame everyone else. Very amusing to watch his little interview, and I hope it signals his swift exit.
It’s amusing watching our own fans not understand the meaning of “smallball”. It isn’t small-ball, it is skill-ball. It’s simply replacing unskilled bigs with players that are slightly smaller that can also spread the floor, handle the ball and switch. It isn’t some novel idea. It is so incredibly amusing that people actually believe that adding Dwight Howard back on this team would make us better at basketball, because we would have a larger person at the 5. They would be wrong, again. Clearly and obviously, the right personnel can win and win big with so called “small-ball”. Need to find better rebounders that can also switch to eliminate that advantage. Lastly, our defense wasn’t the problem AT ALL. Our defense was and IS elite. Switching is the future (also Dan Langhi) and going away from it with a goofy big man is a franchise killing suggestion. It’s the 17th ranked offense that did us in. Fix it.
This isn't about Rivers and how bad he was in the playoffs. Yes, he didn't play good at all but the fact of the matter is he's right... The small ball experiment was a very dumb idea to begin with. Obviously it didn't work out either and I really hope the Rockets don't try it again
More like be hammered with foul calls like PJ Tucker. Why can't people complaining come to the consensus that it was going the Lakers no matter what? Rigging isn't against the law as it is considered privatized entertainment.
This is a trash attitude and kind of shocking coming from Rivers. I thought he was about that life. Everyone was going to be outmatched defensively. Even if you thought the tactic was foolish, you had to buy in for it to work. No wonder he was so ass, he didn't believe in anything the Rockets were doing.
I don’t know how many times this has to be said. The Rockets plan was never to play small ball. The Rockets has to have players that could shoot from the outside and also defend multiple spots. Capela could do neither and Covington could do both. The Rockets need a C that can shoot because Westbrook cannot. The Rockets tried to add size at the deadline, they tried adding Wood and Holmes and other bigs that have size and can shoot. Teams didn’t want to deal for a #1. So the Rockets had to go with Tucker at the 5. The Rockets lost in large part because Davis and LBJ could shoot and defend AND were bigger. No one has stopped the Lakers this year... not just the Rockets. I will take Covington going forward over Capela, he is a better fit and a better player. The Rockets will try to add skilled size this off season so Covington can play more 3 and some 4 and Tucker can play less and play the 4.
Yeah... well it isn’t coincidence that he learned he isn’t likely to get the pay day he thought from the Rockets and is talking differently. In the words of The Orange Man “it is what it is”.
Fair enough... take Howard and McGhee out. Still some of the biggest longest players. Tucker basically played like he was a bench stool for Adams in previous series. MDA is a sadistic mofo.
I will say Rivers is a shooter and I don't think he's that trash. I don't think anyone lost their shooting as the season went on, it's just that it wears on them having to do it night after night. I think there is something to having tired legs from well...fighting AD in the post for rebounds. Play guys at what they do, don't throw a fish into a hamster cage and expect it to swim.
