ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Spurs 10/16/2023 (Preseason)

Boy, y'all are crazy! Lol....magically 4 inches taller.

 

On the real, we need a center. Any suggestions? How other teams have 2 and 3 and we don't have one legit center behooves me.

I would take a good backup center in trade right now.

 

This was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless. I loved that Ime brought Alpi out for a minute to talk with him and try to get him on track. That's good coaching.

Things I loved...
- FVV's ability to cut in front of ball-handlers and just pick their pocket is awesome!
- Jeff Green. Dude is perfect vet leader who can provide a spark (block was nice) or coach on the court.
- Amen appears to have tamed his shot, which is huge. He still needs to learn to better control his game, but the potential is enormous.
- Holiday is a solid third PG and that is important over an 82 game season.

Players are going to have bad games. Let's see how Alpi and Bari bounce back on Weds against the same team. The offense is still evolving and it looks like we're still trying to figure a few things out (Smith and Brooks taking the same amount of shots is not a good).

 

I will say, I have been underwhelmed by Amen's handles so far. His passing is great, but his handles need to tighten up.

I'm sure they will tighten up. I'm not worried. But I was just wondering if anyone else thinks his ball handling is shaky or if I'm just being ridiculous.

 

I would say it's similar to a player like Josh Giddey. Kinda similar situation in that the sg they have on the team might have more "creative handles"(SGA and Green) but Giddey and Amen having a different pass first mindset and just being taller giving them a higher ability to find open teammates than SGA or Green.

 

Yikes, that was a rough game for the starters, especially considering the competition. Unfortunately, there's gonna be plenty of games like this with a young team.

Brooks already shooting too much smh. Cam needs to reign it in a bit also if he wants to be in the rotation.

 

This. Center is a massive glaring hole at the moment. They need another big in the worst way!

 

Sengun didn’t really guard Collins that much.

 

I am just an idiot watching but it seems like he's still not able to account for the highly leveled up size and speed of NBA players vs OTE and plays he would normally make based on athleticism get blown up

 

"Behooves"?

Befuddles?

Ah, f*** it, this team's roster sometimes "behooves" me as well.

 

I know player comps are a bad idea for several reasons, but I am trying to think about what kind of players our young guys project to be. A while ago, I was thinking that Amen could be an enormous and more athletic version of Rondo - which would be awesome.

But if he never really becomes a great ballhandler, he might take more after Lonzo Ball or Josh Giddey - guards with size who are great passers, but aren't the ballhandlers or orchestraters you want running the offense. Ball and Giddey are good connective players and passers, but aren't the guys who run the show on offense. (Giddey is obviously also really young and not a finished product, so who knows what he ends up being as a player. But sometimes I see current Giddey in Amen's game.)

Either trajectory would be ok. I'm just still very unclear as to what his final form could look like, which is probably to be expected only 3 preseason games into his career.

 

I'm glad somebody else called out the misuse of "behooves," always drives me mad when people use words they definitely don't understand.

 

You guys think Collins looked good, wait until you see Wemby.

Never seen a game that we won feel more like a loss.

DD

 

Tank for Alex Sarr

 

All these NBA podcasts run together for me, but I believe it was Zach Lowe on his podcast last week talking about the twins and either he was told by someone or he came up with it himself that a really good outcome comp for them is Amen being an Iguodala and Ausur being a Marion.

 

Vizzini: "In-con-THIEV-able!"
Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

 

Not Cooper flagg?

 

I will preface this by saying it's still early and it's preseason so I may be overreacting here, but this game shows why Jalen is our first option on offense and why him being efficient this year is very important for us (I would even go as far as saying it's the most important thing for us this season.) Sengun has not looked good without Jalen on the floor. I think Jalen's gravity really opens up the court for everyone else. I hope it's just preseason things, but Sengun being dominated last two games is not a good sign. He really needs to have a great season this year or else he won't be a part of this team's future (this applies to Jalen too.) I also didn't like how Jabari passed up multiple open 3s ... it's like he didn't trust his shot at all. We drafted you for your shooting and defense so let it fly if you are wide open. FVV's defense was really great this game. Brooks missed a lot of shots, but he played good D. Besides the dunk, Cam has not looked good at all this game. We really miss Tari out there that's for sure. Aaron Holiday and Uncle Jeff looks serviceable so that's a good sign. The best player this game was definitely Amen. If he can keep up shooting like this, the sky is the limit. He played great D, passed the ball well, and shot the ball well. He just needs to clean up some of his lay-ups around the rim. If he can go back to his floater game he would've been more efficient this game

 

It is SA home court, let them look better, they should be playing better with a master strategist Pop.

The personnel was overhyped anyway because everyone was so active coming from Lake Charles and were more prepared than most other teams on Transition D.

Collins worked his butt off as well but non SA fans do not see that.

 

Never???