ClutchFans Game Thread: Warriors @ Rockets 11/2/2024

Oh and that ref who allowed Draymond to shout at him, cuss him out and then stare him down can go **** himself.

 

Ime has always said, he wants the team to play fast. I've always said, Sengun compares favorably to Sabonis but if you look at Sabonis, he plays faster than Sengun.

If you're a smaller center, you have to play fast, quick. And I'll though Sengun has slimmed down, he's continue to play at the same pace.

However, it's obvious Ime and Sengun are not on the same page.

 

It's strange, I woke up had this inclination to turn on the 2nd half from last night. I realized that I felt GOOD about last night's game and it was an L.

That doesn't mean I'm happy on how we got there or how it ended up, man... we have a lot of guys that are impressionable still, and you show them that you can absolutely win a game where you were down 30pts and you create an environment where there is no give-up.

Thinking back on it... if anything, this team should be able to rely on 4 people:

Coach Ime
Sengun
Green
FVV

Those SHOULD be our constants towards winning, but each still have their own struggles, and last night was like everything else coming to play and making the comeback. I question so many decisions in the game. Sheppard playing like 5min, Sengun being benched half the night, putting FVV back in late in the game after he stunk, benching JG for an hour with all but asking him.to be Maxwell in the 4th of G3 vs Utah in 95 as if his cold hand is going to lead us to the promised land. When the starters aren't working then keep roating guys that want to play and disrupt, don't go back to the formula that got you down 31.

When we play defense and fly it's so fun to watch, but unless Alpi is on... our halfcourt sets are difficult to watch.

If someone told me we'd be
.500 after the first two weeks I wouldn't have been surprised. Now, if you told Udoka's rotations were making zero sense, Sengun is uncharacteristically off, FVV can't hit the broad side of a barn, and JG has only had 1 bad game in 6 then I'd be pretty surprised.

At this point we should be able to depend on them to be on more often than not. I'm glad that JG has been moreso, but man this team has to figure out this Jekyll/Hyde crap. Any team can be cold for a few minutes, but this is a new level of wtfery and it needs to end immediately - that's on coach.

I've liked him, but something feels off this young season and I hope it changes. I'm glad our young guys saw that possibility last night though.

DON'T get in that position, but still have it ingrained in you to never let up because there's always the possibility that you can turn a game on its head with the right focus, energy, attitude, and defense. Praise to Tari killing it, Amen being pretty unstoppable (but man he needs to work on his threes if they're going to just come off him like that), and even Bari somewhat down the stretch of regulation.

What a game. Not the outcome anyone wanted, but that 2nd half...wow.

 

Jalen Green and FVV were both awful. It's hard to overcome that, but they almost did. That's a testament to the bench. Jalen had the kind of game that he just can't continue having at this stage. He couldn't hit anything, but frustratingly only went to the line twice and had one rebound in 33 minutes. He wasn't nearly aggressive enough. He couldn't hit his threes and was even worse from two. As bad as he was, FVV was nearly just as awful. So why then did Udoka play them a combined 74 minutes?! That's a massive coaching failure.

It's a damn miracle this game ended up even being close.

 

When your starting backcourt shoots like that, you aren’t going to win many of those games. Completely agree with your last statement. Teams down 31 don’t ultimately send games to OT in the NBA. That they did is a huge testament to effort and not quitting…cause it would have been really easy to pack it up.

 

Tari, amen, and cam are all better than Jabari, brooks and VanVleet.

Tari and Amen should be starting.

 

Amen did in the 4th last night what Fred cannot. I'm going to finish at the rim and there isn't anything you can do about it. We are stuck in 2nd gear until Ime decides to trust Amen (and eventually Reed who was in when we made the run).

Jalen had a bad game but this was eventually going to happen. When his backcourt partner can't punish teams for trapping him there isn't much else that can be done. This will happen tomorrow as well. He's going to get trapped and FVV is going to go 3/16 again in a loss.

Sengun left this skills and his weight back in Turkey or something.

 

You did not, however, if you're going to say we gotta get rid of someone quickly because time matters in the NBA, surely you have a plan of action to replace Ime, right?

 

What a game! From putting me asleep in the first half, to waking up at halftime hoping we'd play some of the bench more, to then orchestrating a dramatic comeback. The art of the possible was on display last night. What we could have done better and a few observations...

- Coming back from that deficit took tremendous energy and will power. Instead of riding their dicks into the dirt, Ime needed to supplement them with Alpi, Cam and Reed. I love our coaching staff, but they needed to realize we have to give these guys a break and others need to step up.

- I thought Bari took a step up last night, especially with his role in the comeback.

- Tari willed us back in that game and Amen jumped on his example. Crazy exciting duo.

- Don't understand why we didn't use Sengun in certain critical situations, like those last FTs where we lost the rebound and potentially the game. Alpi should have also started the overtime to give GS a different look and let Bari catch his breath.

- Fred has started the season playing like the back-up PG. He needs to snap out of it.

- Jalen finally had a bad game, he can't be superman every night, so he needs to shake it off and put back on his cape.

Although this was a loss, the way these guys fought their way back was exciting and inspiring. Well done young fellas, now build on this energy.

 

So disappointed that they lost, but wow, that was one of the most insane quarters and a half (2nd half of the 3Q and the 4Q) I’ve ever seen. Even better than T-Mac's 13-point (for its duration of the comeback and being down 31) and almost as good as the Game 6 playoff comeback against the Clippers. The Rockets put up 76 points (37+39) in the second half - you can win with amazing defense!

 

It will take a century for stubborn Udoka to change his starting lineup.

 

The Only Way Reed Sheppard gets playing time. Destroy Fred VanVleet in practice.

Fred is not your friend or mentor, he is competition. Reed Sheppard must realize this, take it seriously.

 

Let's pray on this.

 

That's the only place we can't send him, actually...

 

It's time for the yuts to take over. Amen and Tari should start. We can not afford to play catch up bb.

 

The bench got us back and he threw the starters back in to lose it.

 

Fred VanVleet blocking path of Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday.

It feels a lot like Rafer Alston blocking path to Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry. Next Season Goran Dragic in a Trade.

Very Deja Vu

Remember Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood blocking Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun Minutes and Development their Rookie Season.

Rafael Stone is maddening creating obstacles for Rookies, blocking their path. Now looking back Fred VanVleet should've been traded after Drafting Reed Sheppard. Ime Udoka only guy hates giving Rookie playing time early.

 

Udoka is still figuring out the right player combos, and that's ok. There's so much depth on this team and young talent with different styles. Jabari is like a brand new man in a small, fast lineup. That Amen, Tari, Jabari combo was freaking lethal.

It's time to purge the young talent and stick with the combo that is most effective.

 

I'd like to see McVeigh get a shot.

Nice to see Reed hit that deep 3. More, please!

We all need to pray for Cam's stroke to return.

 

No heart bubbles. Reed isn't playing more because his defense is very bad.