ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 2/6/2025

WHAT HAPPEN TO, WE ONLY NEED SENGUN TO WIN?

 

landing back to earth after a hot start to the season.

teams are expecting a physical matchup going into games now. This team isn’t surprising anyone anymore.

And all teams have to do is pack the paint because no one this team can shoot the 3 ball

 

Yeah, the funny thing is I've seen tons of those air balls from Green the last 3 years and he still got over 30 minutes a game. It wasn't because he was so good on defense either.

 

Fat Ime needs to do some coaching.

Calling your team soft isn’t gonna work
Playing balls out maximum effort for 82 games isn’t sustainable or a strategy
Crashing the offensive glass to be your offense also isn’t sustainable

But sure, yes please, go call them soft again!

 

I’m thinking we can probably steal one of the non-Toronto games. I hope.

 

I wasn't just talking about Alpi. I'm talking about them both combined. For the season Jalen shoots 38% in the 4th quarter and 25% from 3. He does not show up at the end of games like he should.

You can say that Fred wouldve gotten Alpi the ball more, but the numbers don't really show that. In "clutch" time Jalen, Alpi and Fred all average about the same number of FGA. Alperen is by far the best "clutch" time shot maker of the three, but does not get the ball more than the other two.

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-traditional?TeamID=1610612745&dir=A&sort=FGA

Both Jalen and Fred are horrible clutch shooters. Amen has actually been the best clutch shotmaker but both him and Sengun are terrible freethrow shooters in "clutch" time.

I disagree.

This game got out of hand right at the end, but in the last 5 losses only the Memphis and New York game were games that we allowed well over the 109 ppg that we give up on average defensively. BUT Memphis is the top scoring team in the league and the Knicks are number 4.

The other two games against Brooklyn we didn't even break 100 points. Hell, Brooklyn only scored 99 the last game.

 

Amen is outstanding...but, has been low energy the last couple of games. And people have been ready to throw dirt on Bari....I think it is obvious that what he brings to the team is severely underestimated. We have been a leaking sieve defensively and rebounding has not been good. Ime alluded to "players playing 30 minutes with 3 rebounds....it's true...we had 3 players with 30+ mins with 3 and one with 28 mins. and 4.

 

green can create off the dribble. sheppard can’t get separation to get his own shot off. that’s why he can’t drive or get to the line. he needs to make open shots to stay on the floor

 

I think this is definitely Jalen’s issue—he’s had good moments in the clutch, but he’s not consistently a good clutch performer on offense. And on defense it can be argued that he’s just ok—not a liability, usually great effort, but he’s not a big burly guy and people can shoot over him.

I don’t know if it’s something that can be improved, but if it can’t be, then we need a true closer and Jalen can be more of a early game killer that we can go to in the fourth if he’s feeling it.

 

Haha, so much hedging in this take.

 

Agree 100% I really like Jabari.

 

The same guy that tells other posters they don’t know ball, views himself to have unbiased basketball knowledge, proceeds to use the most basic stat out of context to spin the performance of the player he’s a fan of.

Seem legit

 

Hey, we'll get things together. I'm not ready to throw dirt on us as a team. What has become clear to me is that we need ALL our players to be the team we saw that overachieved up until the last 1/2 dozen games. I think we have underestimated the depth that we were able to put on the floor with everyone healthy. I think not having that depth available has factored into play in the 4th qtr. particularly. We'll get back to where we were when all our pieces are available again.JMO.

 

Then maybe they should have...

 

I said it earlier, but I'm glad I'm drinking tonight!

 

Yep. We can fukkk the league up, when healthy.

 

I will agree to disagree, especially on the defense thing. We have been having stretches in games where we just give up lay up after lay up, late on switches, it doesn't even look remotely the same and even Ime has been grumbling about it a lot more lately.

They just don't have the same energy defensively that they've had for most of the season. Ime after the Knicks game even called out our 'supposed defenders' for not getting key stops, Brunson got lay up after lay up to close the game...and this game Edwards got three after three despite it being known he can hit threes off the dribble.

I don't care that much about the end game score, Brooklyn had 99, that game they should have had 93. Outside of that though the other games we gave up far more points, 127 tonight, 118 to the Knicks, 110 to that same Nets team, and then 119 to the Grizzlies.

We're not going to win shootouts. Its just not the type of team we've been all year long. Usually, we stop these star players from getting hot in the first place, which Ime was right to point out. I just don't see that gritty team right now that is going after it every possesion on defense, especially not tonight. The defense has slipped, we've been giving up more points, I mean it was fine a month ago but I'm just not seeing the same dedication on defense anymore.

 

Hey does anyone else hear that loud sucking sound?

 

have you ever played junk it up basketball

anybody else wondering if amen is dinged

do not understand why amen was not dogging ant in the fourth