ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 3/31/2025

Its called a back-to-back that doesn’t happen in the playoffs. And he played 8….

 

OkC played 13 in the playoffs? Virtually every coach slims down the rotation to 8 come playoffs.

 

He played more than8 the night before and one or two (Tari for sure and maybe Adams) didn’t play the night before.

this was an actual playoff matchup potential and therefore warranted treating it as such.

 

Tari got T'd for getting hype with our own bench (Even Lakers broadcast bewildered)

 

i think if we don't play 9-10 players every night we aren't taking advantage of a strength of our team.

yes whitmore should play + tate/reed/holiday depending on matchups.

 

First off, I don't give a care about LeBron and Luka, neither of which physically looked totally like themselves last night, especially LeBron. One game doesn't define them. LeBron rested while he was on the floor and picked his spots.

I never said Alpi was an all-time player and never said Jalen was a top 10 player. Where in the world are you pulling that from? After the Jazz game, I said Alpi played "like" a franchise player, but he clearly isn't one. Same for Jalen. I've never put them on the mountain top. I give them props after good games too.

If you think I'm a Jalen hater, you are just ignorant, which is not my problem.

 

The most stubborn coaches deploy an extremely shortened bench and those with a control issue.

And when it is not even the playoffs.

 

I just explained you my opinion on why I think it would be to our advantage to play more than 8. Feel free to explain your reasoning on why we should stick to 8, other than “the other coaches do it”.

 

Just a couple of things:
Rockets adapted and stopped reaching on Luka, who only had 1 FT in the 2nd half.
Lakers seem to be copying the Mavs strategy of PnR-ing teams to death to create mismatches for Luka. It's hard to avoid. However, it did seem crazy the number of times Fred was guarding LeBron or Luka.
I'm not as down on the refs. Lakers philosophy the last 3 years is to bait the refs for as many fouls as possible. It's sickening but opponents must adapt to it.

Udoka not giving Holiday some minutes with Fred playing like a dog blows my mind.

Rockets have more high-stakes games coming up so the chance to bounce back is there. The rematch with the Lakers next-to-last game might tell us more than this one. I cannot wait!

 

Interesting how that tech FT covered the spread in the end lol

 

So? You said he should play 9 and he played 8…

 

Then why are you saying one game confirmed we don't have legit stars? You're clearly acknowledging 1 game shouldn't define players and yet you went on to do just that against our home grown stars.

If 1 game is enough to confirm what they aren't, then why wasn't one game enough to confirm what they are? My point is, you are dismissing Jalen's incredible game - literally the previous night - and saying it's overwritten w/ his stinker last night and that stinker is enough to know he's not a legit star.

And if you gave them mere criticism after a bad game I'd have probably "liked" your post. Identical to several other posts in this thread that appropriately criticized Alpi and Jalen that I did in fact like.

If you can't figure it out yet, my problem is w/ you using 1 game to define Alpi and Jalen. Criticize them all you want. I'm happy to support constructive criticism. Even some rabid fandom criticism. But defining their ceiling with 1 game is indefensible and was my entire point.

 

Your mistake is assuming I used one game to define Jalen or Alpi. You are dead wrong. In fact, during January, I pointedly tossed out the pathetic first 30 games of this season for Jalen, saying the final 50 + playoffs were all that mattered for evaluation. Well, we are pretty deep into those 50 games and the opinion I had based on the body of work in 2025 was supported by last night.

But it ain't over til' it's over. There are 6 games left + the playoffs for Jalen to finish things up on a better note.

I sure hope he's angry at himself.

 

From what I'm seeing, they are far too dependent on him attacking the paint. Even when Senguin gets the ball on the edges, he drives into the paint where it's packed with two or three defenders swiping at the ball and bumping him. Sure he gets a lot of foul calls but at the same time, he turns over the ball an awful lot as well. This causes the offensive flow to stagnate and they end up going for periods without scoring a basket. This is what happened last night, when, during crunch time at the end of the game, they weren't able to retake the lead from a Laker team that had gone over 4:30 mins without scoring a basket. The Lakers defense collapsed into the paint which took away most of Houston's offense. The lack of spacing and outside shooting killed them (looking at you FVV). If you'll recall the first Mavs game after the Luka trade when AD was playing, this is how the Mavs played them and they ended up getting destroyed. Going forward (I'm looking at next year) Ime has to revamp his offensive strategy for them to take that next step.

 

I would like to see a deliberate effort to get Jabari more involved on offense. He's earned it and things would really open up.

 

When we play these guys again, I'd like to see Tari Eason get some legitimate touches against smaller players. If every other team in the league can walk through PnR plays to get their matchup, Tari should do that, too. If he's got Luka on him, there's a quickness advantage; if it's Goodwin or Vincent, put him on the block.

And while we're at it, Amen needs more action run in the half-court. We can't have dynamic athletes and then stand around/crash the glass. It's too simple.

 

But if he's the allstar and so called "best player" on the team then his responsibility should be too carry the team, correct? The same way any other team's best player does. Or is Sengun above accountability? Which one

 

Today was an example of a bad Dillon Brooks game, the type of game I was weary of when we signed him. He was too amped up given the matchup.

Jabari needs to play more, his shooting and rebounding are critical. Fred over Jalen was criminal at the end, but we know Ime trusts his vets too much. I wonder what some of the younger players have to do to earn that type of trust to being on the floor no matter how bad they're playing? Just more experience? Who knows. Very poor Ime rotations game in general.

Seemed like we were experimenting with stuff this game. I doubt we play that much zone in a potential playoff series. Not too mad at the loss, but annoyed at how predictable it was.

 

Don't misunderstand me - I'm in agreement with you on his shortcomings. I'm scratching my head over Ime's offense and how he's being used. He's really good but he's being tasked to play a really physical game in the paint against several big guys every game. And like you said, when you look at games like last night's he's literally having to carry the team. But why is that? Is it because they (Rockets) still lack the right players? Or, are those players stuck sitting on the bench because of Ime? Also, if Senguin is their best player, then what does that make Green? Last night's game should have been a statement to the league and the Lakers. They were playing for their 50th win. Instead, it was more of the same goobly-gook on offense from them that leaves me with more questions than answers.

 

Dude he's a CENTER. Playing against physical bigmen is his position lol. Hes a bigman! The whole zone double big defense was implemented to hide Sengun's lack of defense. This is SENGUN'S fault not anybody else's. On offense hes not being asked anything more than anybody elsr. He needs to correct this stop the excuses