ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Clippers 11/4/2013

Correct, but it's too early to tell. it's not like you can win all 82 games. Every team can have bad games

 

I rematches the game twice already and Lin did not have a bad game. Just watch it and you'll see. Sometimes (and I do this often), the second look at a game is completely different from the first look. Probably something to do with expectations, etc. Same for movies. But most definitely, even Lin's defense was decent. Best among the starters today.

 

Do tell us what you would have done as coach.

 

People pointed out more picks for our PG. It was certainly helping CP3.

 

Nice post!

O, dangerous!! Better be careful!!

:grin::grin:

He's been battered by the coaching staff. Totally taking a backseat to Harden, Howard and even Parsons probably.

It's true, but twin towers AND Bev is suicide offensively. He wants Harden to be AI.

I dunno about that one. But I surely think something not just about basketball is happening to the decision makings, we'll see.

 

James Harden is casting his vote for J.J. Redick as Defensive Player of the Year.

What a wimp Harden was on the court last night.

 

Morey has done a great job making sure the Rockets don't have a PF. It appears he doesn't understand player positions.

Asik is a C (lack of mobility and offense)
Casspi is a SF (lack of size and strength)

Rockets won't be able to compete........ and against the Clippers last night this team was exposed!

 

In truth, we've not have a complete good game yet. Still working on a lot of defensive and offensive problems. Adding Howard is proving a tougher adjustment than simply adding Harden last year.

It seemed like tonight we could not adjust to Clippers' style of play. After the initial shock, we upped the effort but could not contain their ball and player movement.

 

Come on after one game. LOL

Can we not build some chemistry 1st.

Every team will be exposed from time to time ( 82 games) but that doesn't mean every team will exposed those weakness.

 

Didn't watch, thank gawd, only listened to this debacle on radio. Sounded like Harden wasn't 100%. Or even 50%. Hope he bounces back.

 

I would have put Brewer in the game to see if he could have done a better job on Redick.

I was screaming stick to your man all night. Them jokers were on fire.

 

Everyone wants to be the PG on this team even when harden was out, leaving the PG on the floor, lin or Brooks, a mismatch, a spot-up shooter, and making the whole damn game like street basketball. what's the preseason games and those practices were for? How many wide-open threes did we give them and what did we do during those timeouts?? A team's offense or defense should be built on " what we do", but definitely not "who we have"!! and a part of that "what we do" is on the COACHing staff! are we too good to play 2-3 zone or we just can't do that?

 

Asik and Howard dont work.

The team is noticably better when one is on the bench.

DD

 

We don't match up well against the clips. They have 2 dead-eye shooting guards in Redick and Crawford, and we have a deficit of defense at that position. Obviously it's even worse if we don't have Bev to cover Paul.

I'm worried we'll see more of the same tonight with the sharp-shooting Lillard, but the Blazers are a beatable team and hopefully we come out aggressive.

 

agreed, we won in preseason when asik didn't start, that is why the slow starts and we get behind 18 or 20 in the 1st 10 minutes of each game.

 

i kept saying all last night the way the refs were calling the games as aggresive as bev is he would have fouled out.

 

I give Harden a pass for this game. Three in four nights and coming off of lower back pain and a twisted ankle. He knows the team needs and expects him to lead them offensively but unfortunately he's human and everyone has an off night.

 

And they were like a smooth running oil machine where as we looked lost and confused.

 

Clippers are so tough at home, great shooting + refs calling all these ticky tacky and some straight up wrong calls made it really difficult for the rockets, especially mentally.

Other thoughts:

1. Our transition defense. Just straight up lols. It was especially bad last night, letting pretty much any of the clip's wingmen get easy barely contested layups anytime they pushed the ball.

2. Half court offense 1st unit. ABSOLUTELY terrible...again. ISO ISO ISO. Everyone is just standing there. Every time our reserves came in we actually looked like a team (Esp when casspi and cisco were on the court). There was ball movement and when 2nd unit players actually made drives it was because they had an angle to the hoop. This is been a pretty common theme all year long, really wish the coaches would make the 1st unit look at Spurs tape and how they move the ball. It is so disappointing to watch such talented players run iso offense that's identical to the pickup games at my local gym :\ On the bright side whats really interesting is despite our crappy half court offense we still have no problems dropping 100+ a night, just imagine if our half court ever runs smoothly.

3. Greg Smith, props for some great hustle. Last year at times he would do some serious moments of low IQ plays, poor position, situation awareness etc. Absolutely fantastic at both ends, wish he logged a few more minutes last night. He earned them.

4. While many here don't agree absolutely loved the fact McHale (for the most part) has time and time again keeps with his players that get us back into the game. Which didn't include Harden in the 4th. Some would argue you go with your #1 option regardless, but last night Harden's effort was non existent. There's a huge difference putting in a player when their shot isn't falling and when they are are barely trying.

5. Casspi and Garcia...absolutely MONSTER pickups when Morey. Both team players that know their role in the offense and actually run/move in our half court sets. Wish the rest of the team would follow suit.

6. Lin. Seriously can we send the league of video of all his non-calls? I can't remember a single non-center since I've been watching basketball that gets absolutely no respect from the refs like lin does. He either needs to start shooting more floaters or keep using that little pivot turn around mid range jumper. If the league called this guy even remotely fairly he'd be just be slightly below harden in ftas.

7. Despite all the BS calls and obscene shooting by the Clips rox still fought back multiple times to cut it close. Definitely can't complain about that. We were just a few "I partied too hard in LA last night" missed dunks/layups from making the Clips feel the pressure. Hopefully we can turn it around in Portland.

 

Got to give it up to the Clipper's, they executed their game plan to the tee. They forced us to play their brand of basketball. We tried to do a little of that lob city but kept missing Howard for the alley-hoop.

But hey we play them jokers Saturday, so pay back is a mofo.