Yep. The game could’ve gone either way. Also, Dorian Finney-Smith was out for the game. This guy was a big offseason acquisition that gives the Rockets a string 6’7” wing that can hit the 3 ball and play good defense. Overall, I thought the Rockets looked pretty darn good considering they lost FVV for the season.
They did look good for their first game. Their offense is a work in progress and unfortunately they have a pretty sh*tty offensive coach. The players are going to have to figure this out on their own. Amen is going to have to get selfish which I think he will. He easily could have had 30 points last night. His ability to drive to the hoop will free up Durant, if he punishes the defense by scoring and getting to the line. I think he ends up a decent 3 point shooter, I think he had the jitters much like he had the first game of the playoffs last year.
My only concern is Amen. I know for certain KD and Haliburton's Achilles injuries began with calf issues. If I'm the staff he's sitting until he can go a week being pain free, even if that takes a month.
Amen sitting isn’t an answer to fixing the lineup because he is elite at everything else. A lineup of league average PG with Amen, KD, Jabari and Sengun would be very difficult to deal with. Amen in the dunkers spot and slasher role is devastating. There should be enough spacing with KD, Sengun and Jabari and a decent PG. I think Amen can hit 30-32 percent of his threes this year. He has clearly put in a lot of work.
Here's my overreactions: Trade Reed he's a mediocre shooter not elite, a full blown midget and his "explosive hops" apparently only work when nobody's watching, a bit like the invisible boy in that movie. Tari can get benched for DFS if he keeps playing that way. Şengün is god. That is all.
Usually the best players in league on best teams ala Curry, LeBron, Ant, Jokic. Gonna be hard for rockets to get past the teams. If defense can't do it , then they might need to trade for one Maxey?
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! If KD hits his free throw, we in. If Reed hits his, we win. If Alpi hits his, we win. You should expect to play KD a lot against the best team in the league. You won’t have to play him that much in other games. This was the marker you wanted to measure yourself against. Double OT, on the road against defending champs, first game of the season. Can’t be too mad other than staying up all night for a L. (Yes, Im old). Went a lot better than those GS playoff games.
We were up against an OKC team that had played together for a long time—cohesive, synchronized, and confident in their system. Meanwhile, we had changed three players in our starting five, still unfamiliar with each other and lacking any real offensive chemistry or structured sets. Even so, we took last year’s champions to double overtime on the road and lost by just one point. However, I don’t believe this current roster will ever truly develop on-court chemistry. So maybe the best move is to blow it up. Yes, let’s sell the team. If we sell the entire team, we’ll open up massive cap space—and with that, we can fill the roster with pieces that actually fit. Then the championship will be ours, guaranteed
past those teams? rockets were the scond best team reg season. if only JG didn't chicken out in the playoffs we defintely beat GSW. And we got rid of him now and replaced him with KD.
I think the rockets will be solid team this year. Eastern conference finals very likely. Let's see them Gel. Maybe one last piece away from getting to finals yet that piece can be Amen , who knows., I mean the thunder are so good.
Would you trade Reed for Scott Henderson? They both have the same salary...Scoot could use a change of scenery and is a much better ball-handler than Reed...we'll lose 3pt shooting, but we'll get a point guard who can drive to the basket and stay in front of his opponent.
Newsflash….nobody wants Reed. Teams don’t just trade without a ton of research. He has zero value. Their first thought will be why is the most pg desperate team in the NBA giving up on the 3rd overall pick in last year’s draft so quickly…..he must really suck!!!
I don't get the hysteria. We came close to beating a really good team. We have a lot of young players. Give them time. Now, if certain players don't improve at all in 4 months, then I might start thinking about trading guys, but not yet. It's far too early in the season to freak out and go crazy with doomsday mentality when our team barely lost.
