Ban me for 6 months if the Rockets don't take OKC to at least 6 games

CX at least think of those kids in the Hangout Stock Mkt thread.....they're literally gonna be lost without you bro :grin:

 

You guys are hopeless.

If the Rockets reached the second round I will donate $100 to the tip jar.

I contributed before but couldn't find the reference for it many years back. This time I shall do better.

Forget the smoke screen last two games. This is a team sport. No games has been played yet. We will have to play at least 4, no? No need to be negative.

SS999

 

Smith was the best player in the 4th quarter against the Lakers - the biggest game of the season for the Rockets.

He made by far the biggest defensive play all game. He did it on an iso against Gasol, who was just on fire. Gasol caught the ball near the ball, squared up, and had room to work. Greg Smith blocked his shot - off an iso - not weakside, not off help. Had Gasol made that shot, game would have been iced. It's the type of big time defensive play you see from players like Big Ben and Duncan.

He was also the one to get the loose ball after Harden messed up the last play for the Rockets. He somehow managed to get the ball to Lin, who got it to Parsons for that shot.

I don't get this "Greg Smith disappears" BS is coming from. He's great at catching and finishing. It's really not his fault the offense calls for a contested Harden 3 when he's shooting brutally over allowing Smith to roll to the rim and finish, or a couple post-ups (the Rockets seem vehemently against this idea) for him or have DMo play 5 minutes over Delfino playing the PF.

How did the Lakers beat the Rockets? Great low-post play. Not by dribbling into people and hoping for foul calls, not by launching contesting 3s.

Great low-post play. Give the ball to your 7 footers, have them get close to the rim and get 2, or pass out to a 3-point shooter. It's that slow, low-post approach with Shaq that won those Lakers 3 Championships, with Rasheed that helped push the Pistons over the top, that the Spurs won 4 Championships with Duncan and Robinson, that the Lakers got with Gasol.

Don't blame the offense's lack of success on Greg Smith or the other bigs. This is far from their issue. They can't pass the ball to themselves.

 

Heck I think I messed up

Correction:

If the rockets did not at least reach 2nd round, I will tip $100.

SS999

 

On the off-chance the Rockets win in 5, would you still be banned?

(I realize that Clutch already said he wouldn't ban the guy regardless)

 

BS post... banned for life... you f-ing moron

 

ya like change his name to superjazzfanman

 

What about Rockets wins in 4-5 games, should you be banned?

 

they won't make it to game 6. rockets in 5.

 

You're saying that we need low-post play, versus hoping for the refs / launching threes.

Then you go on to give examples like Shaq, Sheed, Duncan and Gasol. You do realize that Smith and Asik are nowhere near those guys in terms of low-post presence / efficiency, right?

Also, it's not as easy as pitch it to Asik / Smith, and then they throw it back out for a less contested shot. Asik and Smith don't demand double teams like Shaq and Duncan did. If the post game for Asik and Smith is non-existent, there would be no reason to sag off the perimeter to help on Asik and Smith.

 

The only way the Rockets win more than 1 game in this series is if KD gets injured. Who covers him? I like Lin and Beverly on Westbrook, but KD will be unstoppable this series.

 

Stern wanted this series... there is huge ratings implications here, plus fans in general like watching OKC. NBA will extend this series... I suspect by game 3 or 4, Harden and Lin will be getting crazy calls in the lane.

I say 6 games easy.

 

Great observations. And since we have no post-game whatsoever (outside of occasional DMO up and unders)... isn't that even more evidence of McFail's failings? This is Kevin McHale we're talking about, one of the top 5 low post players of all time... and we have no post player and have Delfino cover Gasol in crunch time.

 

I love the Rox with all of my red little heart, but I'm going to miss you during those 6 months bro! :grin:

 

I'm not saying that Smith is anywhere near Duncan's galaxy of low-post play. But the Rockets don't need Hall of Fame low-post play. There are levels of low-post play.

Pau Gasol is well below Duncan in terms of low-post play - evidenced from his pre-Laker days when he'd just get owned by Duncan year after year, and was never even in the same conversation as guys like Webber or Rasheed. But Gasol eventually won a Championship in the right system (prior to that he was a 1 time All-star on a 1st round out team that has gotten better since he left with ZBo). And now he's seen as a Championship calibre low-post threat. Why? Right opportunity, right players around him.

The Rockets don't need DMo or Smith to have a low-post touch every single possession like Duncan, or an allowance of 20 fadeaways in the post like Rasheed. They don't need to carry the offense, the offense is fine with Lin/Harden/Parsons. But when it bogs down - which it will in the playoffs and when teams actually bother playing defense for an entire game, then DMo and Smith need to get a few touches in the post.

When you're losing a 10 point lead, Harden is shooting 8-25, 4 of 13 from 3
of 13 from 3, and Lin is looking scared and playing hot potatoe with the basketball, why is another 3 from Harden a good idea? It's nothing more than a prayer.

You're telling me when the games bogged down and the team's lost all momentum because Lin doesn't want anything to do with the ball, and Harden is about to launch another critical 4th quarter miss to make it 8 of 25 (8 OF 25!!!), you'd think it's a better idea for him to make it 8 of 26 than to see what Greg Smith or DMo can do 5-8 feet from the basket?

 

Spoiler

 

So you wouldn't come back until the start of the regular season. Nice.

 

The offseason is is the time real clutchfans fans need this site. What do you do without basketball? We provide rockets-aren't-playing-omg support to one another.

 

Staying away when we sign Howard? Thinking about who we are going to get in the draft? Wanting to put your 2 cents in when the trade ideas become absurd. This takes real guts.

The offseason is the true test. May the gods bless your prediction, CBxxY.

 

We're all upset about the loss, Greg, but if you keep jerking yourself off this hard, you're going to sprain your wrist.

We need you for the playoffs.