Blazers' Robin Lopez after losing 2 games to Spurs

You would trust us to get a big basket when we need one?

Even the Parsons put back was predicated on a rebound. We generally have Harden stepback jumper and that's about it.

 

****KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK and we're stuck with him for another year

 

Sucky one should try ALL CAPS..

'NOWS THE TIME TO TURN IT UP, KNOCK HIS @$$ OUT! SUBMIT HIM!! YOU HAVE GOT TO GET IT DONE!!! TAKE HIM DOWN MAN! CONTROL THE FIGHT!!!! TAKE HIM DOWN!!!! YOU GOT TO GET A TAKEDOWN TO WIN'

 

That would be a different discussion and probably not appropriate for this thread. Since both their games were blowouts and the context of what he said was that it was easy to defend us, it would be difficult to compare what SA would do if they need a big basket against the blazers.

 

That is a good point. Just wanted to note the distinction.

Maybe we are "easier" to defend because we have 3-4 guys standing there watching Harden dribble the ball.

 

I agree with you. I was just taken aback with his statement because our reputation as a team is that we are very good offensively (regardless of the system we implement) and are ranked on the top 5. My perception of our loss to the blazers is not because we cannot score - it's because we can't defend.

 

Can't blame the refs.

The team didn't make the Defensive and Offensive plays when they mattered the most.

How many times did we see them not be able to get the defensive rebound when it mattered? Or Aldridge scoring at will over smaller guys? (first two games, certainly). Or missed layups? Leaving guys wide open for 3pt shots? Or Harden depending on the whistle to elevate his game?

Lopez is getting the same offensive rebounds vs. the Spurs, but they're converging on him with two guys as soon as he gets it and blocking his shots; they don't sit around stunned when they don't get a rebound.

That leads us to the relative youth of the entire team. Dwight is the only core vet on this team. The others guys are as green as players as McHale is as a coach. Problem is, is that Dwight is in his prime and wants to win NOW. Next year will tell whether anyone else is up to the task and has the brains, will, and skill to help Dwight put a contender together.

 

Unfortunately, RLopez is 100% right. I wish it wasn't so but our coach sucks.

 

Actually it's both, Rockets if they scored at key times, they would win despite the poor defense (2005 Suns). They should have at least made the second round of the playoffs. But because they are so predictable, they are easy to stop, unless Harden makes a miracle shot. This is all ironic because so many people defended Mchale saying that his offense is read and react, therefore you couldn't predict it like you would a set play, they were clearly wrong.

 

Lopez said it all. I think its amusing how certain people are distancing their comments from Lopez's comments.


"With Houston, there wasn't any -- not that much pressure on defense.
And offensively, they focused a lot more on isolation game, whereas
San Antonio's swinging the ball."

- Lopez
Portland Trailblazer

 

Yes they did. Pretty sure they are addressing both issues in the off season.
Dwight Howard will make sure of that !

 

Man......

That's all I can muster...

Just....Man.....

 

Its all on coachinhg, sheeesh

How anybody can blame one player for all the problems that this team has is unbelievable.

McHale cannot coach playoff bsketball -- its that simple.

The Clippers fired their coach last year even though they won 50+ games because Del Negro was not a playoff coach

Phil Jackson replaced Collins, and later replaced Del Harris, Carslile replaced Avery johnson, etc--because in the end its all about playoff coaching.

All your regular season weaknesses are exposed in the playoffs and the Rockets have too many to blame one guy

 

McHale is getting a brain transplant?

 

You can flame me all you want, but it's easy to identify the reason we lost 2 specific games in this series.

Look, I despise McHale. As a person, he's a good dude. As a coach-- after all the time I tried to pray for patience with him--he is GARBAGE. Plain and simple.

There is a huge difference between a Players' Coach and a "Friend." McHale is not a players' coach. He is a cheerleader who, once in awhile, gets his incompetent, C-walking ass off a bench he doesn't deserve to sit on.


But back to this: We lost 2 games in this series because of Jeremy Lin. He made not one, but 2 of the worst decisions near the end of a PLAYOFF game that I have EVER seen. Both times, he just had to hold onto the ball, but he wanted some extra shine. Jeremy Lin blew our chances, 2 games in a row. Yes, this is a team game, but if you look at the play by play in those final moments, the reality is that Jeremy's errors cost us. Badly.

Blame goes around the team for lack of togetherness during many games, but again, that starts from a coach and trickles down. McHale never brought this team an IDENTITY. They don't know who they are as a team because McHale has NO IDEA WHO HE IS AS A...coach. I can barely type coach next to his name at this point. I'd rather have Ray Charles calling the shots. At least he'd listen to the smarter people around him. Oh hi there, Kelvin Sampson.

It sucks watching Robin Lopez play in the second round. That's where we were supposed to be. It was an EXPECTATION of second round or bust. With the best 2 in the league and one of the best centers, there is NO reason we shouldn't be wearing red today. None. Oh wait, there is Kevin McHale, a weak-minded coach that cannot accept responsibility for his infinite mistakes, but instead, passive-aggressively criticizes his players to the media. The ball gets "sticky"? Really?! DO something about it. Change your game up. The way he just sits on the bench twiddling his thumbs and praying for a miracle is disgusting.

During those games that we barely won because of horrible defense or bad substitutions/ineptness to seeing mismatches, McHale always walked out to the locker room with that dumb smirk on his face and rubbing someone's back like he planned the collapse all along. Real coaches wouldn't be GRATEFUL for a win. They would have ANTICIPATED the possibility of losing and adjusted before a collapse revealed itself. Real coaches don't walk out smiling like that. They are disappointed with the effort because they know the team can be better. If you are that "big homie" with your players all the time, that's eventually all you're going to represent to them. Just another friend in a suit that cheers you on during the good times, but belittles you or freaks out because of a lack of coaching fundamentals or understanding of in-game flexibility. Like...how about a game plan when our guys get the rebound so they don't blow an unnecessary layup like Jeremy did. Or, how about calling a damn time out to save a possession BEFORE Jeremy turns the ball over? You know, common sense?

You can't blame our season on Jeremy. But, he definitely is to blame for two games. Don't tell me what I already know--the team was struggling all game. However, we were either UP or tied before Jeremy killed it for us.

Can you blame the season on McHale? Not totally. But, you can blame him for walking in blindly to the season, without an identity plan for his team, lacking voice, having no expectation for James to move the ball, not demanding more accountability from Dwight on the defensive end, and more or less, facilitating an environment that didn't foster professional growth as players and a team.

God bless those of you that respect this guy as a coach. I wish I could. I tried, but he doesn't warrant that respect. Now, I just pray for patience and hope that I don't have to see him playing tic-tac-toe on his game board.

We can do better. This team is better. Your coach should be on the same elite level as your team, not below.

And by the way, who is Robin Lopez? Now he has an opinion after lackluster season after season. It must suck to be the less talented brother, huh?

/Rant

Love my Rockets and the real fans. Peace

 

I like ISO harden tactic.
Which make this team more interesting and funny entertained to watch.

 

Agree with you.....

 

Is that what the posters here thought? Or is that what McHale thought? Because judging from what I saw in the playoffs: the rotations, the defensive schemes & adjustments, and late game offensive sets (or lack of), I'm gonna go with the latter.

 

Lopez telling it like it is.
Defense wins championships. Old saying but true.
Pretty sad that he is saying he didn't feel the defensive pressure from the Rockets.

On that note... Harden led the league in fast break points apparently during the regular season. Big deal. In the playoffs, there are no easy buckets. He got swatted left and right going to the rack. His offense dropped because other teams turned up the defense but yet his defense was still piss poor. That's why Batum and company went off and lit him up.

Having a structured offense like the Spurs with organization helps guarantee points even when the defense is tighter in the playoffs. Playing and1 ball and ****ty defense ain't gonna cut it. Next year, there should be no excuses.

Harden has to follow the system. He has to give effort on defense every game. They need to continue to develop that Harden/ Howard pick and roll that was very effective in the playoffs. They need to find more ways to score organized points in the midrange.

 

So they could barely beat us. They needed NBA apology and a lucky shot
Go in in .9 of a second, and the clock started a tad late. A few free throws were missed (which happens), and Lopez just acting
Like they owned us. Lollllzzzzzzz
That's what's funny about the quote, and not
The "bad coaching", and every other statement I read.