ClutchFans Game Thread: Nuggets @ Rockets 12/13/2014

We got some grown-ass men on the low block these days.

 

I think people tend forget how good Pau Gasol was/is, he's easily one of the top 10 best pf of all time. Dmo might actually have more post moves than gasol but Pau was a great rim protector in his hey day could pass and has always and still is a great rebounder. Not to mention Pau is long and athletic.

I think dmo is more like a 7 ft scola which as we all know is surely a top 5 pf in the NBA and an allstar. Scola was a good rebounder not great but he knew were to be at all times. I think with time dmo will grow into this and hopefully be able to get us the 8-10 reb a game we need. They both arnt great leapers but scola was a small 6'9, dmo is a legit 7ft tall.

I'm really digging dmo every team can use a big like him. He's only going to improve as he learns the game and it catches up to his confidence. He's the type of player the rockets need to cultivate for big picture if you want a spurs like system of developing from within and long term sustained success. I think it's critical that we lock up dmo ASAP and have him and harden build chemistry for the next 8-10 years. Imagine the longevity it's going to add to Dwight's career if we can rest him 15 games a year because we have dmo.

I think Morey has a good problem on hand and he might need to seriously think about locking up dmo for sure and jones this summer and let these guys develop as the big man rotation. Howard/dmo/jones is a deadly combo and gives you different looks depending on your matchup.

If jones can buy into the Lamar Odom role of the bench this team will be set for the next 8 years at pf.

 

I was quietly confident that Dwight would have a very good game, but he was just amazing. I loved his blocking, rebounding and jump hooks. He looked very nice out there with D-Mo which came as a pleasant surprise.

Harden now has so much trust in D-Mo, and he was looking for Howard all the time.

Life is good when the Rockets dominate.

 

You are implying that Pau was a better athlete than DMo which I can't agree with. Sure, Pau is noticeably longer which results in more dunks/blocks/rebounds, BUT DMo seems more mobile and quick than Pau ever was during his NBA career.

However, don't get me wrong, I think Pau is amazing and I personally don't think DMo will ever reach his level (although I'd really like that).

 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-6bs0aGJ5pY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Gasol at his best was not a 5 or 6 rebound guy.
Dmo has to be more consistent at rebounding. Bread and Butter of a PF.

Scoring should not be his priority now.

 

To be fair, Dmo isnt a stat stuffer on the boards, if he sees a guard in position, he just leaves it, while he's no 10 rpg, if he played like Love or Pau he'd be an 8-9 rpg guy, the team's drb % increases with him on the floor by 3 (the orb decreases, but that's because he prefers to get back in transition and not fight for the boards like the other guys).

 

It is nice to see him get back in transition, but better rebounding will help us in the playoffs and in tougher regular season games.

 

Over his first 5 seasons Gasol averaged 8.6 Reb per 36 (13.7%)

Last season and this season D-mo has averaged 8.4 Reb per 36 (13.0%)

The team as a whole has still been a very good rebounding team with him playing a big role because of his ability to box out.

 

He does need to rebound more and continue to play good defense, but his scoring is also a big plus point. This reduces the pressure on Harden and Howard to do all the heavy lifting on the offensive end.

 

In Doc Rivers' system guys get back to better defend the opponent's transition offense, that's why Blake's rebounding took a huge dip. And in my opinion, transition D trumps offensive rebounding by a big margin in playoff basketball. Those rebounds are pretty low-percentage and hard to get and you expose yourself on defensive end. Getting back to D is just a smarter, more secure, and more profitable play in the longrun.

 

I am saying there are lots of rebounding opportunities next to Howard.

Howard is not the 18-20 rebound every other game guy.... he is down to 12-14 boards.

Howard won't play all 50-60 remaining games.

It again shows that rebounding is not depending on height alone.

Guys like Ben Wallace and Kenneth Faried have made a living out of that.

And Kevin Love is 'only' 6''9.5' without shoes

 

We will see in the games against Golden State and Clippers where we stand with that.

Only those games against Top competition count. We should have won them all.

 

Good points, makes a lot of sense. There still will be times when you have to fight for every rebound in a tight situation. I admire D-Mo's overall game, and hope he will make greater progress with more experience.

 

It was hard to do that without Howard and co. Even right now, we are not at full strength.

 

Exactly what I'm thinking. I think DMo was in position to take some boards but chose to leave them to teammates, sort of anti-Troy.

 

I love this double post game we are playing now with DMO and Dwight.

 

I loved that Dwight let DMo do his thing and still ended up having 26-13. That's major

 

Watching the highlights, the majority of Dmo's set postup plays came with Howard on the court together. Having to guard Howard at the same time prevented double teams on Dmo.

It'd be great to watch Howard's highlight video to see if he got the same benefit from Dmo to get his 26 points.

 

Dmo is not no Pau Gasol. Pau was a very good low post player, solid at hitting that mid range shot and really good free throw shooter. He also was a pretty good defender and rim protector. I love Dmo but he is not there yet. Give the man some more quality time on the court. People really need to stop trying to compare these players.

Now on the game: Dmo was awesome.

Welcome back Dwight Howard. Dude looked great out there, didn't show any signs of fatigue or rust after missing so many games.

Harden is simply magnificent.