ClutchFans Game Thread: Pacers @ Rockets 10/13/2013 in Taipei, Taiwan (PRESEASON)

will beverley start this game?

 

mchale should test and see if it helps w the team w Harden playing w the second unit

 

Mchale should start Asik at PG

Aski/Howard pick and roll = devestating for other teams

 

10:30 pm Saturday night for those of us on west coast.

Hikanoo49, I keep expect someone to start a "Beverley will start in Taiwan confirmed". OMG the sound of LOF heads exploding would be deafening.

 

The Heat should have Lebron play with the 2nd unit. The Thunder should have Durant play with the 2nd unit. The Warriors should have Curry play with the 2nd unit. The Knicks should have Melo play with the 2nd unit.

I mean...right?

 

Watch, McHale will start Jeremy Lin and sarcastically play him 48 minutes while giving Beverley 0

 

Dont listen to anything hikanoo has to say regarding Harden, all he does is bash harden. I havent seen a single post from him that wasnt either praising Lin or bashign harden.

 

let's blow them out again with home court advantage

 

You are officially the most butthurt fan on Clutchfans.

Congrats.

 

Actually the post wasnt for Harden to come off the bench, but to play with the second unit. I think some time for Harden with the second unit to see if he can facilitate the offense would be interesting.

 

did any team try? if not, at least give a shot. who knows what happens.

 

After the Manila game, I'm not so sure that's a good thing.

My enthusiasm after the first game was doused after the second game: In the first game, Lin was running the offense with Harden/Howard and we looked like a contender; in the second game, Lin was handing the ball off and standing in a corner with Harden/Howard (for less time, but still) and we looked as mediocre as with Beverley, a low-seed playoff team at best. We only beat the Pacers because they were playing just plain terribly, making unforced error after unforced error and missing open shot after open shot for much of the game.

We saw this effect consistently last season as well, when Lin initiated the offense, Harden's efficiency goes way up and we blew out playoff team after playoff team. We did that for like 15 games after the loss to Spurs. Without that stretch we were sub-.500 last season and weren't even a playoffs team. If McHale is going to have his PG stand in the corner while he runs iso Harden and post up Howard the whole game, then please for the love of god let it be Beverley standing in the corner. That way at least our bench unit won't suck ass.

I am going to laugh my ass off if it turns out that Vogel goes into this game with the game plan of limiting the guy standing in the corner without the ball. LOL.

 

Any news on whether Asik is gtg?

 

Yeah it makes sense. Nobody on other teams bench can guard Durant. Scott Brooks would be an idiot if he doesn't bench him

 

Game 1 lessons: We need Asik. Starters looking damn good! Casspi ain't getting cut.

Game 2 lessons: Lin can really flourish with 2nd unit. Casspi really ain't getting cut. What does Brewer do again?

Game 3 lessons: ....

 

Agreed. Of course, Harden should have, if not the most, among the most minutes on the team. That isn't the issue. With rotations, minutes can be staggered in all kinds of ways. The team should see how Harden plays with the full bench unit. The coaching staff should get a gauge on as many potential combinations as possible during the preseason. (So long as it doesn't distract from building chemistry among the most important combinations.)

 

I would like to see a little stagger with Harden's and Howard's minutes to

A) See some more Lin/Howard PnR

B) Have an ISO option for most of the game.