ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 5/10/2021

LMA had to retire due to heart arrhythmia.

But yes, older plop plop guys, why? Because the big 3 (Kyrie/Harden/Durant) get paid a ton. So they be skimping.

But aren't the Lakers doing the same? I told people Mark Gasol numbers have dropped off the cliff recently prior to this season. Now they went out and got Drummond who has been struggling.

But we still need an answer to Embiid, AD, KAT, Nurcic, Jokic, Ayton, Zion (285 pounds),
Zach Randle, etc. Just takes one big "Big" to block us from getting a championship.
Wood/Olynyk and an Evan Mobley can't handle these guys for the whole game

 

Man, people gotta latch on to one narrative or another.

I can save y'all some time. We lost this game because we weren't as good as the other team. Same reason we lost all the other games this year.

Y'all just want somebody to blame and b**** about, as if that does any good. My advice is to just watch and enjoy the rebuilding process because no amount of complaining can change the facts about where this team is at, complaining will only prevent you from seeing the positives

 

Bzdelik was allowed to coach in those initial years, but going small has its by-products. For every
action there is a reaction. Go position-less basketball using true small forwards allows you to
be in between the bigger center and smaller guards. You have a fighting chance. Our best year
we had that covered with Luc Mhab a Moute and Ariza. If you can recall, Bzdelik retired and
then immediately unretired after leaving us. Just like Morey did. They retire to get away from
us because they weren't allowed to do their job(s).

Going to Ben McLemore at SF was silly. And yes those types of decisions were made by D'Antoni.
D'Antoni was blasted while a Laker coach for not emphasizing defense. He defended himself by
saying, we are practicing defense 30 minutes in practice.

I've seen D'Antoni interviews saying we can defend with guards......we are talking just a few more
inches. Yes, 6'3" is just 6 or 7 inches shorter than those 6'10" players, true, but guards don't grown
up being taught to block out, screen, rebound, all those big man stuff that the bigs are taught since
the age of 7 or 8.

D'Antoni played as a guard and thinks that works......it doesn't. Has never won a championship.
You have to be able to adapt. Lakers were big with LeBron, Kuzma, AD, Markieff Morris, JaVale,
Dwight Howard.....but went small vs us by removing JaVale MeGee and Dwight Howard......then
put Howard back for WC finals and Miami. The Rockets have set themselves up to be small only.
That was set in place during D'Antoni's stint.

It was D'Antoni's vision for the Rockets that we are hamstrung with due to financial/Cap reasons.
Patrick Fertitta is carrying that baton. Yes, the new management could do better to give Silas his ingredients to form more of what Silas had in Dallas.......but D'Antoni still just take some of the
blame. His finger prints are still lingering around this current team. His trademarks still persist
in his M.O. and philosophies.

 

So, you are saying that we didn't really tank? That all this time we actually got beat by better teams?

Now I'm heartbroken.

 

Again, this team is completely different than any of MDA's teams. Not just personnel but even systems have changed.

Both offensively AND defensively.

And FYI, Bzdelik was only on the staff for 1 season of those two Rockets teams with top 10 defense.

Further, Rockets organization jettisoning Bzdelik (in addition to his other assistants) was a factor in losing D'Antoni.

Blaming MDA for this abortion of a season is criminal.

 

We will agree that we disagree.

I can step aside and look at this situation neutrally. As I like D'Antoni......liked him more with Bzdelik
I feel you are not objective on this matter since you see D'Antoni as a God in coaching.

I'm not as impressed with D'Antoni. More to basketball than just offense.

Saw Bradley Beal interviewed on, "The Jump" earlier today.
They asked him why they are winning now? He said injuries earlier.....now healthier,
Bryant being one player.

Then he said, "we decided to play defense" (big smile on his face)

wow, what a wonderful concept.

 

Mmmm.... I mean, I guess? But last time I checked, effort and defensive schemes were a player and coach problem, not a GM problem. Also, I'm not sure I necessarily want my GM spending big dollars acquiring defensive guys for a team that's in last place and rebuilding.

Personally, I don't really care that the defense is bad. The team needs to be bad right now so they can improve through high draft picks. If this were the final product and they were still giving up 120-130+ every night, I'd be livid and looking to blame someone. But I really couldn't care less how bad the defense is when the vast majority of the main roster's rotation is out for the rest of the year and we're picking up guys from the street and playing them 20+ minutes a night.

My point was just that blaming D'Antoni for the defensive failures of a team of player and coaches he has nothing to do with doesn't make any sense. There's plenty of blame to go around for why this basketball team is terrible, but D'Antoni has nothing to do with it.

 

Agree to disagree.

I seriously don't consider D'Antoni the God of coaching at all but he is severely underrated and unjustly defamed on this board.

Probably why I appear so extreme in defending him.

But MDA is the past, Silas is the present, and MDA will exonerate himself with Nets this season while Silas is TBD.

 

That team had a 245 pound athletic Center in Capela. Where is that version now?

215 pound Christian Wood?

245 pound non athletic Olynyk?

It was that coaching staff, Morey, Stone and D'Antoni that felt going this small works.
Does 16 wins prove it does?

That regime group set up this mess......continues to today as this team was trying to convince
Harden to stay while maintaining that same team that was over powered by the Lakers. Since
then Covington (Rivers/I Green bailed) has been replaced by Wood and then they have moved
Harden/Tucker/McLemore since and replaced them with similar body types.

Tate 6'4"
Nwaba 6'5"
Sterling 6'5"
Augustin 5'11"
Exum 6'6" but never played
Mason Jones 6'4"
John Wall 6'4"
Oladipo 6'4"

The stupidity is thinking a bunch of 6'4" players being able to play enough defense and win.

This is the NBA, not high school basketball. Every president of the U.S.A. blames the previous
regime for the problems going on currently. To some extent this is correct. Some laws were set
in the previous regime that takes congress to undo or when the tax law set carries over into the
1st year of the next president. Example Pres. Biden is in office but we (Joe public) are working with
the last administration tax rules. Until the current regime changes it for next year.

Because of trying to keep Westbrook/Harden content with little change and Cap rules and restrictions....
Rockets have not been able to clean house or sweep players out so easily. Silas has not been able to
bring in the WCS or Dwight Powell or Boban. Patton, Spalding, Lamb have been attempts to bring in size
but failed.

Do I think the current state of the Rockets defense stems from D'Antoni influence on Patrick Fertitta, yes.

That would an emphatic Yeesssssssssssssssss!!!!

Silas won't get his pawns in place until probably this off season. LeBron had the same problem his
first year with Lakers. You can't just clean house and bring in your guys. You have to go through
scrubs at first. Settling for Lance Stephenson. We were small......trying to go bigger??? Need for
real screeners. NFL defense don't just go from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 overnight. I saw the Texans
go from 4-3 to 3-4 and then back to 4-3......each time you have to change personnel.

It's a joke thinking CF's believe small-ish players can win a championship.....why because your
Rec league team did it? This is the NBA. Size it up or continue being out rebounded and
pushed around and killed on second chance points.

 

Where is that version now? nowhere, this team sucks and you sat there and blamed someone who isn't even here, which again is pure stupidity

 

How do you bring n that personnel money wise?

How tall are you? I want to see you guard someone 6 or 7 inches taller than you

Bar-ba-que chicken mouse in the house stuff all day long. That's the D'Antoni legacy he left us...
this year. We can do better changing that this off season. We were trying to appease Harden
last off season.

 

you must not play organized basketball much and obviously don't play defense at any sort of relevance

 

I play better than you and know defense just fine. Show me the NBA team with 8 6'4" players that won squat....no big

 

you definitely don't. you're welcome to come catch me at local facilities or any of the leagues going on right now. definitely want to see if people like you actually have any sort of actual relevance on court ability. talk so much on the internet but completely suck on the court in real life is what I expect in more cases than not. Looking at your general posts, it doesn't seem to work very much in your favor

 

Internet warrior. Big tough guy. Runs a YMCA recreational league and you think you know NBA
basketball and pro defenses.

You remind me of the Kings owner that said he was going to play 4 vs 5 with a snowbird staying
on the offensive side because that's what his daughters team did in 11 year old age group basketball.

That lasted one practice before the owner said.....yeah that was dumb.

 

not really. I'm the one telling you to get away from that computer of yours and backup what you're claiming. In fact come out tomorrow. We play every saturday morning at west houston indoor soccer on hwy6 and clay. Court 1. 10am. I'll even pay for your open run fee. You think it's ymca. ok. come find out then

 

F-off

I will do what I want. Until you show me that so many small players work and win in the NBA .....
you are wrong B+++h

 

that's what i thought. A 100% certified scrub who wants to talk on the internet. so you can

 

Weak. Only got gifs to talk for you because you have no argument but talking over people.

You got nothing. No balls no nothing.

 

I actually got you by putting you in check. Stay behind that computer where it's safe where you can act like you can play basketball. My offer is always open. If you ever want to lift that tail between your legs let me know.