ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Jazz 5/4/2018 (Playoffs Round 2, Game 3)

What we did this game was we dogged Mitchell from the onset and we stayed home on the shooters and turned them into dribble drives into the paint. Where they fumbled around, lost the ball multiple times because they were forcing everything, and when they did manage to get a shot up, Capela and PJ were there taking away their space and forcing awkward shots down low.

INTENSITY or the alleged lack thereof is overblown and is a convenient way for people that don't really know what they're seeing to describe teams performances. It's a bunch of garbage to talk about INTENSITY. This is the playoffs. The second round no less. ALL THE REMAINING TEAMS ARE GOOD. Nobody has intensity problems. It's about strategy. Not "play harder" bologna. Everybody is playing hard.

Our strategy in game 2 was to not let Utah's bigs get going inside and to not give up the dribble drives into the paint. If you scouted the Jazz this season you would know their offense is a Spurs-style dribble drive, kick, cut, then swing the ball and repeat everything offense.

We came out in game 2 hedged back to attempt to control all the forays into the paint and force them into shootingmid to long range jumpers. The strategy failed. We gave them too many clean looks where they could set their feet and they burned us. Meantime on the other end we played into their hands by not getting the mismatches we wanted in iso.

None of that is an intensity problem. It's a strategy, scheme, and ability to execute problem.

In game 3 we adjusted and changed our strategy. We decided tutto stay at home on the shooters and force them to dribble drive out take tough contested jumpers. It worked. They drove the ball, turned it over, and didn't get very many clean looks in the paint. The strategy worked. Like I said after game 2 I thought the Jazz would have to go inside this game. They did. But the slip screen didn't work because we took it away and they never figured out the right strategy to cine back at us with.

This is the playoffs. This is a series of games. Not one game and then on to the next team. In a series both teams have strategies and then adjustments to the opponents strategies. And there is a day of rest between each game for the teams to readjust their strategies and recover physically. You should look at a playoff series as a 28 quarter game with an extended break every four quarters and the team that is ahead at the end of each four-quarter segment gets one goal point until one team reaches 4 goals. Everything is intense.

I really wish we'd lay off the dumb comments about intensity. The teams that have intensity issues are in the lottery.

 

Harden is playing some tremendous defense and orchestrating the offense unbelievably well. Offense looks better with him running the show then with Paul at the helm which shows his amazing growth

 

I agree it's more strategy than intensity but this team has intensity, poise problems, or inconsistency thereof.....it was reported and well known.

It's not they dun play hard, but they dun have the stamina at certain times.

 

Defense is all about communication. Talk nice, mean, whatever, but discuss issues during a game that could improve that side of the ball. Everybody must hold each other accountable, and this must do a lot of this on Sunday because the j*zz will bring it.

 

Good job, that was a team win.

 

Stamina and intensity aren't the same. Yes we do have some stamina issues. I refuse tio believe we have intensity issues. CP3 is a prime example of a player with a little stamina issue while his intensity is off the charts. Two different things.

 

If you are mentally out of the game, are fatigued, the intensity level drops..... it's connected.

While CP3 is known for his intensity, he did not play that well so far, inconsistently taking care of the ball, making a lot more TOs than he is known for.

I think that has to be mental. Or he is getting a lot less touches than in the regular season and Harden is
hogging it more which is totally fine because he is the No 1 option.

One good game every now and then won't change it, unless there is really a 'switch' they can just flip.

If so, hopes are up that they just leave the switch where it is and dun flip it again.

 

Chris Paul is one of the mentally strongest people on the planet. To suggest he has a mental issue that hinders his intensity is totally false. I'm being nice here. Chris Paul DOES NOT have an intensity problem.

 

Which is what they tell you when you turn on broadcast and TV but players get older, they change.......

Nobody can tell me this version of CP3 was the Hornets version or even the early Clips version. I dun believe that.

It's a normal conversation, why would be try to be nice? We just dun agree on some issues.

Of course we tend to stay civil here, this goes without saying.

I did not say it was mental as say he has a problem per se, you can see he is getting used to being the second option at times not even that, he is getting used to not being the man.

 

I always try to stay civil. That's why I said I'm being nice. Getting older equates to a stamina issue for Paul, not a mental issue/intensity issue. He is one of the most intense players to ever play the game and that intensity has not changed with age.

 

what do you make about D'Antoni's post-game comments (he was only partly joking) that the big adjustment he made was the team's intensity/attitude?

 

If we're not going to get a decent home crowd at all, the least we could do is demoralize the opposing team's crowd so bad they don't even have the spirit to cheer. I was quite satisfying seeing their defeated faces, especially the contrast between Dream and that fiend Stockton.

 

Why are you talking about the Pringles guy like he's our coach?

 

He is however still the CP3 of the last 3 years, and that CP3 is/was as good as ever. He is still trying to find out how to play in this offense, when his off dribble 3s aren't falling like rain like early in the year, and guys like Ryno aren't shooting ridiculous %'s off the catch.

His decision making is just cratered in this offense. I swear he needs to simplify like Harden and just run the screen and roll all the way toward the rim more.

I like the shooting 3s around screens though. Those are good shots that will fall. Same for some of his mid-range J's. But he needs to play less lazy and with more force as a slasher.

What I like is how intense he and Harden were in the second half of last game. Still want to get better.

 

Can anybody recommend a good site for watching replays? When my son went down, I did too!

 

Not very much. Coaches are politicians. Especially in the playoffs. They're playing chess games with the opponent and they don't want to give the opponent anything through media. So the overwhelming majority of content in post game pressers is a bunch of nothing. And MDA is very good at it.

When playoff team coaches start the intensity routine it's just filler so they take up the time and don't say anything meaningful.

 

Harden is doing a masterful job protecting the ball this postseason.

12 assists / 1 turnover last night

He's 3+ assist ratio for the playoffs.

Tough beating a team when they're always getting shots, and limiting opponents' fast breaks.

 

We know every team is beatable in the playoff. let's stay focus and take care of the Jazz.

 

Since when did they add Rockets Red as one of their color schemes? Almost felt like a home game with half the crowd in red shirts.

And why did they paint Harden's beard on their court?