ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 11/28/2023

The young core HAS to go through these tough losses. You can't go 2 years of not giving a **** whether you win or lose to all of a sudden winning tough games on the road against really good teams in games that matter. It's essential that these young guys feel the pain of losing close games that they know they can win if they just tighten up and improve a little bit. This is the most important step in the development of our young guys. It's frustrating to watch as a fan when you know the game is right there for the taking, but executing consistently on the road in the waning moments of quarters, halves, and games is a skill that is earned, not given.

 

Adequate at best and certainly not capable of doing it against defenders who are trying.

 

Losing like this not enjoyable at all.
I hate Mavs.

 

Dont know about HAS TO, but they certainly are.

 

The Home vs Road definitely shows that you need star power on the road more than ever.

 

Rockets really have to make a decision on how to use Green more effectively if he’s a num 2 option. No reason why Aaron Holliday has the ball in his hands in last couple min of the game. On this note Green seems less aggressive than last year and more hesitant on dribble drives. Interesting

 

Fred literally doesn’t shoot unless he has too and he takes most the heaves at end of qtrs and here you are crying because he doesn’t shoot over 40% … He’s the exact kind of PG we need ..someone who is pass first and plays good D - this loss isn’t on him

 

Fred Van Vleet is doesnt take bad shots. He hits the three at a decent clip and is his main way of scoring which is why his overall fg% is so close to yos 3pt fg%.

Jalen doesn’t deserve blame either. He didn’t force anything but didn’t shoot or finish particularly well. But he did play well in other ways, despite a few mistakes. Overall, I see these as growing pains. I think the efficiency and scoring will come as JG gets more comfortable with Ime’s schemes and coachIng. There’s definitely a lot of progress so far though. I

 

No one should be comparing him to Kobe but the body control and quickness are somewhat -
Kobe-esque.

 

McGrady and Mike James were those guys that played well in the Mavs arena.

 

fell asleep and ended up missing the entire 4th quarter

tough loss, but on to the next

 

I’m sending three ghosts on Christmas Eve to haunt everyone who whispers Kobe’s name when they think of Jalen. Y’all gotta stop that

also…what does this do for us with the play in tourney? Are we out? Sorry, late to the thread

 

We are out

 

Jalen's only shooting 42% FG this year, and Fred's a better 3PT shooter than Jalen. Yeah, tonight Fred had a really bad night shooting, but he contributes in so many ways. Tonight he had 4 rebounds, a block, a steal, 12 assists and no turnovers.

Jalen had 3 rebounds, a block, 4 assists and 2 turnovers. His turnover ratio this season is really bad. He's averaging 2.9 assists and 2.3 turnovers a game this year.

Regardless, I like all our players. Every single one.
The future is so bright for this team.

 

DAMMT BIGMALOE!

 

Freds fg% is .389 on the year. It's rough. He's shooting 40% from 2, his 37.9% from 3 is saving him. He's been bad from an efficiency point, more so than jalen actually.

He does contribute to winning tho and that's what's important. He's setting guys up and protecting the rock while playing good defense.

Fwiw, jalen had 5 assists tonight.

He also contributed in other ways and played good defense. Just not as good or impactful as Fred in those ways. Jslen needs to learn to be more efficient as is archtype is as a scorer. While fred it's a facilitator.

 

Fred and Dillon - Strengths and weaknesses are very distinct and very prominent in these games.....but they help an otherwise helpless team a ton.

 

Unacceptable start, sloppy basketball. Felt like the guards struggled too much. Fred was not scoring, didn't really feel like he was opening up the floor for others either. Jalen idk geez guy. It's like every twenty-fifth possession he remembers that he's faster than anyone. Holiday was on Luka's torture rack what even was the plan there? Let Luka get going for crunch time minutes? Success! The Fred/Holiday lineups are the poop, I'm all the way out on those. Extended Jeff Green minutes is also not the play.

Jabari absolutely cooking, idk maybe a few more shots?

That last foul for Brooks was weak. Not ejecting homeslice for the elbow to the groin was also a choice. I really don't get the difference between flagrant 1 or 2. Like did you accidentally hit the guy's arm while he shot? Or did you karate chop his dick? It seems like a pretty clear line where the difference between flagrant 1 or 2 is like, well did you yell HIYAAA in the act?? **** Scott Foster forever.

American Airlines Center is better than Toyota Center. There. I said it.