ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 1/30/2013

Mchale went with small ball to try to hit some 3 pointers I think. But I think he realized they needed Asik's defense in the middle and put him back in. It was a terrible idea...yeah I don't understand why at one point, there was no harden, or Lin on the court. That's just risking too much.

 

LOFs get ridiculed because they only root for one player while being frustratingly ignorant of what's actually happening on the court. The fact that they're actually right this time doesn't absolve them for making the GARM nearly unreadable. The only victim here is the quality of discussion on the board, not the feelings of LOFs.

 

I don't even know if it would of made any difference with Gallo hitting 3's like that honestly but seeing him sub Asik out and then Delfino not able to rebound on a box out makes me sad

 

I admit I am a LOF. I've been lurking Cluthfans and this is my first post. I am from CO and I was at the game. I agree that McHale sat Jlin too long. Especially, during the third quarter and into the fourth quarter (totally changed the momentum of the game). However, I think Jlin needs to work on his stamina. He looks gassed during the fourth quarter, especially going back to the Bench to get some water while looking exhausted during Denver free throws. Maybe doing so gives coaches perception that he can't play more than 40 mins? However, he has shown time after time that he can still play looking exhausted and contribute more than anybody not named Harden on the team. So coaches needs to trust him more and let him play more.
Again too many turnovers and missed 3s caused our downfall. Untimely turnovers by both Parsons and Harden caused Denver to get a easy layup at the other end. I think both Parsons and Harden is forcing way too much lately. Also, Harden needs to hustle more. He gets too down after each missed layups and don't hustle back to defense. I think Harden has the tool to be better defender. He just needs to hustle and don't take short cuts.

 

:grin:Same game plan...different day. He either has a automatic timer to pull people, or just totally forget about the time at times. On to the Bobcats...now that's a real trap game.

 

I'm a Lin fan and I think you're going too far.

You're making presumptions about the coaches motivations that make you sound nuts because you are making judgements about reasoning behind actions that a person only has the right to make if they actually know and speak to these people.

What I agree on and that is clearly visible:
- McHale didn't react to the momentum changing fast enough
- TD was kept in too long without either Harden or Lin or even Beverley

However these could have just as much been mistakes on McHale being a raw coach, McHale reacting to trading directives from the FO, McHale trying to show that he rides the hot hand (nevermind that he is failing at being consistent at it), or even McHale being distracted by grief from his daughter and not paying enough attention during the game.

You don't know. You were not actually there, at courtside, in the coaches discussions, or in the locker-room.

To call it a 'clear demonstration' is reaching, and makes you look like a tinhat, and causes people to not take in your valid critiques about the momentum changes and the issues with the rotations. Quit it.

 

To be honest, 8th seed might be better for us if we face off against the Spurs. I mean, even though they are much better than us, I feel the Rockets have a better chance against them than the Thunder.

A few weeks ago I would have thought this was a ridiculous statement. But after the losing streak I'm beginning to think this might be the case.

I felt we were going to lose this game when in the 1Q we went away from Lin being the PG. It just felt off and a few times when Lin missed I was found myself worrying that the coach would take him out.

I remember back in NY there was one game where he missed 7 shots in a row and yet the coach kept him in, saying he just needed to find his confidence back. They won that game.

Unfortunately that's because there were a bunch of trolls pretending to be LOFs and writing really crazy things. So now some members here are way too sensitive.

 

Yeah at least the lakers lost!!

To people who want Lin to be shipped out of Houston. Burying the coaching/rotation, I still think he is in a good position here. McHale is inexperienced, inconsistent and made lots of mistakes. But it goes both ways. Lin is also inexperienced and inconsistent. Rockets is a young team which can give Lin time and room to grow as a player.

 

There are few people who have been on this board much longer than I have & they don't add much to the to the discussion but keep on keeping though.

 

I think coaching has been trying to match sub patterns, it happens in other games too. The situation with the Rockets is our bench is not deep. The only guy we have off the bench that's a legit backup with experience is Delfino. The Nuggets bench is much better, especially with Andre Miller as backup PG. There's a reason why Karl wanted him back on his team. Miller is not flashy, but he's a solid backup PG and still good enough at his age to be a starting PG on some teams. Alot of big men on other teams miss him. He creates alot of shots and is an excellent floor general. Keeping Douglas in there for effectively a whole quarter against Miller was a losing gambit.

 

I dunno...I never hide my fan-dom (I put it on my signature).
But I also don't make provocative comments to stir up the haters. I think nobody has to be so defensive about supporting Lin as long as they stay respectful of other people's views.

And if people insult or call you names just for your thoughts, then put them on ignore list cos nobody made them the 'thought nazi'. As long as a person doesn't go rude and obnoxious, I don't care if they have opposite opinions.

 

I agree with everything you said particularly a Houston Spurs first round play off battle.

 

Way too much generalization....LOFs actually know more about the game than a lot of people think.

 

Coaching definitely the biggest problem tonight and players deserve some blame on the TOs.

Everyone concentrate on McHale sat Lin for too long until the 2pt deficit, but the real problem was the bad timing McHale subbed out Lin/Asik/Patterson in the 3Q. Those 3 were playing great D to start the 2nd half and the offense was clicking. After a 11-6 run, he took out Lin. After a 4-0 run, he took out Patterson and then Asik. It's such a momentum killer!!! Why didn't we let the starters pull out the game with a double digit lead before subbing in the bench???

I don't think McHale benched Lin/Asik/Patterson intentionally, he just wanted to give them a rest. But...but...but...We don't have a game until Sat, why in the hell do they need to rest tonight? It's just plain terrible subs timing.

Ok, Lakers lost cheers me up a bit. Time to move on to the next one!

 

Just some notes...

Patterson - 27 mins, 10 points, 4/6, 5 reb, 2 steal, 1 block, 1 TO
Parsons - 38 mins, 21 points, 8/13, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 TO
Asik - 35 mins, 10 points, 4/7, 18 reb, 4 ast, 1 steal, 1 block, 7 TO
Harden - 42 mins, 21 points, 6/13, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 steal, 6 TO

Lin - 31 mins, 22 points, 8/15, 1 reb, 5 ast, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 TO
Douglas - 19 mins, 11 points, 4/11, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 steal, 1 block, 5 TO

Delfino - 25 mins, 8 points, 2/7, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 TO

Lin sat from 7:07 of the 3rd until 9:42 of the 4th, or 10 mins... almost a full quarter. And until his insertion in the 4th quarter had only played 22 mins... at that point Toney Douglas had played 19 mins, and Patrick Beverly had played zero minutes.

Prior to the 2nd half Lin played a total of 17 mins. So it wasn't like he needed rest at that point.

And Ty Lawson played from 9:42 of the 3rd quarter until 0:54 and re-entered at 0:46, so it wasn't like McHale was matching them up.

It wasn't like we had another game tomorrow. Playing Lin more minutes wouldn't have been a fatigue issue. And if fatigue is an issue, it doesn't explain playing Harden for 42 mins, or playing Parsons for 38 mins.

The logic truly eludes me...

 

I think the fact that LOF proudly call themselves that bother me the most. I mean if you are seriously calling yourself out as a Lin Only Fan and not of the team, then why comment on anyone on the team or join a Rockets forum? That being said, I have no problem with Lin fans that are Rockets fans and Rockets fans that are Lin fans but the Lin only fans that want to sacrifice the team wins or disrupt or dismantle the team for his Lin's sake is a problem to me.

 

The only good thing about trading Lin would be to get ride of fake fans like you.

I know it was a huge game and I was severely disappointed, but I knew going in it would take a small miracle for us to win this game. We aren't that good, hell we just went on a seven game losing streak just a week ago.

I'm just pointing out that Harden does not turn the ball over at a higher rate than Lin and even just adjusting the average for their minutes and disregarding usage rate (Harden has a much higher rate) shows that Lin turns the ball over just about the same as Harden. They are both high turnover guards, it's stupid to see LOF's complaining about Harden's TO's.

 

But what makes someone a LOF? If I say I think Lin should've been subbed in earlier does that make me a LOF, or an objective Rockets fan whose first priority is for the Rockets to win. Does it make Calvin Murphy a LOF when he says Lin needs the ball in his hands? You say "they're actually right this time". To me that is making a hasty generalization and painting very broad brush strokes. Since I said he should've been subbed in earlier, does that make me a part of "they" - the "lOFs".

 

That's because you are a logical man Toro. Sometimes you gotta figure that the coach might have just been winging it.

 

LOF's like to throw other Rockets under the bus.. that's a dead giveaway.