ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Sixers 1/12/2013

It's not the offense, it's the mix of players.

We have no real bigs other than Asik and Smith that can pound inside the boards for points efficiently.

Asik still has issues catching passes. Smith is great at catching and finishing, but nowhere near the defender/rebounder that Asik is on the boards.

Normally you would want a strong 4 for post up play or as a stretch 4. And you want a big 4 who can rebound effectively so that you don't have a strong/weak side rebounding situation as often.

We don't have either.

Think about this... our top rebounders tonight were Asik (10), Parsons (9), Harden (9) and Lin (4). What position is NOT represented in that list?

Offensive rebounds...

Parsons (2), Lin (2), Asik (2), Harden (1), Morris (1), Douglas (1)

Other than that, sloppy ball handling mostly due to fatigue.

So yah, my belief is that our lack of depth (No back ups for Harden, Lin, or Parsons) and absence of a viable 4 is coming home to roost on this road trip. And I don't expect it to get better very soon barring some trades and our new acquisitions panning out.

 

Both, he missed a few gimmes and was hacked tons on a few takes.

 

Right... I am sure McHale pulled Harden and other players aside and said "Hey I am going to play Lin 35 minutes a night, but don't pass him the ball if he is open."

Seriously makes perfect sense...

 

Its gonna be smith or milsap

 

Congratulations on playing College ball I am happy for you. And if you understood help defense as well as you do you would know that I was speaking about your statement where Lins man scored 28 on him. TD & Lin did as good of a job defending Jrue help D has to step in.

And I did read what you wrote. And I never said you were blaming him I said you were being a hypocrite by responding to someone who was piling on Harden by doing the exact opposite, piling on Lin.

 

Sorry for posting this again. But why doesnt Houston do more PnR or basic screens to help our guards? Even Harden i notice don't get too many screens to help him. And Jeremy, I only remember one play where he was able to get a screen. If you look at the opposite end, it's like every play there guards get screens. Whats the deal with that?

 

Didn't Lin play some good defense?

When shots are not falling, everyone on the team needs to commit to paying defense. Harden needs improvement in that department, big improvement. Was TD on Holiday? If he was, he didn't do a good job. Parsons is recovering from Flu. Could Lin also be in the same boat?

 

asik isnt as bad when he posts vs catch n dunk. and smith had some success from the post early this season. even morris and pat are not super terrible. the simple reason is they dont run any post plays, so there is no way it ever becomes a "threat". heck even harden plays 99% facing the basket. his iso is trying to crossover his defender, UNLIKE kobe/melo/lebron/durant.... thats why all of those guys are elite, because they can score on you at will with their back to basket...

 

Your guards don't shoot mid range shots (Lin probably can't make them consistently) and teams can just go under the screen daring the Rockets to shoot and pack the paint area. Your big man and pf aren't good finishers.

 

Jeremy about to attack thinking he's gonna get calls, silly LOF.


Even James was blocking Lin's shot


Dunk it? No thanx, I'd rather lay it up like a 4 footer


#HardenDrawsFouls

 

The problem with the rockets "power" forwards...is that they are sissy tweeners that don't like to bang and just want to shoot 3pters... Rockets need a real power forward that does what a power forward is suppose to do. That's why signing Josh Smith is critical!!

 

The Rockets need upgrades, and that includes coaching.

 

He had a great mid range game last year. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/linje01/shooting/2012/

Truth of the matter is that Rockets as a team don't take a lot of those shots. FT's, shots at the rims of 3's that is it. Agreed on the pack the paint strategy that opposing teams employ. And yeah Asik may be a poor finisher & doesn't command defensive respect but his impact on D is amazing. Can't be mad.

 

I'm afraid McHale would have Josh stationed at the 3pt line Rocket_Man
I don't think the Rockets' power forwards necessarily want to just shoot 3's but that's what the coach wants.
Not that they aren't big softies who would have any chance against opposing team's real PFs but the ridiculous amount of 3's is all on the McHale. I hate it. This offense needs some serious changes.

 

"Jeremy, I can't make those shots for you! ...But can you draw me up some plays I can use?"

 

we have asik and smith, yet we basically run ZERO plays for them. i have also wondered why they havent used smith and asik together more often... spacing the floor is useless when nothing is falling and they are packing the paint. the offense simply has no plan c...

 

Hmmm, I think Harden is a good shooter (even tho without screens), while Jeremy (even tho inconsistent) is shooting decently from midrange and only way to improve it is to continue to encourage him to take it by setting some plays. I just think the offense of Houston is getting very predictable and 2 dimensional at the moment. It's either 3's or drives to the baskets. That's why when the 3's are not going in, we just look terrible since they just clog the lanes.

 

He also had a 3 point game last year.

 

The problem with the current PF's is they're not good enough post up players to be effective against even average sized teams. And they're not good enough 3 point shooters to be considered true stretch 4's either.

Toss in that they make a ton of defensive mistakes (poor rebounding and an alarming rate of drawing fouls) and their best use is generally cutting/slashing and 3 point shots.

We really need a good stretch 4 who can rebound and play decent post defense. Unfortunately, those don't exactly grow on trees.

Depending on what happens leading to the trade deadline, we just might have to live out the season waiting for one of them to grow into it.

 

That's another point they are not effective slashers/finishers and not good rebounders....
3 pointers are more difficult to evaluate because the shooting touch comes and goes