ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Spurs 10/26/2024

I can't lie, I genuinely screamed the F word twice, the second louder than the first haha.

 

I said this from the start! Alpi does not fit an up tempo style. You have a team full of thoroughbreds BUT a center that flourish in the half court.

Jalen, Amen, Cam, Tari, and Jabari ALL want to run, that's not Sengun. Sengun needs shooters and slashers around him. They don't fit, so why did they give him a 5yr deal??

Last season, the Rockets played their best ball when Sengun went down in March. This yr, they have played their best ball with Jabari at the 5 and Sengun on the bench. I said it before, this team needs a SHOT BLOCKING RIM RUNNER CENTER AND ANOTHER SCORE TO GO WITH JALEN ON THE WING.

Sengun is good, not great. I wouldn't have gave him that contract based off of 1yr. Last yr he was in the perfect situation. He had a PG and a offense that fixated on him. Now that everyone is back and getting touches, he has to do more than just get the ball in the paint.

 

It’s likely a combination of the 2. Agree on the player performance part. At the end of the day it’s on the players to perform. I just think the style doesn’t fit the personnel. And most the personnel can’t shoot.

 

Our D is bad, our O is bad, we have too many players and bad chemistry.

DD

 

as much as i hate seeing jabari clanking 2 wide open shots in a row, the fastbreak where it was practically 3 vs 1 (3 v 2?) to potentially tie the game but they turned the ball over made me want to rip my hair out more than anything.

how can you not even got a shot attempt during that fast break?!

 

Dang it I missed the game. When was the game thread posted?

 

I was shocked to see Alpi playing like he could not even catch and hold on to the ball. The WNBA players will destroy him with his play tonight. He also seems that he did work on his upper body but he doesn't have leg strength and he has been falling down easily and is pushed around by even smaller opponents. He doesn't have his fierce mojo in the first three games. In fairness to him and the other players, they played their hearts out against Memphis in the second half and had to exert extra effort and energy to come from a deep hole. Some were just out of gas. Let's give them some slack this game and hope this doesn't happen again. Ime better check on what is going on with Alpi because most of his shots so far have been short even at point blank range. What happened to his leg strength? What happened to his intensity? Why is there no adjustment now that we have seen opponents swarming him whenever he gets the ball down low? Why is his timing in both offense and defense off?

 

The Clutch has spoken just hours before the game.

 

Is it really just opponents taking the Rockets more seriously and wearing them out opposed to last year?

Remaining to be seen and we have to adjust.

 

yes I was on the golf course and shanked my next shot after that fast break. Wtf was that. All I can think of is Cam was already thinking of his move before he caught the ball

 

What happened in the second half tonight?

I saw real stupid IQ from the entire team in the majority of the first half that I was able to watch.

Sengun had two bad possessions trying to go at Wemby.... .then the team nor he even bothered trying to get low position for the entire first half he was on and Wemby was sitting.

So far in the 2.5 games I've seen, Alpi's handles have been very subpar.

 

I missed that quarter when they only scored 9 or 10 points in 12 minutes.

 

Udoka is a savage for benching alpi already, but I am not gonna lie, I get it.

 

It looked like he told Jalen to throw him an alley-oop... but I think Jalen was just trying to get him the ball.

Anyway Cam fumbled the ball out of bounds

 

This team may not sniff 40 wins this year.

 

The 4 players who have negative net ratings (per100) thru the first 3 games...

Jabari (-6)
Amen (-24)
Cam (-19)
Reed (-26)

 

Just give cam more minutes … why is Reed coming in before him ? He needs way more minutes than he has

 

Isn't it lovely that we play the Spurs again on Monday?

In game 1, Alpi looked in great shape, like he could run all day. Game 3, the third game in four days, no lift. If he can't come off his spin move and dunk, the league will eat him up. There are just too many bodies to power through when your game is constantly below the rim.

In general, the teamwide investment in that NOAH tracking system isn't working yet. Game 3 became more watchable when Dillon Brooks found a way to make a jump shot. It's weird that he had to wrestle Wemby to the ground to motivate himself to play.

If Jabari can get his leg machine work to pay off and find some lift on that jumper, he might be an average offensive player. He's almost as polarizing as Jalen-I'm-getting-my-shots-up-hell-or-high-water--Green.

Can we please get organized during our fast break? This team constantly panics on the break, settling for prayer-like heaves from the wing. If Alpi is going to be the PG, he needs guys to take wider angles and run lanes. And why, oh why, can't we have someone fill a lane to take the shortest NBA shot there is—the corner three on the break?

We see these half-baked shooting drills where a line of guys loaf around, taking turns from the corner. If you're going to bother creating a roll for social media, let's get some action and game prep movement where guys rotate into that spot. This standing-around thing isn't working.

 

I agree, its because we have a center that DO NOT FIT. Like I said many times before, Sengun needs to be on a team with shooters and slashers.

The Rockets have a team full of players who want to run. Jalen, Tari, Cam, Jabari all flourish playing the same style. If you notice, they play better with Landale because he runs and he can hit the open 3, which spreads the court so they can drive. Sengun can hit the 3 but he wants to POST UP, WHICH CLOGGS THE LANE.

People keep hating on Jalen for taking 3s but he is trying to transform his game to fit Sengun.

I was at the game, I tried to download the pictures but you can tell Ime's frustration with Sengun, it's obvious....HE DOES NOT PLAY DEFENSE AND HE HAD TO GET ON HIM ABOUT REBOUNDING EARLY ON. It's like he needs to be pushed.