ClutchFans Game Thread: Warriors @ Rockets 5/4/2025 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 7)

Brooks was great during the regular season but a total letdown during the playoffs. Just very disappointing.

 

1000 shots a day and he should get better exponentially

I just don understand why they they haven’t done this yet

 

You sacrifice defense for offense, sometimes. Reed can improve, just ask Curry.

 

Right on. That’s a fair statement, I’m in agreement.

 

Letter grades:

Fred Van Vleet: B
He sucked the first half of the series but his second half kept us in the series and gave us a chance to win it. He was a big reason we didn't fold after going down 1-3 (although he was a big reason we got down 1-3 in the first place). His defense on Curry was solid for the most part. He pretty much outplayed Curry for 3 games. We probably relied on him too much. Warriors made a concerted effort to clamp him in game 7 and his backcourt partner couldn't make them pay.

Jalen Green: D-
It would be an F if it wasn't for his game 2 performance which proved to be the outlier. His team defense was solid but he was a complete negative offensively. Warriors made a concerted effort to get the ball out of his hands but he didn't really make up for his lack of scoring in other ways. An average shooting guard performance probably wins us this series. He was outplayed by a 2nd year Podz for the majority of the series.

Dillon Brooks: C
He shot decently for the most part but his play on both ends of the floor slipped dramatically after game 5. It drove me crazy how Butler was able to outrebound him at will in games 1, 3, 4 and it was a big reason we barely lost those games. He also was too easily baited by Butler and Draymond and it's obvious he doesn't play well after getting emotionally charged which the Warriors knew. He cost us game 4 with that terrible 3 point foul on Butler. I thought him getting into foul trouble in game 6 was a blessing in disguise. He also fell asleep on Buddy Hield off-ball a ton in game 7 and let him get comfortable.

Amen Thompson: B+
He struggled mightily on offense early on. Warriors packed the paint and he looked completely lost, but he got much better with each passing game. His lack of range definitely hurt our spacing throughout the entire series though. He was easily our best defender and a big reason Curry was held in check for the 2nd half of the series. He was really the only one that showed up in game 7.

Alperen Sengun: B+
He led the team in nearly every counting stat and was probably our most consistent player. But his inefficiency on offense was very disappointing. I get that the refs let the Warriors get away with fouling a ton and being guarded by Draymond is absolute hell but he also missed so many easy shots and free throws that could've won us those close games. In two of the losses, he missed back to back free throws in the 4th quarter when we were down only 4. Defensively he stood up much better than I thought he would. He struggled in game 7 and I think fatigue ultimately got the best of him.

Steven Adams: A-

Jabari Smith: B

Tari Eason: C+

 

The end of the series Is beyond disappointing. Of course, Houston sports fans are well acquainted with disappointment. I still can't believe they played so badly in a game seven on their home floor. I turned it off at half time, actually before. They worked so hard all season and then to blow it like that to a seven seed who got in thru the "play in," truly pathetic. Green is an absolute mystery; he is the most wildly inconsistent player I have ever seen in the NBA. To get outcoached by Kerr is also very, very annoying. It is going to take a long time to get over this one.

 

This is SO frustrating. We had the better team. We had homecourt advantage. Yet we laid an egg TWICE AT HOME in this series. We lost to the Warriors in the playoffs for the FIFTH time in a row, at home. The second time we've lost a Game 7 to them AT HOME. It makes it so hard to believe in this franchise, which is why the city doesn't. Do you know how expensive tickets were last night? They sent 16,000 people home feeling like they wasted all that money on a pathetic effort. It's ****ing unbearable. People complain so much about the fanbase in Toyota Center, but who's fooling who at this point?

 

That's fair and I agree, this is true, no season is guaranteed year to year. I will say that historically teams this young with good, steady leadership pretty much get better barring unforeseen health issues.

I would still keep the great majority of the young core, and FVV because he showed up in the playoffs and helped us win those three games. We also had a .500 record without him this regular season, although others were hurt as well. I'm open to Jalen talks but it has to make sense, if not I'd keep him as his contract isn't a max and we'll be okay if he stays.

But to your point 22 year old players typically get better offensively over the years, and we haven't even scratched Cam, Reed's or our 2025 picks offensive potential. Not even mentioning the future Suns picks we have.

I agree to stay open to deals that make sense and improve the team long term, but objectively this was an excellent, ahead of schedule year in our rebuild this young.

 

Keep Alpi and Amen. Trade this year’s pick for Trae. Trade whatever’s left of players and picks for Giannis. Giannis has no reason to come if there’s no Alpi or Amen on the roster.

 

How are we feeling today?

 

I've moved on! Ready for the lottery!

 

Same. I thought I would be more pissed off, but not really surprised.

 

Im ready for game 8. Jalen is due for a good game.

 

I don’t like our chance stealing another road game in the chase center even against janitors

 

You think the janitors are going to blitz Jalen?

 

They told the press that they found some used nail polishers from the trash can and about to put those on the courtside to distract him from the game. Also one of the janitor will be wearing donkey mask to scare off Sengun

 

Iko from the Athletic

“As experienced as the Warriors are, this was a seventh-seeded team on the road. Golden State was able to take Houston’s offense — an equal-opportunity scheme — and use it to the Rockets’ detriment, daring someone to seize control of a moment that never came. The Warriors were extremely comfortable flexing aggressive coverages. Şengün finished with 21 points on 23 shots, with several close-range misses. VanVleet, who had led the charge in Games 4, 5 and 6, was held to 17 points. Green, who had been successfully taken out of the series, took just eight shots and finished with eight points.

This offseason will bring many questions. It’s paramount that the Rockets make major upgrades in their shooting department. Houston’s coaching staff could benefit from a software update to their in-game schematics, but this isn’t the first or last time they’ll be faced with a zone defense. According to Synergy tracking data, the Rockets’ offense logged 67 possessions against zone, scoring a measly .687 points per possession.”

Couldn’t beat the zone. Couldn’t cover Hield. Couldn’t win.

 

My bad Rox#1…..total bonehead mistake on my part. Started typing and it went in wrong part and didn’t catch it. To be clear, Rox#1 never said anything at all about Tari choked/needs to go. My thoughts only. Sorry for any confusion it caused.

 

He will have a good game when we play Hornets next season.