OK, this is a little crazy, but bear with me. The Warriors have been the best team in the league for years. They're gonna fight like hell to avoid going home 0-2 and having to win 4 of the next 5 against us. So there's a strong chance they'll take one of the first two at our place. You know D'Antoni has a speech ready for the team after that loss. He'll tell them that they've been punched in the mouth, that this happens to every championship team, and that a championship team takes the punch and bounces back. After that loss, and after that speech, we play better. We saw it in Minnesota, we saw it in Utah. We get serious. We play with urgency. We see how easily everything can be taken from us if we don't play our best. Why not skip the loss and go straight to the recovery? Why not start in Houston with the mentality that we just lost two at Golden State? I know it's conventional to preach confidence and "Play our game." But the postseason record of the 2017-18 Rockets, so far, says they play their best when they've been humbled. And if we can do that twice to start the series, two more hot shooting nights might be enough to get us to the finals.
Understand what you're saying but if they need a locker room coach speech to get up for Golden State in the WCF, then they've got bigger problems than losing game 1 at home in front of a world wide TV audience.
Psychology is what it is. Either you are hungry or not. Words from a coach 5 minutes before the game isn't going to have much effect on a 65 win team of millionaires. Ain't hoosiers brah. Houston has to be 1-1 heading back to Golden State, that's what we know. 2-0 is even better but hard to see the best team in history going down 0-2 to anyone. Split in Houston, then Split in Oakland then you got to win 2 of 3 from there.
these guys dont need to be told to get ready for GS. this is what they wanted and everyone involved knew this matchup would come. the rockets put themselves in this position and understand the ultimate goal. the talking at this point does not matter. if you actually need to be told whats at stake at this point you likely aren't ready for this moment. It comes down to actual basketball and execution now
Yeah OK, but that's what I mean. This is, by far, the most anticipated postseason matchup in years. It's been hyped up all year. Now's the time to execute on Morey's grand design, not sit around looking for pep talks. For what it's worth, I believe our guys will come out fired up and score 35+ in the 1st quarter.
Telling people to pretend they're down 0-2 when they're really not is easier said than done. Trying to trick the brain into a false adrenaline rush only goes so far. I think facing off against the team they've been obsessed with beating is going to be motivation enough. Now it's about attention to detail, execution, and not letting the moment be too big.
I would just say, "you have wanted this your entire career - your entire life - now go show that to everyone"
exactly. you approach the game one at a time in the moment. nobody should be looking back or forward. those don't matter. whats at stake in the present is by far more important than either.
Speaking of Skip, If we win the first two games at home, Skip will say, "They haven't done anything, yet. They still have to win one in Oracle." or, "They haven't done anything, yet. They still have to beat the Spurs in Game 6 of last year."
Im with you and everything you’re saying but we all know thats not how human nature works. Its very tough to delude yourself into engineering that kind of motivation. I know some people invent fake stories and fake perceived slights to try to do that though
Yea they need to be focus. I believe that they got complacent and cocky against Utah and Minnesota. They haven’t bring their A game or best game since we clinched the playoffs first seed spot. Since is human nature to lose focus when one is over confident or just thinks it would be easy, one tends to relax. That’s what I think happened since we clinched and what happened the first two series. We played those teams and the whole team wasn’t as focus as they could be. Their defense was good and not that good at times. Their offense was lazy or not flowing. But I believe that’s bcoz everyone knew the only team that matter is golden state. They would be the biggest challenge or really the only obstacle in getting the championship. Now that the time is here there’s no room for not being focus. And they know, now it’s time to bring that smooth offense flow and that defense they showed before. I believe we haven’t seen their best game yet and they were saving it just for the right time against the only team that is on the way. That’s why I believe we can sweep them. Yea the series could be a short one like many in the media have said but the rockets will be the ones to win it in 5 games (4-1)
It will be "oh stephanie curry is not healthy obviously, no way they can beat them when there are in full health." or "KD did not show up because he wanted his friend Harden to win a championship, just like he rooted for Harden to win MVP"... or some other dumb ****....
