The Ringer : The NBA’s 3s-and-Layups Cheat Code Is No More

1) The issue precedes the 0-27 game by years.
2) We had elite midrange with CP. He was out. If CP isn't hurt, that championship is ours.
3) How you "feel" shouldn't get in the way of objective truth. I was angry at 0-27 as well and it still hurts. The fact is there was only one way to beat GSW and our roster was built to play that one way (do you remember "increase the variance"?). Our system required 2 superstars and 13 specialists and it f*cking worked. We proved it out over one full year and dominated. Unfortunately, we lost a superstar and none of the specialists could do what he did, which led to 0-27. But what else did you want? Ariza and PJ driving and shooting mid range shots? Against what was the best shooting team ever BEFORE they got KD + monster defenders??? Bad outcome does not equal bad system.

The fact that we event went to the WCF and were positioned to beat the greatest team of all time BECAUSE of Moreyball. We lived by it and died by it. If we didn't use that system, there's no way we come close to beating a KD-led GSW team.

 

I don’t have an issue with the strategy overall. Just Harden individually should’ve sprinkled mid range in there to keep the defense honest.

The same way CP still shot midrange.

Of course i wouldn’t want somebody like Ariza or PJ shooting midranges.

 

MDA and Harden followed Morey's strategy to a T

 

KD led 73 win Steph/Klay/Dray/AI led GSW team

 

Did you see Eric Gordon Euro-stepping for the win between two 7 footers the other day? You don't think he could have done something similar against 6-8 Draymond Green? What about James Harden? Is he not capable of going to the basket, stopping and hitting a mid-range? Is "The Post-up is Dead" really a thing or is it another piece of Morey bulshit. Am I the only Rockets fan who thinks that suiting the then 55 year old Hakeem against 6-8" Draymond Green would have been a better option than lining all those "specialists" around the 3 pt line and chucking mindlessly?

 

Every system has its strengths and weaknesses, it is a trade-off. If it takes you to miss a star and 27 3s in a row to lose to a all-time great team, that does not look bad at all.

 

it also took 9 missed calls

 

Basically LOL

Rocket River

 

Agreed
They are everything in this league

Rocket River

 

Rockets were the legit ONLY CHALLENGER in the west at that time

Rocket River

 

You don't need to be a specialist to hit the 3 at 20%. That would be enough to win the game. The problem was Houston did not have anything in the bag to lean onto when things went bad. They had CP3 then they did not. That's on the coach in my opinion.

 

As well as this is true, having a one-dimensional game makes you more vulnerable at this situations. I think Rockets could have overcome all those extra difficulties if they were better prepared both mentally and tactically.

 

Lol had 2 guys argue with me about this last week and I shared this article and some other facts …

now one of those same guys .. in this thread using what I said lol (only on clutchfans)

if you have a player who can shoot 55%+ from midrange.. and said player can get them as open shots… you don’t tell him don’t shoot them

now if said player is a House, Nawaba etc etc … then you tell them don’t shoot the midrange and take the 3 instead

 

If thats true then why did Harden work so hard to stop taking midrange jumpshots and why was Anthony such an issue?

 

Yes, you are lol, cmon man. Thats ridiculous.

 

Anthony was an issue because he couldn't play any defense and refused to come off the bench. He needed a massive ego check to accept the role he's accepting now as a Laker.

 

There was really nothing to lean on, the Warriors switched everything we didnt have players who could run plays that could beat switching. Usually, the way you beat switching is you find a mis match.

 

Lmao, yea the dude was terrible from 3.

 

The problem with this thinking is .. . .
Warriors never had to "mentally or tactically" over come that type of thing
The Bucks didn't really last year

The CHOSEN CHAMPIONS don't have these type issues

Rocket River

 

Not just end of game, but throughout the game in general if he was extremely cold from 3.