Your Three Observations from this Series

I will just focus on a few larger picture coaching/system issues:

1. Frequently the Rockets do not play as a team, and are too focused on keeping Harden and Howard happy.

2. Even when the Rockets know what is working in a game, too often they go away from it in crunch time.

3. In playoffs, coaching and chess game adjustments are important, Rockets read and react system makes it harder to make those adjustments.

 

1. Harden don't play defense.
2. Howard is a role player.
3. Lin is not worth 8m.

 

1-Howard looks great
2- we look like a HS team with this free flow offense scheme.
3- Harden needs to play with more passion.
3.5- Jlin playing like a D-leaguer

I didn't state the obvious of Harens defense as its been like this all season long.

 

1. Jeremy Lin is a turnover machine and needs to be cut ASAP.

2. Kevin Mchale is a bad coach. Gets out coached late in games. Needs to be fired.

3. Troy Daniels needs to get A LOT more minutes. We have found a VERY special shooter.

Ehhh I'll do a 4. Dwight does not need to be our closer, give the ball to Harden!! Couldn't stand how McHale insisted feeding the ball to Howard on every play in overtime. We broth him for his defense and then to get the occasional points down low.

 

#1 The Rockets are stubborn, but not without heart. The Rockets could have rolled over after being down 2-0, but they didn't. In both game 3 and 4, they consistently made mistakes and likewise consistently fought hard. This is the most important thing I have learned in this series. While I want the Rockets to win the series, the fact they have fought so hard makes it a less bitter pill to swallow.

#2 This series only confirms what I suspected, the Rockets are very thin on depth, and IMO that has been the difference in this series. The Rockets had to trade and slash to get Howard and Harden (well worth it), but they now need more depth.

#3 Jeremy Lin is an NBA player, and he is about as good a person as has ever played for the Rockets, but he is not a rotation player on an elite playoff team. He makes plays (pass to Daniels), but he makes way too many poor plays in the clutch. I won't go into the mistakes he made, but they were far more numerous than the two turnovers the last two games.

#4 The Rockets need a PF and a PG. Beverley is ideally a super bench player, but he isn't an ideal starting PG. Lin has already been discussed. Jones is frustrating because physically he is very talented, but he isn't very bright and contrary to fan boys thoughts, Jones has been the worst defender in this series, and was over the last quarter of the season.

#5 Kevin McHale is what I suspected. He is not an X's and O's genius, but he is a very strong leader. He will be back, and honestly deserves to be back unless someone like Rivers becomes available. He has a young team, thrown together on the run, and they make mistakes. He tells them the right way to play, and they don't do it. It isn't a malicious thing, just absent mindedness. As Kelvin Sampson said, McHale has had to be very very patient... he has the patience of Job.

#6 The Rockets need to get a hard nosed defensive assistant to add to this staff now that Sampson is gone. The Rockets should consider paying Ron Adams head coach money to be a top assistant.

#7 The Rockets are going to be pretty good. This is the first year these guys have been together and they are young. The fact they have battled back from a 0-2 hole speaks well to their future.

#8 Depth or superstar? The Rockets need to decide if they want to use their depth and assets to add a couple players like Milsapp or Taj Gibson and a PG like Avery Bradley or get a player like Melo and hope Morey can paste the pieces around them.

#9 Give McHale credit, he likes Daniels and he looks like a rotation player next year for the Rockets.

 

1. I don't think we can win a championship with McHale. I think he'll get one more year to see if the team can further gel and play together, but next year better be WCF or bust for him. This team reeks of lack of discipline and poise. I have been impressed by Stotts and the mental discipline he's instilled. I would love to get another in the Rick Carlisle line of coaching. He's the best coach not named Popovich in the league.

2. Jeremy Lin needs to be dealt no matter what. It's addition by subtraction. I don't care if we have to take on a longer contract. This team's window is now and we don't have time to have subpar rotation players. I want a veteran that can contribute regardless of position.

3. A bit redundant, but we desperately need some veteran leadership on this team. We need another guy like Beverly who can motivate this squad.

 

Howard is a role player?

1. If Harden want's to take it to the next level, he's gotta play defense. If everyone see him busting his butt or at least give an effort instead of his usual matador defense than raising his hands like it was someone elses fault, than maybe that will rub off on everyone else.

2. Mchale is never bringing the Rockets to the next level. His clueless look at times, his inability to make in game adjustments, the Rockets ability to ALWAYS blow double digit leads, his rotation, his offensive plays coming out of time out. I could go on and on but I won't. Everyone gets the point and sees what everyone else sees.

3. Refs have been HORRIBLE on both ends this whole series. Something needs to be done. It's the timing of these HORRIBLE calls that gets me. The refs are basically deciding the game, minus a few dumb plays here and there from the Rockets....but that goes back to coaching.

 

1) Lin makes really boneheaded decisions (don't think i need to elaborate)

2) Harden makes boneheaded decisions (transition turnovers aplenty, driving into traffic and getting stripped, dribbling instead of calling a TO to advance the ball)

3) Howard makes boneheaded decisions (Howard barely passes out of the post now. His response to a double is straight up turnover or make the shot...)

4) Parsons makes boneheaded decisions (4-pt play for Mo Williams, flagrant 1, etc.)

Weren't these guys known to be fairly high IQ players before coming to Houston? What the hell happened.

 

Positive:

- Troy Daniels can flat out shoot the rock. All year long, we've been needing a Redick / Korver / 2013 Playoffs Danny Green, and it looks like we found him. Unfortunately, it might be too little, too late.

- Dwight Howard has been a solid anchor for us, and the only good consistent player this series. His clutch defense gave us a chance to win game 4, and his offense in every game kept us in it. With that said, there IS some negative stuff.

- Harden showed up for game 3 and 4. Parsons showed up for game 4. If these two can somehow manage to play well together, in the same game, then we'll take this series to 7.

Negative:

- Goodness gracious, the referees. Those supposed unbiased, objective people that lord over the game? Completely trashed us. Missed a huge call on Dwight in games 1 and 4 that I felt changed momentum.

- Dwight Howard's post offense. It works some times, but most of the time, it looks awkward. Also, there doesn't seem to be a ton of offensive boards when he takes the shot, iirc.

- Jeremy Lin. His decision making could use some. And that's all I'm going to say about that, since most of the people have picked apart his game (and his soul as a human being lol) already.

 

Main observation from this series? If McHale (and Morey) was coaching the Heat instead of Spo they would not have back to back rings.

 

McHale shouldn't change the rotations during the playoffs with such a young team. The entire season worked, he said it himself, stick with the plan. all season they ran the pick and roll, and he played several other rotation players, I don't care if they players suck but with a young team consistency is the key, you preach it and they will learn it. no coincidence that we are loosing a series when we don't run the PnR bread and butter rockets play.

1. Lin is not a 6th man, as a PG and a Harvard person, he needs to be smarter, can't give up easy turnovers at the last second, needs clock management.
2. Parsons and Harden are super inconsistent, Harden will not get those petty foul calls in the playoffs as he did in the regular season.
3. DH is not a post me up all the time Center, he never will be. he is there for dunks, rebounds and blocks.
4. we need a consistent 3rd scorer
5. Mchale can't draw plays.

 

1) Need a wing stopper.

2) Need a PF that can stretch the floor and defend the post.

3) Need a complete point guard. Someone that can defend reasonably well,

McHale is not the problem. Was he late on some strategic adjustments? Sure, but remember he is new at this as well, and I'm not even sure how much input he has.

The rocket's problems are primarily PERSONNEL related.

 

I'm so disappointed I don't even have the energy...

 

1) Jeremy Lin went for a quick layup in Game 1 with less than a minute to go, when we were up 2 or 3 and needed to run some clock, missed it. Cost us the game.

2) Game 2, James Harden hits a 3 to bring us to within 3 with 31 seconds left, Lin fouls Lilliard when there really was no need. Possibly cost us another game.

3) Game 4, up 2 with ball in hands and 35 seconds left, instead of calling a timeout when he had no where to go, he turns it over. Cost us another game.

This could have been a sweep or 3-1 our way if Lin didn't make all those bone-headed plays.


Conclusion: F**k Jeremy Lin.

 

1. Harden is nowhere close to being a "Superstar". He is the worst perimeter defender ive seen in years in the NBA. No quickness and is stamina is pure trash. He is very limited by his lack of athletic ability compared to other players on the court. His inconsistency is horrible and he so limited on offense its becoming predictable and easy to defend. He needs to get aggressive and model his game after Dwade. also LOSE SOME WEIGHT!

2.Lin is the punching back for the fans. He makes many mental mistakes and i hope he is on a different team next year. Beverly's injury has clearly affected his lateral quickness. Lillard is blowing by him with ease. This didnt happen during regular season.

3. Morey has got to get a coach with a real gameplan. THe hawks have taken their subpar team to the next level with only a coaching change. Also , more athletic players are needed. Omer is pitiful along with every perimeter defender aside from beverly and hamilton (who gets no playing time)

 

1. Howard is better than advertised. I could not be more impressed with his hustle, defense, and patience on offense. He is fantastic.
2. Harden and Parsons are out of shape. That's why we are blowing leads. They do not have the stamina to play offense and defense.
3. The team is immature, and needs better basketball x and o leadership. We are completely lost in big situation during these games.
4. I wish we could keep this Asik. He is playing his heart out and the Twin Towers is starting to work.
5. I would trade Jeremy Lin for any "whipping boy" clutchfans has had over the years. He is terrible. Paging Rafer Alston.

 

lol Harden has not been "elite" offensively in the playoffs. In fact, he's been historically bad. He's averaging 32% from the field and over 4 TOs in our losses.

 

Agree 100%

 

1. The Rockets dont have any offensive plays that gets the ball moving its either give it to Harden and let him go iso or dump it down to Dwight.

2. This is just a matchup problem that just works in Portlands favor, the Rockets have no answer for Lamarcus Aldridge.

3. Jeremy Lin went to Harvard but makes community college decisions.

Honorable mention: Troy Daniels is the perfect 2 guard to play behind Harden, something that I felt the Rockets didnt have this whole year.

 

1. McHale not only doesn't know his X's and O's, he also doesn't know how to keep his players accountable. So what good is he? I don't care if players "like playing for him", if he's not getting the best out of them. McHale has got to go.

2. The refs are crooked and/or terrible at their jobs. Every game has been biased Portland's way, including the two we played at home.

3. We're getting incredibly unlucky this series. It's pretty clear we're the better team, but when the officiating is against you and your opponent is crazy hot hitting nonstop circus shots, it's hard to win. But, even if we lose this series (there's still a chance, albeit a slim one), I feel pretty good about next season with more experience under our collective belts and hopefully some upgrades to the coaching and/or team.