Houston Rockets Thread - Preseason vs Spurs (Friday)

[puglife]

Vegas had warriors favored by 10.5 in both games. Everyone's writing us off. I didn't have the most confidence going into this series, but I've got a lot now. Warriors are almost untouchable at home, yet we very well could be up 2-0 right now. Sucks to not have won either of those games, but can't dwell on the past.

I hate that we have to always come back in these games at the end. Josh smith played like straight *** tonight. I think we asked him to do too much. It's one thing if he is able to do it on his own in the flow of the game, but it seemed like he was sent out there to force things to happen. On his post ups and drives, when he's calm and collected, he's awesome. But when he's going in there desperate to make a play, it just goes terribly every single time.

Harden balled out and Dwight played well too. The defense has to be better next game for all 48 minutes. Steph got way too many wiiiiide open looks in the first quarter. I honestly couldn't believe how open he was like 4 shots in a row. Put us into a big hole early. We fought back though and that gives me optimism, but we need to play smart and full of heart for all 48 minutes to have a shot at coming back. Saturday can't come soon enough.

 

[puglife]

And I don't even want to get started on the officiating again. So many calls that go uncalled or against us.

Few off the top of my head:

-that Dwight foul on bogut where bogut had his heads/elbow in dwight's neck first

-someone going over Terrance jones back on a rebound with under 2 min left and it's not called. Loose ball and green ends up getting fouled by harden in the scramble for two ft's. Huge swing in crunch time.

-curry losing the ball in the bottom corner and it goes off his foot right in front of the ref, but the ref gives the warriors the ball anyway.

-on that last play green sets a pick on brewer so Barnes can catch the ball in the corner, but he's pushing the **** out of brewer with both arms fully extended while brewer is trying to get around the screen. It lets Barnes have a wide open lane to the basket, but luckily Dwight comes over to alter the shot and force the miss. They do so much of that bs on all of their screens. Throwing their arms out while moving to hold players from getting through the screens. Not a single moving screen was called all game that I can recall and I've been looking for them all series.

Frustrating.

 

[do work son]

Couple calls and plays away from being up 2-0. Protect home court and turn it into best out of 3. Be loud Saturday.

 

[polosanddunks]

Moving screens are terrible. They get away with it at home all the time

 

[Peep Game]

Bu bu but that's "elite defense"

 

[blackxme]

- Lot of bad calls last night, but that's almost always expected. Dwight gets killed in the paint but he never gets any calls
- Bad Josh Smith so far
-Dwight played really well
- Harden was awesome last night, I'll live with him with the ball in his hands all the time in the last few seconds. Just didn't work out last night |I
- Bogut and Green illegal screens
- It's been a great series, I hope TC is really loud and they can get 2 games at home. Go back to Oracle 2-2

 

[bonafide hustla]

We're *****ing about a lot of the wrong things when we have some adjustments that quite frankly I believe would have us winning both games by 5+ points.

Like how JH decided to turn up on his midrange game/facilitation after realizing he would get zero calls in Oracle. He's CLEARLY getting fouled too. Even that Bogut block, Dray chopped his arm. I digress slightly

They're taking what we give them.

Can't have Jet out here guarding the post.
Can't have TJones out here guarding Curry on the perimeter either.
Can't continue to go at Draymond Green (we did the same dumb **** in the reg season with Papaknick out there)

 

[do work son]

We're *****ing about a lot of the wrong things when we have some adjustments that quite frankly I believe would have us winning both games by 5+ points.

Like how JH decided to turn up on his midrange game/facilitation after realizing he would get zero calls in Oracle. He's CLEARLY getting fouled too. Even that Bogut block, Dray chopped his arm. I digress slightly

They're taking what we give them.

Can't have Jet out here guarding the post.
Can't have TJones out here guarding Curry on the perimeter either.
Can't continue to go at Draymond Green (we did the same dumb **** in the reg season with Papaknick out there)

i agree. jones can hedge, but the initial defender has to fight to get back and pressure curry.

when we trapped late, it surprised him. mix in the trap every now and then.

 

[jinkazama]

Rockets can take a lot from these first two games...the whole world thought GSW would wash the Rockets but a play here or there and the Rockets could be up 2-0

1. Mchale has got to get on the refs about the moving screens...I mean damn these guys don't need any help seeing as they can hit jumpers from the first row, but green has tackled one of the Rockets in every game and not gotten a call either time
2. Can somebody page the 4Q game 6 Josh Smith...dude is stinking it up out there
3. JH is gonna eat Klay the whole series...making him less effective on the offensive end
4. Rockets gotta make GSW pay for all those turnovers.

Rockets can def get games 3 and 4...just gotta stay focused on D the whole game and play the way they have been

 

[rosegoldsluggs]

Nick Wright from 610 was on ESPN he threw out a few stats that were interesting 

Steph Curry has shot 10 wide open threes and made 8 according to sport view 

He's only shooting 25% when contested 

And theres been 5 seperate times they have gotte wide open layups on inbound passes.

Its little things like that we need to get fixed.

Im sure the players and staff are working on it.

Those open shots Curry gets are because of those illegal screens he gets 

Either way im hype for tomorrow 

Lets get it 

 

[Peep Game]

Oh you were listening to 610 at that time too ? He's right though. A lot of the 3s that Curry gets are either completely uncontested, or our defenders are playing 3 yards off like a DB. It was deflating every time they'd make a 3, cause it was mostly due to simple non contests.

 

[earldagoat]

 

[q-ball2220]

I thought i was the only person who realized them illegal screens steph be gettin smh. 

 

[q-ball2220]

Klay is food, shorty gon get smoked by harden all day. i feel like the league just aint gon call them illegal screens that Golden state keep setting

 

[bonafide hustla]

we kept switching screens. leaving curry on an iso island with TJones. or jet in man up iso is also food.

if you want to stick to your plan of switching screens, you go with the big defensive lineup that we had out there for the last defensive play throughout the game. I been *****ing about that lineup through the season and more now and mchale used it for like 2 plays thus far.

I'm so mad McHale isn't getting flack for playing Jet/Prig so much still.

if you put Brewer/Josh out there instead of Jet/Prig

a. You can potentially live with the switching screens more. (still should realistically mix it up with tact). I like Brew in the post against Dray a whole lot more than Jet. Dray isn't exactly lethal in the post. But is enabled to do whatever with Jet behind him.
b. You can live with Josh having to guard Curry in iso off the switch. Better (longer/bigger. and better feet. pause) than TJones defensively.
c. You can create transition off length/turnovers which is the best way to get Josh/Brew going
d. You can find ways to attack Curry and try to get him to earn fouls (Klay is already constantly being attacked, and its obviously affecting his offense)


I'd be fine with getting TJones touches against their 2nd unit. I think he'd thrive there.

 

[do work son]

When I said curry was gonna get his, I didn't mean just give him open looks. Gotta compete more to closeout on him and keep him bottled up.

 

[bonafide hustla]

closeouts with Tjones out there is just either instant skates or blow by.
closeouts with terry might as well be with casper the ghost out there too. He's a non factor to Curry

 

[Peep Game]

Nick Johnson only played maybe 7 minutes, but for next game, I wouldn't be mad at all if he got some of Prig and Terry's minutes. I mean, I'd much rather take a chance on pure athleticism vs Prig/Terry playing defense like they're in quicksand

 

[puglife]

Klay is food, shorty gon get smoked by harden all day. i feel like the league just aint gon call them illegal screens that Golden state keep setting

I was smh when Klay finally got a stop on harden. He blocked one of his layups and jvg started going on about how great of a defender Klay was and how this is why he should have been on one of the all defensive teams. Harden had like 28, 9, and 8 at the time lol...but klay gets one block and the slurpage begins.

 

[Peep Game]

Klay is food, shorty gon get smoked by harden all day. i feel like the league just aint gon call them illegal screens that Golden state keep setting

I was smh when Klay finally got a stop on harden. He blocked one of his layups and jvg started going on about how great of a defender Klay was and how this is why he should have been on one of the all defensive teams. Harden had like 28, 9, and 8 at the time lol...but klay gets one block and the slurpage begins.

The narrative the Klay (and Steph) are very good defenders is hilarious. I don't know when that started, but once it picked up steam, it never stopped Klay had been cooked all night and basically got a default block on Harden based on how he tried to get the layup off.

Also, Howard said his knee is feeling better even after logging 40 minutes last game.

 

[franchise3]

Must win. Let's go.

 

[Peep Game]

http://www.ibtimes.com/golden-state...3-tv-channel-live-stream-info-betting-1935582

 

[bonafide hustla]

ha, klay is definitely a good defender. Beard is Beard though and this is the best we've seen Beard play. Curry isn't on Klay's level, but he's gotten better and is still high IQ

 

[Peep Game]

Pretty lifeless game so far. The crowd reaction directly correlates with the effort from basically everyone on the team so far. The easy shots the Warriors are getting is sickening, along with rebounds we should have getting scooped up for these miraculous put backs from GSW. This is not the way you come out at home.

 

[bonafide hustla]

they out-executing us, picking us a part in gameplan, and effort goes out the window. we start playing skittish on offense and the magic ain't working, effort goes out the window. same ol same ol

can't count out a spark, but this is pretty elementary basketball.