ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Raptors 12/5/2019

Actually you are right but you still cherry picked those stats to make them look worse at rebounding than they were, did you not? Why didn't you include their offensive rebounding stats? OREB just as important as DREB, if not more so.

 

I was just thinking about early in the season when Harden had a HUGE game and he went back into the locker room to get more work done. Russ walked by and asked him what he was doing. Harden said trying to get better. If that exchange isn't emblematic of their careers, I dont know what is.

 

I specifically said defensive rebounding. I brought up all their defensive stats. I didn’t cherrypick anything.

Why would defensive rebounding essentially not matter but offensive rebounding would?

None of it automatically matters. The Rockets best offense sucked at offensive rebounding. So did the Warriors.

However it does help a little, sometimes, if you are elite at it.

 

You are arguing just to argue. Nothing you said in here made sense. Because you are arguing a senseless position. Westbrook OBVIOUSLY sucks. No one being honest believes anything else. We don’t need to have lessons in basketball game theory for us to know it. Though I’m glad I got to show how misunderstood rebounding can be in the proper context.

 

You are factually wrong and I'll prove it below. You are completely wrong about the Warriors, their dominating years they were one of the best rebounding teams. Going by TOTAL rebounds. They never sucked at rebounding. 17th is middle of the pack. the other championship years they were one of the BEST rebounding teams, not worst. You are wrong.

So let's look at the past 10 champions and where they ranked rebounding the ball and lets see if it doesn't matter. Let's see how often teams win without rebounding.

2019: Raptors 17th
2018: Warriors 17th
2017: Warriors 7th (Welp, so much for them being a bad rebounding team...)
2016: Cavs 9th
2015: Warriors 5th (LOL)
2014: Spurs 12th
2013: Heat 30th (Well there you go, there is your exception)
2012: Heat 21st
2011: Mavs 14th
2009: Lakers 2nd

So, Lebron's Heat are the only team in the past 10 years to get by without being a good rebounding team. We are talking about rebounding, period. You're trying to make it into offensive rebounding because you know you're wrong here.

Dude, I've basically been getting a ton of likes off this game thread alone and my posts against you lol.

I haven't been on the most likes section since the whole China Fiasco. Seems like speaking sense about Westbrook is good bidness for me.

 

Best win of the season. Raptors are a great team. All of the role players stepped up. House played with the Flu. They do not win without him gutting through that.

Rockets follow up their worst loss of the season (SAS) with their BEST win of the season.

 

It's nice to know that when the slumpgod EG comes back we'll have a Great Value version of him in Ben ready to go if necessary.


We simply don't get enough credit for the amount of bums who's career we've revived.

 

No kidding

we’re literally getting these guys paid.

do we honestly think house(maybe) Ben Mclemore Green would even have jobs right now?

the rockets have revived green and Mclemore to the point were green has gotten 3 straight contracts from the rockets when he was about to retire. Ben was prob heading to China or something now he’s prob secured another 5-6 years in the nba and house who knows because nobody wanted to give him a shot and now he’s on a 3 year 10m deal and will be in like for a 8-10m a year deal for multiple years by age 28 when he hits FA market if he can just play as good as he is now not better not worse just stay w 12/5 guy shooting 40% from three with okay defense.

we got parsons paid asik paid Ariza paid I’m sure there are more but that’s the rockets and really harden getting these guys to look better than they really are.

James has not gotten Russ to play better yet tho. I’m sick of those 17 ft bank shots he keeps taking. Go to the rim or pull up from 8-10 feet in the paint no more of these 17-18 ft jumpers it’s ugly and he’s not even 40% from there.

the crazy thing is if he was even 40% from their his numbers would be way better that’s mind blowing because that’s not even great shooting.

I like russ but I don’t like him in iso and trying to score.

 

I responded because your demand was either 'fix him or pack your bags'.
But, I just saw us beat the defending World Champs on their own floor WITH an inefficient Westbrook.
You and I both agree that we wish Russ was more efficient.

We just see it 2 different ways.

YOU apparently see Russ (as you stated above) with 'many offensive talents'
I don't see that. I see a guy who has CRAZY athleticism with very LITTLE offensive talent.
1) Not a great ball handler
2) Poor jump shooter
3) CRAZY fast but finishes poorly

YOU (and others - BasketMAD) see an inept coach who just shows up in a suit and tie
and has no clue how to run a professional basketball team

I see a coach who has
1) Transformed our meddling team from the McHale days to one of the highest powered offenses in the NBA.
2) Won 1st seed in WC (over the STACKED Warriors) a couple of seasons ago. Also 2nd seed
3) CoY just a couple of seasons ago
4) .700 winning percentage and 2nd best record in the NBA since he's been at the helm of our team
5) Has brought an exciting brand of basketball to our city
6) Turned James Harden into a superstar, WINNING, record setting stud

So, do I think the coach is clueless about Russ' shortcomings? Not at all.
He's an analytics guy right from the same mold as Morey (3's are better than 2's)

I'm not sure why we don't take a different approach with Russ either.
I may question some of coach's decisions. But so far, I haven't been able to argue with the results
for the most part. I'm sure not demanding he be fired for defeating the World Champs.

'Rocket Russ' is still a work in progress. Hopefully we can figure something out.
But I don't believe firing the coach is the solution

 

Can you quote the post in which I said this?

 

Lot of good thoughts. For me, the biggest takeaway is that we showed the league that you can't just double trap Harden 35 ft from the basketball the entire game. Harden made the reads, Russ helped facilitated and rest of the gang were en Fuego hitting shots.

During 1st quarter, Raptor kept pace scoring. But playing 4v3 or 3v2, tired them out, our shooting and spacing was that good. The ball moved so well and guys draining them. I like that Rockets had another side, the offense system had counters. Let's see what the Sun's will do.

 

Nice analyiss, but pls league do continue to double team... its more interesting and it gets a lot of practice and engagement and help develop our role players...it makes them more involved and you gotta believe it will motivate them more and prepare for the playoffs

 

Yea we will see it in the playoffs, so some practice is good. Nick Nurse had his team committed to that strategy pretty much the entire game. I just wonder if opponents do it in spurts, if our complimentary guys can still stay in rhythm. That's probably where the reps will help.

 

Kudos to MDA and his staff for actually devising a strategy, preparing, and practicing a counter to the harden double teams

 

yeah now the question if what if the opponents double team only at times, early double teams, late double teams, soft double teams, hard double teams etc..

MDA & staff need to strategize against these and prepare/practice the team

 

That would be awesome if we had a 600 pound athletic trainer.

 

Right here (below)
Worded slightly different, but sure sounds like, 'fix him or pack your bags'
Did I read this wrong?

 

Yes, you read it wrong. I never suggested that MDA was an "inept coach who just shows up in a suit and tie and has no idea how to run a basketball team". If I felt he was that hopeless, I wouldn't have suggested giving him an ultimatum. It would have simply been a "fire him right now" suggestion. That being said, I do think MDA is who he is at this point and I don't think he's the right guy for this pairing. I don't think ownership truly feels he is either.

 

Good post. I noticed that, as well. I hope MDA can figure out how to get Westbrook to stop taking shots when he could be passing to open shooters. That 7-27 was just killing me. He also blew a couple of layups I thought he should have either made or dunked, but it was the missed long 2's and 3's that had me groaning. Russ is an excellent passer. He showed that on more than one occasion last night, but I wish he'd make more use of that skill than he does.

 

Maybe so. They didn't extend him.
Perhaps you didn't say he was inept. I've heard those type of comments from several others.

I also question some of his rotations and decisions. That's natural.
But I'm sure enjoying being a Rockets fan much more today, than say, 4 years ago

And I just haven't heard any sane suggestions as a replacement