ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 1/24/2020

If you're going to strip a coach of any credit because he has a couple of stars on his team
you may as well keep going:
Kerr - bailed out by KD, Curry, Thompson, Green, referees, moving screens. . .
POP - bailed out by Duncan, Parker and Ginobli, flopping
Phil Jackson - bailed out by MJ, Pippen, Kobe, Shaq
Pat Riley - bailed out by Magic, Jabbar, Worthy. . .
Spoelstra - LBJ, Wade, Bosh
You can paint these guys with the same brush.

Short memories forget,
We were up 3-2 against 'the greatest team ever assembled' until CP's hammy popped.
Took that team to 7 games. No one had done that prior during the Durant era.
MDA's Rockets had the 'greatest team ever assembled' on the ropes. We know the rest of the story.
Was that series lead by blind luck?

That Warriors series is what made me respect MDA.
His program was validated by bringing a heavyweight to the mat. No one had ever seen that
juggernaut looking up from the mat before

Our 'bad' coach has the best record in the NBA over the past 3 1/2 seasons.
This narrative that he's a 'bad' coach is unfounded based on the numbers.
The HoF coaches I noted above get lauded 'because of' their superstars.
But somehow, on CF forum, OUR coach gets discredited using the same reason

This year is a different story, different cast of characters
No more Ariza, we have House instead.
No more PG skills and sharpshooting from CP (you can likely thank James for that)
We have castoff Ben McLemore trying to make a shot and keep a job
Did D'Antoni 'get rid of' Ariza? NOT AT ALL
Did he 'get rid of' CP? NOT AT ALL
Did he beg Morey to pickup Ben McLemore or Danuel House? Likely NOT
He's having to play the hand he's been dealt (unlike Bill O'Brien who now gets to play GM)

But, sure, hang it all on the coach.
However, I didn't see D'Antoni take or miss ONE shot during this losing streak.
But I DID see plenty of bricks being chucked. Is coach supposed to make those too?

MDA hasn't been extended and we'll have someone else at the helm next year so let me ask you.
Who is your 'realistic' choice to replace our 'bad' coach?
Who is going to take us to the promised land? (after all, that's why you're mad at MDA right?)
I'm taking a poll from MDA haters. So, what say ye?

 

More and more im wondering what the hell he is thinking

 

Man our defense is just horrible.

 

I agree mate. People making MDA out to be “clap-clap-clap mchale” . He has his faults I know, especially and typically in tonight’s game, but don’t for a second think he pulls all the strings...

 

Doris Burke killed his career ever since the national tv game of Harden's flailing arms in mid drive. Refs arent giving him those anymore.

 

Doris Burke is the illegitimate child of hubie brown

 

I will say this though...although I didn’t think I would ever type these upcoming statistics lol BRODIE WENT 13-13 FROM THE FOUL LINE FTW!!!

 

Wow that was really well said. Unfortunately, talking heads paint a man as a choker or selfish or not a winner until they win a championship. The truth of the matter is there is only one trophy and everybody wants it. If championships were so easily attained we wouldn’t value them as much. I’m hoping they turn it around and make a run, but honestly since Fertita bought the team, the personnel decisions have gone down the drain. Plus, a lame duck coach in the final year of a contract has difficulty getting buy-in from players during the year. This is why an extension would have been smart and also well-deserved.

 

Harden could benefit so much from Westbrook's driving if he gave the ball up more and coach actually drew up some plays. Harden would get catch and shoot opportunities or to drive off of a pass. If he's hurt, sit him. MDA needs to show some balls and Harden needs to understand when he's hurting the team. He's not being out there to help out his team right now, it's just his ego won't allow him to sit. You know this idea that it's a great thing for a guy to play through everything is such a silly notion. Harden is hurting our chances to win games right now and for him to be fully healthy come play-off time.

Great game by Westbrook, my man! Rivers, House & EG showing life out there and that stretch in the 3rd by Capela to protect the rim was awesome.

 

Feels good seeing eric gordon starting to get his groove back

 

they are hiding him from other teams not to be asked for in trades, hes a future superstar

 

CONGRATS , great content!

 

THIS IS A GREAT NEWS, cause I trust your opinion

 

Are you sure?

Spoiler

that you have accepted that?

 

some even deserve him more than others

 

we needed season highs from WB, EGO, Rivers just to beat the sorry ass tmutts. wtf is gonna happen to us next 3 games now? (gulp)

 

Good post.

There is ball and players movement when Harden is off the court, so we know it can be done. Not only it leads to easier baskets, (2s or 3s), but players give a better effort on the defensive side as well if they know they are really participating rather than watching while on offense.

It's on MDA to show the players there is a better way, especially if the 3s are not falling. I'm noticing better overall movement and less 3 points shots, but there is still too much isolation to my liking.

 

You can't possibly think that fans of other teams are NOT gonna bash an opposing player when they get a chance. Heck, I loathed the shirt chewing accused rapist Kobe Bryant, cannot even stand to look at pacifier baby man Curry, and have never had any interest whatsoever in LeBron James. The only good thing I can say Kobe and Curry did was stay loyal to their team, unlike LeBron, who jumps from team to team to team. But, did I root and cheer for other NBS opponents or buy shoes because their name was on them? No way man.

 

It really always seemed that way to me in the past. I always enjoyed watching the bench more when James sat, because yes, there was more ball movement. Everyone got involved more, and didn't just stand around waiting to catch and shoot or pass the ball back to James for him to iso and dribble the leather off the ball. That's just monotonous and boring for me to enjoy.

Westbrook changed all that. He has the energy of a 2 year old on a sugar rush, the speed of a roadrunner, and the heart of a champion!

 

He's definitely in a slump. I think he's hurt, but even if he isn't, I think it's all right to point out he's not playing well, and maybe should have been benched for the 4th. That's not hating. That's seeing.

What is hating, and what I'm sneering at, are the media types and others who only now feel safe to run their mouths about: 'no one will win with Harden,' 'Harden's a selfish player and the worst kind of player in the NBA today,' 'Harden's a little tyrant who thinks he's a playerGM like LeBron,' and so on.

Things that mostly don't change if Harden plays well or bad, but that most of these types somehow forget to mention when Harden was winning Player of The Week awards.

I think there's some truth to their observations, or else they'd just get laughed away---I've made similar in tone observations here. I just point and laugh at them mentioning it now.

Same thing happened with Tiger Woods once Elle went upside his head with a 9-iron. All of that petty media rage, from petty, small little parasitic journalists, that had been building up over 15 years of him kicking ass in golf and being a d*ck to everyone, exploded onto the sports pages and screens. Because now, it was OK to talk about it.