[Fact Checker] Barkley: Rockets Can't Win by Outscoring Golden State

the most annoying thing is when these “analysts” say that they’re not sure about how 2 ball dominant players in Harden and CP3 will co-exist, but in the next sentence say that they really like OKC

apparently, only the Rockets have this problem, but OKC who has Russ, Melo, and PG will be just fine

 

I was wondering if Chuck would change his stance on the Rockets now that Les Alexander is gone.

Looks like he doesn't attribute the blame just on Les.

 

I don't understand how anybody can watch that show.

 

As always, good thread @SamFisher I always enjoy Barkley telling us what it takes to be a champion. As if.....

 

I'm disappointed in Charles .

He has BY FAR the most basketball knowledge of that crew . Shaq and Kenny are both insecure blabber mouths .

Charles at least usually listens to the other persons point .

Oh well , maybe he's just tired of being in the same room as Shaq and is mailing it in .

They need a change in chemistry up there .

 

I feel the same way...a bunch of smug comments. Who the eff cares? I don't find that to be entertaining at all...and it makes me think less of Kenny Smith...who I don't want to think less of and ruin my "in the building" championship moments!

 

OKC is going to be allowed to use 3 basketballs... at least according to TNT. But yeah their analysis is more than lacking, they even acted like the Rockets lost the game. Just sorry

 

Barkley's takes are normally just plain out LAZY. It seems to me 90% of the time he's just guessing or making stupid predictions he KNOWS are just wrong. If he's right then he'll brag. If he's wrong then it create headlines. Anytime a player takes a shot at Barkley he loves it because it brings him free publicity. Barkley's main job is too keep ppl talking

 

Listening to the post-game show last night, one would have thought GSW won instead of Houston. Its like these guys had already written all of their talking points before the game and were determined to spew their nonsense, regardless of the outcome. They just echoed each other comments about CP3 not being a good fit without mentioning the fact that he was playing with a knee injury.

Shaq is complete waste of space and brings absolutely nothing positive or intelligent to the show.

 

Facts:

1) Golden State will score on anybody. It doesn't matter how great your defense is, what your game-plan is, what the game's pace is...they will score the ball. And naturally, in order to beat a team that will score on you, you need to be able to score as well.

2) Our Team-O will never be as potent or as efficient as Golden State's...no team's will. Both Cleveland and us launched 3s, pushed the pace and prioritized O over D in hopes of beating GS last year, but the sad truth is that both teams were still a step short of GS on O, and far worse than GS on D.

3) Golden State's GOAT offense helps their defensive metrics. When I say this, I'm not discrediting their defense in any way. They have a ton of switchable defenders, elite rotations and defend the 3 incredibly well...but their early barrages on O often force teams to abandon their game-plan early, as they try to play GS's game by launching bad 3s, throwing away any size advantages they might have, and playing small-ball lineups that are far worse than GS's.

So in order to beat GS, I think you'd need to:

1) Dictate the pace: We beat GS in an uptempo game yesterday, and we're as equipped as anybody to do so (at least on occasion), but we simply can't do it 4 times in 7 games. They're just too damn good in every way on O to not outscore teams that try to outscore them. You pretty much have to slow it down, at least enough to keep them from consistently wrecking havoc in transition.

2) Be tougher, bigger and more physical than them, while still having the defensive versatility (switchable players) to hang with them: The Physicality aspect goes back to both ends, as guys like Bron, Harden and even Kyrie can get to the rim and finish on them at will. And defensively it's obvious, and this becomes more evident once refs start to allow more contact late in the playoffs. Guys like Curry and KD will get theirs, but they can also be shook.

3) Still be damn good offensively.

 

Thought for a second you were talking about Trump...

Barkley next president, confirmed?

 

No if the TNT crew is wrong especially about the rockets. Shaq will start to initate weak yo mama jokes at Barkley to go off topic and go to commericial break. Sneak move to avoid giving the rockets credit

Shaq has been horrible for that show

 

Ernie Johnson is the only one on that show that I can watch or listen to without cringing.

 

Those "pass first" PGs in Houston will have problems co-existing. I mean they are pass first. But will they pass? Can they co-exist?

Ball hog Westbrook in OKC will blend beautifully with PG & Melo who need shots. Not sure how that will work but, Westbrook plays HARD and plays HARD!.....Profit.

 

awesome stuff, SamFisher! But no poll....gotta have the poll for official fact checker metrics -- Completely True, Mostly True, Maybe Maybe no, Mostly False, Laughably False.

As I wrote in one of the midrange threads, this could also be why Morey/MDA are "doubling-down" a system that can both outscore them *and* provide you with the largest pool of free agent role players to buy.

[Defensively] pretty much the only way to beat them is with defensive length ... a lot of it. That usually translates to loading up on 3 and D players and long centers. And that usually translates into those defensive players inherently fitting into our system.

One of the beauties of our system is you can have a revolving door of 3 and D players with length to help guard the Warriors, and hurt them with 3s, while Paul/Harden manage the scoring.

We still don't have enough talent though. But teams with defensive length give the Warriors the most trouble. When it comes to putting together a team around that, those players are typically either centers, stars or 3&D players....which ones are easiest to acquire?
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The answer to that last question is : Players who naturally fit into Morey's offensive analytics, already. Makes me think that Morey's analytics do indeed look at both sides of the ball ... the Spacing and Pace game is also a game that very much fits the lengthy gazelles who PnR or shoot threes, giving you are larger pool of free agents to pick from, which gives you better odds of filling out a rotation of talent.

 

Not to be difficult, but everyone beats the Warriors by outscoring them.

 

Don't show that first chart to Vegas. I think I can profit from that, somehow.

 

If OKC loses to the Knicks on that very show watch them still make excuses for them.

"Oh, it's going to take them some time to gel, that's all that is."

Any time OKC stumbles this year watch that narrative, that they just need time to gel...something they won't even give to Harden-CP3.