I have to admit that even as a diehard fan this season more than any other I’ve found myself when the game is obviously going in the tank, going ahead and turning the game off. This should be a fun team to watch but it’s not. I’m not sure if it’s a KD thing or an Ime thing or both. Just the overall way the games get bogged down and the game seems so damn hard for this team isn’t an enjoyable product. I’m okay though because next year is really the last year of it most likely and we should in theory be coming back with the intended full squad. With more depth, I think the grinding out wins could be more enjoyable. Right now watching 7 guys in a rotation just look miserable out there isn’t a lot of fun to watch. You know it’s bad when I wish freaking Tate was healthy so we had another guy in the rotation who could bring some energy. No I don’t think Ime is going anywhere so I’m not really bothering whining about him. But yes I would prefer to have even D’Antoni instead of him to trade the overrated defense for something that could get the game moving and not be such a slog.
I also think if there's a way to make a trade to get Dillon Brooks back with little going back out, Stone definitely should make that deal. Dude was the heart and soul of that team last year, and was an engine to keep the Ime grind it out style going. One of the biggest disappointments is Tari not being able to step in to be that guy for this team this year. I still love Tari, and think he'll bounce back but I don't think he's got that competitive dog in him that Brooks could bring out on a night to night basis. Look at what happened to Memphis when they let him walk, and look at what happened to Houston this year.... I would love to get that guy back if possible.
i don't think they've given up but are obviously frustrated. first, KD is not a leader and just needs to play the mercenary scorer's role. when teams trap and double him, quit force feeding him!!!!! also, i've thought for a very long time that as much as i like alpi, he just doesn't fit. BUT, the biggest factor going forward is amen. my man needs to step up and take the reins, be THE DUDE. i don't care if he ever learns to shoot because i trust his passion and desire to win.
I think he is trying. Each game he is being more and more aggressive, but it’s hard to tell your coach and Durant to go pound rocks.
Fire Ime. Bring in Malone who knows how to coach a team with a big man like Alpi. We have the pieces to make it work we just need a coach, like Malone, who knows how to do it.
Not sure Malone is the answer, but it would be worth it on a prove it type contract. Malone is pretty vet centric and if he failed no way Tito eats two contracts back to back. I’d talk to a lot of assistants and hire one with a philosophy that aligns with a young athletic team and make the necessary roster changes to fit that philosophy.
It’s giving Mchale vibes when the team was sick and tired of him blaming every single thing on effort.
Has anyone thought of the Rockets actually playing over their heads right now and any other coach would do worse?
I think it's more pent up frustration with the entire situation. - Stone said what a leader cannot believe if he cares about winning - Ime brought us toughness and a hard-nosed mentality, but when his boxing buddy went down and Dillon was traded the vets that made his culture click evaporated and exposed his flaws. - Alpi started the season on fire, but has flamed out for likely a number of reasons. He's not the same player as last year or even at the beginning of the year. It's sad. - I thought KD was the star/closer we lacked. A few nights he has been, but it seems he's been exposed when teams employ a simple double-team strategy that most of us were taught to beat in HS. When your star says the right things in interviews, but then backstabs his teammates in social forums it seeds the harvest we're seeing on the court. I think Amen, Bari, Reed, Josh, and Clint haven't given up. They're still trying. Tari is a walking cluster ****. Not sure what's going on, but Reed or Josh should be starting over him. It's hard to watch this team and if something dramatic doesn't happen in the offseason I don't see FVV and Adams being Batman and Robin for our Gotham Rockets.
the national media is calling it out, we see it with our own eyes, I've heard similar grimblings in the org, but some people still try to deny it FLAT OUT GIVEN UP
Our players are being asked to defer to someone who isn't a leader. Worse yet, the guy they are deferring to actively bad mouths them in a public forum. That is very hard to do. On top of that they constantly get **** on in the media by a coach who never takes accountability. I honestly think our youngsters deserve a lot of credit, Bari especially. He had his little slump that seemed like it was going to derail his season but he got back on track. He is consistently getting better and better even if there isn't a big noticeable leap like you would hope for a top 3 pick. I think he is constantly being put in bad situations like having to defend small guard above the 3 point line. His defense would be so much more impactful if he could play to his strength and be a weak side rim protector and corner close-out guy. We are actually pretty lucky that most of our guys are good dudes. Alpy, Reed, Amen, Bari seem really drama-free. They just want to play and get better. They don't mind being coached hard. Tari likely would fall into that category too but it's clear his contract not being settled has a big impact on his play.
This is really hard to watch. In addition to everything you guys mentioned, we dont have any chemistry going on. No partnertships, no pick and roll combination, no killer play. You just run out of excuses to choose this over the other options.
