ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 3/25/2024

Did you see Calvin's face? Lmao

 

Hater got excited, but nah....i'ts different this time around



finished with

 

Onto next game - Thunders

 

FORTY-SEVEN

AND

THIRTY-FIVE

It’s gonna happen

 

I thought you Jalensexuals were in favor of giving young players some time to grow before labeling them as bust? Or does that apply only for Rockets prospects?

 

I sent texts declaring the season over when Sengun went down. Ewing effect in play.

 

We won the games we were supposed to win and i'm happy. Now we need to prove others that we are playoffs worth.

 

He had to be playing some type of Noble Ime style effort defense because he was panting/holding knees, plus pretty sure him getting mugged and knocked around played a part as well

But Green sparked that 20-4 run that gave them the breathing room

No matter who you play, if you are down 9/10 and win by 18, you stood on biz

 

MANIFEST IT!!!

 

Indeed

Now we are going to need the 9/12 and 6/10 half JG4 like prior game, or the second half version tonite against those other teams they have already played, but are missing key players now that will come back to bite them

But the ride is fun for now, and its better to play the top seed in 1st round and test your young picks metal than to be ranking of for Banchero/Smith/Wemby as has been the case last couple yrs

 

Gives me the Harden vibe: played a subpar game (shooting wise. Can’t complain about anything else), and gave you close to 30 pts

 

This is as big a sign of improvement as anything else I've seen from Jalen, he either had bag or good games, now he can turn a bad one into a good one by the end of the second half. His +/- was great as well for this game.

 

Glad we are getting Jabari back for OKC. We need every defensive hand on deck for that one. I hope Amen shows up in a big way in the defensive end as well. . . and hope Ausar gets better soon. I feel bad for that guy.

 

Emo Himmy Buckets needs to show up tomorrow and beat those Warriors.

 

Really poor shooting, really good D - nice win.

We are down 4 rotation players in:

Bari
Cam
Sengun
Tari

Very hard with 2 starters and 2 important subs out.

DD

 

WE WIN!

 

Actually IT DOES!
There are FEW pleasures I have left in this armpit of a season.
I always follow Amen closely whenever he is in the game (also did Cam too) and very, very often Amen will try to drive in and if he doesn't get stripped before getting there when he does actually get there he will smoke a bunny because lack of skill/touch!

And his defense tonight is actually pretty normal for him.
I've stated this over and over before but people either don't listen or pay attention but Amen is not nearly the lockdown defender people make him out to be.

He doesn't move his feet half as much as his brother Ausar does to try and stay in front of his man, instead relying on trying to chase hm down after getting blown by.
But when you have a smart player or even worse a smart AND athletic player it can be problematic.


Case in point tonight.
I saw Scoot on one play use a really quick, powerful dribble to go by Amen.
Being taller and really athletic Amen tried to chase and recover.
However Scoot simply stopped under the rim, pump faked and let Amen (and gang) go flying past him and made the simplest 2 foot bunny you'd ever want to see.

But yet you NEVER see Amen at 6'7'' with a 7' wingspan and uber bounce doing anything like that.
(Actually you don't even see JALEN doing it either.)
The reason?
His handle is so subpar he's lucky to make it that far without getting stripped and if he's lucky enough to actually make it he can't do anything once he gets there.
This happens ALL the time (game to game).


Even Jalen, whose handle is not good or even average but is miles farther along than Amen gets blocked at the rim WAAY too often.
Why should someone as quick, bouncy and athletic as Jalen get blocked at the rim so often?
The answer is that he has NO VARIANCE whatsoever in his dribble drives!
People can time him up Easily, just like they can with Amen.
They are both ONE SPEED DRIVERS!

I've seen Jalen at least a couple of times earlier in the year do a euro step which I wish he'd go back to trying.
It's not as much variance as a jump stop dribble (like Scoot has) but it at least changes the timing a bit.
And if he could learn a pump fake he could start getting defenders in foul trouble, not to mention even more free throws!

Anyone remember Sweet Llew Lloyd!
He wasn't the quickest or most athletic player at all but NO ONE could stop him on the fast break because he had this little hesitation dribble that completely threw the timing off anyone trying to stop him and they'd just go flying past him or he'd make the layup/dunk.

Amen and even Jalen are like the Anti Sweet Llew imo.
One speed dribble with no nuance, variance and in the case of Amen so far, much success at all!


I'm telling you that Amen's regimen this off season needs to be 1 hour of dribbling exercises in a pair of those those slick ballhog gloves, 1 hour of dribbling normally, 1 hour of just shooting different basic layups and scoop shots at the rim (remember how many of those Banton did tonight? at least 4 or 5) and 1 hour of trying to get some arc into that gosh awful jump shot of his!
He hit one tonight but it might be the FLATTEST shot I've ever seen on a player and I just can't see him having long term success with it like that.
Nip it in the bud NOW Ime!

 

Green has had shown recently times the craft around the rim that Scoot has from change of pace to finesse. Scoot is only better at trucking over defenders.

And Green's handles aren't anywhere close to below average lol. If you want to see a below average handle for a guard look at someone like Shaedon Sharpe.

 

We're 71 games into the season and have a winning team. Life is good.