You are pathetically desperate for attention. Because clearly Clutchfans live rent free in your head.
Agreed. Harden / Gordon / Tucker while Westbrook PnRs with Capela = we're going to get points somehow.
He only comes here to take out his pentup frustrations over the wrong he feels Lin was done by harden on this site and replies to himself with a billion alter ids
I thought this was a good analysis. I think our short line up (Tuck at the 5) will be even more effective than years past just because of Westbrook's ability to break his man down. CP3 could not do that anymore and this year the line up was not as effective. I am concerned about defense and spacing in the starting unit though. The reason spacing has worked well is because we've had four capable shooters in the line up at all times. Interchanging Russ with Paul only gives 3 good shooters at all times which would allow Russ man to sag of Russ when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. I'm not as optimistic about spacing as some you guys are and in fact I'm concerned about the spacing. I think the line up will work if Russ is actually willing to move off the ball and let Harden find him cutting to the hole. The other issue I worry about is how much Russ loves shooting the mid range even though he isn't very good at it. I hope we can convince him to stop taking that shot. I know there is optimism that he will change his game here, but the man is 30 and he has been playing this way for all his career, so it's hard to believe that his habits will change. I am cautiously optimistic about next season, but there are a lot of concerns that I legit have which is why I never wanted to trade for Westbrook in the first place. I don't see how he will fit in great. He will definitely bring some good things to the team so I don't think we will drop off in the regular season, but I am concerned about whether his style of play will truly help the Rockets when it matters most. Since KD left, he has been unable to advance in the playoffs.
I suppose, but that's like 80% of people who watch basketball, including a lot of Rockets fans too. If Harden wasn't wearing a Rockets jersey, you think he'd still be popular here? He has actually been more positive on the Rockets and Harden relative to the average NBA fan.
Anybody not saying Houston is a title favorite or james the greatest player in the league is a hater on clutchfans
D’Antoni changing something implies Russ will agree to it. You can’t stagger the two most ball dominant players in the league and have them stick to their previous roles without them altering their game. That’s not me putting words in your mouth, it’s a logical inference. Listen, I hope what you’re saying is true. I want this reunion to work, it may be one of the best feel good stories in nba history if it does. But it would be like expecting the abusive spouse to finally learn control when the victim goes back to him. Maybe you’ll prove me completely wrong, but based on past behavior/experiences what nick is saying makes completely sense.
Pretty good breakdown, although Coach Nick missed a few points: 1) He made no mention of the durability of WB vs. Paul. We all know that when Paul is at the top of his game few guards are better than him. The problem is that who can remember the last time Paul was at the top of his game? Paul played 58 games during the season vs. WB's 82. After the last hamstring injury in Miami, Paul looked noticeably slower. This led to some uncharacteristically bad turnovers because he couldn't handle the defensive pressure like before. 2) He's right to question whether MDA can incorporate a system that maximizes WB's strengths. It will take a commitment from Harden to move off ball more and discipline from WB to make sound decisions. Some of the clips of Russ taking off-balance midrange shots are a tad out of context. In many of those scenarios, the defense collapsed because of OKC's lack of perimeter shooting. Not too many defenders are going to leave Gordon/Rivers/Tucker in the corner. This should open up some driving lanes and allow for better looks for WB (will he take them? Remains to be seen) 3) While Nick highlighted Paul at his best, he didn't show any clips of Paul's struggles like his inability to beat centers of the dribble. There were also no clips of Paul's poor IQ turnovers that resulted ultimately from a lack of explosion during the GSW series. WB isn't lacking any explosion to be sure. Ideally, you'd like to put Paul's IQ in Westbrook's body. 4) WB's ability to play more games during the RS will allow Harden to conserve more energy and place less wear and tear on his body. This was the initial reason Paul was brought here. Even though Paul had the ability to get it done when healthy, those games were becoming less frequent. A fresher Harden, with less nagging injuries resulting from carrying the load night in and out, might lead to more postseason success. It's far from an ideal fit, but given the Rockets salary cap and asset restriction, this was the best move that could be made. Paul/Harden was not a championship pairing, not because of talent but because of health. If Coach Nick is suggesting that the Rockets could have ran it back and won a title then he either 1) Didn't watch Chris Paul and the Rockets this year or 2) Isn't as sharp of a basketball mind as he thinks he is.
I love how he completely ignores what cp3 couldnt do Push pace, transition offense, get past his man consistently
Exactly , the people here hating seriously need to STFU. With all the ref hate and controversy there was one guy that came to the rockets defense about missed calls and Klay’s dirty play on James—and it was Nick. He also spent a good deal of time explaining why hardens step back wasn’t a travel. Anybody calling him a hater really can’t reason or think for crap, they are just here for the echo chamber
Not true for me. I've said since day 1 coach Nick is a worrier and curry nut rider. He loves traditional basketball and loathes the modern math game.
I agree with you. I think most people are Harden haters, he's an easy player to hate. And you're right that we would hate him too if he wasn't a rocket.
Coach Nick is considered a joke to many in the hoops world, but he addressed some real concerns. That being said, WB is one of the most talented guards this league has seen and throughout his 11 yr career he's only ever been coached by Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan. Let that sink in. I trust Mike will put optimize Russ' abilities and have him play to his strengths like he's done with Nash and Harden over the years.
Russ is at least aware of his shooting issues. I do expect him to improve this offseason and really work on his shot. In his exit interview he addressed in between the 9:00 and 11:00 mark. If he can start making teams pay for leaving him open then we will be dynamic. Really this is up to him. If he spends the time required to fix his shooting woes then this team has a chance to win vs anyone. I was a CP supporter but I’m glad he’s gone. Harden finally has an in his prime all star/MVP teammate that everyone has clamored for. Morey delivered, so it’s up to James and Russ to make it work. Finally there are no more excuses. This team has to win it all this or next year and I’m sure James and Russ will do everything they can to make that happen.
You need to just accept that Morey just made the best trade in his history of a Gm. Russ is already a top 3 rocket ever
