Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Rockets vs Bucks Game #59 Post Game Thread

342 comments:

  1. This game demonstrates why McHale should be fired.

    That is all.

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    1. *drops mic, leaves till next game*

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    2. McFale is getting a passing grade because everyone underrated the Rockets' young, inexperienced, and inexpensive roster before the start of the season. In fact, Morey has put together a good young team with a great team player in Jeremy Lin. I just *know* that a better coach would have put the Rockets firmly in 6th place in the Western Conference at this point (now 2.5 games behind 6th) and chasing the 5th place. McPale and Damnson are also Lin's confidence killers, so they don't get the full benefit of his ability, which is by design for two reasons imo. Also, the following chart indicates the Rockets should have won more games. http://espn.go.com/nba/standings

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    3. McHale hasn't earned a "D" yet!

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    4. He MkHuang: How come you're here before the game and after the game but not during game time? Are you on the Houston Rocket's staff? Tell us the truth. Are you Parsons?

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  2. Hey, at least Utah, Golden State, and maybe Portland lost tonight too. If they can just keep losing games the rest of the season, we won't have to worry about McHale's crappy coaching.

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  3. I was working and could not see the game, so I have a bumch of questions for yoi guys:

    1) Did Jeremy Lin hold Brandon Jennings in check?

    2) Were 40-60 points scored on James Harden because he refused to even pretend to play defense?

    3) Did the Rockets continue to play aimlessly on defense with Jeremy Lin trying to cover multiple plyets all by himself again?

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    1. only Jeremy is playing defense. it's 1 Rocket vs 5 Bucks...

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    2. the problem all nite was montay ello. no one could stop him. ersan was doing his thing in the first half. sanders was big in the critical moments down the stretch. the rockets just suck on defense what else can you say. no matter how well lin plays on defense it doesnt even matter.

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    3. acutally, beverley played pretty good defense too. delfino was doing a good job on ersan in the second half. dmo still needs to improve his perimeter defense. the rockets just had so many problems 2nite. parsons was fumbling the ball all over the place. couldn't stand him 2nite.

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    4. PB brought the energy, however, I wouldn't say he played good D on 2nd half.

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    5. If Mchale can actually think and do some real coaching, he would realize that this team needs ONE PRIMARY BALLHANDLER to simplify roles for the other players. Parsons has to stop running the break in traffic and give up the ball to the guards.

      This team needs a focal point more than ever. And Harden can't be it, because he needs to focus on shooting, and he's not as good a point guard as Lin.

      if McHopeless continues to do his everyone's a pointguard offense, this team is going to go down in flames.

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    6. Thanks guys.

      I think that the Rockets' bad defense has finally caught up to them.

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    7. @KHunag, It caught up to them long time ago, before that 7 game losing streak in my opinion.

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    8. I agree, Brent Yen.

      It's just at this time of year, teams know exactly which players on the Rockets are refusing to play defense.

      I predicted about a week or two ago that the Rockets would go on an extended losing streak if the defense was not improved. HERE WE ARE.

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    9. You can start to see that teams are isoing on Harden and parsons more and more. And the cuts without the ball more when ASik is on the bench. I really hope they can figure out how to make stops.

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    10. B/R just pinned the lost on Lin and gave him a C- , Parsons, Harden and Benches got B. seriously?

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    11. Never read Bleacher Report, Brent Yen.

      Those guys write hateful articles about Lin just to get reader hits.

      I don't read their insipid uninformed articles about other players, let alone Lin who they constantly trash.

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    12. I bet the guy didn't even watch the game, but just looked at the scoring. I also noticed how Jason Friedman for the rockets gave glowing reports about Parson'/Harden's game didn't even mention the 13 TO's between Harden/Parson's. I say this, Harden is an elite scorer and nothingelse. Parson's is not a great ballhandler and the coaches need to own up to that. I am not worried about Lin. I think Lin will land on his feet. The way I see it, a lot of the coaches in the league already have figured out that if you shut sown lin, the whole team shuts down. The teams build their whole defense around shutting down Lin. Have you noticed that they don't even consider shutting down Harden, because they all know that he is just a scorer and nothingelse. Lin on ther hand is becoming the full package player,by adding defense to his arsenal. That was very evident last night. I think Sampson/Finch probaly have figured out what Lin brings to the offense/defense of this team. I think Mchale is the cog in the middle of the wheel. I also look back at the comments that Morey gave on First Take with SAS. He said that they were very happy with Lin and that he is someone that they are going to build around. I actaully beleive contray to what we have seen. Morey already has McHale's placement on board(Finch). I also beleive that Harden will not thrive well with another "superstar". I called it when Howard joined the Lakers, and look at what is happening now. I think Harden is happy with he and Lin becoming a great backcourt. Parson's is being pushed ahead of Lin by McHale. I personally don't think Les is going to renew his contract at the end of the season because you can't blame the players over boneheaded losses like last night and the Wizards game. McHale places his personal agenda above the team and team wins. I think Houston has a young, good, smart team with little experience, but could become a championship team with the right coaching. Will Fich be an improvement over Mchale, don't know, but I do think that Finch has figured out what Lin brings to the team.Also Finch has a championship record. It might have been in the "D" league, but it is a championship. Also Finch is the Headcoach for the UK Olmpic team. So as far as this season. I look at it as a training season for Lin. Look how much he has improved from the beginning of the season. So no worries about Lin's game, besides Lin is far too competitive to let his game slip. I think once he finally nails down his 3 pt shot, there will be no stopping him.

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    13. @awarde Nice comments. I totally agree. As JLin fans, we just have to be patient. On the bright side, JLin's situation isn't all that bad. He's being paid to work on the weak areas of his game. There's less pressure because the head coach doesn't want him to be a "home run" player but a role player behind the "superstar" Harden. So JLin can hide his Linsanity powers until the time is right, either when the head coach is removed or when he's traded to another team.

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  4. I was working and could not see the game, so I have a bumch of questions for yoi guys:

    1) Did Jeremy Lin hold Brandon Jennings in check?

    He did.

    2) Were 40-60 points scored on James Harden because he refused to even pretend to play defense?

    I think Harden and Parsons had the fair share on this one.

    3) Did the Rockets continue to play aimlessly on defense with Jeremy Lin trying to cover multiple plyets all by himself again?

    Yes they did.

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    1. i didnt see lin trying to cover multiple players like he did against the jazz. he did play good defense though.

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    2. Thank you so much, Brent Yen.

      if somebody told me "The Bucks got a whoppinh 107 scored on them anf Brandon Jennings got shut down," I'd be like "Did the Bucks lose by 20 or 30?"

      But since Houston's defense is the worst I have ever seen from a NBA team, 110 points with Lin as the primary pg would not have been enough to win this game.

      Last year, McHale's Rockets went on a horrible tailspin at the end of the season. The lack of defense was the reason.

      For those who are incensed with Lin not getting touches on offense, I kind of sympathize but not really if 107 points are scored. Besides, Lin could be the prototypical shoot first pg and it wouldn't help winning if the Rockets don't even pretend to play defense.

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    3. @KHuang, I can see we tried to bring energy on, but we had no answers on those perimeter shot and cuts w/o the ball. Starter was actually ok on both ends, but we lost seriously with our bench players.

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    4. KHuang, I agree, it's not about Lin's shooting or him getting enough touches. People are just too obsessed with scoring when it comes to point guards, which is why Kyrie Irving is incredibly overrated as a point guard. He's an incredible scorer/shooter, but, not really a playmaker. He doesn't make his other teammates better. He's like Russell Westbrook, a two-guard masquarading as a ponit guard, except he'll end up being better than Westbrook because Irving is a much better shooter.

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    5. Without D, we are not going far, that's for sure. We lost 2 games on 2 long rebounds. Lin guarded the last possession perfectly, and I was like, he should not guard like that because that made the ball went to Ellis hands, and we all know what happened afterward. lol. jk..Anyway, Coaches need to figure out how to get stops.

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    6. Brent, I thought the same thing too. He played defense too well that Jennings didn't even take a shot. It's all Lin's fault!

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    7. Thanks guys.

      Regardless of the boxscore, did Lin do what he had to do?

      If I was Lin's assistant coach under Mchale feeding him secret advice, I'd want him to:

      1) Shut down Brandon Jennings, which nobody actually can truly do unless Jennings shuts himself down.

      2) Run the offensive sets but keep an eye out for his own scoring opportunities. Don't be afraid to attack, even if it messes up McHale's ballwatching.

      3) DO NOT take the blame in the press for the failure of teammates, especially defensively.

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    8. Despite all the reasonable and quality bball discussions on this forum, I'm bummed that we have no effect at all on how this team plays. Oh, wait ... McHale's the coach :-) I forgot for a sec there.

      Oh well, at least we won't have 4 days to get our hopes up as to how Rox can play better. Friday will come before y'know it.

      Anyway, DoMo was pretty good. Hope TR does better next time.

      Heading over to the Fire McHale thread, you know where ... ha ha.

      @Brent ... ya, I was thinkin' ... didn't they even talk about the final rebounding?

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    9. @KHuang,
      Completely agree with you on how Jeremy takes the blame in the press for the failure of teammates defensively. Jeremy is too harsh on himself but it's also bad for sending the right message to his teammates and fans at large.

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    10. @KHuang ... I'd chip in for a LP for you ... you missing games is not allowed :-)

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    11. @KHuang, Lin did good on Jennings. Actually, compare to the beginning of the season, Lin has been utilized more and more, I see this a good sign.

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    12. @KHuang ... I saw Sampson try to talk 1-1 with Lin during the last time out, and Lin was just drinking water. Sampson leaned over and tapped him on the knee. I don't think Lin was ignoring him, just listening will in the zone. That was a nice one for me, but it would have been nicer if Lin was nodding more so I could see there was good effort on the coaching side in crunch time. As Brent and others said (Roberlin), Lin did great last play, and it was like ... oh great ... oh no ... who had Monta? Oh right ... Ouch that hurt.

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    13. I have consistently written that I am not seeing any animosity from Sampson toward Lin.

      If anything, Lin appears to have won Sampson over. I see increasingly good rapport between them.

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    14. Yes, not sure what the dynamic is, but they've been having good interactions in the quicks shots here and there.

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    15. I sat in the row behind the bench for the Washington game. Sampson seems very affectionate and encouraging with Jeremy. (Hecould just be two - faced). McHale is stoic and Jeremy doesn't respond or warm to either one. Maybe Sampson and McHale play good cop bad cop and. Jeremy feels jerked around.

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    16. @Edward,

      Wow, you had a great seat.

      Thanks for the very interesting first-person info. Both Damnson and McPale are 2-faced and biased - they still think Lin is a flash in the pan (which the NBA office itself recently disagreed with): Things they have said and implied about Lin, one of their own player, in public, are outrageous and dismissive! Imagine private discussions between the two coaches. Their their attitude and play-calls for the first month and a half (prior to the Spurs game sans harden) has been particularly transparent though.

      I'm so glad that Lin seems to be fast learning about life: He doesn't act as naive as before, imo.

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  5. Why the hell does Lin defer the ball to Parsoms so much? I don't give a damn how many shots he's made, he's a terrible ball handler!!!!!

    Lin needs to embrace that he is the number two guy on this team. WTF is he afraid of?! Stop deferring to your inferior teammates. This team goes the way Lin goes. When he plays well, they h e a much bigger shot at winning games. When takes himself out of the game, they lose.

    Also, why does Lin rack up a bunch assists in the first half and then practically nothing in the second half? I know teams adjust but doesn't that mean that Lins needs to adjust too? Or does Lin just defer more in that half?!

    I don't want to blame the coach, he's not changing his ways or leaving this team. What the hell needs to be done?

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    1. I think it was the PnR partners with Lin were guarded different. I do not know what COaches told Lin, but Harden definately will not defer when his teammate were not performing.

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    2. i didn't see lin "deferring" at all. Basically, he's still trying to figure out his role in an offense where he's not allowed to play his position.

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    3. Harden handles the ball more in the second half... period. When Lin handled it in the second he produced some nice sequences... then they brought Prince James in.

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    4. i think k.smith is probably seeing lin dumping it off to parsons after he brings the ball up the court. yeah, i noticed it quite a few times. it's just how they get into their offense. if this was a dantoni system, lin would not dump it off to parsons but instead run a high pick and roll first.

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    5. I think what you see as "deferring" is Jeremy trying to "move the ball" but many times it just stops at the next player and doesn't come back to him.

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    6. Well Lin has to, everytime he brings up the ball McHale is screaming "MOVE THE BALL".

      This free-for-all motion-in-the-ocean offense really needs to go.

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    7. LIN ran some high pick and roll in the center of the floor in the second half and it looked good. they just don't want to give him the volume touches that they are going to give Harden. and while beverly play some nice D in that sequence he isn't the offensive threat that TD was so that group LIN was running at the start of the 4th isn't going to break away from anybody. then with 8 minutes or so ... Death Vader comes back in the game and talks through his beard ...

      Honestly, if the NBA didn't allow James Harden to travel EVERY TIME and didn't give him all those calls... How good is he? He is an NBA construct. Half Nice Offensive Player/Half NBA Facade

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    8. exactly. too many ball handlers. particularly in the open court. I said it at the start of the year and Ill keep saying it LIN should get 75 percent of outlets. His number one strength is the open court. Number 1.

      Would McHale take Stockton or Magic off the ball like that?

      Harden is an amazing finisher ... but a mediocre full court player. He rarely makes anybody better in transition.

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    9. this is an equal opportunity type system if you're a playmaker.

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    10. Several smart guys here like Racha and Etane and Joeteam and others have noted the Rockets starting to use high screens between the pg and forward.

      I noted that the sequence of cuts used by the Rockets in this play sequence was pretty much identical to the first sequence of moves in the Argentina flex offense.

      Regardless of what we viewers want to call this sequence of set plays, could it be that Lin giving up the ball in the offense early is by design in a pattern offense sequence?

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    11. I don't know, but, I just want to throw up when I see Lin and Beverly playing together, and it's BEVERLY running the ball up the court as primary ballhandler. WTF????

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    12. Lin is more than capable of playing either guard position in the NBA.

      Beverley can barely play the point guard position in the NBA.

      I see no problems with the Rockets scoring 110 with Lin on or off the ball.

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    13. Khuang, i don't think Lin is very good at playing off the ball though. I think that's why he disappears sometimes...

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    14. See, I think Lin is a TERRIFIC off the ball player.

      It doesn't show because playing off the ball requires special screens and cuts that NBA teams run specifically for great shooters like Ray Allen (or perceived great shooters like Kobe Bryant).

      A rudimentary motion system like McHale's has no specific cuts and screens for Lin or Harden to truly play off the ball. This problem actually plagues many other teams in the NBA.

      I'll bet that if Lin were run through the same plays that great shooting guards like Reggie Miller or Michael Jordan used, Lin would easily make his cuts and hit his wide open shots accurately.

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    15. @KHuang as much as you don't like Mark Jackson, look how much screens and cuts the Warriors dedicated for Curry

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    16. Mark Jackson is a good coach for other players but a lousy talent evaluator of Lin.

      If you take any guard in the NBA and put him in Lin's shoes with no picks and no cuts, that guard will not produce more than Lin. Kobe, Curry, Parker, Irving, Westbrook, Paul, doesn't matter.

      Of course, the Rockets still score 110 points a game and so scoring is not the problem. Defense is.

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    17. @KHuang, exactly, but I think you missed my point. Just imagine what would it be like if Lin at least get 25% to 50% percent as much of support as those guards you mentioned. And yet now here we are have to put up with Lin's marginalized role while the rest of stupid and racist NBA keep on talking smack of Lin. Not to mention a lot of #YOLO #SWAG teen American generation just keep on tweeting "Got dat china white, call it Jeremy Lin" shits which makes me sick and want to punch their faces

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    18. I didn't entirely miss your point, Rikki M.

      There's something that peoole don't realize about African American elite athletes in the NBA.

      It's this: They believe they are the best basketball athletes and feel that any nonblack player has to prove that they can keep up, but once they show that then they FULLY ACCEPT that nonblack player.

      When Magic Johnson first saw Larry Bird play in college, his initial reaction was "Wow what a player, but let's see if he can do it against us black player". And then when Larry Bird amply showed he could run and jump with the best black players, Magic was totally impressed and fully accepted Bird as a worthy rival.

      The same thing is happening with Jeremy Lin. The entire NBA is finding out that he is more than capable of matching up with any perimeter guard in the league. Every night, he's showing people that he's a physical presence that is absolutely worthy of full respect. He's GETTING the respect more and more, too.

      Jeremy Lin only has to play his game. Maybe the coaches and general managers don't respect Lin, but the players on the court do. It's not as much respect as Lin truly deserves, but Lin is the cultural race pioneer and it's gonna take some time for Lin to play his way through the entire NBA. I do see LOTS of progress in the way Lin is being treated, across the board.

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    19. @KHunag, nice write up, love it.

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    20. Like ksmith says, Lin is not so good playing off ball. Sure, he can make things happen for OTHER players. But, he doesn't shoot well when the ball rotates to him. Conversely, he shoots great when he's the ball handler. I think we talked about why this is before, so I won't kick a dead horse.

      And, I don't think it's tantamount to compare Bird's story to Lin's. I can't say I understand NBA as a business back in the day, but, last year in NY, Melo respected Lin's game. But, that's exactly why he had a problem with Lin. Had Melo though Lin is nothing but a role player, then he would have gotten along with Lin just fine.

      Why is this? Business. NBA is a business. If Lin becomes top dog in NY, what happens to Melo? He becomes trade bait, or the franchise player plays second fiddle to the $800k player. There's politics and ego involved, but it all comes down to benjamins.

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    21. I agree somewhat that there is some respect being giving to Lin gradually. Lin's toughness, mentally and physically in the face of enduring the punishment dealt to him nightly is undeniable. The biggest problem is jealousy from the average and fringe players with his big contract.
      We Lin fans were totally deceived to believing that the Rox actually recognized Lin's talent by offering him a big contract. But instead, we are seeing them using him as a marketing tool instead.
      Many of the stars with shoe contracts all recognize Lin's value to the league and to themselves. They also know how difficult it is to live up to expectations so they are much more likely to accept Lin as a player. Overall, unless Lin starts scoring, no one is going to ever give him his due.

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  6. stay tuned for even crazier substitution patterns as McHale tries to figure out his rotation with the ROckets v.2.

    DMo clearly has skills, but, he should have gotten more playing time before becoming a starter 2/3rds of the way through the season.

    McHale better not give DMo the Lin treatment. He's got to go with DMO as a starter at the four and just hope his stamina increases.

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  7. David Weiner ‏@BimaThug
    Bucks bench simply outclassed Rockets reserves tonight. Mike Dunleavy: +26. Ouch.

    - ouch indeed. kinda ironic though with their report:

    ROCKETS REPORT: DEFENSE REMAINS FOCAL POINT OF REVAMPED SQUAD

    ROCKETS STUNNED BY ELLIS BUZZER BEATER

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    1. How come no one's really dissing Morey for making such disruptive trades for a team that's still struggling to develop team cohesion?

      What did he envision TRob's role to be this season? Because it certainly looks like it's going to take some time for him to adjust to McHale's world, and he make end up seeing just garbage time play the rest of the season.

      The key to the season is DMo and Lin. If McHale totally fails to utilize them efficiently, say hello, lottery pick.

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    2. Hello Lottery Pick = Hello Thomas Robinson!

      The way I see it, the 2012 draft for the Houston Rockets took place in 2013!

      Patterson and Morris weren't exactly the greatest forwards.

      The guy that is missed from the trade is Toney Douglas. He doesn't have a slow reaction time like Beverley does.

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  8. "I keep telling James you want to go for 25pts and 7TO's but we're trying to win!" ...
    Kevin McHale.

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  9. I did see Harden getting frustrated with teammates defense tonite as well as coaching LIN up about defense I thought...

    Hahahaha... that is true LOL and the definition of LINSANITY all in one.

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  10. Why is anybody with even a functioning brain cell surprised?

    McHale has a habit of letting bad history repeat itself. A few weeks ago, he actually said he wasn't going to change his coaching style come what may. If that doesn't scream "self-satisfied bighead"...

    Last year, a far more experienced and fully healthy Rox team were sitting on the sixth seed with 10 games left, and promptly reeled off 7 or 8 consecutive losses to miss the playoffs. The NBA is not like the insurance business: past performance IS an indicator of future results. Especially when you have an oaf like McHale running the show.

    Last year, he completely alienated his starting PG. He's doing exactly the same this season. Why does he think this sort of crap is good for team chemistry?

    Deja vu all over again.

    McHale never learns. Because he doesn't think he has to. Pure and simple.

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    1. Don't think anyone here is surprised. Just people collectively venting frustration, anger, and the like.

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    2. I wasn't watching any NBA games last year. So, it would be a learning experience for me to see how McFail will coach with 10 games left if Rox are still in the play off hunt. Basically, I suspect McFail will succumb to the pressure and start making illogical substitutions and mind games with every single player James included.

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  11. Is it just my perception, or does anyone else think the Rox are one of the most inconsistent shooting teams in the NBA? I see teams like Heat(who I don't like), OKC, etc., can have one or two cold shooters, but the rest of the team will make up for it. The Rox whole team goes cold quite often, and because their defense sucks (except JLin and Asik), they can loose a 17 pt lead in a few minutes. When they are hot, and the 3's are falling, no one can stop them. It seems like unless McFail figures out a new plan, the Rox will have to rely on luck to get into the playoffs.

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    1. No, they've been fairly consistent, hence, the 1st or 2nd highest scoring team in the NBA.

      I think the problem comes in close games. What's the Rocket's record when the game isn't a blow-out win or loss? It seems like they keep losing all the close games. And when you consistently lose close games, that's on the coach.

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    2. Rockets scored 107 points against a good defensive team that usually holds opponents under 95. The problem is defense ... they allowed 110 points.

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    3. It does not matter, we had 107 which is above average. We are more inconsistent on D.

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    4. I agree with Edward that the Rockets are a very inconsistent shooting team. The 1st or 2nd in scoring is because from average scoring: Sometime they blow out the opponent by 25 or 30 points, while at other times it's just like tonight's game. Since the Rockets are 29th in points against, they need to either score more consistently or play more defense.

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    5. By nature of being a 3pt shooting team, they will be inconsistent. Like Sampson said, when shots fall, all is good in the world.

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  12. "We (Rockets) need a second star ... because we are marginalizing the second star we have."

    D. Morey

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    1. How are they marginalizing CHandler Parsons?

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    2. They need trade value on him.

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    3. "Hahaha. that's right. I forgot about Chandler. Chandler is our second star. currently. but we still need a second star to go with Prince James and we are still marginalizing .... Hmmm... are we marginalizing anybody? ... No we are not."
      Daryl.

      "LIN is fine. Jeremy will be fine."
      Kevin

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    4. Notice how Daryl Morey is so confusing that we cannot even identify who he's talking about?

      That guy is a mouthpiece with a mind of its own.

      I speculated last year that Daryl Morey was deliberately kept by Les Alexander as a trash talking loose cannon spitball firing journal writing FRONT to keep people from deducing the Rockets' moves.

      The way Morey talked trash about Lin last season and the way Morey wrote that critical article about Lin, we'd never have known that Lin would be working alongside Morey again this season.

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    5. What critical article about Lin?

      I think the first half successes are mainly credited to Morey. So far, this Trob thing isn't panning out though.

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    6. Also, like you said, Huang, the main problem is defense not offense. So, Morey got the shooters for McHale, but McHale has not held anyone but Lin for the breakdown in defense.

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  13. LOL McHale makes it too easy for the opposing team. Rockets with a double-digit lead in the first quarter with the starting line-up playing well? That can't do. Boring game. McHale used his freezing powers to cool down the Rockets to make the game more interesting but he couldn't control his powers at the end. Rockets never heat up again and turned ice cold. Bucks ran wild.

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  14. Rockets couldn't get stops / rebounds when they needed it. Other team wants the ball ... other team gets the loose ball.

    You can't teach toughness, and D-Mo, Parsons, and Harden are not playing defense.

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  15. McHale lets everyone except Lin do too much and whatever they want. Parsons and Delfino have no business running a fast break.

    I haven't seen a coach get the WORST out of talented players than Mchale, who does it with such incompetent efficiency.

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    1. Parsons really had a nasty TO on a fast break today. I think same with Harden ... only one guy named 7 should run transition breaks ... That kind of flailing frenzy really breaks the spirit of a team. It's not just the 2 or the point differential from it - Rox start to panic. It's better to slow it down, work for the points if you don't have the right guy to move the ball all the way down and draw coverage and get it to the open man.

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  16. Remember how everyone was laughing at the dysfunctional Lakers trying to get it together?

    Well, looks like Morey's trades are going to reveal the dsyfunction that exists on the Rockets as I fear that they'll will be going through an ugly transition period with the new players and the same in-over-his-head coach in McHale.

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    1. I think we just need patience on this one. Lakers is a far lager joke to me. I am satisfied with Lin's improvement. I think the attitude that McHale to Lin has a big part on his improvement. About Morey, since you can not trade players every day, I think he did a good job on the trades he made this year. I agree that McHale are been out coached too many times during the game, but to me, I am just a Lin fan.

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    2. At least, I believe we are on the right path, just wrong timing.

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    3. Not sure whether the dysfunction RObelin is talking about is specifically about McHell-Lin relationship or more about the overall low quality coaching, subbing, strategizing?

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  17. Replies
    1. McHell needs to stop answering questions about Lin by saying "he's young". 24 is ripe age for NBA. Use him properly and stop making excuse to under use him because of his age. It's getting old.

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  18. This is so frustrating.

    He's taken team ball to a whole new level of WTF for me.

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  19. Young inexperienced team, bad coach .... bad combination no matter how good the parts are on this team.

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  20. Ok. I re-watched the 4th. Parsons had 3 bad ball handles and a miss that really cost them. I know Parsons is a Lin friend but he hurts Lin's game.

    Wish Les could see through all this and get rid of McHale. Then Lin controls the ball, Harden gets his touches and they win easily. McHale is an amateur.

    If Lin knew he was going to be used this way he woulda signed for $15 million with some other random team.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's no way he could've known what Morey was going to do. Lin thought this was going to be "His" team .... they pulled a bait and switch on him. And with only a 3-year contract, it's likely they'll trade him soon too.

      Delete
    2. Parsons needs to STOP handling the ball so much. You have Lin and Harden on the fucking team, use them for that!

      Delete
    3. Yah enough people harping on Lin not having a left. Parson doesn't have a left OR a right. But, everyone seems OK with it. 2x standards.

      Delete
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  22. Supposedly McHale worked on defense the last two practices.

    I don't know what McHale worked on, but simply having good individual fundamentals and talking on defense is not enough.

    For example, coaches influenced by Larry Brown try to ferociously guard the 3 point line and the paint in order to force a contested low percentage midrange shot. Other coaches alternate zones with man to man coverage, especially when the defense breaks down.

    I see no defensive strategy coming from McHale. No defense = no wins.

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    Replies
    1. When you have James Harden saving all his energy up for offense, Parsons taking on a bigger offensive load (also saving his energy for offense), and Delfino playing the 4 during late game situations, you're bound to fail.

      Delete
  23. Haha never in my life that I have watched a mediocre player like Chandler Parsons being given such a big role, high usage rate and these many minutes.

    It's like not only they think he's the next Lebron James on offense who can handle the ball and make plays off ISO and PNR. They seem to also think that he's some kind of Lebron like stopper who can make a defensive stop in crunch time.

    Pretty laughable and comedic if you ask me lol.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. I actually suspect that they are deliberately bumping up Parsons' value in order to trade him later, despite the love that was shown towards Parsons seemingly by the Rockets management. I don't really believe that someone as smart as Morey cannot see through the fact that Parsons' raw stats are inflated by unusual heavy minutes and high usage. I don't think Morey would overpay to keep such a mediocre talent who doesn't have much impact on a game when Parsons' contract is up.

      Now McHale might have a special bias and attach to Parsons but he's upset that Dragic, Douglas, Patterson etc were let go as well and that didn't stop Morey trading them.

      Delete
    3. There have been rumblings in the media about Chandler Parsons becoming unaffordable once he hits free agency.

      One thing's for sure. He's no star.

      Delete
    4. Parsons is playing solid this year and may become a star in the future. He's anything but a disappointing player. Jeremy Lin is also not a star this year. He, like Parsons, may be one in the future.

      Delete
    5. Parsons is a solid player with potential but a part of me resents him because he gets so much freedom from Mchale. He had 5 TO's and 2 asts in 43 minutes. Lin would not have gotten the opportunity to play through his TO's had he accumulated them the way Parsons did. Lin's D is also better than Parsons D; stats and the eye test prove this.

      When Parsons tries to do too much, i.e. handle the ball/play the point, he gets into a lot of trouble...yet he still clocked 43 minutes.

      I don't understand it.

      Delete
    6. Parsons isn't going anywhere. Lin will be gone before Parsons.

      Delete
    7. Parsons is definitely NOT a star and will not become one in the future. It's not a matter of time, it's a lack of talent and athleticism.

      Lin has that potential. Parsons does not.

      Delete
    8. Watch him closely, you will know what I meant. Parsons is not fast footed enough, he is not athletic enough to match up with other athletic forwards, he also doesn't want the instincts to see plays develop, no amount of work can change those facts.

      Take the last play of the game as an example, Parsons was caught ball watching until Monta got the ball and got the shot off, that showed poor reflex. And he's 6-10 vs Monta's 6-3, yet he still couldn't even contest the shot. If it were someone like Batum, he would probably block Monta's shot or never let him get the shot off.

      And this is just one of many examples.

      Unlike Lin, Parsons is literately given the keys, yet he still doesn't produce much better. Guy is 100% no star.

      Delete
    9. What really is telling is that Mchale has been asking Parsons, Delfino and even Lin to play a game that doesn't suit their style. Good coaches look at their player's talents and then adapts a working system to get the best out of that particular group of players.
      Parsons is a very good small shooting forward, but asking him to run plays is overloading him with decision making. Part of good coaching is to make every player confident in the role they are given. Ditto for Delfino.

      Quarterbacks have to have a very specific skill set. They have to have great vision and spacial intelligence. They also have to be fast thinkers and most importantly, they have to be creative on the fly. Nowhere in these skills have I mention athletics, like shooting, quickness or size. The true value of a PG is in his court vision and his quick thinking. This is why I brought up linsanity previously. Lin made a team of average players into winners by his ability to creatively involve all his assets. Sure he scored a bunch of points, but he only scored 25% of the team total. He needed others to contribute as well. The Knicks won as a team because Lin involved everyone in the scoring. This is an intangible gift that Lin has that Mchale and all the so call experts refuse to see.

      Mchale keeps using his pieces like interchangeable parts as if his great system could solve the problem. Sports is so much more that. Shit happens all the time and at the speed of light. Great coaches prepare players by giving them things to do that brings out their best skills in that environment. Asking them to do too much makes them uncomfortable and brings in elements of doubt. Players already are nervous, they don't need to have anymore doubt than they already have. Good coaches don't complicate, they simplify a players thoughts by allowing each player to do what comes natural to them. Clutch time is only possible with an uncluttered mind and then the body is in the flow. At he end of the day, great coaches enable his players to flow naturally together.

      Don't think, just do; don't hope, just believe.

      Delete
    10. Linsanity was every bit about DEFENSE as it was about offense.

      New York was a very solid defensive team, rated #10 before Lin. When Lin exploded, New York vaulted to #1!

      Lin is having a Linsanity impact on Houston's #1 rated offense. But on defense, Lin cannot elevate the Rockets because there are too many unwilling defenders as well as nonexistent defensive coaching.

      Delete
    11. ironically, that is what coaches want, no linsanity - defense.

      Delete
    12. Chandler "Justin Bieber" Parsons playing the pg role is a joke.

      I can see Harden doing it, but no way should Bieber or Delfino being taking away Lin's role except one in a blue moon.

      Delete
    13. Cara, I actually think you do not want Parsons to become a star which is kinda odd. Which is how some people may feel about Lin, which is also kind of odd.

      I personally hope Parsons can become as good as possible because it's all about winning, and always will be.

      We'll see how Parsons career develops. Those who become stars often have people, like you, say it can't and won't ever happen. Sometimes those people were right. Sometimes they are proven wrong.

      I do think Parsons has a solid shot at becoming a star. And, as far as Lin is concerned, I think he will become a star simply because I believe that his talent coupled with his tenacity to improve will take him there.

      Delete
  24. Anyone notice how well the offense was running when Lin and Beverly started the 4th quarter ... with Harden on the bench.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I don't know why any of you guys think things have changed or expect things to change. In reality nothing really has changed. McHail still keeps experimenting with line-up changes, doesn't know how to coach X and Os, won't make Lin play the way we want him to be used, this open motion offense is ridiculous, their star player doesn't play defense, so on and so forth.

    Honestly, I'm just happy how Lin has developed and improved this season. However, I'm very disappointed in how they have misused him.

    The only way his situation will change is McFail realizes that he has to use Lin the right way that we all think he should be utilized, McFail getting fired and a coach who understands and see's Lin's talents the way we do start utilizing him correctly, or he gets traded to a team that actually values his talent and not just his marketability.

    At this point, if nothing changes, which we all know nothing will. Then they're going to drop off their 8th spot and not make the playoffs this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously, we get in this big high, when for some crazy amazing reason they actually utilize Jlin and let him shoot 15 or 20 more shots and as a result he scores 20+, has close or has double digit assists. Then we get on a fantasy, dream, or big hope that things have changed. But we all know nothing will change. All we can do is to continue to support Lin and stop blaming HIM about his situation. Because it's not his fault, it's not because he's not taking advantage of a situation by being more aggressive or taking more than 15+ shots a game. IT'S BECAUSE THE COACHING STAFF WON'T LET HIM! Yes, that is the bottom line folks, and we all know this. It's already a little past the 2nd half of the season and nothing has changed. MCFAIL has said it himself, they don't need LIN to be like LINSANITY. What does that say? It says we don't want LIN to be an ALL STAR. Then Morey says they need another ALL STAR next to Harden. So what does that mean? THEY DON'T WANT LIN AND DON'T SEE LIN AS AN ALL STAR!

      If there was any hint or any hope that they see Lin as an upcoming star then they would be constantly have his back and say that he's getting better and better, that he has improved drastically, that Linsanity 2.0 is just around the corner. They would be talking about the BEARSANITY TANDEM...but no they don't do any of these things.


      WE ALL KNOW WHAT JLIN IS CAPABLE OF. Yes, I know it's frustrating to watch, because I just want to go over their an punch Mcfail and the rest of the coaching staff and even Morey in the face. But Jlin wouldn't want that, so I won't LOL...we have to just be patient just like Jlin and watch him develop and get his chance of stardom. Because I honestly believe it will come, because he's definitely one of the few hard working NBA athletes of the NBA today. All his hard work will pay off and in my eyes, he is an ALL-STAR player in the making.

      Delete
    2. Personally, I don't care any more about the All Star game.

      When a pathetically poor defender like Kyrie Irving gets in, that's ridiculous. Kyrie is so bad defensively that the Cavs win more without him than with him!

      I want to see Lin have a complete skill set and do as much as he can to win games. I'd like to see him do more, but many more changes on team defense would have to occur first.

      Delete
    3. The Cavs are winning with Dion Waiters and Shaun Livingston ... who GM Morey cut in favor of Scott Machado.

      Such is the blind sightedness of Rockets management to player talent.

      Delete
    4. Etymology -

      "If there was any hint or any hope that they see Lin as an upcoming star then they would be constantly have his back and say that he's getting better and better, that he has improved drastically, that Linsanity 2.0 is just around the corner. They would be talking about the BEARSANITY TANDEM...but no they don't do any of these things."

      This is true. I didn't even think about it this way. Remember when Sampson said that Harden's D had DRAMATICALLY improved?! We all know this isn't true, his defense is terrible but because he's their superstar (which is fine bc he's got elite talent), they continue to encourage him, play him and have his back.

      People really have to understand that Mchale isn't going anywhere. He's not getting fired. Morey wanted him voted as Coach of the year. Mchale doesn't even run the offense or defense and has very little impact on personnel decisions. He's exactly what Morey wants; someone who won't get in his way.

      Lin needs to continue to to improve and become more consistent with his outside shot. Once this improves, he'll be okay.

      Delete
    5. @ Khuang

      I don't care about the All-Star game either, but what I do care about his the constant bashing, racism, and misuse of Jlin. If Jlin got treated like any other NBA player then I would be satisfied with him having a long and productive NBA career.

      @ k.smith

      I do believe Lin will continue to improve and he has. We've all seen the improvement from last year to this year. I just want him to have the same type of respect that other players are getting on his team from coaching staff, Rockets media, Rockets game broadcast reporters.

      Delete
    6. I would like to see him get the same respect as any PG in the NBA making 25mil

      Delete
    7. @Ety,

      I agree that the Rockets continue to under-utilize Jeremy in the current system to their detriment.

      They really want their multi-PG system to succeed but more often than not, it results in a lot of TOs and losses.

      Everyone else can see if but coaches simply force Harden/Parsons/Delfino to be their PGs resulting in TOs and broken offensive rhythm.

      Delete
  26. i watched the last possession of the game, and here are my thoughts-- they should not had gone w/ a small lineup as they got beaten on the boards. they could have used robinson or smith at the 4 for rebounding. harden did nothing to block off dunleavey and ended up being out of position after monta's missed shot. delfino was over-powered under the glass and parson let the loose ball go off his hands, giving the bucks a 4th possession in that sequence. when the clock was down to 2 seconds, parson was still playing as if monta might drive, not realizing that his only play was a desperation shot after the catch. if parson was aware of the clock, he could had gambled for a steal or a block.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately the Rockets have a shortage of players who are big, good defenders, who can rebound. Only Omer Asik is all 3 of those. And they have 6 forwards who are one of the 3.

      Delete
  27. I don't know how it works for NBA player's contract negotiation but I certainly hope that Jeremy's agents will do a better job in his next FA(of course they did a very good job in getting the $25mil contract for him) to ensure that his role not be marginalized, and no more empty promises ( say put a special clause in the contract )by the prospective team on building the team around him.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Let's just hope ROx can figure how to D, than we will be in the Play off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BTW, I really hope on that last Bucks possesion, Parsons can step on that Bucks guy to get that rebound LOL

      Delete
  29. When will this coaching ineptitude end?

    When Harden has at least 6 TOs, their record is 2-7 (2Wins and 7Losses, 22% Win Pct). When will they not utilize Harden as the PG and curb the TOs like they did Lin?

    When Parsons had at least 4 TOs, their record is 2-6 (2 Wins and 6 Losses, 25% Win Percentage)

    When Lin had at least 5 TOs, their record is 6-2 (6 Wins and 2 Losses, 75% Win Percentage!!!)

    Don't the coaches want to win? It should be clear that Lin should be the main PG with most TOs as long as he gets most assists and wins!!!!

    The coaches' inconsistency in harping Lin for TOs but not for Harden/Parsons/Delfino are maddening.

    The Win-Loss record should be enough to make coaches say, "Go Lin, do your PG thing. Make good TOVs trying to make plays as long as you get us a lot of assists".

    But nooooooo.... Coaches think HOF Coach George Karl is clueless for saying JLin is the engine of the system. Calvin Murphy had no idea saying JLin should be the PG and Harden should be the SG.

    But I'm not even surprised anymore...
    Sometimes coaches are so stubborn and so blind to make their flawed multi-PG system to work. They'd rather try to prove themselves right and keep losing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just relax and sit back to watch how McFail going to loss the Playoff fight to Laker. Besie, Jeremy Lin already have 25M in contract. Continue to play follow McFail's instruction. The money will be in the Jeremy's pocket for sure. But,damn, all the Jeremy Lin's fans have to wait another 2 years to see Linsanity again.

      Delete
    2. Parsons and Delfino can do no wrong, that is how coaches and rockets media think. it is like TO is not even a problem for rockets players other than jeremy.

      Delete
    3. Why do we always cry wolf after a poor Lin performance and start pointing fingers? The lost has everything to do with Lin as much as it has to do with everyone else on the team. Indeed, Harden and Parsons had a few TOs but they were the only ones making buckets. Lin had 2 TOs but he wasn't effective offensively at all. He was dishing and had 7 assists and it's about right around his average anyways, so what else do we want from him...become a Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Greivis Vaszquez. The team lost because there were a lot of carelessness handling the ball and bad defense, but what's new. Lin handling the ball more will not change this one bit, just get over it people. Lin alone cant be the savior of this team. Lin needs to shoot better if anything.

      Delete
    4. alan, I'm hoping Les can see how underutilized Lin as a PG and make changes after this season. The good B/R article by Maxwell Ogden that Maknusia posted correctly pointed out Lin is 40th in the NBA PG usage rate but still effective. So many people know this already except Houston coaches.

      But if not, perhaps Morey is foolish enough to trade him in the 2nd year to a contender with a good coach. Perhaps ex-guard and future HOF George Karl.

      Delete
    5. geronimo, I absolutely agree that Lin didn't play well as far as shooting so that's why he 'deferred' to the others and he needs to get better. But I would argue that he still did a better job as the playmaker last night (6-0 run in the 4Q but Harden ISO was inefficient letting the Bucks to tie the game and won on Ellis' off-balance 3PTer)

      But you actually found the answer to the problem in your statement by saying "The team lost because there were a lot of carelessness handling the ball and bad defense, but what's new".

      The question is why there were carelessness of handling the ball (TOs) and how we can prevent it? If the TOV data shows that Lin is better off as ball-handler resulting in more wins, wouldn't it make sense as coaches to let Lin be the ball handler and playmaker?

      Again, this is not merely pointing fingers as a blind Lin fans. But it's about making adjustment based on the past mistakes.

      My point is Lin can't help the team win the games by his shooting last night but as you said, he can help limit total team TOs in ball handling if coaches recognize that.

      I disagreed with your contention that "Lin handling the ball more will not change this one bit". The data shows otherwise.

      Are you saying the TOs vs W/L record by Harden/Lin/Parsons are just coincidence? I'd like to learn more about your thoughts on it.

      Delete
    6. Sorry for a typo
      .. My point is Lin can't help the team win the games "NOT" by his shooting last night ..

      Delete
    7. geronimo,

      This is the B/R article pointing out how Lin was underutilized by his usage rate (40th in the NBA)

      It might help you to understand that Lin can get more than 7 assists/game had he handle the ball more.

      "Jeremy Lin Continues to Prove NBA Legitimacy as Rockets Starting Point Guard"


      Battling Improper Use

      Throughout Jeremy Lin's time with the Houston Rockets, fans and analysts have begun to question head coach Kevin McHale's use of Lin. For those who debate that point, take a look at the numbers.

      Amongst point guards, Lin ranks 40th in usage rate.

      In other words—Lin doesn't have the ball in his hands. Considering he took the league by storm as a dynamic playmaker who thrived in the drive-and-dish, that has to come as a surprise.

      In fact, it's downright stunning.

      Even as James Harden performs at an MVP-caliber level, one can't help but wonder when the Rockets will let him open the offense up. Fortunately, Lin has jumped at every opportunity to do so.

      For those who have watched him play, there is no denying how dynamic he can be.


      I hope this helps to see that Lin fans are not the only ones seeing this underutilization problem. George Karl and Calvin Murphy who had much more basketball knowledge than us have been asking the same question.

      Delete
    8. exactly, a few TO, doesn't matter. just like the 5 TO asik has in wizard game, doesn't matter at all, to coaches, to general audience, other players should step up and make up the TO points.

      Delete
    9. What about Delfino's shooting last night? Pretty poor if you ask me. The whole team did not "have it" last night. So Parson's and Harden made buckets, but they also turned over the ball a lot allowing the other team to score. Lin took the fewest shots of all the starters. If hetook a few more,he would have added points,but Lin looses confidence when he doesn't hit the first few shots. (Even though some of those shots were half way in and popped out). Harden, Parsons and Delfino just keep firing until the bricks become buckets. Jeremy's confidence is what needs the most work. (Beverly couldn't shoot last night either, btw)

      Delete
    10. he's freaking funny to said "few tos" for harden and Parson, when indeed both combined make up 12 tos.

      Delete
    11. @psalm24 and geronimo,

      I do not get it, you have 2 new guys one the team. You have some old guys who can not shoot yesterday. Yes, Lin is not shooting well, but we still have enough points. The way how ROX plays, Lin's scoring is really not that important. It is the offensive flow that he brings to the team values the most. That's why I said, simply rely on reading stats is not always giving you the picture. You can clearly see that Lin was struggling more on getting his teammates going.

      So to the statement "Lin handling the ball more will not change this one bit", I disagree, because obviously, Harden and Parsons did not handle the ball well yesterday.

      But if you ask me "if Lin handles more will win yesterdays game" I do not think so either. They lost on their D, and Lin obviously already did his part well on that regard.

      Delete
    12. "So Parson's and Harden made buckets, but they also turned over the ball a lot allowing the other team to score."

      exactly. But according to him, it's not called "a lot", it's called "few"!

      Delete
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    14. It's inaccurate to compare turnovers to winning games. It doesn't mean Lin having more turnovers lead to more winning. If you want to put it in context, here are the turnover ranking for the Rockets ball handlers:

      Harden has 215 (Rank 453, dead last)
      Lin has 172 (Rank 445)
      Parsons 120 (Rank 411)

      They all suck so it doesn't matter who handles the ball.

      Delete
    15. Again, I think citing those numbers dose not tell much. You need to know the reasons why those TOs occur. It is about bad handling or about aggressive style of play. Without knowing those conditions, using those numbers are simply just pointless. I would not say they are inaccurate, but I just do not know how correlated between TOs and Wins.

      Yesterday's TO on Harden and Parson were really from some bad handling which is not related to the style of play. Lin, on the other hand, got 2 of his 3TOs by trying to push the tempo. So just for the yesterdays game, WHO HANDLES THE BALL WILL MAKE SOME DIFFERENCES.

      Delete
    16. have you ever heard McHale called Parsons or aisk out for their TO like he did to jeremy? Harden is an elite franchise player for rockets, so should people expect less TO from him or give him a pass??

      Delete
    17. Brent, of course Lin scoring is absolutely important. The volume of scoring is not as important as when he scores. During critical moments and coming towards the end of the game Lin couldn't buy a bucket.

      Citing the TO numbers says everything so lets not downplay it. If you want, you can keep a list of the type of TO each player commits so can we have the TO debate again the next game.

      Both Harden and Parsons were aggressive yesterday and Lin wasn't.

      Delete
    18. Harden Is a superstar to me, so I ll give him a pass.

      Delete
    19. Brent and Geronimo,

      We had previous discussion on Michael Terry's excellent posting about "bad" TOs and "good" TOs.

      In summary, bad TOs are silly mistakes like losing the ball while dribbling which could result in fastbreak and easy points by opposing teams. Parsons did this a lot. Hardens lost the ball quite a few dribbling into triple-team. Lin used to do a lot more of this in NY with poor ball-handling but I haven't seen much this season.

      "Good" TOs refer to "assists gone bad". Asik's 5 TOs mean he just had problems catching the ball off the bounce passes from Lin or Harden due to "slippery" hands. But a lot more times, these good passes should lead to assists and good ball movement. Lin does this more due to his court-vision and PnR plays.

      So TOs by itself is not indicative of win predictor but combined with total team assists, AST/TO ratio, it would make sense on why Lin's high TOs tend to lead to HOU wins.

      When I have time, I can show the AST/TO ratio to correlate with this high TOs.

      So far, the high TOs by Lin leading to better Rockets W-L record is a start. Enough to make us pause to go "Hmmm". Next, we need to see total # of assists in those games and AST/TO ratio for the players.

      If there is consistent pattern of high assists and low total team TOs in Lin's case, then we can determine that to be true.

      I compiled the numbers about 10 games ago to come to this conclusion but I will refresh it with recent games and post when I have more time.

      Delete
    20. Btw, I said that for Mchale.

      Delete
    21. @geronimo, During ending period of the game, almost no body can buy a bucket efficiently. And Lin was aggressive to me in terms of pushing the team style, getting the guys going, etc.

      I was not downplaying TO numbers at all, I am just saying, no one here know exactly how big the impact it is. Especially when you compare it to other categories related to the wins and loses.

      If you want me to pick the biggest flaw we had yesterday, I would say it was the team D. IF, they can replay that game with almost perfect D, even with 15 more TOs, they might still able to win the game given all other aspect unchanged.

      Delete
    22. I didn't compare it to wins and losses, psalm did.

      Delete
    23. @psalm234, good point and nice work about trying to process the data. I am aware the good thread brought up by MT, I believe it is correlated. I am just saying, winning/losing a game is a collective result of realizations of multiple statistical attributes. TOs, Defense efficiencies, average PPG etc. are just part of it.

      Lin haters did the exact the same thing when they try to use just his TO number to prove he is not NBA worthy. I believe all of us in this fourm found out it was just a ridiculous clam. SO I was just trying to avoid repeating this mistakes and to be careful when I read numbers.

      Those numbers obviously still giving us insight on what was happened. We just need to read it more carefully. That's all. For example, obviously, even w/o stats, we can tell ROX were beaten by their D.

      Delete
    24. @geronimo, I know, I was talking to you both :P because you cited the TO numbers for all 3 players.

      Delete
    25. A lot of people, here and elsewhere, overemphasize Lin's limited role in the halfcourt motion offense.

      Halfcourt offensive basketball is what people focus on because it chews up a big amount of viewing time. That doesn't mean it is as important as people think. Translated for us Lin fans, it means that Jeremy Lin becoming #1 in usage in the NBA would not somehow increase that elite 110 team scoring average.

      What the Rockets do not have is enough defensive stops. When Lin forces a steal or contests a shot, the Rockets are able to run their devastating fast break that gets very high percentage shots. Lin and Asik are the only players playing defense.

      In evaluating any player in the NBA, it is important to be not blinded by the eye test or mere halfcourt offensve theatrics. What good is James Harden scoring 30 if opponents target him and score as many as 70 points in a single game on him???

      Delete
  30. In some ways, it may be good if Houston doesn't make the playoffs in that it makes it less likely for McHale to come back next year.

    The only problem is that McHale's successor-in-waiting is Chris Finch, who is supposedly the mastermind behind the Rocket's offensive system that has basically stifled Linsanity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't care about what type of offensive scheme Jeremy plays. I just want a coach who believes in Lin as an all star player. McHale clearly is not that coach and his constant criticism without positivity is getting to Lin.

      Delete
    2. I don't care what halfcourt offensive system Lin plays either, because Lin can thrive in any halfcourt offensive system.

      I care very much what DEFENSIVE system Lin plays in, however. Lin can only do so much by himself defensively. If there is no offensive plan and no defensive accountability, Lin's Hall of Fame defensive ability goes to waste.

      Delete
  31. How come no one acknowledges Monta's one legged prayer that the Lord Baby Jesus answered for the Bucks win? JLin played great defense on Jennings and forced him to give it to Monta.

    The Bucks-GSW trade last year is the reason why GSW fans boo'd the new owner during Chris Mullin's jersey retirement last year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Monta is viewed as a blackhole one dimensional undersized gunner in a crappy Milwakee market. His teams have never won or been better than .500. Sure that might be more bad luck than Monta, but it is what it is.

      Nobody is shouting from the rooftops that J Wall is anything special anymore in Washington because the team stinks and he seems to have no jump shot. He might be a great winner on another team, but it is what it is...

      Ditto for Tyreke Evans...

      Kobe, Lebron etc. - it's all the NBA knows how to sell to us.

      Put in some foreign FIBA refs with no agenda, and some "2nd rate" players would look like world beaters.

      Delete
    2. +100 on the FIBA refs with no agenda.

      Delete
    3. But Monta just beat HOU and DAL in consecutive days. Maybe its just timing, GSW could have had Ellis, Curry, Lin, Thompson, and David Lee, if they managed talent a little better and were a little patient. That's a pretty stacked team, but then again this is GSW we are talking about. Their history on keeping talent is not that great.

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    4. Monta Ellis is a CHUCKER.

      He'll shoot and shoot, regardless of percentage or accuracy. Even when he gets totally shut down, he'll still brick contested 3s with two sets of hands in his face.

      Ellis gets away with the chucking because he's not as bad an individual defender as people think.

      I think that a lot of NBA players could be chuckers like Ellis, but their coaches and teammates don't allow them to. After all, the Bucks have Brandon Jennings who is criticized overly harshly for chucking because he appears to be a wild Ellis selfish scorer even though Jennings is actually a cerebral pass first point guard.

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  32. I thought maybe Jeremy's ankle was bothering him when he was tightening up shoelace before his free throw yesterday.

    Howard Chen @ho_chenCSN 1 minute ago
    Harden didn't practice today... just resting up. Obviously had that sore knee from last night. Rockets officials call it gametime decision.

    Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen 2 minutes ago
    Lin, Harden sat out practice. Both 'banged up.' McHale said. Asked if will be issue tomorrow : 'I have no idea.'

    Jason Friedman @JasonCFriedman 2 minutes ago
    Harden and Lin considered game-time decisions for tomorrow night's game in Orlando.

    Jason Friedman @JasonCFriedman about 14 minutes ago
    Jeremy Lin (ankle) and James Harden (knee) given day off from practice today.

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    1. Are they purposely trying to TANK?

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    2. Jonathan Feigen ‏@Jonathan_Feigen
      Lin said turned ankle in first quarter but will be good to go in Orlando.

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    3. Jason Friedman ‏@JasonCFriedman
      Lin says he'll be fine for tomorrow.

      Jason Friedman ‏@JasonCFriedman
      For what it's worth, Jeremy launching lots of shots after practice. Be surprised if he doesn't play tomorrow.

      Jason Friedman ‏@JasonCFriedman
      @KatieTD21 best guess is both will play tomorrow but will know more after shootaround tomorrow.

      Jason Friedman ‏@JasonCFriedman
      @KatieTD21 Lin's ankle issue just same one that's bothered him at times this season. Harden knocked knees with Ellis yesterday. Still played

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    4. Howard Chen ‏@ho_chenCSN
      Lin was held outta practice to rest, but laced up the sneaks anyway afterwards to do some shooting.

      Howard Chen ‏@ho_chenCSN
      Lin says he twisted his ankle in the 1st half last night. Says he'll be fine for 2morrow.

      Delete
  33. Like, this may be self-inflicted anguish here, but I'm in a complete mind-fuck as to how ignorant and boneheaded some Clutchfans users can be: they're still insisting that Jeremy is the one disappearing, and not being assertive/aggressive through stretches.

    How the fuck does the latest interview with McHale not once and for all shut down the conversation on Lin being flimsy with his effort? All the posts we've seen in the past, of coaches not mentioning Lin after key wins. All the past games where plays aren't set up for Lin, no PNRs, no cuts. All the past plays where Lin and Asik play 2 on 5 defense. All the past plays where the starring PG hands off the ball 5 feet in front of the arc. All the snapshots of McHale and co. yelling at Lin after a turn over. All the scenes of McHale telling his starring PG to pass the ball asap, and run their directionless, speed-reliant offense.

    Like holy shit, are a lot of basketball fans just lacking in observational skills?

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    1. Non Asians do not want to believe Lin is legitimate. It forces them to have to one day address the supposedly non existent race issue/ double standards/ glass ceilings etc.

      Truly, Clutch Fans would pass a lie detector test if you asked them if they just felt Lin sucked, all racism aside. Honestly, I believe 70-80% would pass when asked if they really just thought Lin was sub par. It's almost like Kobe Bryant - depending on who you ask he either sucks or is the best ever.

      Lin is not perfect. He has physical flaws, skill flaws, and mental flaws. He is *almost* good enough to be a legit star, but also shows he sometimes plays like a forgettable role player.

      Harden may have ballhogged and did some horrible things at times this year, but he was very consistent from game 1. You know what you get from Harden. Even us Lin fans have no clue what Lin is going to do game to game.

      Until Lin can fix that, he will treated and considered a 2nd rate marginal talent by many NBA fans and Rox fans alike. Even Parsons is more consistent than Lin and Parsons is frustrating to watch with his horrible dribbling and home run hitting disasters trying to be a playmaker.
      Sure everyone but Lin supposedly has the green light, but sadly that's the hand Lin is dealt and he will have to deal with it.

      Lin will just have to be better than his peers before any talk of him subsides re. his status as an NBA player. It's what his legacy is....nothing will be handed to him. He will have to fight and claw for long term NBA stardom.

      Barring injury, I think he will get there but it will take a few years. Be patient.

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    2. How is his interview going to shut down the conversation? It is true Lin shows up on certain nights and not on others. How is it an observational issue? In the month of February Lin has been playing in some of his better games all season. Lin showed up against the Warriors. Lin showed up against OKC. If Lin can score 20+ against the Warriors and OKC, why doesn't he just try to keep it up. So are you saying McHale told Lin to score 20+ in those games only and not the other ones?

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    3. Swinglinezigzag very good post!!!

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    4. In the NBA, a player's ability to score is never dependent on that single player.

      The Rockets receive uneven scoring from Lin for two reasons:

      1) McHale's motion system results in different players playing different roles every game, thus providing zero offensive continuity for anybody to settle in

      2) No defense means no reversed possessions resulting in easy scores for Lin.

      Put Lin on a more structured offense with a steady role. Provide a defensive plan for Lin to fit into. The scoring would roar right back to 20+ point levels and Lin would spearhead a championship caliber defense like he did in New York.

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    5. KHuang, I guess Harden getting 25+ every game is lacking that ability.

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    6. If Lin can get hot and consistent with his shots, no one will be stopping him from taking it.

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    7. Geronimo, teams LET Harden shoot.

      Lin gets covered hard because he feeds other players and gets the team going.

      The motion offense's strength is that it goes where the weaknesses are. The motion offense's weakness is that opposing teams can STEER the offense into guys like Harden that are stat padding as opposed to actually trying to win.

      Lin cannot get hot and consistent like that because opponents always guard him with special traps and tactics to force the ball out of his hands. The motion free flow system is not sophisticated enough to beat those traps. All other starting point guards and a good number of backups have more plays run for them to beat those traps than Lin does.

      Lin cannot beat an entire team by himself, on either end of the court. And don't be fooled by Harden's scoring - he's the PRIME CULPRIT in the Rockets losing games because of his piss poor defense.

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    8. KHuang, lets do this. In the next game against Orlando, lets keep tabs on each possession as where Lin is getting covered hard causing him not be able to score or take shots and compare it to where Harden is allowed to shoot and not covered hard. I'm not seeing the constant traps you're talking about. Maybe you can point it out to me where exactly are the traps happening. Even yesterday's game. Thanks.

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    9. Harden is definitely more consistent but there are things that doesn't help Jeremy's consistency.

      1) Jeremy doesn't get calls like Harden. When Harden has an off night, he can drive to get calls to get more points but Jeremy gets no such love from the refs.

      2) When Harden/Parsons/Delfino shots are not falling, Jeremy would keep on feeding them to get them going and but when Jeremy miss a couple, then his teammates stop passing to him to shoot.

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    10. I don't see it either. Khuang I know u are high on Lin, but you are not too convincing in saying that the teams are looking to stop Lin as the primary target. Remember Lin sometimes gets less than 30 min a game.
      If anything I often see Lin getting good looks or penetration only to see him pass it up or attempt a horrendous looking shots.

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    11. This is the NBA. You are not going to get every call so lets just forget about it. Lin's consistency does not hinge on the refs. Lin's teammates stop passing to him because he hesitates to shoot most of the time.

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    12. By the way, I'm not hating on Lin. I want him to succeed as much as anyone else.

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    13. I just want to be honest about it.

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    14. Agree, Lin's shooting nwill never improve when he continues to hesitate to shoot. His game looks to be much better when he has a score's mentality. He needs to forget what McHake is saying and do what is best for his team.

      It seems to me everyone has no problem taking shots even when they are not falling except for Lin. I think this is mostly on him.

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  34. That said, as I can glean from my other posts, I blame McHale for constantly demoralizing Lin even when he had a good game.
    When he has 29 points with only 2 TO's u need to encourage that, not to criticize him.
    His coaching ability as a strategizer and motivator is really baffling.

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  35. awesome post Swing!! Agree 100%. Jeremy is a "potential" all star. He's got all the attributes written all over him. But he just needs some time to get there. By the 3rd or 4th year, he'll be an all star because the consistency will be there.

    KHuang is very enthusiastic..and that's what I like about him....even though you can tell he really has not played much b-ball by his posts. (no disrespect)

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    Replies
    1. Ouch. Careful u don't wanna get on his bad side. Just ask Etane..

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