Big adjustments I noticed very early into this game: 1. Let Batum bring it up. Portland took a lot of the pressure off the Lillard/Beverley matchup by really letting Batum bring the ball up most of the time. Seemed like an obvious move, and I kept waiting for the Rockets to counter and they didn't really. We were able to set up the half court offense much better as a result. Props to Stotts. 2. Twin towers redux. Boy, they went to the Howard/Asik lineup a hell of a lot faster than I thought they would. Kind of came across as gimmicky, given how little they've tried to incorporate it over the past several months. I don't blame them for trying, but jeez, McHale, kind of putting the homework off to the last minute aren't you? Really stunning to me they'd go so early to it at this point in the year. 3. LaMonster returns. I'll be the first to be the asshole who says it after that incredible game: LaMarcus has been coasting. All those jumpers he takes in the regular season? Hey, it's a long year and it ain't much fun pretending to be Shaq. Pick and pops are a nice way for him to help the team win while still being fresh for the playoffs. And maybe he's right. For all the grief he gets for taking jumpers, he was the only starter who didn't start 82 games this year. Maybe he should take more. In the regular season. 4. Hack a Howard is an incredibly legit tactic in this series. We're not a great defensive team, we score great in the half court, we can hit threes when he hits 1 of 2, we need to get Howard out of the game (mentally if not also physically). All that points to a lot of hacking. Stotts didn't invent the strategy, but he looked like a genius for making it work.
5. McHale is as unimaginative with Harden as we were with Roy. Really, how they wound down the game was right out of the McMillan/Roy playbook. Ugh. Looking at the Rockets forums, I can kind of see why he's not that popular.
1. Batum playing PG is the thing I most dislike about watching this team. He is so bad at it. As for not tiring Lillard, well, it compensates by tiring Batum. 3. Aldridge being lazy is why some of us criticize him. But last night he worked hard inside and didn't waste many midrange shots. This is how Kevin Garnett used to play every game, which made him the best. Aldridge will never be the best until he finds more energy for every game. But right now I'm praising him.
Aldridge played last night the way I envision when I criticize him. It was great. So, I just transferred to squatting over Batum. That guy is a lazy turnover machine!
It's not about tiring Lillard, it's about Lillard having trouble starting our offense, because Patrick Beverly draining our shot clock.
A) LA steps back to shoot if he's going to settle for a jumper. A couple seasons ago didn't LA use to light it up from 3? Its MADDENING to see him 1 damn step inside the line doing turn around Dirk-fades. Man up more, REALLY space the court and size up the 3 ball more oftan. If LA took 8 3-ball attempts a game I think we gain a lot even if he doesn't hit them. B) Nic needs to become roommates with T-Rob and learn the art that is Beast Mode. T-rob came in and bless his Tasmanian Devil heart tried to do some serious throw down. He had like 2 monster dunks not go in but that's more on Houston respecting the beast that they cut loose and fouling his ass. If T-Robs dunks and put backs were money, thats like 8 points in that game + pivotal emotion...I dont think Houston comes back as well as they did. Nic has the athleticism to be a damn Clyde out there for us...playing above the rim and just gliding down the middle to stuff it.
Man, I was thinking the SAME thing. Give the ball to Harden and get out of the way. I have no idea why McHale got the coaching job in the first place. What experience did he have? He was GM of Minnesota for a long time, but a coach? It seems like the career coaches are dying off. Instead teams are hiring guys like Mark Jackson, Kevin McHale, and even Doc Rivers. I get that Rivers won a championship with Boston, but the guy won because he had a ridiculous team. What happened to the guys who lived and breathed coaching the game? You can tell Terry is that guy. I mean, Jason Kidd, there's a perfect example. Does anyone really think Kidd is coaching that team? If anything, their vets learned to play together and started winning. There's very little "coaching" going on.
I think McHale was minny's coach before he became the gm. I maybe mistaken. But I do remember him coaching on another team.
Dorell Wright. If anything needs adjusting, it's our use of, or the play of, Dorell Wright. His 15 minutes of PT lost us 10 points. Ideas?
Simple: don't play him. Seriously, I thought everyone played well except Wright. There is no reason to ever play him - Barton, Robinson, or Claver should get Wright's minutes.
