Game Thread: SERiES THREAD:HOUSTON ROCKETS VS PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

[bksballer89]

ya. We shall see. They appear to be a team that may just fold like a cheap suit at this point.

Portland and the Rose Garden is going to be ROCKING.

You're not going?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Even if he is, it doesn't change the fact that Kevin McHale is a terrible coach.

In my opinion there are not many coaches that are good ones

Spoesltra
Popovich
Doc Rivers
Mark Jackson

The rest are mediocre at the best

 

[Kold]

I don't why everyone is so focused on Dwight....He did his part tonight.

If you want to blame everyone you should be looking at Harden, Parsons, and Lin

This is true....but considering all the drama with Dwight over the years, he's gonna be the one to get destroyed by the media

 

[Hambombs]

In my opinion there are not many coaches that are good ones

Spoesltra
Popovich
Doc Rivers
Mark Jackson

The rest are mediocre at the best

Mark Jackson is a average coach Lol! He's on the hot seat actually

 

[Superdonk]

These kinds of playoff performaces can catapult a player into true superstardom. LaMarcus has arrived, everyone in Portland is grateful for him after Roy and Oden. He was the forgotten child, and yet, he is the best of the bunch.

I know he will not see this, but I want to say, we love you LaMarcus! Sign a max deal and stay in Portland. You could go down as the best Blazer in history and NEVER have to pay for anything in the state again.

 

[Superdonk]

In my opinion there are not many coaches that are good ones

Spoesltra
Popovich
Doc Rivers
Mark Jackson

The rest are mediocre at the best

Stotts has been a huge improvement over McMillan, he opened of the offense. IMO he is better than Jackson.

 

[bksballer89]

Give me 32, 14, and 4 from Dwight all day.

Harden is 14-47 in 2 games

 

[WhiteMamba]

You're not going?

probably not.

 

[Hambombs]

Stotts has been a huge improvement over McMillan, he opened of the offense. IMO he is better than Jackson.

Jackson isn't even good stotts>> Jackson IMO

 

[starbigd]

Harden is the problem, and has been for the last 3 years in the playoffs. He's been a choke machine when the chips are down.

 

[wildturkey]

In my opinion there are not many coaches that are good ones

Spoesltra
Popovich
Doc Rivers
Mark Jackson

The rest are mediocre at the best

You'd put Mark Jackson above Rick Carlisle? Tom Thibodeau? For your sake, I hope you just overlooked those guys by mistake.


As for the game, one of the things that stood out to me is this must be what its like when the refs just stop giving Harden ridiculous foul calls.

 

[Superdonk]

You're not going?

I probably will. My budget is tight but the Blazers won game 2, I feel like I owe it to the team. Will look into when not drunk.

Something in the 200 level is likely in my future,

 

[True Lakers Fan]

You'd put Mark Jackson above Rick Carlisle? Tom Thibodeau? For your sake, I hope you just overlooked those guys by mistake.


As for the game, one of the things that stood out to me is this must be what its like when the refs just stop giving Harden ridiculous foul calls.

I was thinking of coaches in the terms of championship capability, but I forgot Carlisle's name until I posted - He's done a good job for Oklahoma - really has. Haven't paid much attention to Tom, but he's a good coach.

I said from the beginning I couldn't see Houston getting past the second round at the best and had concerns in seeing them get past Portland - I am hoping I was right - I hate Howard

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Stotts has been a huge improvement over McMillan, he opened of the offense. IMO he is better than Jackson.

That might not be saying much - Jason Kidd in his first year would be better then that dumb ass McMillan

 

[Superdonk]

I probably will. My budget is tight but the Blazers won game 2, I feel like I owe it to the team. Will look into when not drunk.

Something in the 200 level is likely in my future,

Or not, having trouble finding 2 200 level sets. I'll pass on scalpers. If anything game 3 is worth a sports bar, still fun.

 

[wlk3]

I was thinking of coaches in the terms of championship capability, but I forgot Carlisle's name until I posted - He's done a good job for Oklahoma - really has. Haven't paid much attention to Tom, but he's a good coach.

I said from the beginning I couldn't see Houston getting past the second round at the best and had concerns in seeing them get past Portland - I am hoping I was right - I hate Howard

You mean Dallas...?

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Harden is gonna get blame, but Howard is gonna get destroyed if/when Houston loses this series

 

[BusSport]

I don't why everyone is so focused on Dwight....He did his part tonight.

If you want to blame everyone you should be looking at Harden, Parsons, and Lin

No, if you want to blame someone, you should be looking at McFail.

He has so much talent on the team to work with, but he has no idea how to maximize his players' skillsets, can't tailor a strategy against the opponent's weaknesses, never makes in-game adjustments, and tops it off with terrible rotation management.

 

[starbigd]

You'd put Mark Jackson above Rick Carlisle? Tom Thibodeau? For your sake, I hope you just overlooked those guys by mistake.


As for the game, one of the things that stood out to me is this must be what its like when the refs just stop giving Harden ridiculous foul calls.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've NEVER seen one player get so many "superstar" calls when he wasn't even CLOSE to being a superstar.....I mean, guys sneeze behind the bench and Harden is going to the line. Meanwhile a guy like Lebron gets hammered and can't get a call.

I just don't understand refs today. You got these clowns in LA damn near fouling out starters in the first quarter in that series, you got refs ignoring flagrants in Miami, and up until this series, you had refs just sending Harden to the line if a defender got within 2 feet of him. The new Commish really needs to focus on improving the officiating of the league as his top priority.

 

[wildturkey]

It's not "superstar" calls so much as it is refs just being lazy. I don't blame him so much for exposing it since its more on the NBA to correct it. It's similar to how Durant would get 6 to 8 pts a game with the rake through gesture before the NBA finally said enough. Harden initiates most of the contact. He'll barrel into the defensive player, fall back, toss up a wild shot and get the call. He's done it for a couple of years now. Lebron could get the same calls but he's not as good a contorsionist as Harden. And that's what gets the calls. He initiates the contact and contorts his body in a weird way that looks like he got fouled in real time.

And not to derail the topic, but I have no sympathy for Lebron when it comes to foul calls. He embellishes his contact/how hurt he is quite a bit. Dude is like a soccer player. I know for a fact I have seen him act like he's torn ligaments in a leg and literally the next play he's throwing down a ferocious dunk off that same leg.


Back on topic, its too early to place blame. Series isn't over. But if you must look somewhere, it has to be at coaching. One of the reasons I don't take Houston as a serious title threat is their offense is too free. It's not really a system. It's mostly just free lance stuff based on 3s, transition scores, and other high efficiency shots (fouls, dunks). Defenses with time to scout and adjust (aka playoff teams) can stop that and the result is a lot of missed shots and confusion...sorta like the look on Harden (and Lin and Parsons) faces at the end of both games so far.