Post Game Thread - vs Houston Rockets, Home

[bobheckler]

A signature game?  After a 3-game losing streak we play the 2nd game of a back-to-back against the #4 team in the NBA and win?  Yeah, that could fit the definition.  Not that I was optimistic.  We sucked in the 1st half and the refs were something else.  Just awful, the worst I have ever seen, and I'm saying that after a Celtic win, so it's not just sour grapes.  Former ref Joey Crawford was in the stands, taking notes.  Literally, he was writing a lot.  I hadn't heard he still worked for the league but if he does someone is going to get a snootful.

Brad sent a message.  He can claim it was all about matchups or whatever other ointment he wants to put on it to make it feel better but when you start Jonas Jerebko and rookie Jaylen Brown, that's a message.  Brown struggled, picking up fouls early, and only played 13 minutes, but Jonas was a warrior.  Got popped in the mouth by a flailing Harden, swinging his left hand out where there was no ball nearby, and caught Jonas in the mouth.  Got 4 stitches in the inside of his mouth after the game, but wanted to go back in with just bandaids.  7 points on 3-3, 7 rebounds and a block.  Sounds like an Amir boxscore, doesn't it?  So, what about Amir?  He got 10 minutes but had 6 points and 5 rebounds.  Message delivered?

IT with another big game, as usual, despite Patrick Beverly blatantly grabbing his jersey and bouncing him around like a beach ball.  Let's not forget the 9 assists with only 3 TOs.  That's really good.  13 points, 5 assists and only 1 TO in the 4th quarter.  How does he do that?

Smart with 7 on 2-5, but 6 assists and 3 TOs and 3 steals.  Making impactful basketball plays.  At this point I'm happy with getting this from Smart.  Is he worth a #6 pick when he is offensively-challenged, to say the least?  Hmm.  #6 picks are expected to be NBA starters and it is hard to be a starter when you are a career 35% fg% shooter.

Al with a good game, but 3 missed lay ups.  What is up with that?

Crowder with a GREAT game.  He was assigned to Harden for most of the night, in Bradley's absence, and did about as good a job as one can, and Harden still got 30 and 12.  23 points and 10 boards for Jae, he stepped up.  I love his ganas.  Him and Smart both.

I wonder what Sam Dekker would cost?

The cherries on top were Miami's win over Brooklyn there are now 5 1/2 games between Brooklyn and next-closest Phoenix.  Another couple of cherries are Cleveland's and Toronto's losses.  So, despite looking like shit for the past week or two we've actually gained on them.  We are 3.5 games behind Cleveland, who is 4-6 in their last 10 and is giving The Queen agita, and we are only .5 games behind Toronto after their 4-6 last 10, tied in the loss column.  Despite our 3 game losing streak, which gave US agita, we are 6-4 in our last 10.  

We host Orlando on Friday.  Toronto hosts Milwaukee.  Cleveland hosts Brooklyn.  Not bad.  Milwaukee isn't that good, 21-24, but they have The Freak and that makes them dangerous.  Pretty much a guaranteed loss for Brooklyn and Orlando is the 7th worst team in the league.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900102







bob


.

[beat]

Bob

When Harden goes to the line more than the entire Celtic team, he was bound to get his points.  Crowder kept Harden from going off pretty well.

beat

[sinus007]

Hi,
Speaking about Harden, I'd like to note how good was Horford's defense on him. There were at least 4-5 occasions when AH had to switch (from JC) and ended one-on-one against the Beard. One time he even forced Harden to fumble.
Also, about Jonas. Can you imagine if he was on the giving end of that hit? My guess he'd be ejected, and it were Lebron - 1 game suspension.
Speaking about refs. Tommy has to take it easy, he's not a spring chicken. Yesterday I thought he'd reach LEO.

AK

[worcester]

IT is really something. Danny has made some superbly savvy trades these past three years, picking up Jerebko, Crowder, and Thomas - all for very little money. Super great GM work Danny.

[Shamrock1000]

IT is really something. Danny has made some superbly savvy trades these past three years, picking up Jerebko, Crowder, and Thomas - all for very little money. Super great GM work Danny.

Good point. What those players cost and the salaries they get vs their production - Danny is either lucky as hell or a genius (likely a little of both).

[bobheckler]

IT is really something. Danny has made some superbly savvy trades these past three years, picking up Jerebko, Crowder, and Thomas - all for very little money. Super great GM work Danny.

Worcester,

1. IT - traded for Marcus Thornton and Cleveland's 1st round pick (a very poor pick, obviously). Thornton is averaging 17mpg off the bench for Washington. His points/minute rate is way down this year. Thornton came to us from Brooklyn in, what I seem to remember, was part of the deal that got LeBron to Cleveland. Which means that Danny got the assets he needed to land IT just for being a facilitator and using his cap room to make it happen for Cleveland. A two-time All-Star just from "helping out".

2. Jerebko - Him and Gigi came here as part of the Tayshaun Prince deal, which was the secondary trade roll of the Jeff Green-to-Memphis deal. When you put it all together and boil it down to who did we end up keeping and who did we give up, it's Jerebko-for-Jeff Green. Jeff Green is playing 24mpg for Orlando and his production/minute is about what it was when he was here except his points/minute which are down from 19.1 points/36 (his last year here) to 14.5 points/36 this year. So, he has declined a bit and is a bench player. Jonas' stats are underwhelming, but I love his motor and defense and those stats don't show up in box scores. Once again, Danny turns fools gold (#5 pick Jeff Green) into an asset and, unless he gets packaged, a keeper for half the price.

3. Crowder - as we know he was part of the Rondo trade. Rondo is a whisker from being out of the league because he is being considered uncoachable. Doc might be willing to take him on as a back up for CP3 (although I don't know how CP3 and Rondo would like that) and I could see Danny and Brad taking him back (ugh!) but other than them? Who? Powell is working out in Dallas, so it wasn't a complete drive-by shooting by Danny but Crowder is a starter on most teams in the league (Indy with George, SAS with Leonard, GSW with Green; no) and Powell is not. So, Danny got a starter for a one-man dumpster fire and a career back up.


bob


.

[Sponsored content]