Harden told Parsons to switch onto Lillard

[ChokeFasncists]

You know what, I think the better strategy for the coach at the last 0.9 s would be taken out Harden. Have Lin, Bev in the game.

Why didn't anyone ask McHale why he subbed Lin out in that crucial 0.9 seconds. Lin did an excellent job of defending Lillard in the second half and completely shut down Lillard in the 4th (something no one has done all series). In fact, the ONLY time Lillard scored was on that game winner when Lin was on the bench. It's fitting that Rocket's season ends with McHale's irrational benching of Lin. In McHale's bizarro world, he prefers Harden's defense to that of Lin's. http://www.jeremylintel.com/2014/05/03/ ... y-fitting/

On the other hand, Lin is extremely lucky he wasn't on Lillard if the shot goes in. Otherwise he would be demonized to eternity by the rac/fasncists. And he wouldn't get much credit if he is defending and the shot didn't go in. Strange hate huh?

[baki]

I've changed my stance from my initial post. I now think that Lillard just broke off the set early and caught everybody by surprise. It was a brilliant move on his part.

This likely wouldn't have happened if we came out of the timeout knowing exactly what to do and not formulating our strategy on the fly right before the inbound. There is no excuse for this, that's what timeouts are for. What this shows me that the team is ultimately run by the players, they do not respect Kevin McHale's instructions. There is no good reason for them to be strategizing AFTER the time out where the ball could be live at any moment.

So Lillard picked up on the fact that the Rockets were disorganized while the inbounder had the ball and simply said "Screw this, see you later everyone!".

I have the game on replay,

- After the second timeout Bev was marking Lillard with Parsons on Mo.
- Bev is on the left side of Lillard which would have closed the lane for Lillard to get to the ball, this was the best possible defensive position for Bev as he did the right thing here.
- Then Harden tells Parsons to switch with Bev and cover Lillard, I think Harden was telling Parsons to cover the inside in case Lillard makes a cut to the basket for a pass or alley.
- Bev and Parsons are talking and making the switch.
- Bev and Parsons are in their positions and are waiting for the whistle, Lillard is not moving.
- Whistle blows and about 0.3 secs later Lillard reacts and starts running past Mo and Matthews with Bev and Harden on the inside.
- Parsons reacts at the same time as Lillard but is slowed by the 2 screens set by Mo and Matthews, he is about 2 metres behind.
- Lillard collects the inbound pass and shoots the three, Parsons is too late to challenge the shot.

Lillard basically did what anyone would do, round around set screens and position himself for the 3 point shot.

The loss was a combination of:
- Harden telling the guys to make the switch, Bev and Parsons were in a better defensive position prior to the switch
- Luck on the Blazers side
- Poor communication by the Rockets and particularly the coach
- inbound passer being guarded for no effective reason, coach should have told Jones to look out for the receiver instead of just "stay on his man"

[baki]

You know what, I think the better strategy for the coach at the last 0.9 s would be taken out Harden. Have Lin, Bev in the game.

Why didn't anyone ask McHale why he subbed Lin out in that crucial 0.9 seconds. Lin did an excellent job of defending Lillard in the second half and completely shut down Lillard in the 4th (something no one has done all series). In fact, the ONLY time Lillard scored was on that game winner when Lin was on the bench. It's fitting that Rocket's season ends with McHale's irrational benching of Lin. In McHale's bizarro world, he prefers Harden's defense to that of Lin's. http://www.jeremylintel.com/2014/05/03/ ... y-fitting/

On the other hand, Lin is extremely lucky he wasn't on Lillard if the shot goes in. Otherwise he would be demonized to eternity by the rac/fasncists. And he wouldn't get much credit if he is defending and the shot didn't go in. Strange hate huh?

If Harden had told Lin to make the switch would Lin had believed him? I agree Lin would have been villified even more by those kindergarten fanboys on that other site if it was him instead of Parsons and Lillard made the shot. However I think Lin's speed would have made up grounds by about 1/2 a metre, who knows what the result would have become.

[ChokeFasncists]

You know what, I think the better strategy for the coach at the last 0.9 s would be taken out Harden. Have Lin, Bev in the game.

Why didn't anyone ask McHale why he subbed Lin out in that crucial 0.9 seconds. Lin did an excellent job of defending Lillard in the second half and completely shut down Lillard in the 4th (something no one has done all series). In fact, the ONLY time Lillard scored was on that game winner when Lin was on the bench. It's fitting that Rocket's season ends with McHale's irrational benching of Lin. In McHale's bizarro world, he prefers Harden's defense to that of Lin's. http://www.jeremylintel.com/2014/05/03/ ... y-fitting/

On the other hand, Lin is extremely lucky he wasn't on Lillard if the shot goes in. Otherwise he would be demonized to eternity by the rac/fasncists. And he wouldn't get much credit if he is defending and the shot didn't go in. Strange hate huh?

If Harden had told Lin to make the switch would Lin had believed him? I agree Lin would have been villified even more by those kindergarten fanboys on that other site if it was him instead of Parsons and Lillard made the shot. However I think Lin's speed would have made up grounds by about 1/2 a metre, who knows what the result would have become.

Haha, who knows!?

[Durant Durant]

Good grief. There is too much truth in that link. Thanks.

[BaYBaller]

So I'm a big fan of the red94 website. I think it's the best Rockets blog out there. Very level-headed and unbiased analysis, a true Rockets fan through and through. Here's his analysis on the last play of the series, and it could not be more spot on:

http://www.red94.net/huqs-pen-houston-r ... more-14369

The sheer fact that Harden is out there calling defensive switches shows that either:
1) They did not have any clue what POR was trying to do or
2) Harden (and the team) had no idea how to defend what POR was trying to do

Both are scary to think about when considering it was a basic double screen for a shooter. I've said it time and time again, the issue with our team is not offense, it is defense. The loss of Sampson has essentially left the team without a "defensive coordinator."

A lot has been talked about the defensive switch, or the personnel on the floor, but IMO what is more concerning is the lack of defensive instincts. The second Lillard starts going high through the screen POR tips its hand. It is at this point Jones should have been shading Batum's right side to deny the entry pass toward the top of the 3-pt line, and Harden, who was on the man setting the 2nd screen, should also have plenty of time to switch to contest the shot. Neither of those things happen, and that shows that there is nobody on the court who is calling out defensive adjustments. So not only do we not have a defensive coordinator on the bench, we don't have one on the court either (think Kevin Garnett).

[pr0wler]

I like the point about how Terrence Jones should've been helping defend whoever got the ball inbounds for Portland. Why wouldn't he stand 4-5 feet back and disrupt the vision of the inbounder, while at the same time being able to help contest a game winning shot? Additionally, if they just have Jones waving his arms along the sideline...why not have D-Mo do that instead? He's taller and will obscure the vision of the Blazers even more.

[madbucky]

What I'm mostly peeved about is that we did not come out of the timeout ready and there's no excuse for that. The strategy for TJones to cover the inbounder was also flawed, another indication of how the coaching staff don't have their coaching fundamentals together.

I thought McHale was responsible for defending the inbounder, you know, like how he defended Tim Duncan.