GAME #25: ROCKETS (15-8) @ LAC (14-10)—SUN 12/8 6PM

[esqtvd]

Another Sunday NOT-matinee at the Ballmerdome!



Houston is the #2 defense; LAC are #6
Houston is the #16 offense; LAC are #23
Rockets -3.5

QUESTIONABLE:
Mo Bamba - Left Knee Injury Recovery
Kris Dunn - Illness
James Harden - Right Groin Soreness

OUT:
Kobe Brown - Back Injury Management
Kawhi Leonard - Right Knee Injury Recovery
Terance Mann - Left Middle Finger Fracture
P.J. Tucker - Not With Team

[LamarWho]

Out - Mo Bamba and Harden
Out - FVV and Eason

KPJ is back though. Very winnable game.

[esqtvd]

It'll be interesting to see if we have an offense at all without Beard

He IS the system!


Brian just said we have 8 games in the next 24 days. NEVER saw that much rest for us I can remember ever.

[esqtvd]

Coffey out too
down only 30-28 after one

But Zu, KPJ and DJJ all played the entire quarter

Ty is gonna have to give the 3rd string
Bones, Kai, maybe Christie and Flowers some burn

[LamarWho]

Loving the quicker pace on offense without Harden.

[esqtvd]

Though we didn't get all that close, a scrappy battle with what was pretty much a pickup team. We don't match up with them well even at full strength. Essentially a fire drill, a scrimmage. 4 days off until the Nugs on Friday. Hopefully at nearly full strength.

[Roscoe Sheed]

It'll be interesting to see if we have an offense at all without Beard

He IS the system!


Brian just said we have 8 games in the next 24 days. NEVER saw that much rest for us I can remember ever.

I wish they would just have a normal schedule not this tremendously hectic schedule followed by so many sporadic games. Seems the terrible beginning schedule is catching up with them as now practically 1/2 the team is injured.

[esqtvd]

Can't say I was watching all that closely but he's clearly a better scorer than Mann and others so it's his D that'll dictate his future in the rotation. Veterans do NOT want to play with guys who don't do their job. 12/6/2 in 31 minutes is not good enough on the other end.

Read on Twitter

As for Bones, his team-best 22 points in 28 minutes was more impressive even if he was minus-10. I give slack to guys filling the hole. You other biotches better get busy doing the "little things" because I'm doing the big ones.

[Clemenza]

Everybody was injured so whatever. We'll beat theses guys when/if we get healthy. I still stand by my, Moussa >>> Mo Bamba & Kai Jones statement. We need rebounding badly.

[esqtvd]

Everybody was injured so whatever. We'll beat theses guys when/if we get healthy. I still stand by my, Moussa >>> Mo Bamba & Kai Jones statement. We need rebounding badly.

If you're going to go there, I'd say it's Moussa >>> Kobe Brown. The problem with Moussa is that he's not a true C at 6'9", 210 and not really a modern 4 because he can't shoot. 3/7/1 in 20 mpg and hitting .333 at the line and he seems to be sinking down in the rotation at Charlotte, one of the worst teams in the league.

Bamba is a disappointment, as he's been everywhere else in the league too. He's got the NBA body in spades but there's just something missing in his makeup, either between the ears or in the chest. The lack of a backup C is killing us again. Zu is already fading [again] and it's because of his workload.

[Clemenza]

Everybody was injured so whatever. We'll beat theses guys when/if we get healthy. I still stand by my, Moussa >>> Mo Bamba & Kai Jones statement. We need rebounding badly.

If you're going to go there, I'd say it's Moussa >>> Kobe Brown. The problem with Moussa is that he's not a true C at 6'9", 210 and not really a modern 4 because he can't shoot. 3/7/1 in 20 mpg and hitting .333 at the line and he seems to be sinking down in the rotation at Charlotte, one of the worst teams in the league.

Bamba is a disappointment, as he's been everywhere else in the league too. He's got the NBA body in spades but there's just something missing in his makeup, either between the ears or in the chest. The lack of a backup C is killing us again. Zu is already fading [again] and it's because of his workload.

He's not sinking in the Hornets rotation. Just like us, it's locker room politics as Richards is back and that cuts into Moussa's minutes. He's 6'9" and a small ball center who fights for rebounds on every possession. Watching Kai Jones get some run and not grabbing a board and still not setting a decent screen was disappointing. You was hyping Mo Bamba just a minute ago, but I know there was a reason he's on a different team every season. Lue would use Moussa on some small ball sh*t right now so let's not act like it's something totally out of the question and far from the norm. He's got more in common with the scrappy hungry defensive minded team we have now than Kai & Bamba.

[esqtvd]

Everybody was injured so whatever. We'll beat theses guys when/if we get healthy. I still stand by my, Moussa >>> Mo Bamba & Kai Jones statement. We need rebounding badly.

If you're going to go there, I'd say it's Moussa >>> Kobe Brown. The problem with Moussa is that he's not a true C at 6'9", 210 and not really a modern 4 because he can't shoot. 3/7/1 in 20 mpg and hitting .333 at the line and he seems to be sinking down in the rotation at Charlotte, one of the worst teams in the league.

Bamba is a disappointment, as he's been everywhere else in the league too. He's got the NBA body in spades but there's just something missing in his makeup, either between the ears or in the chest. The lack of a backup C is killing us again. Zu is already fading [again] and it's because of his workload.

He's not sinking in the Hornets rotation. Just like us, it's locker room politics as Richards is back and that cuts into Moussa's minutes. He's 6'9" and a small ball center who fights for rebounds on every possession. Watching Kai Jones get some run and not grabbing a board and still not setting a decent screen was disappointing. You was hyping Mo Bamba just a minute ago, but I know there was a reason he's on a different team every season. Lue would use Moussa on some small ball sh*t right now so let's not act like it's something totally out of the question and far from the norm. He's got more in common with the scrappy hungry defensive minded team we have now than Kai & Bamba.

Do not do me wrong, O my brutha. I said

If you're going to go there, I'd say it's Moussa >>> Kobe Brown.

The problem with Moussa is that he's not a true C at 6'9", 210 and not really a modern 4 because he can't shoot.

I WAS hyping Mo Bamba because he has an NBA center's body and can even hit the 3. I'll own it.

At the 2018 NBA combine, Bamba measured at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) tall and measured a 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) wingspan, breaking the record previously held by Edy Tavares.

That's why he keeps getting chances. Don't do me like that.

Moussa = neither. He has no future in the NBA except as a 13th man and injury replacement. He's already reached his peak. Frankly, I think they're both on their last stop, or next-to-last.

The Clippers still need a backup center. Plumlee was $hit but he was still better than this. Whenever anyone ever wants to diss Zu, just look at what happens when he's not in.

[TrueLAfan]

I actually think Moussa can play C. But I also think, right now, whatever position he plays, he basically makes it a 4 on 5 when his team’s on offense. You can’t be more than a (very) low rotation player like that. I’ve had a couple of people tell me he's a decent shooter but it’s like Sham was, except worse. You can be a great shooter percentage wise, but if you don’t do something with it—that would be scoring points—it’s useless. Moussa right now is scoring less than a point every 6 minutes he’s on the court. His team’s in the bottom 5 of the league on offense. I’m glad he’s having a better year, but he’s putting up some good numbers on a terrible team. He'd be lucky to get any run at all on team over .500.

We do need a backup C. Again. We need a guy that can the 4 but has enough size to stay with most 5s. Again. Mo Bamba is as big and long as f*$%, but he’s one of those guys that doesn’t seem to get it on the court. (James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley – same thing.) He seems like a really nice, well spoken guy. He’s not going to be a factor in the NBA. I don’t even mind getting an older vet if it’s the right older vet—the problem is that teams have figured that out and hold onto them. There’s a reason why the Hawks are probably going to keep Larry Nance.

[Captain Ballmer]

Both Mann and DJJr out long time. I think Batum should slide onto starting PF. Harden-Dunn-Powell and Coffey would be so small.

Harden-Norm-Dunn-Batum-Zu
Bones-KPJ-Coffey-Miller-Bamba for reserves.

Jordan Miller going to play big minutes for a couple weeks.

No Kawhi, Mann, DJJ and Kobe Brown. 4 guys on the roster that can play PF are out. Woof.

[og15]

Can't say I was watching all that closely but he's clearly a better scorer than Mann and others so it's his D that'll dictate his future in the rotation. Veterans do NOT want to play with guys who don't do their job. 12/6/2 in 31 minutes is not good enough on the other end.

Read on Twitter

As for Bones, his team-best 22 points in 28 minutes was more impressive even if he was minus-10. I give slack to guys filling the hole. You other biotches better get busy doing the "little things" because I'm doing the big ones.

It hasn't been a secret that defense is what has limited Jordan Miller's ability to get minutes, this is a problem that tons of players who can score, but aren't good enough offensively to be key guys have suffered.

He's got to keep working on the defensive end and be focused there, no escaping that.