GT: Charlotte vs Knicks 11/18 6PM ET

[JMAC3]

Houston has the 4th best defense playing a bad defensive center Sengun and a backcourt of Jalen Green and FVV. I just don't think our guys are incapable of playing of defense and therefore we have the worst defense in the NBA.

If having 1 decent defender like Dillon Brooks or Jalen Suggs can make you a top 5 defense then those guys are significantly underrated in the league and should be the players worth 4 firsts.

Or coaching matters and Clifford is lost.

[Hornet Mania]

I never had any faith a second go with Cliff would work out.

Right now I mostly just hope the beatings won't sour Melo/Miller/Mark on the city and the franchise before we can (hopefully) get a more competent coach at the helm. In theory another high pick, tons of cap space and better coaching could turn things around quick next season.

[JDR720]

Cliff was such an obvious bad hire that nobody believed it was real when it happened.

[Diop]

He's under contact there, don't think it's that simple

Does he not have a buyout clause? Surly if he does, it wouldn't be much.

I thought the team had to agree to a buyout? Think we saw some article on this a while ago but can't remember the details.

yeah the team has to agree as well. he's only getting garbage time, so they might be happy to take the money, also shows he isnt really ready for minutes though

[JMAC3]

Is Clifford a guy who has coached 10 years in the league really the worst coach in the league though? Maybe he is, idk I legit feel like I am on a fact finding mission at this point.

[Diop]

How Cliff managed to go from a good defense with Al Jefferson to a terrible defense with Mark Williams, I'll never know.

Although I think most of it is Cliffs preference of shutting the paint down over 3pt defense. It doesn't work when every team bombs 3's.

it reminds me of Dunlaps defense who always left the corner 3 open, Dunlap was trying to cover for Mullens and DJ Whites awful defense though.

[MPM]

For home games against the Knicks can we raise ticket prices for anyone whose last name ends in a vowel?

(nauseating to hear the Knicks chants)

#FireCliff

[Bassman]

How Cliff managed to go from a good defense with Al Jefferson to a terrible defense with Mark Williams, I'll never know.

Although I think most of it is Cliffs preference of shutting the paint down over 3pt defense. It doesn't work when every team bombs 3's.

it reminds me of Dunlaps defense who always left the corner 3 open, Dunlap was trying to cover for Mullens and DJ Whites awful defense though.

I am BY NO MEANS defending Clifford’s defensive scheme by saying what I’m about to say, but…

I think Cliff “packs the paint” to try and stop dribble penetration because our guards Melo and Rozier cannot defend the perimeter. Hayward struggles too at his age and career stage. They get beat badly all the time. Now, is giving up open 3’s a better solution? I don’t think so. But it is an issue defensively throughout the team. A lockdown defender at the 2 would help so much. Clifford should shift D strategies periodically throughout the game, and give Mark the chance to play goalie on drives to the basket.

[amcoolio]

Houston has the 4th best defense playing a bad defensive center Sengun and a backcourt of Jalen Green and FVV. I just don't think our guys are incapable of playing of defense and therefore we have the worst defense in the NBA.

If having 1 decent defender like Dillon Brooks or Jalen Suggs can make you a top 5 defense then those guys are significantly underrated in the league and should be the players worth 4 firsts.

Or coaching matters and Clifford is lost.

Dillion Brooks is exactly what we needed. I said this in free agency in the free agency thread on here. Swap him for Gordon, and we are a much better team.

Said the same about Josh Hart a while ago too. He's old now, but if we had him instead of Rozier, we aren't getting blown out in play-ins

It goes beyond stats. I don't care that Terry scores 20+. We don't need that. We need intangible players that make the others around them better. Terry has never brought intangibles or made other players better.

Its why passing on Tari Eason is indefensible and Mitch should be fired. I know Tari has been injured, but comeon man, we needed that energy, BBIQ and toughness. It was there, plain as day, in his college film.

Same with Ime Udoka. Just a good coach that the Hornets missed out on becuase they hired Clifford a few months before. Imagine this Hornets team with Udoka and Eason instead of Clifford and Nick Smith Jr. It would be a totally different team

[JDR720]

Houston shows how much coaching matters. Udoka is a top tier coach. Swap Cliff and him and we'd be like Houston and Cliff would be making Sengun into Al Jefferson.

[Liver_Pooty]

Houston shows how much coaching matters. Udoka is a top tier coach. Swap Cliff and him and we'd be like Houston and Cliff would be making Sengun into Al Jefferson.

Well, vanfleet and a ridiculously overrated defender, but a good one in brooks matters too.