Alonzo Harris escribió:Es indudable que este equipo esta temporada ha superado expectativas, para mi también lo es que le espera si cabe un mejor futuro, pero creo que uno de los motivos por los que precisamente el equipo aún no es contendiente es la autocomplacencia del haber sobrepasado expectativas y el creerse más buenos de lo que son. Al grupo le falta humildad, le faltaba el año pasado para entender lo que le estaba sucediendo viniendo de unas fake conference finals, y le falta este año no por no saber qué le pasa sino porque le rodea una excesiva euforia y un discurso excesivamente triunfalista sin haber conseguido aún realmente nada. Para mí esto explica que en un partido de la importancia del de ayer el equipo no salga desde inicio con la intensidad que salió en la 2ª parte. Con esa mentalidad desde el primer cuarto se habría ganado el partido a pesar del desacierto y del acierto rival. Pero esa falta de humildad de no reconocer en su justa medida los defectos propios, de no reconocer que contra un equipo como Utah quedan especialmente expuestos y que si no se compensa saliendo a tope no se gana el partido, para mí les aleja aún más del nivel "aspirantes" que los defectos en sí mismos.
Creo que es hasta cierto punto normal. Supongo que habrá muy pocos casos de equipos que en una sola temporada partan de un pronóstico de 40-45 victorias, últimas plazas de playoff, y acaben en aspirante legítimo al anillo. El proceso de convertirte en equipo aspirante es muy mental, de día a día, desde la pretemporada, y este equipo ni estaba hecho para ello en septiembre ni lo está ahora. Requiere el paso a paso, y este año toca llegar a playoffs y dar guerra, que ya está bien. Y en verano plantear las mejoras que tocan: la mejora del roster por parte de Morey (toque por la situación actual de sólo 10 jugadores disponibles y jugables en el roster; Snyder mismamente en Utah tiene 13), que tendrá que lograr dar otro paso cualitativo en cuanto a suma de talento, y cuantitativo en cuanto a fondo de banquillo con jugadores experimentados, ganadores y útiles. Mejora individual de los jugadores, los jóvenes Capela-Dekker seguir su evolución y mejorar cada uno en lo suyo, y los líderes como Harden dar otro paso adelante en fiabilidad y autoexigencia diaria. Y mejora del equipo técnico, que merece mucho crédito por su acierto en todo lo estructural (el referencial 3s and layups, el tipo de pizarra elegida en ataque, el Harden de base, la apuesta en la rotación, o el cambio en el sistema defensivo...), pero que debe dar un paso adelante en calidad táctica, en exigencia defensiva, en preparar al equipo mentalmente para que se convierta en un auténtico equipo aspirante, sin autocomplacencias por tener partidos de 130 puntos.
Sobre los dos últimos partidos específicamente, pues es que creo que las derrotas llevan motivos comunes. Houston sigue siendo un equipo que demuestra alto potencial defensivo (cuando se ponen son capaces de defender a muy alto nivel) pero que tiene tremendas dificultades para mantener la concentración e intensidad exigibles durante un partido entero, independientemente del marcador. Y ofensivamente delega en exceso en un p&r (porque sólo es un mismo p&r, mirad todos los que usan ayer los Jazz) y en happy threes de mejorable selección. Con un líder que es buenísimo y que va por buen camino en el proceso de madurez, pero que todavía no es un jugador franquicia de equipo campeón. Yo esto es lo que veo, y creo que hay motivos para el optimismo en el futuro. La mejora de los jóvenes, la mejora defensiva, el salto de nivel en la autoexigencia, es muy probable que lleguen la temporada que viene por distintos motivos (uno de ellos será el momento de eliminación de estos playoffs con sus correspondientes causas). Tengo algunas más dudas de que la mejora táctica llegue con D'antoni. En el procés de Harden sólo quedar confiar, pero hay que reconocerle una mejora ya en esta temporada, y por qué no esperar otro paso adelante en la siguiente si se dan todas las condiciones apropiadas, está en edad de ello. Y en la parte que le toca a Morey, hay una mejora bastante factible con todo un verano por delante, que es la de rellenar el roster con más veteranos funcionales, y otra que será algo más complicada (aunque hay herramientas) que será dar otro salto cualitativo en cuanto a talento (ofensivo y defensivo). No sé vosotros pero así veo yo el tema a grandes rasgos.
The season was James Harden's best. Thursday's debacle did not change that. His improvement as a player and a leader was real and significant. He grew in many ways as the face of the franchise since he arrived. Yet, just as the strides he made began with "a look in a mirror" last offseason, he needs that self-examination again. For all he did in his best season, all he gave to the Rockets to lead them from the wreckage of a 41-41 dud and to 55 wins and a place in the second round, he needs to demand more of himself again. Greatness does not accept a defeat so thorough. The best player has to be his best, or at least his most determined, when his best is required. Facing elimination on Thursday, Harden was in a fog. He was oddly dispassionate. He floated around the game as if there for the exercise and as always, his team followed his lead. More than ever, the loss was on him. He knew it. He accepted that. He was lifeless as the Rockets' season came to an end with a dull thud. The question – not about him but for him to ask himself – is what he will do about it. That he had grown so significantly at this stage of his career was a credit to him. He made himself a better player and leader. He now has to make himself the sort of fighter that will make 114-75 as difficult to imagine as 41-41 became. He was driven by last season's disappointment. He can be again. The Rockets said this loss will hurt. It already does. But Harden especially has to use the pain and build from the wreckage of a humiliating defeat.
The Rockets cannot say they "just missed shots." They misfired badly, but they have to assess much more than that. They cannot say – and did not say -- they were worn out. They were blown out in the first minutes. Their largest lead was one point and it lasted all of 38 seconds. Fatigue can set in eventually, but not before fans have time to find their seats. It was not about fatigue. For all the strides the Rockets had made this season, they had often failed to bring the consistent intensity so vividly lacking even when facing elimination. They had it at times. Their camaraderie was so good, they were usually resilient, bouncing back from losses. But some things have to become habit over the course of 82 games. They cannot be switched on for special occasions. The Rockets spent the season trying to force themselves to play with the sort of drive and determination that the Spurs brought into Game 6 and the Rockets never matched. The Rockets often started slowly in the first round, but could overcome that against the Thunder. Knowing that the Spurs would hit them in Game 2, after the Rockets' blowout win to open the series, the Rockets could not match that intensity, taking the loss with a dispirited effort. By the fourth quarter of Game 5, the Rockets were trying to hang on, as if trying to sneak out of town with the win instead of grabbing it. The fight to defend, rebound and win loose balls was never consistent through the regular season and too fragile to last in the postseason. The Rockets were the NBA's second-ranked defensive team in their outstanding December. They were 17th at the end of the season. They were the third-ranked defensive team of the postseason (and in the second round) going into Thursday's game. They were torched with their season on the line. It looked worse because they missed shots and the Spurs excelled. But that just turned a bad loss into a spectacular blowout. The issues were there, lurking beneath the surface, obscured by the season's phenomenal offense all along.
As with the previous season, the Rockets were what their record says they were, a 55-win team that won one playoff round and a pair of games in the second round. But how they build on that will be more complicated. Their offseason acquisitions – Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Nene – all panned out. But other than center Clint Capela, who was outstanding in the series and even in most of Game 6, the players that were in their postseason rotation do not have much room for improvement. The Rockets have a system that fits their personnel, but they don't have players adept at playing other ways. As with their 2015 Western Conference Finals team, they are still excessively dependent on whatever James Harden can create for himself and around him. As difficult as the improvement from last season to this season was, the next step could prove even more challenging. To close the significant gap on the Spurs and Warriors in the West, the Rockets have to have more than just a determination to make up for an embarrassing loss. They don't have much to spend in free agency given the current market. They likely have to re-sign Nene, their lone free agent. They could use a wing with length and athleticism and a healthy dose of fight. Sam Dekker might be able to give the Rockets a backup power forward they lacked when they instead played three guards 6-4 or shorter together, but still must show he can be better than a 32.1 percent 3-point shooter. For the second-consecutive season, the Rockets do not have a first-round pick, hoping that eventually Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Wiltjer or Troy Williams might emerge to play like one. Some improvement can come from a second season together in Mike D'Antoni's system. That growth, however, will be subtle. The Rockets might have been good enough to beat the Spurs. They should have won Game 5 and perhaps had they won that game they would not have been slowed by the hangover of the loss. But as their season ended in a 39-point defeat, the second-largest in their playoff history, they seemed far from the championship contenders with few avenues to catch them.
Mocker escribió:Bev es imprescindible a mi modo de ver, Ariza es movible peeero lo de Anderson, buena suerte ahi, no tengo muy claro que equipo competitivo, porque no le va a coger "cualquier" equipo va a dar algo de valor por el con 60m$ por cobrar
ManiacRR escribió:Ariza necesita jugar menos. Ya está.
SI el año que viene, enganchais un buen 3 para suplirle minutos buenos...más la renovación de Nene...
Harden - Lou
Bev - Gordon
Ariza - XXXX
Rhyno - Dekker
Capela - Nene - Harrell
Esa base de 11...más 4 más variados
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