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One observation from last night

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I’d previously said that I did not believe the whistle would allow a Harden first round exit. Granted, we did not touch Harden really at all last night, but despite some flops and yelling at the refs, he only went to the line for three attempts, while having 5 fouls of his own. The game is officiated differently in the post season, and to the extent that there may be some group-think or group-expectation, if last night set any kind of precedent that they feel more emboldened to continue, that would be huge. Obviously this will change if we scheme differently against him, but if the precedent were set that he goes to the line 15+ times, then we’d be cooked.
 
I’d previously said that I did not believe the whistle would allow a Harden first round exit. Granted, we did not touch Harden really at all last night, but despite some flops and yelling at the refs, he only went to the line for three attempts, while having 5 fouls of his own. The game is officiated differently in the post season, and to the extent that there may be some group-think or group-expectation, if last night set any kind of precedent that they feel more emboldened to continue, that would be huge. Obviously this will change if we scheme differently against him, but if the precedent were set that he goes to the line 15+ times, then we’d be cooked.
Or they may feel obligated to make it up to him with 15 fta next game
 
Or they may feel obligated to make it up to him with 15 fta next game
If anything, I think it reverts to the mean, rather than attempts to make up for something. They could surprise us, though.
 
I’d previously said that I did not believe the whistle would allow a Harden first round exit. Granted, we did not touch Harden really at all last night, but despite some flops and yelling at the refs, he only went to the line for three attempts, while having 5 fouls of his own. The game is officiated differently in the post season, and to the extent that there may be some group-think or group-expectation, if last night set any kind of precedent that they feel more emboldened to continue, that would be huge. Obviously this will change if we scheme differently against him, but if the precedent were set that he goes to the line 15+ times, then we’d be cooked.

I think the lack of fouls had to do with our particular strategy we employed. Im not sure it was coincidence. So maybe that is a good enough reason to try it one more time.

If we are already giving him the lane then I think what is missing is playing ball deny defense. We need a couple dedicated guys to play real close when he doesnt have the ball. Maybe even do that with CP3 too. See if they can beat us 3 in 3. He is so good that we need to make him work extra hard all game. We gotta wear him out ontop of playing this getting him out of his game thing.
 
Why don't we overplay the left then show with a quick double at the top of the key, get the ball out of his hands after pushing him right, but before he gets into the lane. Keep him off balance, play the passing Lanes, someone stuck to capella. Something like that. But really, just back to basics. Play our game. Enough with the gimmicks we can't actually do.
 
That just makes me even more pessimistic about our chances. He only took 3 FT's and we lost by 32.
 
I have a feeling quin will stick with the defense and it will work. Then everyone will be saying it was smart
 
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My observation is the Jazz are in trouble if they don't figure how to defend the Rockets. We cannot out score them. It seemed like deja vu with Harden and CP3 getting into the lane and lobbying it to Capella or dishing it to a wing shooter burying 3 pts left and right.

The rotation on players is difficult to watch. When Rudy moves to stop the penetration no one is rotating or bodying Capella. Our guards need to do a better job staying in front of CP3 and Harden which is causing all kind of problems. The Jazz looked totally confused on how to play defense.

On offense the Rocket's switching is again causing the Jazz to struggle to get shots. Jazz need more out of Joe and the bench if they have any chance to even the series. Crowder cannot go 1-9 if the Jazz are going to win.
 
For me the test will be how the refs call D on Harden in a close game.
 
My observation is the Jazz are in trouble if they don't figure how to defend the Rockets. We cannot out score them. It seemed like deja vu with Harden and CP3 getting into the lane and lobbying it to Capella or dishing it to a wing shooter burying 3 pts left and right.

The rotation on players is difficult to watch. When Rudy moves to stop the penetration no one is rotating or bodying Capella. Our guards need to do a better job staying in front of CP3 and Harden which is causing all kind of problems. The Jazz looked totally confused on how to play defense.

On offense the Rocket's switching is again causing the Jazz to struggle to get shots. Jazz need more out of Joe and the bench if they have any chance to even the series. Crowder cannot go 1-9 if the Jazz are going to win.
I hope we can upgrade Crowder. There are things I like about the guy but I'm not convinced he isn't a net negative.
 
Is it bad that I’m more worried about our offense than our defense?

I remember last year’s series. We couldn’t score. That still seemed to be the case in game 1. They focused on Mitchell, prevented him from getting clean looks, prevented the lobs to Gobert/Favors, and watched our perimeter players build homes from 3.

Part of it are our own limitations on offense. Our roster isn’t full of shooters. However, another part is strategy. Once Harden picked up his 4th foul early, we failed to attack him. I just looked it up on espn, following that 4th foul we had 3 turnovers, 2 Ricky Rubio bricks from 3, and one Crowder brick from 3.

We totally let Harden and the Rockets off the hook, and they took advantage.
 
The problem is that Rubio, Crowder are below average 3 pt shooters.
When they are on the Jazz are tough but when they are not teams can just play off them and make life difficult for DM. Jazz need at least two more guys who can get their own when needed. Right now they have one guy and it is not enough.
 
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Is it bad that I’m more worried about our offense than our defense?

.

No.
I think fans have been more worried about our offense than our defense for a few years now. We have arguably the best defense in the league.

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Ingles, Crowder, O'Neale, and Sefolosha combined for 17 points in game 1. That's 17 points on 24 shots. For hell's sake, Joe only took 4 shots in 32 minutes of play.

That's not just bad, that's "lose to the Laker scrubs" bad.
 
Why don't we overplay the left then show with a quick double at the top of the key, get the ball out of his hands after pushing him right, but before he gets into the lane. Keep him off balance, play the passing Lanes, someone stuck to capella. Something like that. But really, just back to basics. Play our game. Enough with the gimmicks we can't actually do.

Utah was already guarding him from behind his left hip, doubling with Rudy, and leaving a wide open three so Rubio or who ever could help the helper and front Capella. You can't force right any harder than that, and you can't force a Rocket to camp out that high so you can "show with a quick double at the top of the key". They'll simply leave Capella down low wide open or you are giving away corner threes so wide open we'll have halftime between the pass and the shot.
 
Utah was already guarding him from behind his left hip, doubling with Rudy, and leaving a wide open three so Rubio or who ever could help the helper and front Capella. You can't force right any harder than that, and you can't force a Rocket to camp out that high so you can "show with a quick double at the top of the key". They'll simply leave Capella down low wide open or you are giving away corner threes so wide open we'll have halftime between the pass and the shot.
The problem was spacing. We were giving him 4 or 5 dribbles straight into the key with no one picking him up, then scrambled to clog the lane. That's way too much freedom. We need another player to step in before he gets any momentum for this to work. That's what the bucks did. Kept him off balance. Can't just give him a wide open lane and that much time for the rest of the team to get set.
 
Ingles, Crowder, O'Neale, and Sefolosha combined for 17 points in game 1. That's 17 points on 24 shots. For hell's sake, Joe only took 4 shots in 32 minutes of play.

That's not just bad, that's "lose to the Laker scrubs" bad.
Might as well throw korver in there cause he didn't do ****

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The problem was spacing. We were giving him 4 or 5 dribbles straight into the key with no one picking him up, then scrambled to clog the lane. That's way too much freedom. We need another player to step in before he gets any momentum for this to work. That's what the bucks did. Kept him off balance. Can't just give him a wide open lane and that much time for the rest of the team to get set.
I think that the problem was more that we weren't staying on his left hip. We seemed to intentionally be putting our player defending harden directly behind him.

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The problem was spacing. We were giving him 4 or 5 dribbles straight into the key with no one picking him up, then scrambled to clog the lane. That's way too much freedom. We need another player to step in before he gets any momentum for this to work. That's what the bucks did. Kept him off balance. Can't just give him a wide open lane and that much time for the rest of the team to get set.

No, the Bucks had Lopez waiting for him flatfooted near the restricted area. Again, you simply cannot pick him up with the center much earlier in that kind of set without giving up a layup to Capella. Utah sagged off Tucker and some other wings leaving them wide open for a three to double Harden out further just like the Bucks did. Utah did what you are asking when they could with a wing, but that's pick your poison
 
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