Pistons vs Houston Rockets
Game Breakdown
*SPECIAL SITUATIONS*
Get down 2 - 11 early in the game and call a timeout, can they immediately regain some momentum ATO?
Stew gets dunk on Sengun trying to get a steal
Cade ball watching gives up backdoor dunk to JSJ
Ivey straight line drive for layup
Cade plays with pace in the ball screen and gets a layup
LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE AT LEAST WOKEN UP AFTER THE HOUSTON START
MY THOUGHT AT THE END OF THE 1ST QUARTER
This team looks to be lacking energy and if the Rockets start to hit shots it could get ugly (like the Knicks game), I so hope that I am wrong
Through halftime I have been wrong
Honestly, I had the wrong game…..it’s much, much more like the Hornets game where Detroit had so many opportunities during the middle portion of the game to take control and never did
Are they able to win the 4th quarter in this one when they weren’t in that one?
BACK TO BACK Cade TOs lead to 0 - 5 run and Rockets take the lead late 3rd quarter
Starts the 4th quarter and completely careless TO that ends with a poster from Green
Looks like they are about to get blown out but then able to start making shots and find their energy to make it a close one
Rough start to the 2nd quarter, Pistons respond and tie it up 26 to 26 and force Rockets timeout, can they extend and completely take control of momentum ATO?
Get a stop on great Stew contest
Beasley nice dump off to Stew for a layup
Get a couple TOs and a missed shot and eventually capitalize on a Stew OREB and kick out to Beasley for side dribble 3PM
Rockets immediately respond themselves
There have been some AWFUL sequences of basketball in this game….from both teams
I LOVE WHEN I COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG!!! (haha, see above) AS WE GET A TIGHT GAME LATE (88 - 89)
Ivey with an awesome weakside rotation to tip OREB away from Sengun
Gets downhill and dump off to Reed for a bucket (90 - 89)
Eason corner 3PM (90 - 92)
Cade attacks and finishes through Green contact, 1 FTM (93 - 92)
Green gets downhill on a Spain PnR and fouled, 2 FTM (93 - 94)
Cade-Stew PnR and it’s not pretty BUT he Stew finds a way to finish (95 - 94)
2!!! Rockets OREBs and Sengun bucket (95 - 96)
Cade didn’t secure and Stew didn’t get a box
Ivey offensive foul, the rough outing continues
ANOTHER OREB!!! GREAT DEFENSE INITIALLY but Eason outhustles Cade and Brooks outhustles everyone else (Harris and Ivey, specifically) and gets a bucket (95 - 98)
Rockets are winning this game right now by outworking the Pistons on the boards
Ivey drive and BLOCKED by Sengun (has had some good rim protection)
FVV with interesting pull up 3PA but guess what…..SENGUN OREB and bucket (95 - 100)
Harris missed the box out
Ivey blocked by Eason
Get a stop (almost gave up another OREB to Eason)
Stew tipped OREB off Cade blocked and Harris hits 3P (98 - 100)
Brooks missed wide open C&S 3PA…..DREB (ALMOST gave up another OREB to Eason/Sengun, they are working them OVER!)
Ivey TO (officially, Harris)…..just an awful decision….all you can say about this game is you hope he responds next game
Cade with a great block on Sengun that would have made it a two possession game….Sengun ends up going 1 for 2 FT (98 - 101)
Rockets foul Cade, makes first, misses second PERFECTLY and after an Ivey missed 3PA, Harris gets OREB and fouled (99 - 101)
Harris misses first…..has to miss second and does it decently but Cade and Ivey “fight” for putback and don’t get an attempt
THIS TEAM IS STILL LEARNING LESSONS
Take control of the game when you have a chance before the 4th quarter
The necessary plays that need to be made (not just buckets) to win games in the 4th quarter
Pistons did neither in this one
Pistons
Cade, Ivey, THJ, Harris, Stew
Rockets are #1 in the NBA in OREB%, this will be a great test for Detroit on the boards
Houston gets 2 on the first possession of the game
Detroit goes through a stretch where they lock it down and then give them up again at the end of the 1st half
Funny enough, Houston only has 3 2nd chance points at the half though
Giving them up in big moments when they are trying to make a run AND late in the game
First action of the game looks like it’s designed for THJ
Seems like JB has consistently ran something for the vets to start games as opposed to Cade or Ivey (not necessarily a critique, just a note)
Interesting ROTATION CHANGE
Beasley comes in for Cade and leaves Ivey in the game….
Goes back to Beasley for Ivey in the 3rd quarter
I wonder if the 1st half was because Beasley waited so long to check in…???
How good would this offense be if they could eliminate some of these turnovers?
CADE being defended by Brooks will be another good test for him
Has gotten some good looks in the first few minutes and not able to convert
Interesting how aggressive he has been to score (more like the Hornets game) compared to how he was last game
This continues throughout the game, the % actually isn’t bad but feel like he has left 3 or 4 attempts that you would expect to be made
2nd in the NBA in guard paint points per game
You see the ability end of 1st half as he gets there 3 possessions in a row
C&S 3P, yes please
Backdoor cut, even better…..he’s a primary creator/initiator but getting him a few easy looks OFF BALL per game would be great to see
He is starting to put together QUITE THE PACKAGE of moves in the mid post
The baseline spin mid 3rd on JSJ was NICE
Slow start defensively
Gives up straight line drive to Green and backdoor to JSJ
You can see in this game the type of offensive players that are going to give him issues, Thompson goes by also
These uber athletes might be just too twitchy for him
You see how much more effective he is against a player even like Eason
5:41 1st gets a touch too far off strong side corner and gives up open C&S 3P to Brooks (38% from 3 this season)
STEW may not always finish pretty but he finds a way (end of game example)
First attempt of the game is a miss and then OREB putback
He is doing the “big man” things very well BUT I would still love to see him add in the PnP stuff
PnR finding a way to finish, transition run
His rim protection is really effective
IVEY continues to show off that mid range/floater game
1:40 1st quarter is an awesome attack of the defense and even better READ of the defense to hit Fontecchio for the open C&S 3PA (missed but leads to OREB)
Every 3PA in the 1st half has been off the dribble…..not off the catch where we have seen him be much more successful
Has not been his best performance through early 3rd quarter
Inefficient from the field and already has 3 turnovers
ROUGH, ROUGH performance
HARRIS hands defensively are truly really good
Always active and REALLY accurate
That mid post isolation on Green is much more palatable than on JSJ
Take advantages of the mismatches, I can live with that
Didn’t love the matchup vs Brooks but he knocks down a BIG ONE
REED has shown some legit defensive playmaking
Most steals and blocks on the team per36 (sometimes can be tricky to use per36 with a player who hasn’t played a ton of minutes but still interesting)
GREAT EFFORT IN TRANSITION TO KEEP POINTS OFF THE BOARD
And creating extra possessions with OREBs
3 on a single possession
FONTECCHIO with a ROUGH start
Goes backdoor on an ATO play where looked like he was probably supposed to come off the DHO, missed wide open C&S 3PA, TO, air mails a layup
Were the games last year a mirage? What is missing right now?
HOLLAND continues to struggle with the C&S 3P
Rockets LITERALLY do not guard him the next possession down and he calmly knocks it down….I don’t think it can be understated the confidence it takes to take and make that shot as a rookie struggling with his jumper
Misses the next one
THJ………YOUR LEAGUE LEADER IN CHARGES DRAWN….takes another
He truly makes some ridiculous 3P with a contest right in his face
BEASLEY finally finds his shooting touch late in the game
Rockets
FVV, Green, Brooks, JSJ, Sengun
They have some very physical defenders (22nd in fouls in the NBA)
Really interesting 5-1 ball screen ATO
FVV ball screen for Sengun
*Whitmore not even the rotation*
SENGUN opens the game with a couple awkward looking but effective mid range buckets
He is such an effective screener to go along with his passing
He is doing EVERYTHING for them offensively to start the game
He is so crafty in the lane
Whether isolation or catching in the short roll
HE IS DESTROYING THEM FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE
He has made some ridiculously difficult ones
I will say….it seems like he gets away with some VERY egregious travels
Has done some decent things defensively considering his limitations
Verticality, takes a charge, deflections
GREEN is such a talented scorer and he has really learned to play with a change of pace which is so difficult to defend with his level of explosion
The defense has NOT been good AND he’s in foul trouble
JSJ has been INSANELY active on the OREBs
Averaging over 2 per game
I have always been a big fan of his BUT this is another game where he just hasn’t been that impactful outside of the rebounding
Should give him some credit for a couple impactful defensive plays
SHEPPARD already showing how good his hands are defensively
EASON with a ROUGH transition possession
Gets caught by Reed from behind and then throws a pass off the rim after getting the ball back
Back to back impactful defensive plays that lead directly to points as Houston goes on a run to end the 3rd quarter
Has made impactful play after impactful play
On both ends
OREB, one more passes, made a couple shots
HE HAS BEEN AWESOME!!!!
Perhaps the most impactful Rocket on the court
THOMPSON used as a PnR guy is always fun to watch to me
*makes me think about the Pistons being able to use Ausar in the same way*
BROOKS has another game where he is taking way too many shots in the mid range for my liking
FVV is small but a very physical defender and makes up for some of the size with his active hands
Thanks Bryce. Solid FT performance wins this game even with all the TOs.