Game Day: Rockets (49-29) @ Suns (43-35), Tues 4/7/26

[Wally_West]

I’m back on the trade Grayson train.

[djy2j]

Effort has dropped substantially for three straight quarters. Embarrassing.

[Wally_West]

No one is playing with any pride.

[Flagrant Fowl]

KD is pretty awesome when he doesn't need to be the primary paint defender and crash for rebounds every possession. Too bad Ishbia gave away the whole roster or maybe he would've been in a better role here.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Pride can only take you so far in the NBA. There's still a huge talent gap between these teams.

[AmareIsGod]

Good to see Fleming, Maluach and Dunn aren't playing. Again. Fuck this coach and this team. Wake me up in 2027. Bench was fucking garbage. Oso, Colin, that sack of shit O'Neale. Allen was dogshit. And the best size and effort bench guys ride the pine. Ott is an idiot.

[3TheHardaway]

I’m not trying to harp on it but I really don’t understand how Ott can see the same issues play out and not adjust.

The most charitable interpretation is that he’s compressing the rotation into the veterans to get guys in rhythm going into the playoffs, but I’m sorry, Grayson and Royce aren’t playable if they’re not hitting shots.

We’ve known all year that we had multiple players with redundant skill sets, but earlier in the year they were played with complementary players who offered things that Grayson/Royce/Green/Booker/Colin cannot: size and physicality. These 3 guard lineups got us killed tonight not just on the glass but defensively at the point of attack and getting in the way of guys cutting to hoop off ball.

If these lineups had obscene offensive ratings then fine, a few minutes a game, but that’s not even remotely the case. What the hell kind of message does that send to Rasheer who had had actual game changing contributions since the ASB? Even Man Man had moments in the last few months and gets rewarded with DNPs while Oso gets physically overmatched (and brings nothing offensively).

Make it make sense.

[TOO]

If Brooks and Green don't shoot 8/30 this game is winnable.

[Flagrant Fowl]

If Brooks and Green don't shoot 8/30 this game is winnable.

So, impossible to win?

[Uncle_Gene]

Rebounds:

HOU-55 (off. 24)

PHX-34 (off. 10)

After that good first quarter, things fell apart quickly for the rest of the game. Suns had some sloppy turnovers too, but the Rockets picked it up defensively.

[Shabazz]

Starting the 4th with CG, Jalen, Royce, Grayson and Oso was coaching malpractice. The kind of thing a coach on those teams that are openly tanking would do. We lost the game in those 3 minutes. I’ve been pretty vocally anti-Royce, but honestly just sub any of those 4 smalls for Sheer and it’s probably a different outcome.

What is Ott doing? This is clearly not working and his solution to every lineup challenge is subbing in another small.

[iLLmatic]

It has to be a directive coming from up top, no way Ott is this dumb.

[BKinSJC]

We got the best possible versions of a bunch of guys for most of the season. Gillespie, Brooks, Williams, Oso, Grayson. Unfortunately, all of those guys are now recovering from injuries, or playing through injuries still, or have hit some kind of wall, or lost track of what their value or role should be. It's really frustrating to see, and it's happening at the worst possible time.

[JustWinBaby]

Dunn and Fleming have to be part of the play-in rotation or we have no chance to get beat in the first round.

As Bad as Dunn is as a shooter he is a real pest on defense and the boards. We need those guys to play. It is not a 6/5 and under league.

[Superbone]

Late start. Sucks, would've wanted to watch this one live. Hopefully we play a bit more disciplined and Ott uses his bigger wings to guard the likes of KD, Jabari, Tari, and Amen. Hopefully Brooks and JG don't take the game personally and shoot us out of this one.

Durant, Smith Jr., and Sengun are all 6'11. That's a big front court. I think Ott has to give Maluach and maybe even Fleming some minutes just to match up.

I don't have confidence in that based on Ott's rotations lately.

Okay, but sometimes you just have to match up. I think Maluach getting spot minutes here and there will definitely be needed. The Rockets are just too big. If the Suns give up a bunch of offensive rebounds then you have to go big.

Like I said...

[ShelC]

Suns started off like it was a playoff game, Rockets weren't ready. Things flipped in the 2nd because they usually do, we just haven't been able to maintain a big lead against teams this season. We get a big lead and then give it up settling for 3s and/or the game slows down and we can't adjust. It is what it is. Ott clearly isn't interested in playing Dunn or Sheer right now or he's being told not to. Whatever it is, we're losing winnable games and also not getting the young guys valuable experience in these important games down the stretch. Finish out the season and see what happens with the roster.

[ShelC]

I wrote a poem:

Jordan Ott has lost the plot.
Fleming, Dunn, and Maluach
Sit on the bench
While we lose games.
Play the kids
This shit is lame.

Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale
Play the 4th
Are you for real?
We need defense,
We need dawgs,
Now get your fucking head out of your ass and play the kids you fuckin c***!

Fin.

[specialsauce]

Good to see Fleming, Maluach and Dunn aren't playing. Again. Fuck this coach and this team. Wake me up in 2027. Bench was fucking garbage. Oso, Colin, that sack of shit O'Neale. Allen was dogshit. And the best size and effort bench guys ride the pine. Ott is an idiot.

This

[Kryptonic]

I wrote a poem:

Jordan Ott has lost the plot.
Fleming, Dunn, and Maluach
Sit on the bench
While we lose games.
Play the kids
This shit is lame.

Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale
Play the 4th
Are you for real?
We need defense,
We need dawgs,
Now get your fucking head out of your ass and play the kids you fuckin c***!

Fin.

Ooof you know it’s bad if we broke shellc into poem mode.

[Kryptonic]

Good to see Fleming, Maluach and Dunn aren't playing. Again. Fuck this coach and this team. Wake me up in 2027. Bench was fucking garbage. Oso, Colin, that sack of shit O'Neale. Allen was dogshit. And the best size and effort bench guys ride the pine. Ott is an idiot.

This

Yea I don’t get it…. Someone else said its like Vogel all over again and totally agree. I’d love to know wtf they’re seeing that we’re supposedly not seeing that justifies going the route Otts chosen. Evidently we need to put green or brooks back on the IR to make things work.