ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 4/18/2026 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

That is 100% accurate.

 

Yes the Rockets are a “good” team with KD and would be even better with a healthy FVV. They aren’t a title winner and I don’t think a WCF team either … but still a good team that could push 55-58 wins with good health.

Without KD? Yea… with FVV and Adams out, and no back up PG… I think the Rockets this season would have won 35 games. Sengun and Thompson would have to lead them.

 

Odds still had Rox as the favorite even with news KD would be out. Clearly everyone still believed Rox were the more talented team. This is clear cut coaching failure.

If we had JJ and Lakers had Udoka this game would be a blowout in favor of Rockets as based on the odds of this game.

 

i don’t think you know what you’re even arguing at this point lol. We had 27 more shot attempts and you’re saying we shouldn’t account for them because they could’ve possibly been bad attempts. So let’s play the ref blame-game instead.

 

Ive said all along the roster isn’t good enough. 2 players who can’t shoot more than 12 ft and can’t take over games. A second year guy who despite fans keep vouching for, keeps making mistakes on both ends. A PF who is inconsistent. Bench guys who just aren’t as efficient shooters or scorers as other teams.

Giannis is coming summer 2026. Count on it

 

Rockets might still beat the Lakers. But I am betting on the Lakers now.

 

You know the old saying… “those who can… do. Those who can’t… teach”.

 

Yes, it's more on Ime because he played Reed like he was KD tonight, we ran the same stuff that they do for KD tonight, that's why he took so many shots. It's clearly not a role he's able to play, maybe he can in the future, who knows, but that's not been his role all year long. I think it was crazy the coach put Reed in that spot, he got his shots, but they were not the shots he usually gets. Reed isn't used to breaking down bigs even if he gets swapped on to them because he either has to shoot over them (he's short) or he takes them to the rim (he's short) so what ends up happening is Reed takes a bad shot because its not HIS shot or he just takes a useless trip through the paint because he's also still developing his PG skills. Reed got the bigger player on him plenty of times on the game, the mismatch, but Reed hasn't proved most of the year that he can exploit that mismatch, so why are we even working to get him that mismatch?

I'd be fine with Reed doing this throughout the season, that's what the regular season is for, experimenting, not now. I think Kenny was spot on, you play through Sengun and you live or die by that, since its a role he's played for most of his career now.

Like I said, a good coach puts their players in position to succeed. That's why Luke went off, he was put in a position to where the game was made easier for him, Reed wasn't.

I think the coach expected too much from Reed but it almost makes sense because Reed has had a really great year for a 2nd year player.

 

The experience thing is a total cope

Jalen Green - same experience - just flushed Steph & Draymond down the toilet in an elimination game last night

I don't buy that it's an experience issue and not a lack of talent issue

 

The most important thing you can do well in the NBA is shooting, why Ime doesn't value that is beyond me.

DD

 

But this is Sengun's 5th year. Jabari's 4th. Both of them aren't alpha players that are offensively gifted enough to carry a team to a victory like KD can. That player was supposed to be Jalen Green (a player drafted by Stone).

 

No, he did not. I'll check the play type tracking data tomorrow to confirm but this is just something you appear to have manufactured

 

1960s ball ain’t gonna work in 2026.

“Oh we miss Steven Adams” … yeah, you built an offense around MISSING shots. Who the **** does that?

 

We only had 3 yrs to rebuild. If you gave those 3 yr timeline to SA they would be trash as they drafted Vassell, Primo and Sochan in the lotto.

 

Man, I really hope we don't do something stupid like trade Sengun for Giannis.

 

I do not know if we'd beat OKC and SAS BUT I do think the team would be a lot better with a better coach and if they had FVV and Adams. I think that's obvious to say?

I don't think the team is 'bad' I think a lot of that is hyperbole that goes around here, if they were in the east they'd have a good shot at going to the ECF finals lol, but since they play in the West, thye have to get through some really elite teams.

I do think people downplay the impact of a coach by A LOT and I don't understand why. Detroit literally flipped it around the moment they got a new coach and have had very little roster turnover. Many such cases where a team just gets a new coach and improves a lot.

I do think roster construction looks a lot better if a coach is putting a team together well. I always like to point out the moment Kerr came to the Warriors and found a use for Draymond...a player that under Jackson was completely struggling and was literally about to get cut.

Steve Kerr found a role for this guy and made him a HOF player...yeah, coaches matter. A lot.

 

If I had a way to bet, I would have bet on the Lakers when they opened as huge underdogs, bet again when Doncic was rumored to return as early as Game 2, and bet again when Durant hurt his knee diving for a loose ball in practice ( ). Three bets all on the Lakers.

 

#noliestold #remembertheseguysareyourfuture

 

GSW need a rebuild. They are an old, uninspiring team. They didn't even have Butler. They were always gonna lose.

 

what talent advantage? They have a future hall of famer playing and guys with multiple playoff experience and serviceable role players. What advantage do we have?