so you take a lower percentage shot, followed by a low percentage outcome (offensive rebound), followed by another low percentage scenario. lotta IFs attached to that plan.
With reffing so bad in the NBA these days, NBA should institute a call review within the last 2 minutes by a senior referee on the sidelines. Or even these people who review the games after, they should be watching and reviewing them in real time! What use is it to admit error the day after? Team owners should complain because such errors cost them money when it is so easy to overturn it because of the availability of replays.
Are you serious? you are up, clock winding down, you only take early shot if you are shooting well, Harden was 8/28 that game, in that situation its a lot safer to run the clock out.
If you look at the refs body language he is running forward like you normally do to call a charge, but he stopped slowed down and changed his mind it seems to a blocking foul. He is guessing here but the body language tells a lot.
A 3 pt shot bounces long and negates the rebounding advantage in the low post. It as a horrible shot choice, can't believe people are resorting to Japanese algebra to justify it.
Exactly, the only thing I would have been happy with quickly is taking it to the basket which they should have done given they had no real presence down low with both of them out.
I never said Harden's contested 3 was a good shot. I said that with only ~10 seconds left, an early shot allows for an offensive rebound.
There was a major flaw to the comment at 3:13 about Harden not using clock on that early three ball..... Dwight was still on the floor, and if Harden didn't shoot, it would have been another hack foul. The "fishing expedition" play by Lin illustrates the lack of screens and player movement away from the ball. Lin did this a lot with the Knicks too, except he was able to find open cutters or perimeter shooters off screens. A key reason why we don't get more assists in the half-court game. (Not just Lin, but whoever plays the point or small forward.) POR took away Harden's left all game. Since Dwight doesn't "roll" after a screen (and "Moreyball" eliminates the "pick and pop" option), his man just jumps out to cut off Harden, who then has three players (including Dwight) blocking his path to the left. (This defensive strategy is occurring with more regularity, as opposing teams watch film.) (If I do have criticism of Harden, aside from transition defense, his driving to the right is weak.... Developing his right hand could made him a defensive nightmare for opp teams.) The Rockets talent-wise may be as good as any in the league.... But talent alone won't win in the post-season. The most painful thing to watch is the utter lack of player movement and screens away from the ball on offense, and lack of tactical double-teaming (due to no clue on rotations at the perimeter) on defense. This team relies on individuals offensively (Harden, Parsons, Dwight) and defensively (Beverley, Dwight). But it takes team ball to win in the postseason.
Thank you for this. Standing around and watching Harden work without off ball screening is.... Well, I guess it's Mchales plan right?
Statistically and the smarter move would have been to drive to the basket. I'm sure if Harden and the team can do-over, that's what they would have done. Period. No way going around it.
There was a play in Game Two in the Clippers/Warriors game that was hilarious, not just because it was funny to see, but illustrating a contrast in the half court offense. Blake Griffin had the ball posting high, and Chris Paul looked like he was running through a maze of screens, with defenders chasing him. Paul than ran a full lap around a screen, looking like some crazy playground trick in the fourth grade.... And Blake's defender apparently got distracted, Blake drove by him right, and because the defenders were running around covering for the players off the ball, there was no help and Blake had an uncontested layup. Harden can make contested layups or get fouled by defenders guarding the rim.... It would be nice if these defenders were chasing players moving off the ball. Harden would be so much more effective, because the defense has to focus on the other players possibly getting open.
lol, by your logic, why didn't Harden shot the ball in the last possession earlier in the shot clock, instead of holding it till last second when Portland had 3-4 players on top of him? And why does Harden always dribble, dribble, dribble, and pass the ball to someone else at last second all the time or shoot a heavily contested shot at the last second? by your logic you kept repeating, he should have shot it early on. So you are saying all season long, Harden never followed the correct instructions from McHale/Morey, until that last game where he decided to jack up a contested 3 when we were down 1 with 10 seconds left?
I fear that Harden is thrown in the deep end without assistance in these late game situations. It's like McHale says well we'll just give you the ball and good luck buddy! Of course we have seen his talent come through and win games for us, but there's nothing being run to increase the odds of our success. For example look at the inbounds play we used every time, Harden could barely get free, where as Lillard go the ball as easy as you can get it with a better inbounds play. I actually like McHale overall as a coach but the end of games does look like we have no plan beyond "Harden gets it".
