[Zillgitt] Harden's style created tension between players

the problem started brewing big time in 2013. You could see it when parsons, harden and lin all had numbers on the fast break, none of them made the extra passed as to the previous year, when the ball was moving. Then, guys like tjones began doing it. "The ball got sticky" became the staple phrase after every loss.

And I've grown to admire howard, his toughness playing with no knees and dominating the competition but no one should be above setting a screen. Yao the god would set picks. Unless we set screens, move without the ball and pass to the open man, teams are just going to key in on beard.

 

Last year he had the right attitude. This year he's reverted back to his old ways at the beginning of his time with us--a selfish brat.

 

Yep... you don't even need to make it more complicated than this.

Younger fans won't realize that the Rockets had some similar issues with Hakeem early in his career. Did he just mature? Or did he find a coach/player fit that made it all work?

Probably a bit of both... BUT, it is certainly obvious that if you replace McHale with Popovich, you're looking at a very different Harden. I'm not 100% sold it is a better or worse player - I think clearly worse on a basic stats basis, but probably a player much more conducive to winning basketball.

The end of this analysis is that the JB interim coach doesn't seem likely to make much of an improvement in this regard... but we'll see.

 

Steph Curry leads the League in field goal attempts and people claim he's unselfish. Not sure where people get this idea Harden's a ballstopper. He only took 10 shots against the Celtics and we still got blown out.

 

It's not Harden: it's that Lawson has not found his role yet.

 

Harden's style is frustrating to me to. I am really starting to hate how he has been playing this year.

In the past Harden has drove to the rim with the intentions of drawing contact, but still focused on finishing.

This year it looks like all he wants to do is drive to the rim and flop around and trap players arms against him with no intention of finishing at all.

He's got to start playing with more desire because if he doesn't then he absolutely needs to go so we can start the process of trying to find a real star and stop fooling ourselves.

The guy can be great and has all the ability in the world, but he has the heart of a worm.

 

you haven't watched the rockets play this season then. stop looking at the box scores

 

I wonder the same. But my concern now is that the bad habits/playing style are too ingrained and that the incentives to change won't ever be there (he's already earned his big NBA and Adidas contracts). If he were truly motivated to win a championship, I don't think we'd be seeing the defensive and effort issues (or the alleged "ignoring the coach" incidents).

I suspect one of the reasons McHale's firing appears to have affected Morey so much is that he knows Harden is the real problem and that as of today, there is no clear cut solution

 

Stop it bruh. Harden is a black hole on offense. He takes the ball dribbles, stops his dribble, then either jacks up a shot or turns the ball over. The only reason his attempts aren't as high is because he's either getting fouled or turning the ball over in the middle of flopping. Anybody who watches the Rockets knows Harden holds the ball for too long

 

Damn, i can't get anything done today.

 

He gets his baskets within the flow of their offense, coming from off-ball screens...Harden is playing HERO ball with isolation play...two different styles of play

 

Being a ball stopper isn't necessarily linked to the amount of shots we get.

Go back and watch the games or just try really hard to recall.

Harden almost always gets the ball out top and just dribbles or holds the ball or takes a million jab steps....And if he does give the ball up he's not putting in much energy running off picks or setting picks himself.

Harden has been a gigantic ball stopper. It worked last year because he was making shots and playing at an unbelievable level. But that **** has caught up with him and McHale. Not having a real offense...Not having any movement. Harden just getting the ball and going iso or predictable pick and rolls. We have no variance in our offense. No creativity. Unfortunately, he's not good enough right now for that type of offense.

Regarding Curry, watch some of their games. Curry does come down and just shoot a lot, but Curry gets a lot of good looks for him in half court sets by running off screens as well. Warriors have much better offensive movement and passing than we do, and Curry is their best player and best shooter. If the ball finds him in a place where he can score he absolutely should take that shot.

 

Those damn facts eh? He took 10 shots against the C's, only went to the line twice & we still easily lost so enough of that ballstopping nonsense. 3 of our 4 wins are when he went on a scoring tirade against OKC, Clippers & the Kings.

Like Curry, #1 options are there to take the shots, Westbrook, LeBron & Steph are all averaging more FG attempts. His usage rate is lower than LBJ/Westbrook & the same as Curry's.

His "ballstopping" wasn't a problem last year when it led us to the 2nd seed and a WCF appearance.

Harden's only major problem right now is he's not playing D (not just him to be fair). Take away the first 3 games of the season and his offense has been fine ever since. Not his fault other players aren't hitting shots.

 

read the numerous posts above. those pretty much sum up whats going on with Harden, instead of you looking at the box score and "damn facts". he's been a ballstopper period.

 

Of course I do. But the tweet is referring to his style of play not his effort. If the players are referring to his effort on the court this year than that's a whole different area.

 

And that's Harden's fault? Unlike us the Warriors actually have something resembling an actual structured offense where actual plays are being run. Not this freelance, 3 happy gimmick crap we play.

Curry was isoing just as much as James under Mark Jackson.

But whatever Harden is the devil on here atm. Absolve the clown that was in charge of all blame. Everything is Harden's and the Kardashians fault. Trade him ASAP.

 

Who else do you blame if you have to dribble the ball for 20 seconds? someone else because they control the ball? that's what people are talking about here.

 

When you're averaging 20 shots a game, you better be making over 40%. I can see how that would rub teammates the wrong way. Oldest complaint in the book.

 

I was saying, and even made a thread about it, something like this a couple of games ago. Might have been the Mavericks game; I've been trying to forget awful Rocket's basketball.

Anyway, it just seemed like the other players were not doing their best to help Harden. It seemed like the players were tired of Harden, whether it be him yelling at them if they don't cover his man or when he decides to hold the ball and do his own thing on offense.

Harden has been very hypocritical this season with his talk of better energy, defense and playing together and that, combined with losing, is a quick way to lose a control of the team.

He has to be the one to change.

I just can't believe we are even talking about this. I though he did his growing up coming into the 2015 season. His play and leadership has been downright embarrassing this season.

 

Eh. Harden's a great passer. If he plays in a real offense (like Adelman's) this will blow over.