After the loss to MEM, I work on a spreadsheet to find out clues

he didn't say that. He said, "not a gifted 3 point shooter". Anybody who has seen Harden's step-back will take issue with what OP actually said.

 

again, you're trying to re-condition Harden to change his way of playing and that's a hard ask when:

1. we have a lameduck coach that seems to have no interest in installing any system in his last season with this team
2. he's put up the most prolific offensive onslaught the past few seasons the NBA has seen in a long time

we can't change Harden until we get a new coach next season. in addition, with how much say/control Harden has of this organization, I doubt he'll want someone that will come in and change him.

 

Na I just have the attention span of a Nat. Don't take me being a dummy personal

 

It can't hurt to try.

 

Problem is we focus too much on offense. Defense is something that can be consistently elite. It’ll win you games. There’s a flaw in thinking if we make shots our defense can get set and be better. That’s CRAZY! Rockets need to set the tone defensively. Take pride. Make every possession a nightmare.

 

I don’t need see it happening as well, even with a new coach and system likely next year it feels like Harden is so entrenched in Guam mindset now with regard to only jacking up 3s no matter whether he has it going or not or driving and counting on a foul being called that isn’t happening much now. He just seems to be playing super stubborn ball the last few weeks and it’s clear he is burnt out a bit and playing more sloppily, and laze than he was 3 weeks ago. I know the guy carries and incredible load for this team but he isn’t helping himself much with his overall play and effort lately.

 

I think a longer rotation will win you more games than it will lose you, especially if you're smart about it. 8-9 guys every night would be nice.

 

It's a double edged sword and I believe most of us see it. On one hand you have an offensive monster that can carry an entire piss-poor team into the playoffs. On the other hand if you're going to ask Harden to offload his onslaught you better have a pretty damn good 2nd option in play that can convince him "okay, he can be the 1B to my 1A". CP3 worked perfectly in 2017/2018 because we had a better supporting cast around both stars. Westbrook looks to be coming into his own lately but it's still a work in progress.

With all of that said, I have to give credit to Harden in that he's been amendable to changing his play. He did it the first year MDA came on board and he's changed somewhat when CP3 was here and now with Russ. I don't know if we can get the "right" coach and the "right" supporting cast for him all in the same year though.

 

the long term effect of this is that it builds confidence all around:

Your stars are more confident with the role players and can trust them more during the playoffs
Your coach is more confident in the role players that he has options to go to during the playoffs
Your role players are more confident and can perform/excel during the playoffs

Popovich has been doing this for decades. MDA just likes the boom-or-bust approach and, unfortunately for him, it's been more bust.

 

Yep to all the above. Plus your stars are better rested late in the season and in the playoffs when you actually NEED to shorten the rotations a bit.

 

This is obviously correct, as many other top teams in the league do this, but with MDA, it is a moot point. He will never do this.

 

All good and fair points and I agree 100%, I would argue that Russ isn’t that 2nd guy entirely but he has been playing on the whole a lot better since the early part of the season, where we are in big trouble is the rest of this roster. There isn’t one consistent shooter to be found, Ego is still woeking his way back into form the rest are just below average to bad shooters. This is on Tilman, Morey and Dantoni hence why I am certain this experiment is done at the end of this season. The entire offseason was pretty poorly planned imo.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again--for a team that shoots 3s at an astronomical rate over the past 4-5 years it's surprising that we've never had a legit marksman from that range other than Ryan Anderson.

 

Defense kills us more than anything
and unfortunately it is only matched with our offense
We good on Offense we lock down
miss some shots and they get loose

Rocket River

 

Do you think Morey makes spreadsheets these days knowing he's probably gone after this season?

 

He can't and won't do that with MDA as coach. He thinks the answer to a slump is to shoot through it, and eventually they will fall. Some of his highest 3pt attempt games were also his worst percentage games.

 

Enough the Rockets just need more talent. This reads like another blame Harden post.

 

Here’s your clue!