I understand it makes sense to run pick and rolls through Harden since he is your best player, but when he's on the bench or when Brewer is in the game, shouldn't we have other options? I mean, traditionally you run the P&R through your worst shooters. So if Harden, Gordon, Ariza, Anderson and Capela are in then you run it with Clint and your best playmaker because the rest of the guys can shoot and space the floor. Now if Brewer is in the game all of that goes to crap. You can't run the P&R effectively anymore because now the paint is cluttered and it's hard to get inside of it. That means Brewer should be the guy who runs the P&R, but his ballhandling is crap, and you don't want Harden who is too great not to have the ball in his hands to play off ball for Corey Brewer. So I am asking, who else do we have that can run the P&R besides Harden, specifically when he is on the bench. We can't just rely on pace and space fast break offense. The Rockets have to score in the half court via P&Rs because they do not have a guy who can post up and beat his man. Remember, Gordon is a terrific off-ball player and running P&Rs through him takes that away. Also, his handles are shaky.
Gordon and Beverley are okay. But that's about it. Ariza should be fined $15K every time he dribbles a basketball.
For example, tonight, Jimmy butler will be defending James Harden. It would be nice to have a secondary playmaker because Butler can only guard one person. Sure, the Bulls could just start Rondo for our secondary playmaker but that will kill their spacing and offense on the other side. A secondary playmaker who can shoot threes off the dribble when teams go under would do wonder for the Rockets offense, but that is asking for a lot. I just hope the Rockets gets one next season. Pat can't make them pay when teams go under on him, and he is not quick enough to get to the rim. He settles for floaters which is fine, because he does a good job of making them, but like I said teams can just go under. He is too passive sometimes. Gordon lacks the handles and doesn't have the speed for his size. If you want to slash at his size then you have to be faster/more athletic so you can finish inside. He lacks vision.
An additional playmaker in the P&R is exactly why I continue to hope the Rockets get LULL this summer.
Gordon, Beverley, Ennis, and Brown (I think) all have enough ball handling and passing to somewhat adequately run a P&R. They have their flaws though. The offensive guru, MDA, needs to figure out our getting easier shots.
The other options are generally referred to as other plays. Bev and Gordon run a lot of 21-Series/Pistol when Harden sits. There are also dribble drag plays for Gordon, which is a type of PnR. We also run a lot of 5-out motion like GSW without Harden I find threads like this to be an internet phenomenon, whereby a question is posed that has little to do with reality but ppl respond to it as if it does. There is not as much PnR without Harden because MDA does not coach a one-dimension system, and goes to plays/motion matching the strengths of Gordon and Bev. Bev does run some PnR.
of course I understand there are other plays, The issue is we don't have another pick and role player which is a large part of any offense and go to when you need to reset or set up in the half court. we need another option to run the pick and roll who is not James Harden.
