Is our MVP evolving right in front of us ? I've been a huge supporter of harden and have backed up his defense for a couple of years . He was solid in 14-15 . We won't talk about 15-16 . Last year he re-committed to that end of the floor , but got worn down . This year he was also very solid during the regular season . But these playoffs man . He's generally been at another level . He's had his lowlights , but you can find lowlights for every player .... especially when half the NBA world (and clutchfans) is looking for it . I can't believe the effort he has sustained over the last two games . Which brings me to my next point . James harden is one of the smartest players in the league . I think this is beyond question . He seems to have learned ( or has now proven to us) to play a relatively complete defensive game . By that I mean not only physical effort , but also having the focus to be connected to the unit for the whole game . The next step is what I would call full control . Can he be locked in leading the offense while also being in tune with our D ? I want to make something clear . What I am talking about is beyond simply knowing who to rotate to . It is being able to see what the offense is doing and making intuitive , anticipation plays . For example , his perfectly timed double on KD . That play was excellent. The level of awareness needed to have the timing be that perfect , is not something a lot of players can do . I think James is obviously not in full control of the game at the movement .... and in past years , when that has been the case , our season has been ended . It's time to see if he can learn on the fly and heighten his understanding of the game and expand his focus . Physically there are limits , but he said the other night "tired is a mindset" . I think James will very soon break out of his shell and show even more growth . He's learning from CP3 "the dark master " .... and it's time for the student to take it to the next level. Also , I want to apologize in case anyone actually reads all of this bs . I'm still drunk and giddy from the game .
He's been evolving. Sixth man, to starter (immature leader), after dwight saga (mature player that puts an emphasis on team chemistry), first year with d antoni (hones his passing abilities and expanding his bags of tricks) now learning to b a leader that leads by example on defense and coexist with a "Robin type player" (cp3). It's like the evolution of capella, both him and harden are fun to watch over the years.
Agreed . But usually once a player gets to his level I don't expect any addition improvement . Sure you can work on things over the summer etc and add small pieces to your game ; but , to me , he's taken a leap in poise and focus this postseason. I attribute some of that to having Paul to help him , both as a teacher and also as another great player on the floor . Some of his defensive play this postseason has really gotten me excited . I remember in the MIN game 2 , that was the first time I saw Harden play dominant defense for a real stretch ..., and now he's done it mutliple times coupled with good offensive spurts .
Defense was his summit to conquer to really be a great hall of famer level player and for the lion share of these two contents he has elevated that part of his game. Now I wish he would attack the bucket more like he did in the last quarter when his 3 ball has abandoned him for the time being.
Yeah man. Harden has been evolving every year the moment he stepped foot on Houston. Consider he's been an MVP candidate for the last three years out of four years and he still continues to up his game. That Dwightmare/Kardashian season was the only year he stagnated by not doing work in the offseason. Previous years, it was like that Game of Zones clip...he was twice the offense, half the defense. Where that led us was playoff contention despite half finished rosters. He took the burden and load of running the Rockets and people (scrub Lin fans) assumed anyone could've done that. This year, you saw it in the regular season when they'd talk to each other on plays, arguing about defensive assignments and who missed what. He's definitely expanding his impact on the court when his shot isn't falling. Harden isn't CP3. We brought in CP3 for a reason. I hope this offseason, he'll work on upping his endurance even more while finding ways to make getting his shots more effortless. If he can lock down the other guy while still control play after play with jab steps, drives and decellerations, he'll be on another level than what we've seen this year.
I'm glad you guys caught on . Ultra instinct is a great analogy to what I was talking about. I think we are about to witness something incredible . I think his evolution is speeding up too . It's all mental at this point . You can't really improve your skills at this point of the season , but in terms of focus and decision making you can make big leaps
Harden's defense, while still flawed, has definitely improved. That is a good sign. But when you're the supposed MVP of the league, playing decent D SHOULDN'T come at the expense of your offense, and vice versa. If you want to be considered one of the best players in the league, that's what you're SUPPOSED to do. Trying to make excuse for Harden sucking on one end of the floor because he's putting more effort on the other is just weak, because there are so many players in this league who DON'T fall off the cliff offensively just because they play decent D. That's not what we normally expect from an MVP. They usually maintain their level of production offensively or defensively while also not being complete liability on the other end. So far with Harden in the playoffs, it's been one or the other (good O & terrible D or good D & terrible O), and that's just not good enough for a player of his caliber.
Have you not been seeing the Rockets exploit Stephen Curry this entire series? The guy who has won 2 MVPs?
Curry's not the MVP of this season. And when he was few years ago, Curry was actually a decent defender while making history offensively. When he was not - such as in the Finals when Kyrie exposed Curry's defense - he got criticized, no matter how good he was offensively, and when Curry struggled offensively with his shooting, people didn't give him any break because he played decent defense. That's not how it works when you're supposedly one of the best players in the league.
Its all about the narrative. If we had lost we would have 10 threads saying harden sucks trade him. He played good d near the end. That steal and jam was huge. He has been very good since he has been here. The team around him has gotten better.
Correct. A lot more is expected from him. It's a familiar pattern as you pointed out. I think Harden doesn't have much to go on offense, when he has to expend energy on defense, because he is simply not used to working hard on defense. This makes him mentally tired, then he misses shots. The best thing for him is to make plays for others in the beginning, and then take step back jumpers. If the 3 isn't there, step in and take mid-range shots and drive to the basket. This will make him more efficient and help to conserve energy on defense. Our guys can't win if James goes 0-11 again. He HAS to have a big game.
James needs to practice all day long until Game 6. All the regular and practice players need to simulate real game conditions, as best as possible. Unfortunately, Chris is hurt. This is a very big setback. The rest of the team has got to step up. We have come too far to falter at this critical stage. Go Houston Rockets!
