ClutchFans Game Thread: Grizzlies @ Rockets 4/12/2013

I agree and disagree on this. Harden gets all the glory if he hits a game winner (or is bailed out by Jermaine)...he should shoulder a lot of the blame for taking bad shots and losing...

 

Harden has superstar skills and talent, but he doesn't impact the result of a game as much as his stats indicate. His ESPN ranking is fairly accurate, at #8, so we have ourselves a top 5 franchise player (since lebron/wade, westbrook/durant are on the same team). But we might need more than a #2 option, we need a #1 option on the team so Harden can slide himself back to the same godly efficient second option player.

 

So basically what you're saying is...

A player who averages 25, 5, and 5 in his first season as the Top option, despite absolutely ZERO training camp and preseason with his new team, who's only 23 years old and is surrounded by the youngest team in the league A) isn't a franchise player and B) doesn't have any chance to improve his game/skills/efficiency?

My goodness that is just silly...

I could understand if you were saying this 2-3 years into his new contract and there was legit reason for concern, but you, like many others on here, seriously lack patience. What Harden, Lin, and everybody on this team has been able to accomplish (playoffs, top offense, while youngest in the league) is pretty damn amazing. Without Harden though, this team is nothing. At best looking at 30-35 wins.

To act like Harden can't improve is simply foolish. Give the man some freaking time...

 

stop talking about the last few possession and start talking about tjones please

 

That earlier post screams of the glass house analogy. Some people cannot take criticism of a player so they respond their own criticism. No player single handedly lost or won us this game.

 

I'm impressed the rockets won the rebounding battle

 

just being fair, most people act just like our dumb ass coach, never call harden out for anything.

 

I agree, but it truly goes both ways. When Harden plays well it's time to bash Lin. Tonight it was the other way around. I've never seen such infighting after a really good, albeit disappointing, game.

 

Clyde even said that Jeremy had the "hot hand" and Harden should consider kicking it to Lin to let him shoot.

The LAST shot should go to Harden but the last couple possessions before it?! That's debateable.

 

i wish only half of the people defending harden here would do the same for jeremy after a bad game

 

Ummm... Lin was 2/5 from 3 tonight which is what... 40%?

 

And give him some help. A reliable post player makes all the difference in the world. Harden has been given the keys to the franchise in his first year as a starter and you're asking him to be Labron, MJ, Durant. Tonight his only offensive option was himself or Lin. And Lin wasn't getting foul calls either. We can debate his bad decisions in the last few minutes all you want, but calling him a B level player is just ridiculous.

 

If there's no hot hand, what is "in the zone" of athlete?

 

You believe everything Clyde says?

 

Why is Harden and Lin receiving all the attention? I'm pretty sure James was told by the coach to drive in the line and creates fauls for the last few possessions. Machale is the one to blame...

 

They were replaying one of this towards the end of the game where Grizzlies Tony Allen hit Lin head really hard in a FT.

 

Most people? From what I'm reading almost everyone agrees Harden made mistakes down the stretch by taking contested shots (not the last shot). You don't think McHale talks to him about it just because he doesn't throw him under the bus in public? I'm not happy with the way the game went down but taking shots at fellow fans doesn't change a thing.

 

No such thing. I would say regression to the mean, small sample size, etc.

 

Yep. Winning without a consistent post threat is close to impossible. I mean...even somebody like Ibaka could be passable. But when your most reliable post scorer is Greg Smith, it's going to make the guards have to work that much more.

But that's why patience is needed. Morey can't do it all in one offseason. There's no doubt he understands that upgrading the front court is essential.

 

AMEN!!!