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When you don't have a true point, your superstars suffer disfunctionality

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by basketballholic, Apr 27, 2016.

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  1. basketballholic

    basketballholic Member

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    In lieu of the barrage of threads concerning the pending end of the Harden-Howard era I want to make one thing perfectly clear. This era of Rockets basketball failed because we didn't have the glue guy. We didn't have the guy that would feed both Harden and Howard the basketball and keep both guys happy with their looks while doing the dirty work defensively for both men..

    Harden is not a glue guy. He's a superstar that doesnt understand how to get his premier big who carries the defensive and rebounding load, the ball in easy position to score. He holds the ball waiting to make a spectacular play rather than throwing the basic open pass when his big flashes.

    Dwight is not a glue guy. Dwight is simply a monster rim protector and rebounder who acts like a pechulent child when he doesn't get the ball instead of demanding it.

    Dwight wastes possessions with poor free throw shooting. James wastes possessions by throwing the ball away or throwing it out to 28% 3-point shooters.

    James should be taking those 3-ball shots himself off a play created by a playmaker that knows how to with the dribble in and out of traffic and scramble up opponent defenses. Dwight should be shooting and-ones after the dunk/layup. And a great playmaker that knows how to draw fouls and knocks down his free throws at a great clip should be collecting fouls and going to the free throw line when we are in the bonus right alongside Harden instead of us worrying about Dwight getting hacked or James getting double-teamed and throwing the ball to a non-Rocket.

    This era failed because we didn't have the oil and grease between Harden and Howard to keep them running great and not grinding each other down.

    On that note just remember this. Even if we bring in both Harford and Durant this summer we aren't going to win a championship without a philosophical change to the way we play basketball and the acquisition of a premier playmaker that will be the glue that holds our team and its superstar(s) together. Harden is not a point guard. And Howard ain't a pick-and-roll center. Harden is a scorer who can make a play off his scoring scoring thrusts. And Howard is a smash mouth low block big man with limited mobility that can/will only expend energy to roll to the hoop occasionally to match how often Harden expends energy to defend.

    And just trading out Howard for Durant/Horford ain't going to work either. Without a playmaker/distributor our offense simply becomes my turn/your turn with both Harden and Durant doing the same things while Horford will grow frustrated with the lack of ball movement and lack of inclusion of the bigs in the offense. Only then our defense will be even worse since Harford is not as good defensively and on the boards as even a diminished Howard is.

    This team has developed serious problems in giving Harden too much power and influence on style of play, coaching staff hires, and the roster. If that doesn't change then de facto GM Harden is going to continue to steer us to mediocrity while putting up gargantuan personal numbers. Because Harden is as mediocre a GM as he is a point guard playing defense.
     
    #1 basketballholic, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2016
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  2. SF3isBack!!

    SF3isBack!! Member

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    This is just giving Dwight an excuse. He had a good point guard in Orlando, he played with Nash in LA and refused to pick and roll. I have no idea why we though Houston would be different. It's not the pg it's the big baby over paid center we have that's the problem.
     
    #2 SF3isBack!!, Apr 27, 2016
  3. basketballholic

    basketballholic Member

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    Howard went to the finals with a diminutive distributor in jameer. You'll have to learn the hard way. If we don't get a glue guy premier distributor it won't matter what superstars we get alongside Harden. We will always be stymied at the end. Dwight is excused from being the glue guy. As is Harden. And I'd we don't get the glue guy we are doomed no matter how many Durants we sign.
     
    #3 basketballholic, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2016
  4. Aleron

    Aleron Contributing Member

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    That Howard doesn't exist anymore, this Howard has hip and back issues, no explosion and can't do anything if someone has a body on him anymore, even if that someone is Dirk friggin Nowitzki.

    Please return to reality
     
    #4 Aleron, Apr 27, 2016
  5. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    That howard will never come back

    Howard is Houstons biggest problem. Harden is the least of our problems. Not the other way around.
     
    #5 vlaurelio, Apr 27, 2016
  6. cdrive

    cdrive Contributing Member

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    No. It's when you don't have a real coach because your GM demands a Figurehead Coach system.
     
    #6 cdrive, Apr 27, 2016
  7. oogie boogie

    oogie boogie Member

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    Nah, you're over simplifying the problem. You're just talking about two things when it comes to the offense, and that's just when both are on the court. And then that's just one side of the ball...

    Over simplifying the problem. Not havinf a "glue guy" isnt the reasom why we suck this season because we did the same thing last season and won a respectable 56 games.
     
    #7 oogie boogie, Apr 27, 2016
  8. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    So, Rafer Alston was a true point guard, after all. And Steve Nash was overrated.
     
    #8 heypartner, Apr 27, 2016
  9. SF3isBack!!

    SF3isBack!! Member

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    This exactly. Howard still wants the ball to run completely through him without having the abilities he once possessed and that's the big problem. BBallholic is actually proving the point. Howard is the diva, expecting to be treated like he was back in the Orlando days before his injury and subsequent regression. And if he does not get what he wants he pouts and quits despite whether or not him getting what he wants makes sense or not. Dwight's refusal to compromise in this way was well noted in LA and Orlando. He is very good and making excuses and laying blame elsewhere when really he's having a temper tantrum.
     
    #9 SF3isBack!!, Apr 27, 2016
  10. Mathloom

    Mathloom Shameless Optimist
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    Antiquated idea IMO. You don't need your PG to be your best passer in order to win anymore. It would be nice, but it's not a necessity.
     
    #10 Mathloom, Apr 27, 2016
  11. Haymitch

    Haymitch Custom Title
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    I love it when people do this.
     
    #11 Haymitch, Apr 27, 2016
  12. Swish4fives

    Swish4fives Member

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    No he didn't. Jameer got injured halfway through that season and didn't play until the finals where he got limited minutes.
     
    #12 Swish4fives, Apr 27, 2016
  13. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    And the premier distributor glue guy was turkey glu, with Rafer playing the Beverley role with better dribbling
     
    #13 heypartner, Apr 27, 2016
  14. steddinotayto

    steddinotayto Contributing Member

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    LOL. This is a cleverly disguised "Bballholic's annual I want Ricky Rubio" thread. Well done, you almost had all of us.
     
    #14 steddinotayto, Apr 27, 2016
  15. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

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    A tradition unlike any other
     
    #15 J Sizzle, Apr 27, 2016
  16. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    Cool story..but this failed because Howard can't do more than dunk inside, amd even then they're spoon fed dunks.

    If dwight dominates, then he gets the ball, period. Even Mchale saw the issues and wasnt thrilled about giving him the ball..is not a subjective player point of view..he doesnt deserve the touches at this point in his career.
     
    #16 RV6, Apr 27, 2016
  17. oakdogg

    oakdogg Contributing Member

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    Does somebody need to back through the last 25 seasons and tell you how often the NBA Champion had an elite PG? Why would the OP not know that? Also, the OP is too long. Can't people make their point more efficiently? Kinda like Harden's TS%
     
    #17 oakdogg, Apr 27, 2016
  18. malakas

    malakas Member

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    Well lets see. This year teams with pure points.
    Clippers: fully dysfunctional
    Kings: fully dysfunctional
    Wolves: preey dysfunctional

    So a pure pg doesnt save from dysfunctionality anyone on his own.
     
    #18 malakas, Apr 27, 2016
  19. aelliott

    aelliott Contributing Member

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    Already did it.

    Here's the assist average of the starting PG for every NBA champion since 1990

    1990 - Det - I. Thomas 9.4
    1991 - Chi - Armstrong 3.7
    1992 - Chi - Armstrong 3.2
    1993 - Chi - Armstrong 4.0
    1994 - Hou - Smith - 4.2
    1995 - Hou - Smith - 4.0
    1996 - Chi - Harper - 2.6
    1997 - Chi - Harper - 2.5
    1998 - Chi - Harper - 2.9
    1999 - SA - A. Johnson - 7.4
    2000 - LAL - Fisher - 2.8
    2001 - LAL - Fisher - 4.4
    2002 - LAL - Fisher - 2.6
    2003 - SA - Parker - 5.3
    2004 - Det - Billups - 5.7
    2005 - SA - Parker - 6.1
    2006 - Mia - J. Williams - 4.9
    2007 - SA - Parker - 5.8
    2008 - BOS - Rondo - 5.1
    2009 - LAL - Fisher 3.2
    2010 - LAL - Fisher 2.5
    2011 - Dal - Kidd - 8.2
    2012 - Mia - Chalmers - 3.5
    2013 - Mia - Chalmers - 3.5
    2014 - SA - Parker - 5.7
    2015 - GS - Curry 7.7

    That's not exactly a list of elite passers/ballhandlers. You do see a good number of teams that ran their offense through wing players (Jordan/Pippen, Kobe, Lebron, Wade).


    Since '90 only 3 teams have won a title with their PG averaging more assists per game than Harden.
     
    #19 aelliott, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2016
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  20. aelliott

    aelliott Contributing Member

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    Just out of curiosity, how does a playmaker prevent Howard from getting hacked? You know that the hacking is intentional right? He doesn't even have to have the ball to get hacked.

    How can any player prevent a team from Hacking anyone? Why can't CP3 prevent DeAndre Jordan from being hacked?
     
    #20 aelliott, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2016
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